THE RIGHT MUST WIN

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 13, 1856

Selected for the REVIEW.

Oh! it is hard to work for God, To rise and take his part Upon this battle-field of earth, And not sometimes lose heart.

He hides himself so wondrously, As though there were no God; He is least seen when all the powers Of ill are most abroad.

Or he deserts us at the hour The fight is almost lost; And seems to leave us to ourselves Just when we need him most.

Ill masters good; good seems to change To ill with greatest ease; And, worst of all, the good with good Is at cross purposes.

It is not so, but so it looks; And we lose courage then; And doubts will come if God hath kept His promises to men.

Ah! God is other than we think; His ways are far above, Far above reason's height, and reacheth Only by child-like love.

The look, the fashion of God's ways, Love's life-long study are; She can be bold, and guess, and act, When reason would not dare.

She has a prudence of her own; Her step is firm and free; Yet there is cautious science, too, In her simplicity.

Workman of God! O lose not heart; But learn what God is like; And in the darkest battle-field Thou shalt know where to strike.

O, bless'd is he to whom is given The instinct that can tell That God is on the field when he Is most invisible.

And bless'd is he who can divine Where real light doth lie; And dares to take the side that seems Wrong to man's blindfold eye!

O learn to scorn the praise of men! O learn to love with God! For Jesus won the world through shame, And beckons thee his road.

God's glory is a wondrous thing, Most strange in all its ways, And of all things on earth, least like What men agree to praise.

Muse on his justice, downcast soul! Muse and take better heart: Back with thine angel to the field; Good luck shall crown thy part!