 | The Poetical Works of Robert Montgomery |  |
SYMPATHY OF CHRIST.
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain
thee.”—Ps. lv. 22.
Go, cast thy burden on the Lord,
Thou laden Bosom! dark and lone;
Nor deem thyself by Him unheard
Whose heart beats human on the Throne.
Thou laden Bosom! dark and lone;
Nor deem thyself by Him unheard
Whose heart beats human on the Throne.
A Man of sorrows and of tears
The Saviour once was like to thee,
And learn'd to face those mortal fears
Which pierced His soul with sympathy.
The Saviour once was like to thee,
And learn'd to face those mortal fears
Which pierced His soul with sympathy.
'Tis thus we mark Him, homeless, sad,
A Pilgrim whose mysterious lot
Was shunn'd by all the gay and glad,
Unfelt, unpitied, and forgot.
A Pilgrim whose mysterious lot
Was shunn'd by all the gay and glad,
Unfelt, unpitied, and forgot.
Yet learnt He thus from finite woe
What heaven's calm glories could not teach,—
For there, no tides of anguish flow,
And no dark cares that kingdom reach.
What heaven's calm glories could not teach,—
For there, no tides of anguish flow,
And no dark cares that kingdom reach.
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And is it not a whelming thought,
That Christ should leave His heavenly throne
To be on earth affliction taught,
And suffer more than flesh hath shown!
That Christ should leave His heavenly throne
To be on earth affliction taught,
And suffer more than flesh hath shown!
Oh, had He in yon realm of bliss
But simply fathom'd what we feel,
Could mortals from their sad abyss
To Him as brother now appeal?
But simply fathom'd what we feel,
Could mortals from their sad abyss
To Him as brother now appeal?
But when we read His matchless life
That wept, and sigh'd, and sorrow'd o'er
The heavy pangs of human strife,
And all which burning conscience bore,
That wept, and sigh'd, and sorrow'd o'er
The heavy pangs of human strife,
And all which burning conscience bore,
Such life becomes a lovely proof
That into His deep bosom pass'd
Experience, which can ne'er aloof
From pilgrims now on earth be class'd.
That into His deep bosom pass'd
Experience, which can ne'er aloof
From pilgrims now on earth be class'd.
Nor deem, that when on high He soar'd
And o'er the radiant heavens retired,
By chanting hosts to be adored
Whose hymns are by His Blood inspired,
And o'er the radiant heavens retired,
By chanting hosts to be adored
Whose hymns are by His Blood inspired,
What here below as Man He felt,
Is now engulph'd in bliss eterne;—
Still through His heart emotions melt,
And in Him pure affections burn.
Is now engulph'd in bliss eterne;—
Still through His heart emotions melt,
And in Him pure affections burn.
His regal crown is all divine,
And glory-flames engird Him now,
But Faith beholds Him still the same,
For human feelings line His brow.
And glory-flames engird Him now,
But Faith beholds Him still the same,
For human feelings line His brow.
And thus, O weary, wand'ring soul,
By tempest worn, and toss'd, and tried,
Though surging waves around thee roll,
Thine anchor is The Crucified!
By tempest worn, and toss'd, and tried,
Though surging waves around thee roll,
Thine anchor is The Crucified!
Thy sin confess, each sorrow tell,
Bold on His love thy burden cast,
In heaven Who yet remembers well
The storms through which on earth He pass'd.
Bold on His love thy burden cast,
In heaven Who yet remembers well
The storms through which on earth He pass'd.
A mother may her babe forget,
An exile ne'er his home recall,
Nor orphan'd child the hour regret
Which reft him of parental all:
An exile ne'er his home recall,
Nor orphan'd child the hour regret
Which reft him of parental all:
But, oh, whate'er the scene or clime,
Devotion may Emmanuel see,
Whose heart expands o'er man, and time,
Who bled for our eternity!
Devotion may Emmanuel see,
Whose heart expands o'er man, and time,
Who bled for our eternity!
Yes, sympathies intense and deep
Surpassing all our souls contain,
Still through His breast in glory sweep,
And shall for ever glow and reign.
Surpassing all our souls contain,
Still through His breast in glory sweep,
And shall for ever glow and reign.
A sinless Lord, yet touch'd in heart
With all which blighted moments bear,
In heaven, O Priest divine! Thou art
A man-God, with our feelings, there!
With all which blighted moments bear,
In heaven, O Priest divine! Thou art
A man-God, with our feelings, there!
By gentleness, by grief, and grace,
By depth of sigh, and tears profound,
Faith views Thee to our fallen race
In links of loving union bound.
By depth of sigh, and tears profound,
Faith views Thee to our fallen race
In links of loving union bound.
Both heaven and earth in Thee combine
In Whom that mystic wound appears,
Which gash'd in death Thy Form divine,
And crimson'd it with gory tears.
In Whom that mystic wound appears,
Which gash'd in death Thy Form divine,
And crimson'd it with gory tears.
Then, lay thy burden on the Lord
Child of dejection! pale and lone;
Thou canst not sigh by Him unheard,
Whose heart throbs human on His throne.
Child of dejection! pale and lone;
Thou canst not sigh by Him unheard,
Whose heart throbs human on His throne.
| The Poetical Works of Robert Montgomery | |