1 O for a soul, aglow with love,
With love for God and man;
Rejoicing ev’ry passing day
To follow God’s own plan!
2 A soul to large that all mankind
Can be embrac’d therein;
The high, the low, the good, the bad,
Be counted all akin.
3 A soul so great that God alone
Can actuate its will;
That ev’ry pulse shall beat for him,
His purpose to fulfill.
4 A soul that loves his fellow-man
No matter what his creed;
That follows out the Golden Rule,
In thought and word and deed.
5 Lord, give us each a soul like this,
To live and work for thee;
And do our best to elevate
Entire humanity.
Source: The Old Story in Song Number Two #23
William J. Kirkpatrick (b. Duncannon, PA, 1838; d. Philadelphia, PA, 1921) received his musical training from his father and several other private teachers. A carpenter by trade, he engaged in the furniture business from 1862 to 1878. He left that profession to dedicate his life to music, serving as music director at Grace Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Kirkpatrick compiled some one hundred gospel song collections; his first, Devotional Melodies (1859), was published when he was only twenty-one years old. Many of these collections were first published by the John Hood Company and later by Kirkpatrick's own Praise Publishing Company, both in Philadelphia.
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