 | The White Pilgrim and Other Poems |  |
243
SACRED VERSE.
245
PALINGENESIS.
God spake in a voice of thunder,
Of old from Sinai's hill;
And the mystic words of wonder
Thrill the believer still;
He sees in the vault above him,
With the eye of Faith alone,
Gemmed round by the souls that love Him,
The great Creator's throne.
Of old from Sinai's hill;
And the mystic words of wonder
Thrill the believer still;
He sees in the vault above him,
With the eye of Faith alone,
Gemmed round by the souls that love Him,
The great Creator's throne.
He sees—in the day of danger—
The column of cloud that led
From the land of the alien stranger,
His Israel whom he fed;
And knows—though his footsteps wander
Astray in a twilight land—
That his home is building yonder,
By the one unerring Hand.
The column of cloud that led
From the land of the alien stranger,
His Israel whom he fed;
And knows—though his footsteps wander
Astray in a twilight land—
That his home is building yonder,
By the one unerring Hand.
246
He sees—in the night of peril—
The pillar of fire that shone
From the halls of pearl and beryl,
To light God's children on;
And feels, that straight from Heaven,
When the eye of sense grows dim,
Shall a grander sight be given
To all who trust in Him.
The pillar of fire that shone
From the halls of pearl and beryl,
To light God's children on;
And feels, that straight from Heaven,
When the eye of sense grows dim,
Shall a grander sight be given
To all who trust in Him.
On the page of the mighty ocean
He reads the Mightier still,
Who curbs its restless motion
By the law of His royal will:
And while in its course diurnal
It murmurs, or sings, or raves,
He lists to the voice Eternal,
In the language of the waves.
He reads the Mightier still,
Who curbs its restless motion
By the law of His royal will:
And while in its course diurnal
It murmurs, or sings, or raves,
He lists to the voice Eternal,
In the language of the waves.
He marks in the plants around him
The throbs of a life their own,
While the wordless worlds that bound him
Whisper their undertone:
From the hawk and the hound yet clearer
He hears the secret fall,
Which nearer to him and nearer
Brings the great God of all.
The throbs of a life their own,
While the wordless worlds that bound him
Whisper their undertone:
From the hawk and the hound yet clearer
He hears the secret fall,
Which nearer to him and nearer
Brings the great God of all.
247
In the leaves that blow and perish
In the space of a single hour,
As the loves that most we cherish
Die like the frailest flower—
In the living things whose living
Withers or e'er they bloom,
He reads of the great thanksgiving,
Which breathes from the open tomb.
In the space of a single hour,
As the loves that most we cherish
Die like the frailest flower—
In the living things whose living
Withers or e'er they bloom,
He reads of the great thanksgiving,
Which breathes from the open tomb.
The bright Spring leaves returning
To the stem whence Autumn's fell—
And the heart of Summer burning,
To change at the Winter's spell—:
The year that again repasses—
The grain that again revives—
Are signs on the darkened glasses
That bar and bound our lives.
To the stem whence Autumn's fell—
And the heart of Summer burning,
To change at the Winter's spell—:
The year that again repasses—
The grain that again revives—
Are signs on the darkened glasses
That bar and bound our lives.
I know how the glass must darken
To my vision more and more,
When the weak ear strains to hearken,
And the faint eye glazes o'er:
But the glass shall melt and shiver,
Once kissed by the fighting breath,
And the light beyond the River
Shine full in the face of Death.
To my vision more and more,
When the weak ear strains to hearken,
And the faint eye glazes o'er:
But the glass shall melt and shiver,
Once kissed by the fighting breath,
And the light beyond the River
Shine full in the face of Death.
248
Strong-set in a strong affection,
We look to the golden prime,
When a mightier Resurrection
Shall burst on the doubts of Time;
And the thoughts of all the sages,
Like the waves of the fretful main,
At the base of the Rock of Ages
Shall foam and fume in vain.
We look to the golden prime,
When a mightier Resurrection
Shall burst on the doubts of Time;
And the thoughts of all the sages,
Like the waves of the fretful main,
At the base of the Rock of Ages
Shall foam and fume in vain.
249
STANZAS.
Christ is my star—the Light of God,
To man in mercy given,
To shine beside his wandering road,
Upon the path to Heaven.
To man in mercy given,
To shine beside his wandering road,
Upon the path to Heaven.
Christ is the Way—the Truth—the Life,
God's own and only Son,
Our shelter in a world of strife,
Till that gray world be done.
God's own and only Son,
Our shelter in a world of strife,
Till that gray world be done.
Christ is the Vine—whose ruddy stream
To warm our hearts is poured;
Whose quiet branches spread, and seem
The shadow of the Lord.
To warm our hearts is poured;
Whose quiet branches spread, and seem
The shadow of the Lord.
Christ is the Master—ever near,
With lessons soft and mild,
To him who will but kneel, and hear
Those lessons, like a child!
With lessons soft and mild,
To him who will but kneel, and hear
Those lessons, like a child!
250
He asks the child's confiding heart,
The child's entreating tone,
And will to all Himself impart
Who lean on H'm alone.
The child's entreating tone,
And will to all Himself impart
Who lean on H'm alone.
What though our wasted years seem dark
With memories all of ill?
Christ's promise stands as stood the ark,
And braves the tempest still.
With memories all of ill?
Christ's promise stands as stood the ark,
And braves the tempest still.
It rides in triumph out and o'er
Life's wildest, stormiest sea;
And as He hushed the waves of yore,
Hushed shall our sorrow be.
Life's wildest, stormiest sea;
And as He hushed the waves of yore,
Hushed shall our sorrow be.
Turn straight to Him! for His the strength
That arms our shrinking prayer;
He leads to God Himself at length:
Pray—for our God is there!
That arms our shrinking prayer;
He leads to God Himself at length:
Pray—for our God is there!
251
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
There was of old a child, born of a maiden,
Who speaks still from her breast:
“Come to Me all—weary and heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Who speaks still from her breast:
“Come to Me all—weary and heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
“I give it in My time; but not, remember,
At your impatient will,
Changing at once the dull flats of December
To a spring-girdled hill.
At your impatient will,
Changing at once the dull flats of December
To a spring-girdled hill.
“I could, for power is Mine: but I am Master
In ways beyond your ken;
And you must meet storm, sorrow, and disaster,
Bravely, as honest men.
In ways beyond your ken;
And you must meet storm, sorrow, and disaster,
Bravely, as honest men.
“Truth, above all, is My own cherished virtue,
Pure and without alloy;
And, children, when the world's cold falsehoods hurt you,
Then let Me be your joy.
Pure and without alloy;
And, children, when the world's cold falsehoods hurt you,
Then let Me be your joy.
252
“When worthy anger makes you feel as strangers,
Lost on your devious road,
I, who from God's house scourged the money-changers,
Whisper: ‘Have faith in God.’
Lost on your devious road,
I, who from God's house scourged the money-changers,
Whisper: ‘Have faith in God.’
“When the dull troubles of the way perplex you.
Despise them—for you can;
I know the darkest fancies that can vex you,
Children, for I was man.
Despise them—for you can;
I know the darkest fancies that can vex you,
Children, for I was man.
“I know the paths of sin, and shame, and sorrow,
Your careless steps have trod;
But I can change sin's night to sinless morrow,
Children, for I was God.
Your careless steps have trod;
But I can change sin's night to sinless morrow,
Children, for I was God.
“What though two thousand years the world be older,
With newer sins of men?
I, who to loving hearts grow never colder,
Am man, as I was then.
With newer sins of men?
I, who to loving hearts grow never colder,
Am man, as I was then.
“Bring all your thoughts to Me! Doubt not nor tremble;
On Me your burdens cast;
I, Light of Light, deceive not nor dissemble,
But am God to the last.
On Me your burdens cast;
I, Light of Light, deceive not nor dissemble,
But am God to the last.
“To your world's last, when I come down to banish
Your petty doubts and fears,
To bless and crown, while crowns and kingdoms vanish,
The faith that smiles through tears.
Your petty doubts and fears,
To bless and crown, while crowns and kingdoms vanish,
The faith that smiles through tears.
253
“When life seems dark, kneel but in trust before Me,
You shall not long repine;
When life seems fair, kneel only to adore Me,
And then its smile is Mine.
You shall not long repine;
When life seems fair, kneel only to adore Me,
And then its smile is Mine.
“I give not as the world gives—worldly leaven
Rests on earth's dearest love;
But I have stored My treasure high in Heaven,
For hearts that dwell above.
Rests on earth's dearest love;
But I have stored My treasure high in Heaven,
For hearts that dwell above.
“Ask but for Me, and I will not deny you,
But think and ponder well;
Once let Me hold your heart, and I defy you
Ever to break the spell!
But think and ponder well;
Once let Me hold your heart, and I defy you
Ever to break the spell!
“I am a jealous God, like the great Father,
Who never spoke in vain;
And rule o'er those, whom in My fold I gather,
With undivided reign.
Who never spoke in vain;
And rule o'er those, whom in My fold I gather,
With undivided reign.
“You cannot loose the plough; you cannot turn you
From the dear Lord so nigh;
Once let the Master's love inflame and burn you,
And it shall never die.
From the dear Lord so nigh;
Once let the Master's love inflame and burn you,
And it shall never die.
“It shall burn on, in ever-kindling splendour,
Up to the great white throne,
Consuming sin in the flame of self-surrender,
Through which I claim Mine own.
Up to the great white throne,
Consuming sin in the flame of self-surrender,
Through which I claim Mine own.
254
“Oh fear not, when a strange unbidden ardour
Spurs you to high desires;
Nor wonder, if the heart seem something harder,
Even for the cleansing fires.
Spurs you to high desires;
Nor wonder, if the heart seem something harder,
Even for the cleansing fires.
“Great trials are My angels—sent to prove you,
And man the soul within,
With thoughts that soar beyond all words, to move you
To hate the touch of sin.
And man the soul within,
With thoughts that soar beyond all words, to move you
To hate the touch of sin.
“When by its weight your earthly reeds are broken,
Then raise your eyes above:
When man's love fails, remember Who has spoken
And said—that God is Love.
Then raise your eyes above:
When man's love fails, remember Who has spoken
And said—that God is Love.
“Fear not man's judgment; God alone ordaineth
For your eternal weal;
Your conscience is the court wherein He reigneth,
From Whom is no appeal.
For your eternal weal;
Your conscience is the court wherein He reigneth,
From Whom is no appeal.
“And He, who dwells in mystic glory yonder,
Made Me of human birth,
That as I wandered once, I still may wander
In search of love on earth.
Made Me of human birth,
That as I wandered once, I still may wander
In search of love on earth.
“Who runs may read; the words my book discloses,
As truth itself are true:
My yoke is light, My chains are all of roses,
Whose thorns I wore for you.
As truth itself are true:
My yoke is light, My chains are all of roses,
Whose thorns I wore for you.
255
“Yield but your heart up as a free oblation
To Father and to Son;
And you shall learn, in a flash of revelation,
That we indeed are One.
To Father and to Son;
And you shall learn, in a flash of revelation,
That we indeed are One.
“When the full heart is sore, and the eye tearful,
Then are we both most near;
And though your love for very love be fearful,
Ours shall cast out your fear.
Then are we both most near;
And though your love for very love be fearful,
Ours shall cast out your fear.
“Forget your follies, doubting son—forgiven,
When you bowed heart and knee;
Pray but to meet your loved and lost in Heaven,
And leave the rest to Me.”
When you bowed heart and knee;
Pray but to meet your loved and lost in Heaven,
And leave the rest to Me.”
THE END.
| The White Pilgrim and Other Poems | |