H OW pleasant to me thy deep blue wave, O Sea of Galilee ! For the glorious One who came to save Hath often stood by thee. Fair are the lakes in the land I love, Where pine and heather grow, But thou hast loveliness far above It is not that the wild gazelle Comes down to drink thy tide, But He that was pierced to save from hell THE SEA OF GALILEE. 117 It is not that the fig-tree grows, And palms, in thy soft air, But that Sharon's fair and bleeding rose Graceful around thee the mountains meet, Thou calm, reposing sea; But ah, far more! the beautiful feet Of Jesus walked over thee. These days are past-Bethsaida, where ? His tent the wild Arab pitches there, Tell me, ye mouldering fragments, tell, Lifted to heaven, has it sunk to hell, With none to shed a tear? Ah! would my flock from thee might learn How days of grace will flee; How all an offered Christ who spurn, Shall mourn at last, like thee. 118 THE SEA OF GALILEE. And was it beside this very sea The new-risen Saviour said Three times to Simon, "Lovest thou me ? O Saviour! gone to God's right hand! Graved on my heart is this lovely strand Oh! give me, Lord, by this sacred wave, That I may feed, till I find my grave, Thy flock-both Thine and mine. R. M. M'CHEYNE. THE EYE OF CHARITY. NE evening Jesus lingered in the market-place, grace, When in the square remote a crowd was seen to rise, And stop, with loathing gestures and abhorring cries. The Master and His meek disciples went to see What cause for this commotion and disgust could be, And found a poor dead dog beside the gutter laid; Revolting sight! at which each face its hate be trayed. I 20 THE EYE OF CHARITY. One held his nose, one shut his eyes, one turned away; And all among themselves began aloud to say, "Detested creature! he pollutes the earth and air!" "His eyes are blear!" "His ears are foul!" "His ribs are bare!" "In his torn hide there's not a decent shoe-string left!" "No doubt the execrable cur was hung for theft!' Then Jesus spake, and dropped on him this saving wreath, "Even pearls are dark before the whiteness of his teeth!" The pelting crowd grew silent and ashamed, like one Rebuked by sight of wisdom higher than his own; And one exclaimed, "No creature so accursed can be, But some good thing in him a loving eye will see.” FROM "NISAMI." |