The Texas Republican

Selected Doctrine

The Sabbath day—the gracious day!
Bringing the gifts of peace,
Chasing life's rude and ardent cares away,
Letting tired labor cease;
Breaking like sunshine on the earth,
Bidding rain shadows flee,
Calling for prayer and sinless mirth,
Making the bondsman free.

The Sabbath day—the priceless boon
Is not the sordid dream;
It yields no gain, it comes too soon,
It is of light esteem!
Let not the bigot sternly cry,
His temple claims it all;
Who shall imprison Mercy's ray
Within that narrow wall?

The Sabbath day—the separate
For which, with yearning sighs,
The wearied worker's patient wait,
And joy to see it rise:
The aching head, the o'er tasked brain,
Alike may find repose,
And gather strength to toil again,
And strength to conquer woes.

The Sabbath day—the gift divine!
That whatsoe'er our creed,
Supplies with bounteousness benign,
Leisure for every need;
For prayer, for praise, for soothing rest,
For thought of boundless scope,
For heed of Charity's behest,
For love, for joy, for hope.

The Sabbath day—the glorious day!
Beyond the city gate,
Let tens of thousands wend their way,
Where breeze and sunshine wait;
And let them see the streamlets flow,
And tread the daisied sod,
And look upon the buds that blow,
And search and find out God.

The Sabbath day—the buckler strong,
That guards the poor and weak,
Shielding the desolate from wrong,
Leaving the tyrant weak.
The Sabbath day—O, prize it well;
Its freedom from to man:
Alike in temple, field or fell,
"The Sabbath made for man."