Chant Of The Soul

By Achsa White Sprague

Across the sea,
Across the sea of Life I speed;
I look to Thee,
I look to Thee, my God, in need.

I watch the waves,
I watch the waves in ceaseless strife;
But Thou canst save,
But Thou canst save, and give me life.

And in the storm,
And in the storm, and clouds of night,
I see Thy form,
I see Thy form, and all is light;

And hear Thy voice,
And hear Thy voice low whispering, Peace,
And I rejoice,
And I rejoice in glad release.

At midnight hour,
At midnight hour on Life's wide sea,
I know Thy power,
I know Thy power keeps watch o'er me.

And when most lone,
And when most lone, from friends away,
I hear Thy tone,
I hear Thy tone, I with thee stay.

The waves may roll,
The waves may roll, and all be night;
Thou'rt to my soul,
Thou'rt to my soul its Beacon Light.

And through the dark,
And through the dark on Life's wide sea,
I'll steer my bark,
I'll steer my bark straight unto Thee.

Though all the night,
Though all the night so wildly driven,
At morning light,
At morning light I'll enter Heaven, --

And furl my sails,
And furl my sails on that bright shore,
Where stormy gales,
Where stormy gales shall come no more.

And all my soul,
And all my soul, like Life's great sea,
Like waves shall roll,
Like waves shall roll fore'er to Thee.

As originally written by the author, and afterwards set to music by J. H. Crawford, of Oswego, N. Y., each stanza of the above poem contained six lines, repeating the first and third of each stanza in its present form, for the musical effect.