Scripture Verse

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. Matthew 25:40

Introduction

portrait
William Crosswell (1804–1851)

Words: Will­iam Cross­well, 1831.

Music: Al­ba­no Vin­cent F. No­vel­lo (1781–1861). First pub­lished in the ap­pen­dix to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868, from No­vel­lo’s orig­in­al ma­nu­script (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Vincent Novello (1781–1861)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

Lord, lead the way the Sav­ior went,
By lane and cell ob­scure;
And let love’s trea­sures still be spent,
Like His, up­on the poor.

Like Him, through scenes of deep dis­tress,
Who bore the world’s sad weight,
We, in their crowd­ed lone­li­ness,
Would seek the de­so­late.

For Thou hast placed us side by side
In this wide world of ill;
And, that Thy fol­low­ers may be tried,
The poor are with us still.

Mean are all of­fer­ings we can make;
Yet Thou hast taught us, Lord,
If giv­en for the Sav­ior’s sake,
They lose not their re­ward.