Poems (Hoffman)/When Sankey Sang
WHEN SANKEY SANG
I longed for heavenly harmony to raiseMy soul from earth to heaven, that I might loseMy earthly burdens in that glory, whoseWalls are salvation, and whose gates are praise,But no; I felt the worth of everything, When I heard Sankey sing.
He sang of Heaven, but deep and rich and strongA mighty undercurrent seemed to speak;To fret for Heaven, were selfish, mean and weakWhen earth needs help from suffering and wrong;I, patience gained for duty's tarrying, When I heard Sankey sing.
I was a little tired of earth before,A little weary of life's common things,I wanted golden harps and angel wings,On sweeps of song above the clouds to soar;But glorified, seemed every common thing, When I heard Sankey sing.
O, sadly would God's work unfinished lieIf every pilgrim dropt his load to-day,No faithful one, "Thy kingdom come" to prayAnd do God's will on earth as in the sky,None patiently to Christ's earth-cross to cling, No Christian left to sing.