The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-09
Duty to God.
BY H. L. K

The time has come when many say
They will their Lord no homage pay,
And actions With their words agree
That they despise His sure decree
Still others say there is no God
To smite them with his mighty rod,
Since they are men of widespread fame
Such as till now has had no name.
They all admit there was time
When ign'ran filled the world with crime
That there was need to have God
To scourge the sinners with his rod,
But silence now, they loudly cry,
viii not bow down to such spy.
They cry to men: look here, look there!
We wiser are than once we were;
We need not on the Lord depend
To smite the rock and mamma send,
Nor mead we laws from Sinai's mount
Us to instruct-how sins to count;
We need not read that fogy'sh Book.
In which the fathers loved to look,
Nor need we check excessivelust
Because it says We must, we must.
Such drink the dregs of spirits wild;
But think them sweet and very mild;
OF doctrines of the devils all
They from their creeds that soon must fall.
To such defamers we should speak
In language such as tends to meek:
Go to the ant ye worldly wise,
And see how it on God relies.
1t has no speech, no mighty hands,
Yet worlds it builds when God commands.
1t is not wise, yet amply so
To teach blind men who all will know.
Fen birds to God all glory give
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His word some say is simply trash,
And they who read it need the lash.
o, vaunting men look to the grave
Ye proudly ia k, but are not brave;
Ye loudly laugh when all is well,
But deaths loud call soon stops your swell
Ye boast of strength, yet cannot hold
Fen breath of life, if truth be told.
Ye helpless are as are the flies
Entangled in the SPIDERS ties.
If life Is sweet, and death is grave
Why dot desire your soul to save?
Why not grow wise on wholesome truth.
Since lurking death too halts the youth
If God our ears, our tongues and speech
Hath given, His Word to hear and teach,
That hungry souls may well be fed,
And early love the truth to wed,
Why do we not with willing hearts
His praises sound through many parts?
Why linger we along the brink
Of deaths broad stream, its woes to drink
When waters sweet so calmly trill
Along our path, our thirst to still?
The sun, the moon, the stars and bees;
The birds, the seas and forest trees
Alike perform with ready hands
The works which God of them demands
The gentle rains that sing to sleep
Our weary limbs that fill the deep
With waters pure, and seed the soil
That farmers may with glad hearts toll,
Their duty know to their great King
And let their voices to Him ring.
The bowling winds which ships inhume
With laden decks, and oft assume
Sufficient power to shake the earth
Do Him obey who gave them birth,
Whilst doubling souls refuse to hear
The gentle voice that stills our fear,
AS once it stilled the maddened sea
For those who feared engulfed to be.
Duty to God is Him to fear,
His laws to keep, and gladly hear
Of life's great Prince who US redeemed,
And trust In Him who us esteemed.
The young and old, the high and low
Alike to Him this duty owe.
'Tis often said that children small
Know not on whom, nor how to call
For aid, since they cannot believe
That Jesus came them to relieve
OF mum rous SINS and balm impart
To heal their wounds from Satan's dart,
But they who speak of children so
Can little of their knowledge know.
Fen mou tbs of babes sweet accents raise,
And give to God most perfect praise.
If smallest branch upon the tree
Would ask to be from duty free
For sev'ral years, would not the rest
Be apt to make like request ?
Since branches small and little streams
Their functions have, it blindness seems
That men will still the doctrine hold
That children are without the fold.
With equal truth they might assert
That doctrine pure will men prevert,
That little lambs cannot be found
'Mong focks of sheep, that square is round.