1 If you can not in the pulpit,
Preach the Word with flowing zeal,
Telling of the love of Jesus,
Causing multitudes to feel,
You can on the Lord's day, holy,
In the pleasant Sunday school,
Meet among the high and lowly,
Spreading forth the Gospel rule.
Chorus:
O! then, be up and doing now--
Doing some good work for the Lord;
Ever in your pathway strewing,
Holy precepts from his Word.
2 If you can not, in the jungle,
Far in foreign lands away,
Teach the poor, benighted heathen
To forsake their sins and pray;
You can send the means to help them
The pure light of truth to find;
You can aid the missionary,
Thus to christianize their mind. [Chorus]
3 O! then, pray be up and doing
Some good work for Christ, the Lord;
Ever in your pathway strewing
Holy precepts from his Word;
That some poor benighted creatures
May their evil ways forsake.
And from Christ the Lord, the Giver,
His own righteousness partake. [Chorus]
4 Then you can look forward, happy
In the thought of doing good;
Hear the welcome plaudit given,
"You my words have underwood;
You have truly preached my Gospel,
You have now proclaimed my Word;
You have been a true disciple;
Now rejoice in Christ your Lord." [Chorus]
Source: The Little Minstrel: a collection of songs and music, with lessons of instruction, mathematically arranged plan of notation #50