To My Friend Mr. J. Ellis

To thee, the guardian of my youthful days,

Fain would I pay some tribute of respect;

And though it falls far short of thy desert,

The will to do thee justice thou'lt accept.

As I recall the days of former years,

Thy many acts of kindness bring to mind,

Tears fill my eyes, in thee I've ever found

A friend most faithful, uniformly kind.

Thou art the earliest friend of mine that's left -

The rest have long departed, every one;

They've long years since the debt of nature paid,

But thou remainest still, and thou alone.

The snow of four score winters thou has seen,

And life's long pilgrimage may soon be o'er;

Respected, loved, and happy hast thou been,

With ample means to relieve the suffering poor,

Thou ever hadst the will, as well as power.

Temperate in habit, and of temper even,

Calm and unruffled as the peaceful lake,

To thee the satisfaction has been given

Much to enjoy, and others happy make.

And when thy days on earth shall all be past,

And thou before the Saviour's bar appear,

Mayst thou be found clothed in his righteousness

And from his lips the joyful sentence hear -

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou

Hast over few things faithful been, and now

I'll make thee ruler over many things,

And place a crown of glory on thy brow."

Such will be thy reward, my friend, and mine,

If trusting in Christ's merits, not our own,

We at the last great day in him be found;

He is the ark of safety - He alone.