Then do the duty, howsoever small, humble, ugly, or onerous it may be. No king could do a greater work than to do duty. Do it gladly, do it nobly, do it well; do it for God and humanity, forgetting self in its doing. Even so did the Master, for “behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things?” Beyond it, in God’s time, waits the eternal glory in that land whose days can close with naught but joy. “Stern daughter of the voice of God!
O Duty! if that name thou love,
Who art a light to guide, a rod
To check the erring, and reprove;
Thou, who art victory and law
When terrors empty overawe,
From vain temptations dost set free,
And calm’st the weary strife of frail humanity. “Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear
The Godhead’s most benignant grace;
Nor know we anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face:
Flowers laugh before thee on their beds,
And fragrance in thy footing treads;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong,
And the most ancient heavens through thee are fresh and strong. “To humbler functions, awful Power!
I call thee: I myself commend
Unto thy guidance from this hour,
O let my weakness have an end!
Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reason give;
And in the light of truth thy bondman let me live.”