•M85 LIBRARY JQF CONGRESS. iiptft Sop9ri# If a, Shelf. -,-B?S UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I. k till*} i * & > si ^ „•'• y i U ^ The Palace of Shushan — AND — Other Poems. Tf^E PALACE OF SIjUSHAN — AND — otheh POE|V[S. BY THE AUTHOR OF 'Christmas Eve in a Hospital." J.y t MILWAUKEE : THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO. 1891. . t 5 Copyright. BY THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO. 1891. PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. "THE Publishers have issued this small volume of Poems, because they are worthy of such a set- ting as has been given them. They are written by a devout Churchwoman, living in Community life. In this country, poems which breathe of sacra- mental life, or are what Churchmen understand by the term " Churchly," seldom find a publisher. Hence, Church people are dependent on English sources for poetical readings, or must use what are called " Religious poems " other than from Church sources, when desiring poetical writings of a devout character. These latter do not suit the tastes of Church people. This little volume is given to the public as a test of the demand for verses of a high order of spirit- ual composition. The Publishers, having done their part, await the verdict of their constituency. CONTENTS, Page. The Palace of Shushan ..... 9 At Rest ........ 13 "At Eventide it Shall be Light 11 .... 15 "Behold I Come Quickly" . . . . .17 Self-Consecration ....... 19 Unfaithfulness . . . . . . .20 " The King of Love My Shepherd is " . . . 23 "Lord, what Wouldst Thou Have Me to Do?" . . . 25 "He shall See of the Travail of His Soul and Be Satisfied " 28 Jesu, Intercessor !...... 31 Ingemisco . . . . . . • .33 OLife, What is Thy Mystery? .... 35 Hereafter . . . . . . • .39 Christmas ....... 42 The Birth of Jesus ... ... 44 Baby Jesus . ... . . . • 47 Our Lord in Prayer . . . . . . .49 Good Friday and Easter ..... 51 Good Friday Night . . . . . . .53 Ascension Day ....-•• 55 Come Unto Me— And I will Give You Rest ... .57 At the Eucharist ..*... 59 Before Receiving the Blessed Sacrament . . .61 "We Also Have An Altar " .... 64 Hymn for Holy Communion , .66 The Palace of Shushan and other Poems. ®fttf flalace off JWtualratt. (Esther 1st.) 3 WAS dreaming of Shushan, the Palace- The Palace where Jesus is King, The lily-crowned Palace celestial, The Court of the heavenly King ; For there is the throne of His glory, Where, under His banner of love, Emmanuel spreadeth a banquet For all who will meet Him above. There bowers are fragrant with jasmine, And gardens with roses aglow, And there, 'neath the Breath of the Spirit, Sweet odors of Paradise flow. (2) 9 10 THE PALACE OF SHUSH AN. The shadows there carry no darkness, For all is translucent with light ; And silence is vocal with meaning — They call it " the hush of delight." There myrtle is blending with citron, The almond and olive are there ; And pomegranate, scarlet and golden, And amaranth, deathlessly fair. There bright, happy flowers unnumbered Stand, saint-like, transfigured in light, But fairest of all are the lilies, Most dazzling, in raiment of white. — Palace triumphant, immortal ! Banqueting-hall of the Bride ! Thy blossoms are fragrant forever, Thy bowers in beauty abide. — How soft is the fall of the fountains That flow through thy gardens of spice How fair are thy ivory towers, Engraven with mystic device ! Thy pavement is porphyry and amber, Thy pillars are jasper and gold, Where hangings of carmine and azure Grow purple in shadow and fold. THE PALACE OF SHUSHAN. 11 Thine archways are pure alabaster, Now vivid with rainbows of light, And now, in the cool-falling shadow, Most purely, translucently white. And still, at each step of the Spirit, New vistas unclose to the sight, Till the soul, in its rapture and wonder, Grows faint with excess of delight. So my heart fell to longing and yearning For radiant angels to bring My feet through its pearly-white portal, My soul to the seat of its King. — But why should I long for the Palace, And yearn for its splendors alone? There is glory transcending its glory, And rapture yet purer made known. There is God, in His marvellous beauty, The Centre and Fountain of light, The King of the Palace celestial, To crown me above with delight. When I kneel, even here, at His altar, He makes me His temple, His shrine ; I know then the Prince of the Palace, Its Treasure of treasures is mine. 12 THE PALACE OF SHUSH AN. And if He shall suffer me ever To stand in His sight, purified, I think I shall only see Jesus, Whatever the beauty beside. — Across the wide ocean of glory My heart shall leap up to the throne, To see but the King of all glory. See Jesus and Jesus alone. AT REST. 13 V /PON Thy Breast Thy children rest, ^ Thy saints by death set free, Thy martyr train, whose fiery pain Hath brought them nighest Thee. — The flames they trod, swept up to God, — Before the crystal sea, Enrapt they stand, where angel band Make sweetest melody. Calm on Thy Breast Thy children rest Who have not sinned or striven, Safe, as of old, Thine Arms enfold These little ones of Heaven, Who bear no stain, who know no pain, Whose life from earth was riven, While pearly yet the cross lay wet, On brows the Font had shriven. Fair on Thy Breast pure lilies rest, Whose beauty ne'er can die, Their star of light, through earthly night, Was Jesus' loving Eye ; — 14 AT REST. Their lives were given the King of Heaven, And now, beyond the skies, Their fragrance rare, the love they bear The Lord of Paradise. Hushed on Thy Breast the weary rest, Whose hearts were raised to Thee, When waves of sin and tempest din Strove hard for mastery ; To Calvary's Cross, 'mid pain and loss, Still clung they tremblingly, And now at peace, where tempests cease, They rest eternally. With all at rest upon Thy Breast, Our prayers rise ceaselessly ; Each Eucharist, Thy Church's tryst, With loved ones nearer Thee. Through Thy dear pain, may we attain The Vision fair they see, From strength to strength, to pass at length, To perfect purity. AT EVENTIDE IT SHALE BE LIGHT 15 *^t (Bcentide it SJhall ge StsM/' "♦^FTeventide it shall be light," qJ -*- For God's own Presence makes it bright, And so I love to think at night, Of that fair home, dear Jesus, Where I in white would walk with Thee, And hear the wondrous melody Which sweeps across the crystal sea, From those redeemed by Jesus. Oh gates of pearl ! Oh streets of gold ! Oh loving Shepherd's blessed fold, Whose balm for sorrows manifold Is endless rest in Jesus ! Within those everlasting walls The shadow of no evening falls, The fadeless splendor of those halls Is from the throne of Jesus. Oh Land beyond the setting sun, Oh Land of blessedness begun, Of trial o'er, of triumph won, For all who trust in Jesus. 16 AT EVENTIDE IT SHALL BE LIGHT. So lead us on from height to height, Until we reach the throne of light, And fall before the Infinite, The God revealed in Jesus. BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY. 17 "feltold J fllome (Sftotyhlg." (c) HOULD He come to my heart as the ^) Christ Child, The Jesus of Mary, to-night, I could give Him my heart as a cradle, Quite broken with love and delight. Should He come as the Christ of the Passion, With wound-prints in Hand and in Heart, Perhaps I might venture to offer The balm of my grief for their smart. But if He should come as the Bridegroom, The King, in His glory above, What gift could I bring to the Bridal? What pledge to the banquet of love ? Ah, then I should fall, in the darkness — Quite low at His Feet I should fall, And whisper, " Love, I have nothing, No, nothing, to give Thee at all." 18 BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY. I pray for a dowry celestial, Love, from Thy glory Divine, That so I may lay it before Thee, And all may forever be — Thine. SELF-CONSECRA TION. 1 9 ^elji-dlons^ration. YJ HERE is no life soul-satisfying -*- But bears the print of Jesus' Dying ; Nor is there any joy so true and tender As that of sharing in His Self-surrender. I long to know more fully and more clearly, I long to feel more deeply and sincerely The strength-sustaining of His Life Divine, Made perfect in the weakness that is mine. And yearnings deep and tremulous pervade me To break from every barrier that hath stayed me; To free my hands from every earthly treasure, And clasp the gift of God in fuller measure. Oh give me love, so true it may not falter, To lay a whole burnt-offering on Thine Altar ; And then, if it be pleasing in Thine Eyes, Send down Thy fire and light the sacrifice. 20 UNFAITHFULNESS. In^mtltfulness. YJ HOU haclst bidden me, Lord, to place Thee As a Signet upon my heart, And I knelt at Thy Feet to answer, " Jesu Thy grace impart, That I may be Thine forever, As Thou, Lord, art mine ; In body and soul and spirit, Be wholly and utterly Thine." But oh, I have been unfaithful To the promise I made Thee then ; I have failed to fathom its meaning, And grieved Thee again and again ; I have wounded Thy Holy Spirit, And lightly esteemed a love Which is all the praise of the angels, And the joy of the blessed above ; Yes, all that the angels are given, And all that the blessed know ; The joy that is theirs in heaven, And might have been mine below. UNFAITHFULNESS. 21 I have given to self Thy sceptre, Yes, given to self a throne, In the heart which I vowed at the Altar, Should be given to God alone. And now that Thou comest, seeking The fruit of Thy love and grace, How can I dare to meet Thee, Or lift my eyes to Thy Face? How can I bear the searching Of that sorrowful gaze, when I know The heart that should mirror Thine Image Hath nothing but self to show, — Nothing but self to render, — For the little grace I have used Is nothing to what I have wasted, To what I have even refused. — With the kiss of Thy Mouth, oh kiss me, That the sword at Thy Lips, anew, The sword of Thy Holy Spirit, May pierce me through and through, Till self shall be utterly vanquished, Its death-blow struck by grace, And Thou, my Lord and Bridegroom, Enthroned in Thy rightful place : 22 UNFAITHFULNESS. Till self, and its hateful power, Be wholly and utterly gone, And Thou, O my Lord and Saviour, Shalt lie in my heart, new-born. THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS. 23 n 9foq luuj of lout; W&\) Shepherd to" /yV JESU, Shepherd, be my Guide, Vl/ That I may never stray ; Jesu, in my heart abide, To gladden all the way. Upon that Shoulder let me rest, Which bore the Cross for me ; And hide me in that loving Breast, So pierced on Calvary. Let Thine own Arms around me be, My shelter and my rest, When sore beset by enemy Or weary, or distressed. Be Thy dear Feet my hiding place, Where I may lay me low ; To tell Thee, with shame-hidden face, The sins that grieve Thee so. 24 THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS. Thy Cross my rod and staff shall be, Its strength shall strength supply ; Its grace shall keep and comfort me, Its pain shall sanctify. So bring me safely in Thy love, Jesu, Shepherd mine, To that dear home of peace above, Where all are whollv Thine. WHAT WOULDST THOU HA VE ME TO DO ? 25 " lord, what ISouldst ®hou gat^ Pij to lo?" AY /HAT wouldst Thou have me do, Lord? V » What wouldst Thou have me do ? Thy light hath shone upon my way, But other lights confuse its ray ; Oh, be that light more clearly poured, What wouldst Thou have me do? Would that I might for Thee, dear Lord, Follow the chosen few * Who, in Thy Name, have braved disease In ghastly form, o'er Southern seas ; Yielding their life in glad accord With Thine own summons true. And yet a life of outward calm, If Thou but will it so, May well enfold the harder task, Which Thou from eager hearts would ask, To find their martyrdom and palm, In what they must forego. Father Damien and others. Isle of Lepers. (3) 26 WHA T WO ULDST THO U HA VE ME TO DO ? Some souls there are whom suffering brings Converse with Thee to share ; — The fetter of a life-long pain Circles the body with its chain, But seems to lend the spirit wings Of glad ascent in prayer. And some, by sorrow, Face to face With Thine own Presence brought, • Seem ever walking in Thy sight, Illumined with an inward light, And manifesting forth the grace By bright reflection caught. And some there are whom Thou hast crowned With gifts most rich and free, To whom this added grace is l#nt, To find in each the instrument Of service which may more abound In lowly ministry. Oh, is it restlessness or pride That craves for action still ? Or must each loving, longing heart WHAT WOULDST THOU HAVE MB TO DO? 27 Be restless, till it find the part To them assigned and sanctified By Thy most holy will? All humbly, Lord, I make my prayer, Oh speak some word to me Which I may ponder in my heart Like Mary, till I learn the part Which Thou wouldst have me do or bear, Which /may offer Thee. Show me the way which Thou wouldst choose, To keep before my view, Lest in my eager, strong self-will I bend my purpose to fulfil Some quest self-chosen, and refuse What Thou wouldst have me do. 28 HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF **% i$ JShalt ^ee of tin SIratraU off its ^oul and 1^ Stettajfei" TjESUS, Saviour, mighty Lord, QJ Still from age to age adored, At whose Feet the angels fall, Ever crowned King of all ; Word of God, most true, most pure, Which forever shall endure ; Judge upon the throne of white, Veiled in unapproached light, — Must Thy wondrous, sacred Name Suffer touch of human blame? Thou, the Holy and the Strong, Thou, our God, how long, how long, Shall the scoffing and the scorning Turn to jest Thy word of warning ; Shall the careless and unheeding Thrust aside Thine Arms of pleading? Jesus, Saviour, Lamb of God, Lowly and Incarnate Lord, HIS SOUL AND BE SATISFIED. 29 Stooping thus, our souls to save, Unto cradle and to grave, Learning, for our sakes, to know All the depths of mortal woe, Scorned, forsaken, and denied, Scourged, rejected, crucified ; By Thy human grief and pain, Surely suffered not in vain, O, all-perfect Sacrifice, Let not man Thy Blood despise ; Son of Man, to Thee we cry, Suffer not that they deny Thee, Who didst their ransom bring, Perfected through suffering. Risen Saviour, Who dost bear On Thy Heart our every prayer, Thou of Light the Fountain art And we only see in part ; But we know that He Who died, Shall be surely satisfied For the travail of His Soul When He forms the perfect whole. Then the Lamb, on earth once slain, Angels, worthy, shall proclaim ; 30 HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL. Him, Who wore the thorn-wrought crown, Him, Who trod the wine-press down, When, of all His people, none Bat forsook their Promised One, — Every knee shall bow before, Evermore and evermore. JESU, INTERCESSOR! 31 Jesu, Jntenjessor ! " Lord teach us how to pray." /^TjESU, Thou the Sinless, Vl/ Who livest evermore, To plead for us, the sin-defiled, Thy Father's throne before ; Jesu, Intercessor, Thou new and living Way, By which to that within the veil, We enter when we pray ; Teach us, the heavy laden, To lay before Thy Feet Our every care and burden down, And plead Thy promise sweet. O Jesu, Friend of sinners, Be with us when we pray, To whisper in our hearts the words That Thou wouldst have us say ; Our lips are all unworthy To breathe Thy precious Name, 32 JES U, INTERCESSOR ! Yet shed Thy blessing on the prayer Which brokenly we frame ; And, by Thine own indwelling, Uplift us to Thy throne, That so our every prayer may prove The echo of Thine own. INGEMISCO. 33 Jngeminro- " Thy Will be done." ^TEACH me, dear Lord, through life till -*- death, With quickened, or abated breath, By thinking steadfastly on Thee, O'ershadowed by Gethsemane, To say, as it becometh one Who followeth Thee, "Thy Will be done." Not that I would not dare complain, Nor yet because such strife were vain, And that I know no moan or cry Can change the Will of God on high, And would not utter my distress To One Who holds me powerless ; But that I wholly trust His love Who watcheth o'er me from above.-— Life seems so hard, O God, at times to bear, Yet still I know that Thou its weight wilt share, And strength sufficient give, from day to day, Whereby I onward still may tread my way. Or if I feel I cannot bear my loss, 34 INGEMISCO. I will remember Thou didst sink beneath Thy Cross. When faint from scourge and bitter mockery Treading the weary way to Calvary, Thy path was marked by Blood from Brows thorn-crowned Which late, for me, were pressed upon the ground, Wrestling in such an agony of prayer As none, but Thou alone, could know or bear ; And this was borne for me, my God, for me ! By thoughts like these, oh keep me true to Thee. O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 35 Ovk Wvx?/, S$ Zgdij. U X) jukjgqv trjv ifjvx^)y (xvrov iv rop hogjugj rovroDy ei$ ^odijv aiooviov cpvXa^ei avrrjv." —St. John 12 : 25. (V\ LIFE, what is thy mystery? Thou stand- ^^^ est veiled Beneath an ever- varying play of changeful form ; A beauteous tissue of decay, whose evanescent Gleams of shifting light halo, yet hide thee still. And thou, a shrouded thing, art dumb And unresponsive to our cry, standing within Creation's temple, mute, like the dim Isis Of a buried past ; before the carven silence Of whose brow a myriad votaries sank prone, Uplifting helpless bands of hopeless pain In the mute pathos of unsolaced woe. What is thy sceptre, Life, that we should sue To thee and serve thee with such vassalage Of pain ? What boon is thine, and whence Thy royalty ? Art thou not, rather, but the bride, The mask of Death ? His plaything and his toy? 36 O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? The gaily-colored mantle wherewithal he Wraps his grisly form when he would seek To win us, which, as we clasp it, loosens, Leaving us fast-locked in Death's embrace, A portion for the earth-clod and the worm ? life of sense and soul, of blood and brain, Of agony, and striving, and unrest, nor thee, Nor thine we seek, but that calm deathlessness Which lies beyond thy gift ; whose name alone Thou bearest, but whose truth thou neither know est Nor canst give, to us, who crave to enter Into life in verity ; a life whose radiance Of immortality shines down on thy poor Taper spark of earth-born life, as steadfast Stars upon the torch's glare — the struggling Torch's self-consuming glare, which gasps awhile Beneath Death's murky pall, then, smouldering, Falls, extinguished, at his feet. — Not life we seek But immortality ; and seek it at Death's portal, For the Same Who gave, and tasted, life of Man ; Himself Life's Source and Fountain- head, — The Verity, whose bright similitude Thou glassest for awhile within thy heart, — O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 37 To lose it, swift again, amid the waves Of thine unrestful surgings ; — He, Himself, Hath bidden us forsake and scorn thee still, Aye, hate thee, to the end. And thus, in solemn Tryst with thy dread bridegroom, Death, We wait to learn the knowledge of those Mysteries, which now thy smiling lips withhold From us, but soon, pallid and blanched beneath His icy touch, no longer shall refuse us. — When he, thine all-compelling master, shall Have laid his hand upon thy brow, chilling Thy fevered pulse, and silencing the over-eager Beating of thy heart ; when his hand Hath stripped away the garments of thy Beauty, and relaxed thy clinging hold of all Earth's bauble treasures, — aye, when he Hath robbed thee of thy substance, bidding Thee yield it to nourish other life than thine, Then, poor Soul, shalt thou be sanctified, — By the sharp agony of that last cry, wherein, Yielding thy spirit up to Him Who gave it, Thou, at last, shalt lose thy life, to find His Life Who gave thee life ; Who, having In Himself all plenitude, and needing Naught, shall make thee all His own ; 38 LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? Uplift thee to Himself, and setting thee Within the circle of His own Infinity, Shall give thee of His fulness, evermore To know and share. Oh Life, thy charm Is fled, — Stretch out thy hands to God And pray Him, of His mercy, bring thee Home. HEREAFTER. 39 A V /HAT will it be, my God, what will it be? * * That first, first step into the world unseen, That first unveiling of the life to come, When the eye closes to the scenes of earth, And the last farewells die upon the ear, What will the wakening be, in that Hereafter, on the other side of death, Where God is All in all and earth is nought? Where former things have wholly passed away And God forevermore is All in all? When the rent veil lays bare the holy place, The inner temple of God's Sanctuary, Bringing the soul within His Presence-chamber, Laying the new-born soul unclothed before Her Judge, — What will it be, that first Dread sight, ineffable, of Him, before The dazzling brightness of Whose Face Her secret sins are set? Beneath Whose gaze Of awful purity, her every deed and thought Recorded lies ? And what will be that dread Twin vision of her secret self, born of the Sight Of God and following hard upon it, 40 HEREAFTER. Circling it, as shadow circles light. When every feature of His holiness Reveals, in the clear light of truth, self-love And sin in all their naked hideousness ? Will the recoil of horror and self-loathing Plunge the soul into a deep abyss And sunder it from God, while penitential Sorrow spreads a veil of blinding tears between ? Hiding away His glory, till she learn In ever-deepening pain, the fulness of Her own unworthiness ? Or will that Face of love, The radiant brightness of those five dread Wounds Rivet her gaze wholly and utterly, Leaving her powerless to feel aught else But their own power to draw her nearer God? Let it be so, my Lord and God, for me. Fix Thou my gaze, dear Lord, on them and Thee, Although their brightness witnessing Of Calvary's Cross, acquaint me with its pain, And that dread handwriting of sin inscribed Thereon, yet let me but behold The fulness of Thy love, that I may know HEREAFTER. 41 Its power to sanctify, for Thou hast said That they who suffer may draw nearer Thee, Making the very sharpness of their pain To be a sacrament of hope to all Who pray for pardon at Thy Feet- Then, O my God, look down, whate'er the pain May be, I pray Thee, look deep down into My heart, probing its very depths, and scan It through and through ; take my two hands in Thine, And then, having all knowledge of me and Ail power, do with me as Thou wilt.— Work all Thy Will in me ; so, through that Will, I may be found wholly conformed at last, My God, to Thee.— Oh blessed pain, whereby I may attain thereto ! W T hy do I now Shrink back from the faint foretastes of that Burning touch, whereby Thy Hand would print The Cross upon my brow and seal me as Thine own ! (4) 42 CHRISTMAS. J Comes down to suffer and to die ; Behold, behold, He takes His Cross To bear the weight of human loss. A flood of radiant glory pours From out the everlasting doors As He, the very Light of light, Comes down to make our darkness bright. Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, The pure of heart and holy ; Oh wondrous Birth, when God to earth Came down in guise so lowly ! Saviour ! Who didst not abhor The manger and the bed of straw, CHRISTMAS. 43 In our poor hearts we longing pray, Light of the world be born to-day ; Christ Child ! knocking at the door, Abide, abide, for evermore As to Thy temple enter in, And make and keep us pure from sin. Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, The pure of heart and lowly ; Oh wondrous Love, which from above Came clown in guise so lowly !. Christ Child, come our hearts" to bless Despite our great unworthiness, Thy holy Cross shall be our guide To lead us on, whate'er betide. The raising of Thy pierced Hand Shall point us to Thy Father's land, And Thou, our Comforter and Stay Shall sanctify us day by day. Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, The pure of heart and holy ; Grant Thou that we may learn of Thee The Wonderful, the Lowly ! 44 THE BIRTH OF JESUS. WM Jirth of Jesus- " Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise."— St. Matt. 1 : 18. 3N the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea," * And was cradled with the lowly In His spotless purity ; 'Mid the sin of all the ages, Sinless stands the wondrous Child Who was born of Blessed Mary, Holy, pure, and undefiled. From the heart of God in heaven, From the throne exceeding bright, Of the Infinite Creator Who hath veiled Himself in light, Christ, the Saviour, stooping earthward, For the love He bare His own, Left the vision of His Father, And the glory of His throne. * First two lines from "Battle Hymn of the Republic," by Julia Ward Howe. THE BIRTH OF JESUS. 45 He was welcomed at His coming, By a holy, happy throng ; By a flood of golden glory, And of sweet, celestial song ; Then the farewells of the angels Died away upon the air, But they left the little Christ Child In the manger rude and bare. 'Mid the humblest of Judea, There was none so pool as He, Who was laid amid the cattle By the Maid of Galilee, For a manger was the cradle Where the Lord of Life drew breath, And a Cross the cruel pillow Where He rested in His Death. Yes, He came from Heaven's brightness To a dreary world of night, But He gave Himself as freely As the sunbeams give their light, From a home of spotless beauty, To a world grown old in sin ; But He came to heal its sorrows And He longed to enter in. 46 THE BIRTH OF JESUS. Like a ray of golden glory, O'er a waste of waters wild, Was that Birth forever blessed Of the Virgin undefiled. By the brightness of Thy shining O'er the waves of sin and death Guide us to the heavenly portal, Jesu ! Star of Nazareth. BABY JESUS. 47 Stobu Jesus. " Baby Jesus Who didst lie Underneath earth's darkened sky." — Kingsley's " Saints' Tragedy." ^"TQ ABY Jesus, Who didst lie (^iJ Underneath Judea's sky," Cradled on Thy Mother's breast, Rocked by Mary to Thy rest, By the love which laid Thee low, Helpless in a world of woe, Holy Child, I pray to Thee, Jesu, Saviour, save Thou me. Crownless King, low-cradled where Ox and ass Thy shelter share,— Wondrous glory hangeth o'er Bethlehem's manger-bed of straw And the Wise men bend the knee Owning Thy Divinity. Lowly Jesus, teach us how Humble hearts to bring Thee now . 48 BABY JESUS. Little Feet, in after days Treading life's sharp, thorny ways, Weary oft, yet not so worn As the Heart by sinners torn — Pierced at length and bruised by nails- Jesu, when my courage fails, At the Feet which bled for me Let me learn to follow Thee. Little Hands, that shall fulfil Through all life Thy Fathers Will, Tender baby Hands, for me Clasped in helpless infancy, Motionless outstretched to plead On the Cross, our bitter need, Oh dear Hands, reach down to me Draw me nearer, nearer Thee. Baby Jesus, throned on high Far above earth's changeful sky ; Bethlehem's Lily undefiled, Very God and very Child, Let my heart Thy cradle be, Thine a dwelling place for me, Till I reach Thy throne on high, Who for love of me didst die. OUR LORD IN PRAYER. 49 <©ur Hor L d in fntger- PEACE broods upon the mountain top And sleeps upon the sea, And twilight holds communion With the hills of Galilee,— No ripple stirs the water, — No echo wakes the air, — ■ But Nature's heart is silent While her Lord is bowed in prayer. Into the glassy water The steadfast stars shine down ; The moon, above the mountain, Hangs like a golden crown. The sky is all unclouded blue, Deep mirrored in the lake, — (God grant us still from His dear Face, Our semblance so to take). The mountain peaks, like lofty deeds Mount up to win the skies, Which still, like God's own holiness, As far above them rise. Their dizzy summits cannot pierce That limitless expanse, 50 OUR LORD IN PRAYER. Earth's loftiness and lowliness Lie level to God's glance. Meanwhile the golden moon drops down To kiss the lake's dark brim, As God may stoop to succor those Who cannot rise to Him. — Beneath her touch the waters gleam With lustre not their own, Like saints, who flash the glory back From God's most holy throne ; All silently the evening mist Ascends to heaven above. — May God so lift us up to Him And His great Heart of love. GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER. 51 (Bood Jr L uIitt) and (Baster* (fTsAVIOUR of the world, before Thy Cross ^ we fall ; The sunless noontide doth our hearts appal; Alone, alone in darkness Thou dost hang, To suffer to the uttermost Thine every pang. No human watcher can Thy conflict see, Nor mark the weight his sins have laid on Thee. The crown of mockery Thou still dost wear, The print of nails in Hands and Feet dost bear ; While cruel tauntings from the crowd below, Rise up to mock Thee in Thy bitter woe, From all that crowd who know not what they do,, Nor ho w they pierce that heart of mercy through . But still no answer from that Cross above, Falls on Thy mockers from those Lips of love; Thine utter silence, like a mighty cry, Takes hold upon the throne of God on high, With voiceless lips and outstretched arms to „ plead For Heaven's mercy on our guilty need. 52 GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER. Jesu, Who Thy shameful death didst die, Our every sin with Thee to crucify, Praying Thy Father they might be forgiven Who through Thy Hands and Feet the nails had driven : Oh save us, lest we knowing what we do, Should pierce and crucify Thee, Saviour, too. The glorious light of Easter breaks the gloom ; The Son of God is risen from the tomb ; Behold Him clothed with strength and grace to save, Where is thy sting, death, thy victory, grave? Behold the Hands and Feet of Him who died, The Lamb once slain, forever glorified, And with the hosts of Heaven fall before The Face of Him who liveth evermore. GOOD FRIDAY NIGHT. 53 (Hood Jrifeg Jpjjltt. ( k jH weary Son of God, at last, at last, ^-^ Thine hour of agony and shame is past ; And white and still, against the darkened sky, Thy lifeless Body hangs outstretched on high. The majesty of death is on Thy Brow, And all Thy taunting foes are voiceless now ; Silence is round Thee, and the trembling air Holds but the accents of Thy dying prayer. The dark recesses of the sunless sky Still vibrate with the anguish of that cry : That twice repeated " Eloi !" which rang from out the tree, Till shuddering hills reechoed faint, " Lama Sabbacthani.' 1 But now the Heart which suffered is at rest ; The weary Head sinks low upon the Breast. Yet one best pledge of love to us is given, When deep the spear-wound through the side is driven. 54 GOOD FRIDAY NIGHT. So stands Thy perfect Sacrifice complete ; Thy love hath graven it in Hands and Feet, And with the precious Blood, from Thy dear Side, The Covenant of mercy ratified. Christ of the Five Wounds, to Thee I pray, Imprint Thine Image on my soul to-day, Thine own prophetic word fulfil to me, And draw my whole soul upward unto Thee. ASCENSION DAY. 55 Ascension §ag. ^THOU art gone up on high — -L Yet so to draw us nigh ; Thou art gone up on high ; Yet not to thrust Thy children far away, But to lift our hearts, by a golden ray, To the upward path and open way, Through the pearly gates to the realms of day AVhere cometh the night of darkness never, But the glory of God shineth ever and ever. The City of God stands fair, In light beyond compare ; The City of God stands fair, And its glory draweth our hearts to Him, Before Whose throne the seraphim Veil their faces and raise the hymn Of Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Forever and ever by all adored. And the heart must utter its cry To follow Thee more nigh — The heart that loves must utter its cry 5 6 ASCENSION DA Y. To follow Thee, though it be by a Cross, Though it be by the ladder of earthly loss, Though it be by esteeming all things but dross, The heart that loves must seek Love's Source, — And seeking, shall find its goal and rest In the fathomless love of Thy wounded Breast. I WILL GIVE YOU REST. 57 Come unto $Ri»— Sjuui J trill