The Gospel

By Hester Birch
of Dover, England

As gentle rains descending,
With sunbeams sweetly blending;
As glittering jewels pending,
From heaven’s arch so broad;
So cool and so refreshing,
And wisdom’s stamp impressing,
On all the works of God.

As dews on summer’s morning,
Each blade of grass adorning,
With sparkling beauty charming,
To thirsty earth a boon;
So is the Gospel story;
It comes in drops of glory,
From God our Father’s throne.

Not in a voice of thunder,
To rend the earth asunder,
Proclaiming dread and wonder,
Does truth its power display.
It falls as genial showers,
On these parch’d hearts of ours;
Or soft as zephyrs play

So gently and so meekly,
In words of mild entreaty,
it whispers – ah! how sweetly,
Of love to God and man;
It fills our hearts with kindness,
It dissipates our blindness –
‘Tis heaven on earth began.

(1854)