Is This a Time to Plant and Build?

Is this a time to plant and build

Add house to house

and field to field

When round our walls the bat­tle low­ers

When mines are hid be­neath our tow­ers

And watch­ful foes are steal­ing round

To search and spoil the ho­ly ground?

Is this a time for moon­light dreams

Of love and home by ma­zy streams

For Fan­cy with her sha­dowy toys

Aërial hopes and pen­sive joys

While souls are wan­der­ing far and wide

And curs­es swarm on ev­ery side?

No—ra­ther steel thy melt­ing heart

To act the mar­tyr’s stern­est part

To watch

with firm un­shrink­ing eye

Thy dar­ling vi­sions as they die

Till all bright hopes

and hues of day

Have fad­ed in­to twi­light gray.

Yes—let them pass with­out a sigh

And if the world seem dull and dry

If long and sad thy lone­ly hours

And winds have rent thy shel­ter­ing bow­ers

Bethink thee what thou art and where

A sin­ner in a life of care.

The fire of Heav’n is soon to fall

(Thou know’st it) on this earth­ly ball;

Full ma­ny a soul

the price of blood

Marked by th’Al­migh­ty’s hand for good

Shall feel the o’er­flow­ing whirl­winds sweep—

And will the bless­èd an­gels weep?

Then in His wrath shall God up­root

The trees He set

for lack of fruit

And drown in rude tem­pes­tu­ous blaze

The tow­ers His hand had deigned to raise;

In si­lence

ere that storm begin

Count o’er His mer­cies and thy sin.

Pray on­ly that thine ach­ing heart

From vi­sions vain con­tent to part

Strong for Love’s sake its woe to hide

May cheerf­ul wait the cross be­side

Too hap­py if

that dread­ful day

Thy life be giv’n thee for a prey.

Snatched sud­den from th’a­veng­ing rod

Safe in the bo­som of thy God

How wilt thou then look back

and smile

On thoughts the bit­ter­est seemed ere­while

And bless the pangs that made thee see

This was no world of rest for thee.