Songs Old and New ... Collected Edition [by Elizabeth Charles] |
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| MARY MAGDALENE. |
| II. |
| III. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
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 | Songs Old and New |  |
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MARY MAGDALENE.
I.
Her home lay by that inland sea
Which sacred memories so embalm;
That Magdala and Galilee
Ring like the music of a psalm.
Which sacred memories so embalm;
That Magdala and Galilee
Ring like the music of a psalm.
Deep in the lake the far hills glow,
Clear shines each peak and golden spire,
And Hermon lifts his brow of snow
Unsullied to that sky of fire.
Clear shines each peak and golden spire,
And Hermon lifts his brow of snow
Unsullied to that sky of fire.
From point to point gleamed cities white,
Full of the joyous stir of life,
And o'er the waves boats bounded light;
All was with eager movement rife.
Full of the joyous stir of life,
And o'er the waves boats bounded light;
All was with eager movement rife.
Fresh streams across Gennesaret danced,
Laughing with corn and countless fruits,
And met the quiet waves which glanced
Bathing the oleander roots.
Laughing with corn and countless fruits,
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Bathing the oleander roots.
Yet many a calm recess for prayer
Those hills enshrined which circling stood,
Wild steeps which to men's homes brought near
The sanctity of solitude.
Those hills enshrined which circling stood,
Wild steeps which to men's homes brought near
The sanctity of solitude.
But vainly, round her and beneath
Earth poured her wealth, as evermore
Flows Jordan to the Sea of Death,
And leaves it bitter as before.
Earth poured her wealth, as evermore
Flows Jordan to the Sea of Death,
And leaves it bitter as before.
II.
“Out of whom He cast seven devils.”
No phantoms thus her soul assailed,
It was no vision of the night,
No dim unreal mist, that veiled
The glad reality of light;
It was no vision of the night,
No dim unreal mist, that veiled
The glad reality of light;
No discord of sweet strings unstrung
A skilful touch might tune again,
No jar of nerves too tightly wrung,
No shadows of an o'erwrought brain;
A skilful touch might tune again,
No jar of nerves too tightly wrung,
No shadows of an o'erwrought brain;
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But din of mocking voices rude,
Spirits whose touches left a stain,
Owning no shrine of solitude
Their blasphemies might not profane:
Spirits whose touches left a stain,
Owning no shrine of solitude
Their blasphemies might not profane:
Real as the earth she, hopeless, trod,
Real as the heaven they had lost,
Real as the soul they kept from God,
From torture still to torture tossed.
Real as the heaven they had lost,
Real as the soul they kept from God,
From torture still to torture tossed.
Thus sleep to her could bring no calm,
No stillness dwelt for her in night;
And human love could yield no balm,
And home no deep and pure delight;
No stillness dwelt for her in night;
And human love could yield no balm,
And home no deep and pure delight;
Till light upon that chaos broke,—
Not from unconscious azure skies,—
The morning that her spirit woke
Beamed from the depths of human eyes.
Not from unconscious azure skies,—
The morning that her spirit woke
Beamed from the depths of human eyes.
No thunder, with God's vengeance dread,
Scattered that company of hell;
It was a Voice from which they fled,
A Voice they knew before they fell.
Scattered that company of hell;
It was a Voice from which they fled,
A Voice they knew before they fell.
Once more she was alone and free,
And silence all her soul possessed;
As the “great calm” the storm-tossed sea
When the same voice commanded rest.
And silence all her soul possessed;
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When the same voice commanded rest.
Such solitude a heaven might make,
Such silence had for bliss sufficed;
What was it, then, from hell to wake,
And wake beneath the smile of Christ!
Such silence had for bliss sufficed;
What was it, then, from hell to wake,
And wake beneath the smile of Christ!
III.
“And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, . . . . which ministered unto Him of their substance.”
He suffered her with Him to stay,—
This crowning joy was not denied,—
To hear His voice from day to day,
And tread this earth still by His side:
This crowning joy was not denied,—
To hear His voice from day to day,
And tread this earth still by His side:
Where, with a diadem of snow,
The white-walled cities crowned the rocks,
Or peasants' dwellings far below,
Couched round the fountains like their flocks.
The white-walled cities crowned the rocks,
Or peasants' dwellings far below,
Couched round the fountains like their flocks.
She saw the expressive glance of sight
The dulness of blind eyes replace;
When learning first the joy of light,
For the first sight they saw His face.
The dulness of blind eyes replace;
When learning first the joy of light,
For the first sight they saw His face.
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She heard the first clear accents pour
From dumb lips, uttering His name;
She saw men's homes from shore to shore
Break into sunshine where He came.
From dumb lips, uttering His name;
She saw men's homes from shore to shore
Break into sunshine where He came.
She saw the long possessed set free,
(She knew the anguish and the bliss!)
She saw the baffled Pharisee,
And felt, “Man never spake like this.”
(She knew the anguish and the bliss!)
She saw the baffled Pharisee,
And felt, “Man never spake like this.”
She heard reluctant fiends confess
The Godhead they had fain denied;
She saw the little children press
With fearless fondness to His side.
The Godhead they had fain denied;
She saw the little children press
With fearless fondness to His side.
She saw the speechless joy that day
Light up the widow's face at Nain;
She never saw one sent away,
She never heard one plead in vain.
Light up the widow's face at Nain;
She never saw one sent away,
She never heard one plead in vain.
She saw Him faint and wearied sore,
And toil those gracious eyes bedim,
Thirsting and hungered, homeless, poor,—
She saw and ministered to Him.
And toil those gracious eyes bedim,
Thirsting and hungered, homeless, poor,—
She saw and ministered to Him.
She saw His brow its light regain,
And strength reknit each wearied limb,
All to be spent for man again;—
A woman's service succoured Him!
And strength reknit each wearied limb,
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A woman's service succoured Him!
And are those days for ever o'er?
Must earth be of that joy bereft?—
The sights and sounds are here no more,
And yet the very best is left.
Must earth be of that joy bereft?—
The sights and sounds are here no more,
And yet the very best is left.
Still may we follow in His way,
And tread this earth as by His side;
May see Him work from day to day,
As in His presence we abide:
And tread this earth as by His side;
May see Him work from day to day,
As in His presence we abide:
See Him shed light on darkened eyes,
The bowed and fettered heart set free;
May succour, serve, and sacrifice,
And hear from heaven His “unto Me.”
The bowed and fettered heart set free;
May succour, serve, and sacrifice,
And hear from heaven His “unto Me.”
IV. —DURABLE RICHES.
The meanest creature of His care
Finds some soft nest to greet it made,
The hunted beast has yet its lair;—
He had not where to lay His head.
Finds some soft nest to greet it made,
The hunted beast has yet its lair;—
He had not where to lay His head.
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And scarce a little child that dies
But has its treasured things to share;
Its little store of legacies
Love hoards thenceforth with sacred care.
But has its treasured things to share;
Its little store of legacies
Love hoards thenceforth with sacred care.
He left no treasure to divide;
E'en the poor garments which He wore
Were shared by strangers ere He died,
For their own worth, and nothing more.
E'en the poor garments which He wore
Were shared by strangers ere He died,
For their own worth, and nothing more.
Yet when the first disciples trod
Vineyards and fields of other men,
Pilgrims beside the Son of God,
Had royal grants enriched them then?
Vineyards and fields of other men,
Pilgrims beside the Son of God,
Had royal grants enriched them then?
Or when, on His ascension day,
They stood once more on Olivet,
And town and village 'neath them lay,
Gems in their vines and olives set,—
They stood once more on Olivet,
And town and village 'neath them lay,
Gems in their vines and olives set,—
Nor vines or olives, house or lands,
They owned those hills or valleys o'er,
Yet, when Christ lifted up His hands
And bless'd them, were those Christians poor?
They owned those hills or valleys o'er,
Yet, when Christ lifted up His hands
And bless'd them, were those Christians poor?
If of that world which is His own,
Where every knee to Him shall bow,
Some special acres each had won,
Had they been richer then, or now?
Where every knee to Him shall bow,
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Had they been richer then, or now?
V.
“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre.”
The Sabbath that could bring no rest,
The weary day at length had fled:
What Sabbath could again be blest
Since He who promised rest was dead?
The weary day at length had fled:
What Sabbath could again be blest
Since He who promised rest was dead?
The guilty world was hushed in gloom,
Night on its sleeping millions lay
Like the “great stone” upon His tomb—
What if it never rolled away!
Night on its sleeping millions lay
Like the “great stone” upon His tomb—
What if it never rolled away!
But o'er her path there fell a shade
No darkness from her heart could hide:—
The tomb in which the Lord was laid
Was near the cross on which He died.
No darkness from her heart could hide:—
The tomb in which the Lord was laid
Was near the cross on which He died.
Beneath that cross she stood again:
The tortured form no more she saw;
His murderers were religious men,
Nor dropped one letter of the law;
The tortured form no more she saw;
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Nor dropped one letter of the law;
His cry of agony might smite
Strange discord through their measured prayer;
And who, when death those lips made white,
Could silence the reproaches there?
Strange discord through their measured prayer;
And who, when death those lips made white,
Could silence the reproaches there?
Thus Earth among the spheres moved on,
And calmly kept her ordered course,
Bearing the cross of God the Son,
And in her heart His lifeless corpse:
And calmly kept her ordered course,
Bearing the cross of God the Son,
And in her heart His lifeless corpse:
Nor yet was blotted out of space,
Nor yet the brand of Cain doth bear;
Because, through His surpassing grace,
That cross pleads not “Avenge,” but “Spare.”
Nor yet the brand of Cain doth bear;
Because, through His surpassing grace,
That cross pleads not “Avenge,” but “Spare.”
VI.
“They have taken away my Lord.”
“My Lord,” though dead, yet still “my Lord:”
Prophet through love's tenacity,
Powerless to hope, she yet adored,
And felt the truth she could not see.
Prophet through love's tenacity,
Powerless to hope, she yet adored,
And felt the truth she could not see.
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If He who in Himself had shone
All that God is, all man may be,
Living the truth else guessed by none,
Through years of patient ministry;
All that God is, all man may be,
Living the truth else guessed by none,
Through years of patient ministry;
He from Whom life and peace she drew,
Whom she had followed day by day,
And worshipped more, the more she knew,
Could fade to cold unconscious clay;
Whom she had followed day by day,
And worshipped more, the more she knew,
Could fade to cold unconscious clay;
If that pure life of perfect love,
Extinguished, never more should beam,
What joy could endless days above
Bring ever more, not bringing Him?
Extinguished, never more should beam,
What joy could endless days above
Bring ever more, not bringing Him?
What were those angel-forms to her,
Their radiant forms and raiment white,
If dead within a sepulchre
He lay, Himself the Life and Light?
Their radiant forms and raiment white,
If dead within a sepulchre
He lay, Himself the Life and Light?
Thus when the bridge of faith was rent,
Which could have firmly spanned the gulf,
Love prostrate o'er the chasm leant,
And bridged the dark abyss herself.
Which could have firmly spanned the gulf,
Love prostrate o'er the chasm leant,
And bridged the dark abyss herself.
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VII.
“Jesus saith unto her, Mary She turned herself and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”
A moment since, a sepulchre
Was all the world she cared to own,
An empty tomb, vain balms and myrrh,
Tears with no heart to shed them on.
Was all the world she cared to own,
An empty tomb, vain balms and myrrh,
Tears with no heart to shed them on.
And now the living Lord was there,
Immortal, glorious, yet the same;
The voice the fiends once fled in fear
Now spoke the old familiar name.
Immortal, glorious, yet the same;
The voice the fiends once fled in fear
Now spoke the old familiar name.
No language could that bliss have told,
She had no words the joy to greet;
She said but “Master!” as of old,
And rested silent at His feet.
She had no words the joy to greet;
She said but “Master!” as of old,
And rested silent at His feet.
Yet all heaven's choirs could scarcely twine
A music more profound and sweet
Than when, as from His heart to thine,
Thus “Mary!” and “Rabboni!” meet.
A music more profound and sweet
Than when, as from His heart to thine,
Thus “Mary!” and “Rabboni!” meet.
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VIII.
“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen.”
Tell all the world the Lord is risen—
The Easter message, ever new;
The grave is but a ruined prison,—
Invincible, the Life breaks through.
The Easter message, ever new;
The grave is but a ruined prison,—
Invincible, the Life breaks through.
Earth cannot long ensepulchre
In her dark depths the tiniest seed;
When life begins to throb and stir,
The bands of death are weak indeed.
In her dark depths the tiniest seed;
When life begins to throb and stir,
The bands of death are weak indeed.
No clods its upward course deter,
Calmly it makes its path to-day;
One germ of life is mightier
Than a whole universe of clay.
Calmly it makes its path to-day;
One germ of life is mightier
Than a whole universe of clay.
Yet not one leaf-blade ever stirred,
Bursting earth's wintry dungeons dim,
But lived at His creative word,
Responsive to the life in Him.
Bursting earth's wintry dungeons dim,
But lived at His creative word,
Responsive to the life in Him.
Since, then, the life that He bestows
Thus triumphs over death and earth;
What power of earth or death can close
The Fountain whence all life has birth?
Thus triumphs over death and earth;
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The Fountain whence all life has birth?
And, as the least up-springing grain
Breathes still the resurrection song,
That light the victory shall gain,
That death is weak, and life is strong;
Breathes still the resurrection song,
That light the victory shall gain,
That death is weak, and life is strong;
So, with immortal vigour rife,
The lowliest life that faith has freed
Bears witness still that Christ is life,
And that the Life is risen indeed.
The lowliest life that faith has freed
Bears witness still that Christ is life,
And that the Life is risen indeed.
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