St. James the Apostle

The Church of God, with equal care,
Her blessings and her work doth share
With all, both high and low;
Her holiest is her highest place,
No rank, but that of growth in grace,
Her loving heart doth know.

She, at the poor man's cottage door,
Stands blessing all his simple store,
And finds, in his abode,
Ofttimes the fairest gifts that can
Be offered, by unworthy man,
To an all-holy God.

The darling child, who from his youth
Hath grown in stature and in truth,
His parents' prop and pride,
Hath stoop'd his shoulder to the Cross,
Hath gained a life of worldly loss,
And for his Saviour died.

He left the cottage-home so dear,
Dash'd from his eye the starting tear,
Aud bade a long farewell
To the low roof, and creeping vine,
That round that blessed spot doth twine,
Where home's belov'd ones dwell.

He bore the Cross to foreign lands,
O'er frozen seas, and burning sands,
He bade its banner wave,
There, with the sword of God's good word,
Won souls, by thousands, to the Lord,
Then found a martyr's grave.

Think not his sacrifice was small:
Poor home! poor parents! they were all
His sum of earthly bliss!
The rough but old familiar spot
Can never be by him forgot,
In the next world or this.

Up to the latest hour of life,
Thro' all its changeful calm and strife,
That memory did come
Like a soft breath of summer air,
And the last words he breath'd in prayer,
They were of Heaven and home.

The poor man's son, tho' simply reared,
His home doth hold as much endeared
As do the richest theirs;
The scene of all his early years,
Hallowed alike by smiles and tears,
By pleasures, and by cares.

If he with earnest heart doth bring
To God this free-will offering,
The firstling of his store;
Tho' richer men may deem it small,
Yet, if he give to God his all,
What can he offer more?

And thus the memory of St. James
In cottage homes affection claims,
When, in some poor abode,
The child of many hopes and prayers,
Despite of added household cares,
Is offered up to God.

The fisher's son, ' without delay'
To Christ obedient, shows the way
The poor for God may take;
How England's cottage-homes may yield
Strong labourers for the harvest field,
To toil for Jesu's sake.

And not alone in learning's haunt,
And palace-homes, all that we want
For the great work is found;
Bold soldiers of the Cross, and true,
Amongst the very humblest too,
With willing hearts abound.

O Saviour of the world! Thy call,
In cottage-home, and palace-hall,
Is wanting, to supply
Those, who, like James, their fisher's net,
Or Paul, their learned ease forget,
For Thee to live and die.