 | English Roses |  |
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SALVATION SALLY.
I am young Salvation Sally,
And I feel no mortal woe
In the blackest slum and alley
Held against us by the foe.
We are marching on to Glory, 'twixt the dying and the dead;
But we heed no bar or danger, while the Lord is overhead.
Flame and iron, blood and thunder,
Are our watchwords as we move
Treading earth and evil under—
All the master would reprove.
To the music of the tambourine and rattle of the drum,
We are steeping boldly forward, ever on to Kingdom Come.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
And I feel no mortal woe
In the blackest slum and alley
Held against us by the foe.
We are marching on to Glory, 'twixt the dying and the dead;
But we heed no bar or danger, while the Lord is overhead.
Flame and iron, blood and thunder,
Are our watchwords as we move
Treading earth and evil under—
All the master would reprove.
To the music of the tambourine and rattle of the drum,
We are steeping boldly forward, ever on to Kingdom Come.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally,
No fine lady bound to faint
When the flints fly musically—
No love sick rose-water saint.
We are fighting for the Captain, and we count no shame or shock;
In the hurly-burly dancing, with our feet upon the rock.
Though my bread has oft no butter,
And we get more blows than pence,
I pluck souls from out the gutter
And the Lord is my defence,
When I wrestle sore with vices in a shade like judgment gloom,
Loudly ringing in my ear is the archangel's trump of doom.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
No fine lady bound to faint
When the flints fly musically—
No love sick rose-water saint.
We are fighting for the Captain, and we count no shame or shock;
In the hurly-burly dancing, with our feet upon the rock.
Though my bread has oft no butter,
And we get more blows than pence,
I pluck souls from out the gutter
And the Lord is my defence,
When I wrestle sore with vices in a shade like judgment gloom,
Loudly ringing in my ear is the archangel's trump of doom.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
35
I am young Salvation Sally,
Ripe for any turn or toil
Like a slave upon a galley—
When redemption is the spoil.
What are scars but decorations, what are wounds on breast and hand,
If we rescue from the burning only one consuming brand?
Others rest on purple pillows
But I know the time is short
And I brave the tossing billows,
Bringing shipwrecks into Port.
Yes, I hear the Master's footsteps, now, along the shining shore;
I must work while I am able, till I rest for evermore.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
Ripe for any turn or toil
Like a slave upon a galley—
When redemption is the spoil.
What are scars but decorations, what are wounds on breast and hand,
If we rescue from the burning only one consuming brand?
Others rest on purple pillows
But I know the time is short
And I brave the tossing billows,
Bringing shipwrecks into Port.
Yes, I hear the Master's footsteps, now, along the shining shore;
I must work while I am able, till I rest for evermore.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally,
And I laugh at sticks and stones,
When about the Ark we rally
To the banjo and the bones.
We are in the Blessed Army, and we serve alone the Lord;
He will keep us in the battle, He is Sun and Shield and Sword.
I have offered all and given
Of my utmost and the best,
To be healed and cleansed and shriven
Safe upon the Saviour's breast.
Gladly did I part from even my sweetheart and my kith and kin,
That I might make Him my Husband and be washed from every sin.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
And I laugh at sticks and stones,
When about the Ark we rally
To the banjo and the bones.
We are in the Blessed Army, and we serve alone the Lord;
He will keep us in the battle, He is Sun and Shield and Sword.
I have offered all and given
Of my utmost and the best,
To be healed and cleansed and shriven
Safe upon the Saviour's breast.
Gladly did I part from even my sweetheart and my kith and kin,
That I might make Him my Husband and be washed from every sin.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally—
Not bad-looking too—but, then,
I have left the vicious valley
And the wicked baits of men.
I am stepping up and higher on the holy mountain tops,
Far above your sweet temptations and the gilt of sugared sops.
I have found the milk and honey,
Goodly pearls and costly spice;
Purchased by no bribe of money,
But attained through sacrifice.
Gaily fasting, in the teeth of oaths and buffets, still I ask
Not for wages of the worker, but a double heavier task.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
Not bad-looking too—but, then,
I have left the vicious valley
And the wicked baits of men.
36
Far above your sweet temptations and the gilt of sugared sops.
I have found the milk and honey,
Goodly pearls and costly spice;
Purchased by no bribe of money,
But attained through sacrifice.
Gaily fasting, in the teeth of oaths and buffets, still I ask
Not for wages of the worker, but a double heavier task.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally,
On the watch for any sin;
Be it brothel, be it ballet,
Always ready to romp in—
Wave the flag and march, where drunkards at their orgies loaf or lurch;
Lift the songs of Zion louder than the droning of the Church.
Hell and all its demon malice
Will not make my paces trip;
I will dare, and dash the chalice
From the sot's poor trembling lip.
O I see a crown before me, and the promise of a palm;
And to suffer so for Jesus, is enough reward and balm.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
On the watch for any sin;
Be it brothel, be it ballet,
Always ready to romp in—
Wave the flag and march, where drunkards at their orgies loaf or lurch;
Lift the songs of Zion louder than the droning of the Church.
Hell and all its demon malice
Will not make my paces trip;
I will dare, and dash the chalice
From the sot's poor trembling lip.
O I see a crown before me, and the promise of a palm;
And to suffer so for Jesus, is enough reward and balm.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally,
Fashioned of a sterner stuff
Than to dawdle here or dally,
For a blow or one rebuff;
Shaped and shaken by the hustling of the mob to harder form,
Till I take the bruises kindly and can ride upon the storm.
What are blows and maledictions,
Earth of iron and heaven of brass;
If the Lord, in her afflictions,
Holds His Hallelujah Lass?
I can bear the furnace hotter, I will welcome lash and loss,
Just to plant a little farther in the darkness the dear Cross.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner! what of thee?
Fashioned of a sterner stuff
Than to dawdle here or dally,
For a blow or one rebuff;
Shaped and shaken by the hustling of the mob to harder form,
37
What are blows and maledictions,
Earth of iron and heaven of brass;
If the Lord, in her afflictions,
Holds His Hallelujah Lass?
I can bear the furnace hotter, I will welcome lash and loss,
Just to plant a little farther in the darkness the dear Cross.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner! what of thee?
I am young Salvation Sally,
And I never may grow old;
Now no more I shilly-shally,
With the fleshpots and the gold.
I have got a secret manna and the treasure of the truth,
And the well of living Water will ensure eternal youth.
For the Lord is food and clothing,
And my sorrows are His kiss;
Trouble is His touch, and nothing
(While He keeps me) comes amiss.
We are marching on to Glory, through the wilderness and flood;
Purged for ever from our passions, in the fountain of the Blood.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
And I never may grow old;
Now no more I shilly-shally,
With the fleshpots and the gold.
I have got a secret manna and the treasure of the truth,
And the well of living Water will ensure eternal youth.
For the Lord is food and clothing,
And my sorrows are His kiss;
Trouble is His touch, and nothing
(While He keeps me) comes amiss.
We are marching on to Glory, through the wilderness and flood;
Purged for ever from our passions, in the fountain of the Blood.
Hallelujah! I am free;
Man and sinner, what of thee?
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