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17
THE SHEPHERD'S REED.
“And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?
And to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in
the market place, and calling one to another; and saying, We have piped
unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have
not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking
wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man is come eating and
drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend
of publicans and sinners.”
—S. Luke vii. 31–34.
O Son of Man, great Shepherd of the sheep,
Thou pipest to us, shall Thy children weep?
Sheep of Thy pasture, shall we not rejoice,
And dance to Thy soft notes and gentle voice?
Thou pipest to us, shall Thy children weep?
Sheep of Thy pasture, shall we not rejoice,
And dance to Thy soft notes and gentle voice?
No strain so sweet e'er flowed from Grecian lute,
Or pipe of Arcady, or Dorian flute;
Of Roman lyre no mention shall be made,
And David's harp before this reed must fade.
Or pipe of Arcady, or Dorian flute;
Of Roman lyre no mention shall be made,
And David's harp before this reed must fade.
18
A simple reed by Syrian waters found
From human lips took a celestial sound;
Through it strange melodies our Shepherd blew,
And wondering, wistful ones around Him drew.
From human lips took a celestial sound;
Through it strange melodies our Shepherd blew,
And wondering, wistful ones around Him drew.
Of heavenly love with cadence deep it told,
Of labours long to win them to the fold,
Of bleeding feet upon the mountains steep,
And life laid down to save His erring sheep.
Of labours long to win them to the fold,
Of bleeding feet upon the mountains steep,
And life laid down to save His erring sheep.
O loving Shepherd, to that gracious strain
We listen and we listen once again,
And while its music sinks into our heart,
Our fears grow fainter and our doubts depart.
We listen and we listen once again,
And while its music sinks into our heart,
Our fears grow fainter and our doubts depart.
Lord, pipe to me, and I will weep no more,
But joyful follow to yon happy shore,
Where my glad soul shall sing and dance to Thee
In the “green pastures” of Eternity!
But joyful follow to yon happy shore,
Where my glad soul shall sing and dance to Thee
In the “green pastures” of Eternity!
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