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DEAR LORD, ON THIS THY SERVANT’S DAY

Scripture Verse

Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:20

Introduction

portrait
Cecil Alexander
(1818–1895)

Words: Ce­cil F. Al­ex­an­der, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875.

Music: St. Ber­nard (Monk) Will­iam H. Monk, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1861 (🔊 ).

portrait
William Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

Dear Lord, on this Thy ser­vant’s day,
Who left for Thee the gold and mart,
Who heard Thee whis­per, Come away,
And fol­lowed with a sin­gle heart,

Give us, amid earth’s wea­ry moil,
And wealth for which men cark and care,
’Mid for­tune’s pride, and need’s wild toil,
And brok­en hearts in pur­ple rare,

Give us Thy grace to rise above
The glare of this world’s smelt­ing fires;
Let God’s great love put out the love
Of gold, and gain, and low de­sires.

Still, like a breath from scent­ed lime
Borne in­to rooms where sick men faint,
His voice comes float­ing through all time,
Thine own ev­an­gel­ist and saint.

Still sweet­ly rings the Gos­pel strain
Of gold­en store that knows not rust:
The love of Christ is more than gain,
And heav’n­ly crowns than yel­low dust.