O Jesus Christ, thou who wast man, Grant us thy face to see; In thy light shall we understand What human life may be. Then daily with thy Spirit filled, According to thy word, New power shall flow through us to all, And draw men near our Lord. Thus will the deep desire be met With which our prayer began; A closer walk with Thee will mean A closer walk with man. If any little word of mine may make a life the brighter, If any little song of mine may make a heart the lighter, God help me speak the little word, and take my bit of singing, And drop it in some lonely vale to set the echoes ringing. If any little love of mine may make a life the sweeter, If any little care of mine make other life completer, If any lift of mine may ease the burden of another, God give me love and care and strength to help my toiling brother. CHARITY NOT JUSTICE Outwearied with the littleness and spite, The falsehood and the treachery of men, I cried, "Give me but justice!" thinking then I meekly craved a common boon which might Most easily be granted; soon the light Of deeper truth grew on my wondering ken, (Escaping baneful damps of stagnant fen), And then I saw that in my pride bedight I claimed from erring man the gift of Heaven-- God's own great vested right; and I grew calm, With folded hands, like stone, to patience given, And pitying, of pure love distilling balm; And now I wait in quiet trust to be All known to God--and ask of men sweet charity. --Elizabeth Oakes Smith. GOD SAVE THE PEOPLE When wilt thou save the people, O God of mercy, when? Not kings alone, but nations? Not thrones and crowns, but men? Flowers of thy heart, O God, are they: Let them not pass, like weeds, away-- Their heritage a sunless day. God save the people! Shall crime bring crime forever, Strength aiding still the strong? Is it thy will, O Father, That man shall toil for wrong? "No," say thy mountains, "No," thy skies; Man's clouded sun shall brightly rise, And songs ascend instead of sighs. God save the people! When wilt thou save the people? O God of mercy, when? The people, Lord, the people, Not thrones and crowns, but men? God save the people; thine they are, Thy children, as thine angels fair; From vice, oppression, and despair, God save the people! --Ebenezer Elliott. HYMN OF THE CITY Not in the solitude Alone may man commune with Heaven, or see Only in savage wood And sunny vale the present Deity; Or only hear his voice Where the winds whisper and the waves rejoice.