ST. JOHN’S DAY

Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me.  St. John xxi. 21, 22.

“Lord, and what shall this man do?”
   Ask’st thou, Christian, for thy friend? 
If his love for Christ be true,
   Christ hath told thee of his end: 
This is he whom God approves,
This is he whom Jesus loves.

Ask not of him more than this,
   Leave it in his Saviour’s breast,
Whether, early called to bliss,
   He in youth shall find his rest,
Or armed in his station wait
Till his Lord be at the gate: 

Whether in his lonely course
   (Lonely, not forlorn) he stay,
Or with Love’s supporting force
   Cheat the toil, and cheer the way: 
Leave it all in His high hand,
Who doth hearts as streams command.

Gales from Heaven, if so He will,
   Sweeter melodies can wake
On the lonely mountain rill
   Than the meeting waters make. 
Who hath the Father and the Son,
May be left, but not alone.

Sick or healthful, slave or free,
   Wealthy, or despised and poor —
What is that to him or thee,
   So his love to Christ endure? 
When the shore is won at last,
Who will count the billows past?

Only, since our souls will shrink
   At the touch of natural grief,
When our earthly loved ones sink,
   Lend us, Lord, Thy sure relief;
Patient hearts, their pain to see,
And Thy grace, to follow Thee.

THE HOLY INNOCENTS

These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  Rev. xiv. 4.

   Say, ye celestial guards, who wait
In Bethlehem, round the Saviour’s palace gate,
   Say, who are these on golden wings,
That hover o’er the new-born King of kings,
   Their palms and garlands telling plain
That they are of the glorious martyr-train,
   Next to yourselves ordained to praise
His Name, and brighten as on Him they gaze?

   But where their spoils and trophies? where
The glorious dint a martyr’s shield should bear? 
   How chance no cheek among them wears
The deep-worn trace of penitential tears,
   But all is bright and smiling love,
As if, fresh-borne from Eden’s happy grove,
   They had flown here, their King to see,
Nor ever had been heirs of dark mortality?

   Ask, and some angel will reply,
“These, like yourselves, were born to sin and die,
   But ere the poison root was grown,
God set His seal, and marked them for His own. 
   Baptised its blood for Jesus’ sake,
Now underneath the Cross their bed they make,
   Not to be scared from that sure rest
By frightened mother’s shriek, or warrior’s waving crest.”