Chapter XLIX: Thy Father’s Friend

Forsake not thou thy father’s friend,
Forsake not thou thine own;
Though care and grief his form may bow,
And frosts of age be on his brow,
And like a leafless willow now
He stand on earth alone.

Forsake not thou thy father’s friend,
Revere the hoary head;
Thou may’st have little to bestow
To lessen want, or lighten woe,
But who does not the solace know
Which kindly words can shed!

Forsake not thou thy father’s friend;
So when thy strength is o’er,
May’st thou ne’er want a friend in need,
Thy age to cheer, thy footsteps lead,
But he who is a “Friend indeed”
Be thine for evermore!

L.
FEAR OF GOD AND FEAR OF MAN.

The fear of God most high—
It is a holy fear;
It makes us pass through life as those
Who know their Lord is near.
The fear of sinful man—
’Tis a debasing fear,
Shame will be theirs who dare not brave
A censure or a sneer.

It was the fear of God
By which the Hebrews three
Undaunted met the tyrant’s frown—
Unmoved the flames could see.
It was the fear of man
Weak Pilate’s breast within,
That stained his hands with guiltless blood,
His soul with blackest sin.

No courage is like that
Which steadfast faith bestows;
With God our Friend, we would be safe
Were all the world our foes!
Faith but the _duty_ sees
Where doubt would danger scan;
’Tis through the fear of God alone
We crush the fear of man.