O How Can They Look Up to Heaven?

O how can they look up to Heav’n

And ask for mer­cy there

Who nev­er soothed the poor man’s pang

Nor dried the or­phan’s tear?

The dread om­ni­po­tence of Heav’n

We ev­ery hour pro­voke;

Yet still the mer­cy of our God

Withholds the av­eng­ing stroke.

And Christ was still the heal­ing friend

Of po­ver­ty and pain;

And nev­er did im­plor­ing soul

His gar­ment touch in vain.

May we with hum­ble ef­fort take

Example from ab­ove;

And thence the ac­tive les­son learn

Of char­ity and love!

But chief­ly be the la­bor ours

To shade the ear­ly plant;

To guard from ig­no­rance and guilt

The in­fan­cy of want;

To graft the vir­tues

ere the bud

The cank­er worm has gnawed

And teach the res­cued child to lisp

Its gra­ti­tude to God.