FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY sea . RELIQUES ^fifa OF Pfl/^ JAN 30 1934 OF THE CHRIST DENIS WORTMAN, D.D *H /3a6i\ei(X rod Oeov evro's vjugov 16tiv NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 31 West Twenty-third Street 1888 Copyright, 1888, by DENIS WORTMAN. Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York. TO MY DEAR WIFE, JESSIE BABCOCK WORTMAN, 3n ^is Name. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. I. I WONDER if in Nazareth, By heedless feet o'errun, There lingers still some dear relique Of work by Joseph's Son ; Some carved thought, some tool of toil, Some house with stones grown gray, A home He built who had not where His weary head to lay c REUQUES OF THE CHRIST. It were a thing most beautiful, Of rare and rich design ; And something very true and strong, Made by a skill divine ; The road-side stones at sight of Him Could scarce their rapture hush ; What felt his touch and art must yet With conscious beauty blush. I visit Nazareth, ask each man, Each mound, each stone, each wind ; u I pray ye, help some precious trace Of your great Builder find ; M Alas ! ye listeners to my plaint, The startled silence saith : " What once was false, is now too true — No Christ in Nazareth ! M RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 7 But, O my soul, why thus cast down? A truer Nazareth scan; What if thou find no time-spoiled work Of Christ, the Son of Man?— Joy yet to thee ; lift up thy head, Cast raptured gaze abroad, See in this vast Christ-builded world Signs of the Son of God. So Nazareth may silent be, But earth shall have her song ; And all things true and beautiful, And all things grand and strong, And very humblest, too, shall sing : " Through Him have all things been ; And without Him was nothing made: Praise ye the Lord ! Amen." 8 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. How sacred all things now ! behold, The sun more brightly gleams, The night with softer quietude And gentler radiance beams : The wandering winds tone down their Weird notes to soothing lays, [wild, The ocean's waves tumultuous leap, Lifting their voice in praise. The skies wave lordlier banner-clouds, Fair fruits more savory seem, The flowers breathe daintier fragrances, Wild wastes with verdure teem ; The beauty is Christ's handiwork, The light glows from his face, The perfume is his spirit ; all Earth's sweetness is his grace. RELIQURS OF THE CHRIST. Ah ! Love is wisest alchemist, And Faith the truest test ; By it bright Love discovers oft In very worst a best ; From bitterness extracts a sweet, And, by fond joy enticed. She cameos out from flinted griefs Choice keepsakes of the Christ. II. And so I tell thee, O my soul, I'll tell it to the earth: If Christ have given thee his grace. Thou hast right cause for mirth ; Thou art thyself such rare relique Of Godlike wit and love, As hideth not in depths below, Or lighteth heights above. IO RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. For thy defence bald mountains stand And bare their breasts to storms, The valleys are thy vassal slaves ; Behold their prostrate forms ! Swift winds and waves thy chariots are, Sun, moon, and stars arise To give thee light ; to give thee life ; Lo ! the Incarnate dies. O soul of mine ! I tell thee true, If Christ indeed be thine, Not more made He himself thy kin Than makes He thee divine ; As through his soul there frequent beat Our human hopes and loves, So 'midst thy varying/ joys and fears His spirit lives and moves. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. II An Olive in Gethsemane Sometimes thou fain would'st be, Roots watered, branches nourished by That blood-sweat shed for thee ; Lo, by thy gnarled roots He groans Who feeds thy life with blood ; And through thy spirit-veins distils The rich love-life of God. Judean air thou fain would'st be, That to Christ's sacred kiss Thou too mightst quiver, and to men Repeat his words of bliss ; And all around a ruined world Of wrath and strife and woe, Thine echoes of its full reprieve Should never cease their flow. 12 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Be thou such Christ-breathed air, my soul, As lightsome and as free, As pure, and soft, and sensitive To all He telleth thee ; With gentlest breezes fan his brow, Love's fragrance to Him bear, Waft round the earth his words of grace, And heavenward lift his prayer. III. What reverent soul loves not to tread The soil of Palestine, And breathe the air, and kiss the sod, Where his worn feet have been ? Kneel in the mountains where He prayed, Traverse the storm-calm'd sea, Weep in the garden, bear some cross To sacred Calvary ? RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 1 3 But O my soul, as I thy good And evil ways explore, I seem to see the Christ in thee His earthly life live o'er, Thou art another Holy Land, (Ah, holy mightst thou be !) The olden joys and griefs of Christ Repeat themselves in thee. No longing for his coming. No greeting Him with scorn, No mountain for his praying, No sea by tempest torn, No cheer of friends, nor wrath of foes, From manger to the tree, But finds its faithful counterpart, Mysterious heart, in thee. 14 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Thou art that Manger where we see The infant Christ recline ; The living, throbbing, human breast, Nursing the Babe divine ; Thy low-born thoughts the cattle are, Thy high, the Magi wise : Lo, o'er thee singing angels bend And thrill with praise the skies. Thou art that long-sought Nazarene work, On which with love-taught skill The Carpenter who is about His Father's business still, Doth toil through sunshine and through And far into the night, [storm, Building a house most beautiful To crown some holy height. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 1 5 Thou art that Temple where the Lord Out-teacheth scribes of law, Whence afterward with cords He makes Coarse mammon-priests withdraw ; Thine inmost court, a holy place, The Lord's own glory-home, Thine outer sentencing Him oft To shame and martyrdom. Thou art most fair, Gennessaret With holy depths of calm, Thy smile is heaven's portraiture, Thy breath a tender psalm : Oh ! who could guess such rageful storms Might spoil thy bright expanse ? Who think o'er such sweet lyre* of God Might thrum such dissonance ? * Gennessaret — a lyre. 1 6 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. But wot thou well, my soul, of One Who can thy rage control ; Of One who sails serene the sea When waves of vlldness roll ; The Master speaks — the maniac winds Pause, listening to his will ; Then all thy depths of calm return — As He saith : " Peace, be still." Thou art that upper chamber where The Saviour is the guest ; Where Judas a vile treason hides, But John leans on his breast ; Here breaketh he the mystic bread, Here poureth mystic wine, And in a human breast pours forth A prayer, a love, divine. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 1 7 Thou art the Garden, where the Christ Perchance hath oft essayed Sweet hours of rest in solitude Beneath thine olive shade ; Yet, oh, that blood-sweat, oh, that deep, That bitter agony Of our dear Lord ! my soul, thou art His dark Gethsemane ! " Father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me ! " My soul, that pleading prayer to God Was made in truth to thee ; Thou would'st not make it possible ; " Not my will, then, but thine ! " Thou hast thy way ; but, cruel soul, What sin hast thou made mine ! 1 8 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. What, wilful soul, was Calvary's Cross But thine uplifted pride; What saw thine angered sin so pierced His hands, his feet, his side ? Ay, what his thirst but for thy love ? And had the Saviour's heart So missed the Father hadst thou but Fulfilled the brother's part ? Lord, pardon me ! love cannot be By Thee misunderstood ; These nails and spear are tokens dear They tell me of thy blood ; E'en from my sins my spirit wins This tender, reverent thought ; Through sins of mine, by sufferings thine Was my redemption wrought. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 1 9 But, O my soul, I charge thee well, Reliques more noble gain Than those which jeopardize thy life, And give the Lord such pain ; Where be thy tears of penitence, Thine inward groans and sighs, Thy restful trust, thy weeping love, Thy quick self-sacrifice ? Dear Lord, the crucifier would Be crucified by Thee ; Turn Thou thy love to instruments Of torture sweet to me ! Thrice welcome, cross and nail and spear ! Oh, joy of agony ! I pardon Him that slayeth me, Pierced by his love, I die ! 20 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. More precious now than wooden cross The crosses daily borne ; Than thorns of old, the griefs by which The heart's self-love is torn ; Sacred as Calvary's mournful road. The rough paths daily trod ; But best of all, or cross, or crown, As pleaseth Thee, my God ! So this I say, my soul, as I Thy devious ways explore ; I seem to see the Christ in thee His earthly life live o'er ; Thou art another Holy Land — (Ah, holy mightst thou be !) The olden joys and griefs of Christ Repeat themselves in thee. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 21 No longing for his coming, No greeting him with scorn, No mountain for his praying, No sea by tempest torn ; No cheer of friend, no wrath of foe, From manger to the tree, But finds its faithful counterpart, Mysterious heart, in thee ! IV. I wonder hath the World a heart Her Master's pangs to know ; I wonder hath she yet forgot That sweet and tender woe ; I wonder if her soul doth not Yet quiver with the pain That throbbed with earthquake violence When gentle Christ was slain ! 22 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Oh, it is beautiful to think, That God hath well decreed A certain great undyingness To live in every deed ; A world's unrest, an insect's flight Is felt by furthest star; And all our works and words and Like us, immortal are. [thoughts, And sure, if the great World-Heart notes The evening insect-hum, Of Calvary's plaintive psalm it ne'er Forgetful shall become; If Nature minds the pressure slight Of erring human feet, What thrill when Jesus trod her plains ! The memory, how sweet ! RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 23 No need we fondly traverse back The ancient centuries through, That with Jerusalem's wondering throng We may see Jesus too ; eyes so blind ! O ears so deaf To this great teaching list ! The wide world echoes endlessly With that strange life of Christ. Lo, all the air is tremulous With his sweet words of grace, The rhythmic hints of God-like speech In these wild winds we trace ; Still in her rocky heart Earth hears The echo of his tread, And listens with a mute delight To all the Master said. 24 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Lo, all the air, so tremulous With his sweet words of grace, Still pulsates with the radiance Of his love-lucent face ; And the vast ether-world, that bears The news from sun to sun, Bids all its myriad winged steeds On this new errand run. Lo ! all the ether-firmament " Yet quivers in amaze, And will not from the Christ-life draw Its reverential gaze ; Now worlds afar that life behold, Yes — they the Christ may see, And gaze in sweet, sad wonderment On sad, sweet Calvary ! RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 2$ No wonder, with such news to bear, So swift thou art, O Light ! No wonder, Earth, thy daily turn To show all worlds the sight ; No wonder, now, while we below Are shrouded in our night, That ye, O vision-favored Spheres, Shine forth so glad, so bright ! Ah, Worlds, ye cannot shine too bright, Nor sing too joyously, Nor up your infinite highways March too triumphantly ; And some day God may give me leave To go where the visions shine, And the sight of the Lord and all He did Shall then, my soul, be thine ! 26 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. And gay and quick as humming-birds Dart 'mong the flowerets fair, Shall be thy rapturous, flashing flight From radiant star to star ; Nor such a feast to humming-bird May daintiest honey be, As each fresh view of Jesus* life Shall be, my soul, to thee. O Bethlehem ! O Bethlehem ! We'll hear thy choirs again, " Glory to God on high ! on earth Peace, and good will to men ! " The countless peoples of the skies Shall seize the uplifted song, And ages over ages pour The tidal psalm along. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 2j Glad City of the angel-song, Not one star then shall come To bow in solitary pause O'er thy blest manger-home ; Lo, then fulfilled the Patriarch's dream, And none shall envious be, As sun and moon and all the stars Obeisance make to thee ! Then, Worlds, ye cannot shine too bright, Nor sing too joyously, Nor up your infinite highways March too triumphantly ; And some day God shall give me leave To go where the visions shine ; The sight of the Lord and all He did Shall, raptured soul, be thine! 28 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. But O, ye far-off Times, is all Your mighty wondrousness But echo and sad spectacle Of earth's strange wantonness, That slew great Christ and buried him Out of its sight and love? Oh, hath Christ died so utterly Nor lives somewhere above ; Somewhere above the lowlands damp Of mournful, shaded earth; Somewhere above these poor misthoughts Of human hearted birth ; Somewhere above the solemn heights Of utmost sentinel star; The living, loving, crowned Christ, In his august Somewhere ? RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 2g V. There is a City great and strong, Twelve gates of precious stones, With turrets and high battlements, Not needing light of suns ; The streets aglow with fire of gold, It hath no sound of strife ; In glory all its own it stands Beside the stream of Life. A joy is there that knows no cloy, A light that ne'er grows dim, A multitude that never cease From grateful praise and hymn ; Lo, all the sainted sons of earth, And angels there I view ; And there, O vision glorious, There standeth Jesus too ! 30 REL1QUES OF THE CHRIST. Jesus, I know 'tis He ; I see The mark of nail and spear ; And on his face I catch the trace Of earth-time smile and tear ; But on his brow a crown shines now, And bending hosts adore ! 'Tis He, 'tis He who on the tree The thorn-crown meekly wore ! O wondrous-fair Jerusalem, Shall I thy gates pass through ? Thy jubilations surely join, Thy lordly splendors view ? O Crucified, O Glorified, Shall I thy face behold, And join the ransomed as they sing Along the streets of gold ? RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 3 1 Ah, Time, forgotten now thy toils, Thy cares and sins and tears ; To my enraptured vision, lo ! The eternal home appears ; And through the Father's palaces I shall ecstatic rove. Nor weary ever as I sing Emmanuel's grace and love. O Crowns and Thrones and Sapphires, Ye glisten in the light ! [how Ye cannot flash too far your joy, Ye cannot blaze too bright ; And some day God shall bid me dwell Where the great visions shine, The sight of the Lord and all he is Shall be the world's and mine. 12 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Thou wondrously fair City, what Can mean thy dazzling light ? And what thy golden pavements broad ? Thy singers robed in white ? What mean thy walls bejewelled, what Thy gates of pearl so strong ; Now thine impressive silences, Now thy far-sounding song ? VI. A dream ! The City of the Christ And that of Love are one ; For each the fairest is, and best The sons of God have known ; They are the one broad sovereignty, They have the one high throne, And Christ ne'er is where Love rules not, From furthest zone to zone. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 33 Love is a city, wall'd and tower'd, With bulwarks builded high, On every foe they rise to frown, And foolish passer-by ; Full pearly-gated, too, is she, Three gates on every side, Which for the worn and weary hearts Stand alway open wide. Her streets are of pure gold, as though Transparent glass one sees, Her ways are ways of pleasantness And all her paths are peace ; And in Love's city is no curse, No shadows darken there, The Lamb, the light thereof, doth make All lustrous everywhere. 3 34 REL1QUES OF THE CHRIST. The clear Life-River through her rnidst In grateful fulness flows, Upon whose banks the Tree of Life With healing leafage grows ; Nor hunger there, nor pain of thirst, Love casteth out all fears, And God most gently wipes away The traces of our tears. O wondrous New Jerusalem, From Heaven thou art come down ! On earth thy firm foundations are, Here weareth Christ his crown ; Here for the symbols of his reign We rightful search begin ; O loveliest Christ, O Christliest Love, Thy kingdom is within ! RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 35 Here is the radiant glory, And here the rapture song, The multitudinous angels, The vast redeemed throng ; The pavement fair and golden, Life's River broad and pure, Christ's true Jerusalem sounding Redemption's overture ! The Resurrection trumpet ! It Hath sounded o'er my soul, Its loud reverberations Roll forth from pole to pole ; The mountains rise in terror, The valleys bend in prayer ; The sea grows hoarse with moaning, The skies with anger glare. 36 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. The Resurrection trumpet ! It Hath sounded o'er the soul ; Through all her mystic vastnesses The solemn thunders roll ; From out their long imprisonment The waiting dead arise, To hail the Master, marshalling His armies in the skies ! Ah ! not with dread appear the dead Before the Master now ; Beneath his crown no darkling frown ; Sweet mercy lights his brow ; For this fair day have waited they In dark confinement long: Now burst they forth from tombs of earth ; Now bursteth forth their song. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 37 O throbbing Hopes of years gone by, Ye weak yet holy Cares, blushing, panting, fainting Loves, Ye sad yet sweet Despairs, True Souls within my soul ye be, Nor need, nor shall ye die ; Long-buried saints of God, arise, Redemption draweth nigh ! And now they rise, long-buried rise From out the tainted tomb ; From deathful sin's enthralment spring To Paradise's bloom ; Sown in corruption basest, rise In whiteness as the light ; Dishonored, rise illustrious, From weakness rise to might ! 38 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Oh, ravishment unspeakable With which their Lord they greet ; With Love's surprised bewilderment They cast them at his feet ; No Day of Judgment grand and dread, No dies irce this, But grand, imposing vestibule To their immortal bliss. The bliss of quick obedience To his low-whispered will, The bliss of holy idleness When He shall bid, stand still ; The rapture of a chieftain's soul When He to arms shall call, Hope's jubilant expectancy Of triumph over all. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 39 O Resurrection morning, Entrancing tearless eyes ! O chants of fairest angels, Thrilling these mystic skies ! Thou strange, unworldly world within That Jesus died to save, In thee no sigh nor moaning now, No melancholy grave ! Thou fair Jerusalem of God, Supernally away Above our most adventurous thoughts ; Thou art with us to day ; In human hearts hast thou thy throne, Here, Lord, thy servants be, To stand before thy face, and do Thy will right loyally. 40 KELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Here is the radiant glory, And here the rapture-song ; Here multitudinous angels, And the redeemed throng ; The pavement fair and golden, The river broad and pure ; The true Jerusalem swelling Redemption's overture ! VII. Ay, now, thou dear Jerusalem, God bless and bless thee ever, With crystal fulness flow thy peace As flows thy gentle river ; Thy streets and temples hallowed be With joy and song unending ; Thy sainted fears and prayers and hopes Before God's throne low bending. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 4 1 But fear and pain steal o'er my soul, My joy to grief gives birth ; The clouds that glorify the sky Cast shadows on the earth ; Songs the Immortals sing, if touched By mortal discord, jar, And earthly incompletenesses A heavenly vision mar ! O City, temple, song of God, From Heaven thou art come down, With all thy rich magnificence And all thy just renown ; There stood thy walls well builded, all Immaculate thy white, Thy hymns ne'er ununisonant, Unmarred thy delight. 42 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Lo ! on the cragged mountain heights, And on the marshy plain, Can Heaven's castellated walls A safe foundation gain ? Can our earth-air so lowering, So light a song maintain ? Shall not its clearest crystalness The heavenly lustre stain ? Ah, well! there be wild storms that give A nobler close to-day, Indignant lightnings thresh the skies To fright the plague away, Mayhap some waters sweeter prove For trailing through the meadows, God's light may all the choicer be For sifting through the shadows ! RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 43 Songs of my soul ! discordant Their notes may sometimes be ; Unversed the minstrel, broken The puzzled melody ; Untuned the harp and viol ; But (fond conceit to me,) If pleasing be this tuning, What shall the music be? O Master-Builder, quarry from My heart the rock-hard part ; Nor mind the pain if Thou but gain Chance for thy perfect art ; The valleys fill, mountain and hill Smoothe down, and safe on them Rear loftier walls and palaces Of the New Jerusalem. 44 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. O Master-Artist, these wild peaks . Convert to temple spires, On all these swelling hills of pride Kindle thine altar fires ; These pestilential fogs uplift Pure incense-clouds on high ; And with what damps and darkens earth Incarnadine the sky. O Master-Singer, frozen song This heart-world sure must be ; Breathe Thou upon it, it shall melt To one soft symphony ; The strange spell that enthralls it now Thou sure canst disenchant, And blend into rich song the strains So sad, so dissonant. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 45 Lord God, mountains and clouds and seas To thy grand choir belong, Thy lightning like a gemmed baton Beats time for the thunder-song ; Rule Thou in this wild nature, Lord, These passion-tempests calm, And from the myriad clang and jar Evoke the noble psalm. Ay, as the night's deep darkness makes More radiant the dawn; As life's most hallowed, hallowing joys Are oft from sorrows drawn ; As minor strains the noblest song's Rich pathos may improve : Our shadowing sins may make the more Illustrious thy love. 46 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. The fractured glass shall daintily Caress the sunbeam white, Teasing into a rainbow smile The frightened, trembling light ; Lord, Thou canst use our brokenness To gem the heavenly wall, And through our faults and frailties screen Transplendent grace o'er all. Not less is thy true kingdom here Because of human weakness ; Not less thy joy in us because Our fall hath led to meekness ; Our praise is not less grateful, Lord, Because well mixed with praying ; Nor find we Welcome-Home less warm Because returned from straying! REUQUES OF THE CHRIST. 47 Dear Christ, not in poor Palestine Poor signs of Thee we trace ; Not through the boundless star-shine For semblance of thy face ; [search Not for a far-off earth-time wait Our Saviour to behold, Nor gaze beyond the stream of death Through yonder gates of gold. The stars be near, the times be here ; And walls all diamond-strewn ; The myriad throng, the golden song, And the eternal throne ; Here seraphim and cherubim Before Thee reverent bow ; Lord Jesus, we too worship Thee, We see Thee here and now ! 48 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. To our long yearning, waiting hearts Thou hast this word to say : " He sees the Master's face who loves The Master to obey ; My father and my mother they Who gladly do my will ; They serve Me well who for my poor The cup of blessing fill ! " Oh, sacred joy to us who long His absence have deplored, To see in living human forms The kindred of our Lord ! O Servant-Master, make us such True servants to mankind, That they grateful memorial Of Thee in us may find. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 49 So search we, Lord, not for some rare Far visions of thy face ; In present loves and joys and toils Let us thy spirit trace ; In brave contentions for the right. Forgivenesses of wrong, The fears that hope, the tears that smile, Weak lives by faith made strong. How dreadful every place with God, Solemn each soul with Him Before whom on exalted throne Bow winged cherubim! Oh ! ours with reverence to treat The heart where He abides, And bless the world o'er which the Lord With august grace presides ! 4 50 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Yes, Saviour dear, Thou art most near, When most afar we deem, And all is right and full of light That dark and wrong doth seem. Thou hast thy will when frowning ill Our doubting hearts affrights; Ah, had we only better known Thy love's great depths and heights ! Jesus, the world, so wordly, is Yet very full of Thee ; Restless with the imprisoned God The tempest and the sea : In dark and tortuous veins are hid Mountains of ancient light, In human weakness part of God's Yet undeveloped right. RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. 5 I To them that love thy will, O Christ, There is no lack of Thee ; Only our deafness will not hear, Our blindness will not see ; Earth's discords are the surplus strains That beat in wildness round ; Her darkness, surplus light with which Unseen stars strew the ground ! VIII. I think of that brave instrument,* Most wonderful, whereby From all the harsh and Babel cries That our sore senses try, The listening ear may sort the strains That best her fancy please, Singling from sounds most clangorous Harmonious symphonies. * The Silent Melodeon. — See Appendix. 52 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Amidst the city's din are heard The bells of Sabbath ringing, And through the factory's buzz and hum The songs of children singing : Through the deep solemn chimes of war The hymns of home are gliding ; Behind resounding thunder-blasts The timid choirs are hiding. Faith is that wondrous instrument Whereby the soul may hear Amid the woes and wails of life The songs of hope and cheer ; We stand among the myriad sounds That fill the troubled earth, And ever choose the strains we will Of sadness or of mirth. R ELI QUE S OF THE CHRIST. 53 We sit beside the groaning sea Of human fear and sorrow, And catch immortal symphonies From God's eternal Morrow ; Within us fares the fearful fray Of many hosts contending, Yet well we hear the victor-cries O'er contests grandly ending. Oh ! hoarse the shouts and wild the fray Where fight the good and ill, And how shall we keep courage up With God so far, so still ? And human breasts are filled with dread, As, mingling in the din, They wonder when the Lord shall bid Grace to o'ermaster sin. 54 REUQUES OE THE CHRIST. God ! hear what dreadful wraths and Threaten thy noblest plan ; [cries What wicked powers and plots of hell ! What fateful schemes of man ! Huge Wrong stands ofttimes uppermost, And Right lies humbled low ; And to discouraged ones it seems That Thou wilt have it so ! Great songs of God are fast inclosed In the world-organ vast, The winds sweep up the quivering pipes In stormy, angry blast ; But Faith sits at the organ-board, And deftly strikes the keys, Tis weird, 'tis grand, how earthly reeds Breathe heavenly melodies ! REL1QUES OF THE CHRIST. 55 Blow slow, blow fast, thou maddened blast, Thou shalt but Christ-songs bring To trusting minds ! Blow, Winter winds, Blow hard — ye speed the Spring, Wild hurricanes, the tender strains Of love Faith makes ye blow ; As though the angels, strong and strange, Hosannas flung below. Give me the ear, my God, to hear The songs the angels sing me, Give me the eye that shall descry With joy the joys they bring me ! To my poor heart the power impart To know that Thou art near me ; And let Love listen to the Christ Who longs with love to cheer me. 56 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Oh, for the ear that hearkening In stillness rapt and holy, Misses no undertone of song Howe'er so soft and lowly ; The ear that notes the mystic psalms The mystic choirs are singing ; God louder in his silences Than clouds when thunders flinging! Oh, for the eye that out beyond The stars spies others gleaming, That scans the Unbeheld as real, The Seen as only seeming ; The eye that earthly blindness helps To spiritual seeing, And deep within the inmost finds The richer, fuller being ! RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST, 57 Through all thy myriad crowding worlds, In vain I search for Thee, Till by thy clearer vision Thou Searchest and savest me ; Then, Master, I essay no more To find the holy spot Where dwellest Thou ; I wondering ask, Where shall I find Thee not ? Dear Christ, in this unworthy heart Dwell with celestial grace, Let the whole world be splendent with The glory of thy face ; While we below far upward press Our arduous, ardent way, [down, Thy heavens, O Lord of Hosts, bring And here thy power display ! 58 RELIQUES OF THE CHRIST. Here be the radiant glory, And here the rapture-song, Here multitudinous angels, And the full-ransomed throng ; The City fair and golden, Life's River, broad and pure ; Thy New Jerusalem, sounding Redemption's Overture ! APPENDIX Page 51. — "I THINK OF THAT BRAVE INSTRU- MENT." Ever since I read of The Silent Melodeon I have loved to think of it as a striking illustration of the manner in which the trusting, loving spirit will hear songs of Christ in all possible discords and tumults of the world ; and have ventured so to employ it here. For a full account of this peculiar instrument, see Appleto?is Annual Cyclopcedia for 1868, p. 463, from which I ab- stract and condense the following : " The Silent Melodeon. — In 1868, M. Daguin, a French physician, invented the analyzing cor- net by which, out of a confused body of sound, of many different notes, he could separate and make audible by itself alone any particular note at pleasure. This instrument consists of several tubes, opening and shutting together, like those of a telescope. By varying the length of the instrument, the length and volume of the column ol inclosed air will also be changed to an equal extent. In this way, by lengthening and shorten- ing the cornet, certain notes are emphasized, and heard separately from the others. 6o APPENDIX. " In The Silent Melodeon the volume of the column of air is not changed as in the cornet, but remains constantly the same ; and the sound is modulated through holes in the tube, which are opened and shut by the fingers, like a flute. The tube is bell-mouthed at one end, and closed at the other with a perforated button which in use is pressed against the ear. By varying the order of opening the holes, the desired note is separated from the other mingling sounds, and is distinctly and separately heard. "With this instrument all the notes of the gamut can be made audible, with no other base than the confused body of mingling sounds. A tune can be played, heard by no one but the per- son using the instrument. He will hear a melody, audible only to himself, through an instrument which makes no sound. He selects the notes he chooses. M. Daguin has named this instrument The Silent Melodeon, because it plays a tune with- out creating a sound. 11 One of these, a three-holed instrument on which a perfect major chord cnn be sounded, has been presented by M. Daguin to the Academy. For the purpose of producing what corresponds to double-vision, he has made use of two instru- ments, one at each ear. The separate notes, diverse in sound, but equal in vibration, seem one."