Cross and Crown

There is a cross of hea­vy weight

For ev­ery hu­man life to bear;

There is a chap­let formed of thorns

For each and ev­ery brow to wear.

Oh! when the cross of pain and woe

Shall soon for­ev­er be laid down

May we re­ceive in re­com­pense

A beau­ti­ful and fade­less crown.

A cross of toil and world­ly grief

A bur­den of sus­pense and care

Has life im­posed up­on us all

And each its hea­vy load must bear.

The clouds may low­er ov­er­head

The bright stars fade be­fore our eyes

Yet faith shall point us out the path

Where sac­ri­fice

where du­ty lies.

A crown awaits each faith­ful heart

Each ear­nest

self de­ny­ing soul

That car­ries cheer­ful­ly the cross

To death’s cold

un­re­lent­ing goal.

And where the veil shall melt away

Disclosing Heav­en’s end­less bliss;

The crown of love shall com­pen­sate

The cross of such a life as this.