God’s Holy Day the Sabbath
By Sarah H. Payne
I stood at the birth of the evening
And gazed at the sinking sun;
And the glow that it left behind it
Grew dark when the day was done.
But O, before the darkness
What a glow baptized the sky,
And tipped the clouds with splendor
Before my wondering eye. And how the colors sparkled
Upon the ocean’s breast,
The waves like priceless jewels
Seemed sinking into rest.
Above, the sea-gulls glided,
So still they seemed asleep;
Their graceful wings reflecting
The crimson of the deep. And then the moon came gleaming
From out her cloudy screen,
A silver half-rim, glinting,
Of night, the misty queen.
A veil of golden glory
Spread over land and sea;
The mossy spots, and stony,
Seemed brighter then to me. The seaside flowers, simple,
I’d thought so poor and pale,
Shone now with wondrous beauty
Within this golden trail.
I looked in awe and wonder
At all His hand had wrought,
The sky, the sea, the sunset,
The beauty of God’s thought. In rapture soared my spirit,
And by my Maker stood,
And there reviewed Creation,
And heard Him call it “good.”
My soul was stilled with wonder
As each star took its place,
Each creature of His power,
Filled with His perfect grace. It seemed as tho’ ’twere evening
Of His own holy day;
And then I asked the question,
Can this e’er pass away?
A few would stop to listen,
But none could tell me true;
Till in His blessed Bible
He brought the truth to view. The One, the great Creator,
Who spans eternity,
Who was from everlasting,
Who evermore shall be,—
He hallowed with His blessing
To crown His work of love
This day of rest and worship
To point the soul above. No power can change or alter
That Heaven-sealed decree,
To me the truth came bounding,
From doubting set me free.
And then I longed to tell it,
The truth that then I saw
Revealed by Sinai’s flaming,
His righteous, holy law. And God spoke loud and sternly,
My law thou shalt not break,
For I am God, unchanging,
Nor one word from it take:
From first to tenth is holy,
The fourth with all the rest;
Obey each holy precept,
And write it in thy breast. It is My sign of Lordship,
This holy seventh day,
Creator, King, Redeemer,
Thou shalt My will obey;
A righteous law, and holy,
Revealing My own name;
Hear and obey its precepts,
Its beauties e’er proclaim. I died upon the tree, child,
To set the whole world free,
Lifted sin’s heavy burden,
For love I died for thee,
That thou mightst be obedient,
My law within thy heart,
The old, the new, the first, the last,
They can not live apart. And so I bowed and murmured,
Thy law, dear Lord, I’ll keep,
Thy Sabbath shall be token,
A sign of purpose deep.
O glorious thought—Thy blessing,
Thy word within my breast!
I’ll leave the world behind me,
And come into Thy rest!