Scripture Verse

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Introduction

portrait
Levi J. Coppin
1848–1924

Words: Da­ni­el A. Payne (1811–1893).

Music: Short­er Le­vi J. Cop­pin, in The Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Hymn and Tune Book, first edi­tion (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Book Con­cern, 1898), num­ber 735 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Daniel A. Payne
1811–1893

Lyrics

My infant, Lord, to Thee I gladly bring
She is of earth, and yet a heav’nly thing;
As the nude birdling in its mother’s nest,
So is this baby on my anxious breast.

Refrain

Oh, like an angel, may she ever be!
And think, and speak, and act thro’ life for Thee!

A birdling, I would teach its tiny wings
To soar up, where each bright arch­an­gel sings,
To join the songs of flaming se­ra­phim,
And with the ransomed sing th’eter­nal hymn.

Refrain

But Thou, and Thou alone, canst give it might
To spread her wings for regions out of sight;
To nestle in the glories of a throne,
Which none can reach but love, and love alone.

Refrain

Then come, oh come, my ba­by take and train
For life’s great work! She must not live in vain;
Of mundane birth, a more than mun­dane thing,
To Thee, O Lord, my ba­by now I bring.

Refrain

To Thee I con­se­crate my help­less child,
Whose nature may be rough, and crook’d and wild,
If Thou dost not, with plas­tic pow­er divine,
Remold her in Thine image, yes in Thine.

Refrain

Breathe in her soul the life—th’eter­nal life,
Nor hatred, pride, nor lust be ev­er rife
Within her heart; but as an an­gel, she
May ever feel, and speak, and act for Thee.

Refrain