In a church in New York City,
On the weekly day of rest,
There were young, and old, and pretty –
Plainly some, some richly dressed.
There were toilers from the masses,
There were beggars from the street,
Business men, and lads, and lasses,
All on common ground to meet.
There were slaves of old oppressions,
There were lives bowed down with care,
There were men of all professions,
From all motives, gathered there.
There, great-hearted Henry Beecher
Spoke of love : God’s love to man ;
And that grace-anointed preacher
Urged that man bear love to man.
And he told that congregation
Of God’s well-beloved Son,
Who once died for their salvation,
And for men the victory won.
He would teach them of the Father,
By the Spirit to them sent ;
Men could learn to serve Him, rather
Than in selfish course be spent.
So the seed of Truth was scattered
In the hearts of many men,
And I ween it even mattered
How they heard, beyond our ken.
From men there, were prayers ascending
To the Throne of heavenly grace,
Where the Great High Priest attending,
Represents His ransomed race.
And the music, too, ascended,
Pealing onward through the sky ;
Till with heaven’s praise it blended,
Sounding through the Courts on High.
When the people had departed
And the choir remained to sing,
Two poor street boys, heavy-hearted,
Looked, and entered, whispering.
Henry Beecher quickly saw them,
And their wonderment was great
When he blessed them, bending o’er them,
For he sorrowed for their state.
And he grasped the whole occasion
As he bade the voices sing
Gracious words of invitation –
Words that through the ages ring : –
” I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘ Come unto Me and rest ‘ ;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,
Thy head upon My breast.
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad ;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.”
Then he gave the lads assistance,
And he told of Christ again,
Till you heard them from a distance
Singing o’er the hymn’s refrain ; –
” I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad ;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.”
Then the angels wrote the story
Of a simple deed, and kind,
Bringing to the Lord His glory,
Showing on the earth His mind.
And they love to tell each other
How it pleases well the King
When on earth men help a brother,
And a sad heart learns to sing.
(Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine)
More Poetry from Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine:
Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems based on Topics: Man, God, Love, Kings & Queens, Sadness, People, Mind, Sons, Christianity, Truth, Fathers- Queen Esther (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
- Ellen (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
- New Zealand (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
- The Patriarchal Tree (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
- A Song Of Paradise (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
- The Fairies (Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, God Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Youth Poems, Heaven Poems, Christianity Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Success Poems, Jesus Christ PoemsBased on Keywords: represents, professions, oppressions, great-hearted, beecher