Scenes from Scripture with Other Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

“Unto Thee, I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the Heavens. “Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, and the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, till He have mercy upon us.”— Psalm cxxiii,1—2.

Hast thou climbed ambition's height,
Man of genius, man of might!
Seeing from thy lofty seat
All life's storms beneath thy feet.
Empire spread before thine eye.
Homage, fear, and flattery;
All the sounds that reach thee there,—
Kneel, and seek the power of prayer.

Hast thou in life's lowliest vale,
Seen thy patient labours fail,
Felt ill-fortune's daily thrill
Waste thine energy of will.
Yet without revenge or hate,
Wouldst thou stand the stroke of fate;
Wouldst thou bear, as Man should bear,—
Kneel, and seek the power of prayer!

Hast thou, Man of intellect!
Seen thy soaring spirit checked;
Struggling in the righteous cause,
Champion of God's slighted laws.
Seen the slave, or the supine,
Win the prize that should be thine;
Wouldst thou scorn, and wouldst thou spare,—
Kneel, and seek the power of prayer.

Hast thou stood beside the bed,
Where the gentle Spirit fled!
Sharer of life's hopes and fears,
Youth's first passion, love of years,

Saint on earth, and Saint above,
Life of life, and love of love.
Wouldst thou shun the last despair,—
Kneel, and seek the power of prayer!