And in the heart of man she sits as high- Though grovelling eyes forget her oftentimes, Seeing but this world's idols. The pure mind Sees her for ever : and in youth we come Filled with her sainted ravishment, and kneel, Worshipping God through her sweet altar-fires, And then is knowledge "good.” We come too oft- The heart grows proud with fulness, and we soon Look with licentious freedom on the maid Throned in celestial beauty. There she sits, Robed in her soft and seraph loveliness, Instructing and forgiving, and we gaze Until desire grows wild, and, with our hands Upon her very garments, are struck down, Blasted with a consuming fire from heaven! Yet, oh! how full of music from her lips Breathe the calm tones of wisdom! Human praise Is sweet till envy mars it, and the touch Of new-won gold stirs up the pulses well, And woman's love, if in a beggar's lamp 'Twould burn, might light us cheerly through the world; But Knowledge hath a far more 'wildering tongue, And she will stoop and lead you to the stars,
And witch you with her mysteries, till gold Is a forgotten dross, and power and fame Toys of an hour, and woman's careless love, Light as the breath that breaks it. He who binds His soul to knowledge steals the key of heaven But 'tis a bitter mockery that the fruit May hang within his reach, and when, with thirst Wrought to a maddening frenzy, he would taste- It burns his lips to ashes !
CHRIST'S ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM.
He sat upon the ass's colt and rode Toward Jerusalem. Beside him walked Closely and silently the faithful twelve, And on before him went a multitude Shouting Hosannas, and with eager hands Strewing their garments thickly in his way. Th’ unbroken foal beneath him gently stepp'd, Tame as its patient dam; and as the song Of “welcome to the Son of David” burst Forth from a thousand children, and the leaves Of the wav'd branches touch'd its silken ears, It turned its wild eye for a moment back, And then, subdued by an invisible hand, Meekly trode onward with its slender feet.
The dew's last sparkle from the grass had gone
As he rode up Mount Olivet. The woods Threw their cool shadows freshly to the west, And the light foal, with quick and toiling step And head bent low, kept its unslacken'd way Till its soft mane was lifted by the wind Sent o'er the mount from Jordan. As he reach'd The summit's breezy pitch, the Saviour rais'd His calm blue eye—there stood Jerusulem! Eagerly he bent forward, and beneath His mantle's passive folds, a bolder line Than the wont slightness of his perfect limbs Betray'd the swelling fulness of his heart. There stood Jerusalem! How fair she look'd The silver sun on all her palaces, And her fair daughters mid the golden spires Tending their terrace flowers, and Kedron's stream Lacing the meadows with its silver band, And wreathing its mist-mantle on the sky With the morn's exhalations. There she stood- Jerusalem—the city of his love, Chosen from all the earth ; Jerusalem- That knew him not—and had rejected him; Jerusalem-for whom he came to die !
The shouts redoubled from a thousand lips At the fair sight, the children leap'd and sang Louder Hosannas; the clear air was filled With odor from the trampled olive leaves- -But “ Jesus wept." The lov'd disciple saw His Master's tears, and closer to his side He came with yearning looks, and on his neck The Saviour leant with heavenly tenderness, And mourn'd—“ How oft, Jerusalem! would I Have gather'd you, as gathereth a hen Her brood beneath her wings—but ye would not!"
He thought not of the death that he should die- He thought not of the thorns he knew must pierce His forehead- of the buffet on the cheek- The scourge, the mocking homage, the foul scorn!--
Gethsemane stood out beneath his eye Clear in the morning sun, and there, he knew, While they who “could not watch with him one
hour” Were sleeping, he should sweat great drops of blood, Praying the “ cup might pass.” And Golgotha
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