THE CARPENTER

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 27, 1882

O LORD, at Joseph's humble bench, Thy hands did handle saw and plane; Thy hammer nails did drive and clench, Avoiding knot, and humoring grain. That thou didst seem thou wast indeed; In sport thy tools thou didst not use, Nor helping hinds or fishers need, The laborer's hire too nice refuse.

Lord, might I be but as a saw, A plane, a chisel in thy hand? No, Lord! I take it back in awe; Such prayer for me is far too grand; I pray, O Master, let me lie As on thy bench the favored wood; Thy saw, thy plane, thy chisel ply, And work me into something good.

No! no! ambition holy, high, Urges for more than both to pray. Come in, O gracious Lord! I cry, O Workman; share my shed of clay! Then I, at bench, or desk, or oar; With last or needle, net or pen, As thou in Nazareth of yore, Shall do the Father's will again. -Selected.