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
What nature can bestow.

It is not that the wild gazelle

Comes down to drink thy tide,

But He that was pierced to save from hell
Oft wandered by thy side.

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
Once spread its fragrance there.

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 ?
Chorazin, where art thou?

His tent the wild Arab pitches there,
The wild reeds shade thy brow.

Tell me, ye mouldering fragments, tell,
Was the Saviour's city here?

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 ?
My lambs and sheep then feed" ?

O Saviour! gone to God's right hand!
Yet the same Saviour still,

Graved on my heart is this lovely strand
And every fragrant hill.

Oh! give me, Lord, by this sacred wave,
Threefold Thy love divine,

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,
Teaching the people parables of truth and

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."