He loves and is belov'd again Can his soul choose but be at rest? Sorrow hath fled away, and Pain Dares not invade the guarded nest, He dearly loves, and not alone: For his wing'd thoughts are soaring high He loves and weeps-but more than tears Crosses and wrongs where'er he rove: That gracious chiding look,* Thy call Which else were rued too bitterly. Even through the veil of sleep it shines, Or haply to his native laket His vision wafts him back, to talk With JESUS, ere his flight he takes, As in that solemn evening walk, When to the bosom of his friend, The Shepherd, He whose name is Good, * St. Luke xxii. 61. [See the passage here so happily alluded to, John xxi.1517.] Then laid on him th' inverted tree,* O'er life and death, its awful charm. With brightening heart he bears it on, The unexpressive notes to heart Like waves in Joy's unbounded ocean. His dream is chang'd-the Tyrant's voice But as he rises to rejoice, Not Herod but an Angel leads.‡ He dreams he sees a lamp flash bright,§ But 'tis a gleam of heavenly light That fills up all the ample gloom, The flame, that in a few short years Deep through the chambers of the dead * [He is said to have been crucified with his head downwards.] + [So Milton of his dead Lycidas, "And hears the unexpressive nuptial song, In the blest kingdoms meek of joy and love."] [And behold the Angel of the Lord came upon him.] [And a light shined in the prison.] Touch'd he upstarts-his chains unbind *. ST. JAMES' DAY.t [JULY 25.] Ye shail indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. St. Matthew xx. 23. [Gospel for the Day.] [Grant, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.] * SIT down and take thy fill of joy At God's right hand, a bidden guest, Eat of the bread that cannot waste. [See the whole passage here so finely paraphrased, Acts xii. 6-19.] [James the greater, the son of Zebedee, was a fisherman of Galilee. Called by Christ, both he and his brother John straight. O great Apostle! rightly now Thou readest all thy Saviour meant, "Seek ye to sit enthron'd by me? The lowest in the meanest task- "We can-thine are we, dearest Lord, To do and suffer all Thy word; I give it not by partial love; But in my Father's book are writ Thou Lord of meekness, write it there, Thy lofty hope, thy lowly prayer. way followed him. They were named, by our Lord, Boanerges, or sons of thunder, expressive of their zeal and devotion to his cause; and with Peter enjoyed his chief confidence. He was the first of the twelve Apostles who suffered martyrdom, being slain, by command of Herod, with a sword.] If ever on the mount with Thee Lead me from Tabor's sunbright steep, With Thee toward heaven to walk and weep: Too happy, on my silent path, If now and then allow'd with Thee Thy secret work of love to see; Thy welcome call, at last be given- *St. Matthew xvii. 12. "Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them." This was just after the transfiguration. |