Chapter XXXIV: Social Hymn

How beautiful is Nature’s face!
God made all things so fair,
Each keeps its own allotted place,
Nor hate, nor strife are there.
The hill and the plain,
The grass and forest tree,
The mighty waters of the main,
The lily on the lea,—
The sunny sky is over all,
And all is harmony.

So in the social world we stand
In God’s appointed way,
And some He destines to command,
And others to obey.
The rich and the poor,
The lowly and the great,
The peasant at his cottage door,
The Sovereign in her state,—
One holy tie uniteth all
Who on one Master wait.

How glorious is the mountain height,
Whence kindly streamlets flow
To bless the peaceful valleys, bright
With bending corn below!
The fair mountain-crown
Shall envy assail,
Or pride trample down
The harvest of the vale?—
The unity in Nature’s world
In Man’s world should prevail.

Oh! let not Satan overthrow
The order God designed;
The seeds of bitter envy sow,
And pride, among mankind.
Let rich love the poor,
The humble bless the great,
The servant guard the master’s store,
The monarch serve the state,—
Each—in his separate sphere—to God
His talents consecrate.