I Rose Up At The Dawn Of Day

I rose up at the dawn of day     `Get thee away! get thee away!     Pray'st thou for riches? Away! away!     This is the Throne of Mammon grey.'     Said I: This, sure, is very odd;     I took it to be the Throne of God.     For everything besides I have:     It is only for riches that I can crave.     I have mental joy, and mental health,     And mental friends, and mental wealth;     I've a wife I love, and that loves me;     I've all but riches bodily.     I am in God's presence night and day,     And He never turns His face away;     The accuser of sins by my side doth stand,     And he holds my money-bag in his hand.     For my worldly things God makes him pay,     And he'd pay for more if to him I would pray;     And so you may do the worst you can do;     Be assur'd, Mr. Devil, I won't pray to you.     Then if for riches I must not pray,     God knows, I little of prayers need say;     So, as a church is known by its steeple,     If I pray it must be for other people.     He says, if I do not worship him for a God,     I shall eat coarser food, and go worse shod;     So, as I don't value such things as these,     You must do, Mr. Devil, just as God please.