The Republican journal., 1873-01-02
Our M ster.
BY JOHN q. WHITTIER,

Forever shared, forever whole,
a neyer-ebBing sea
Our outward lips confess the name
III other names above:
Love only knoweth whence it came.
And cOmprehendeth love.
Blow, winds of God, awake and blow
The mlsts Of earth away J.
Shine out, o Light Divine, and show
How wide and far we stray
Hush every lip, close every book.
l he strife of tongues forbear;
why forward reach or backward look
For love that clasps like ar?
We may NOT climb the heavenly sleeps
70 bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps
For him no depths can drown.
Nor holy Bread nor blood of grape,
The hneanent> restore
ot him we know in outward shape
And in the flesh no more.
He cometh not king to reign;
The worlds long hope is dim;
me weary centuries watch in vain
The clouus of heaven for him.
Death comes, life goes the asking eve
AND ear are ansWerleSs;
The grave j. dumb, the hollow sky
Is sad with Ill ntnesS
/ ne letter fails, the systems fail,
And every symbol wanns;
lhe spirit over-broodng ali
Eternal Love remains.
And not for signs III l. 4ayen above
Or earth below they look,
Who know with John his smile of love,
With Peter his rebuRe.
In JOY OF inward peace or sense
OF sorrow over sin,
fie Is his own best evidence.
His witness is W thin
No fable old, nor mvthic lore,
N1i dream Of Dard. ana seers,
No deaf TACT stranded on the shore
OF the obIlVioGs years;
But warm, sweet, tender, even vet
A present help is he;
And faith has still its Olivet,
And love its Galilee
The healing Of his seamless dress.
+ by our bed of pam,
We touch him IN life's throng and press.
And We are whole again.
Through INN tie first fond prayers are said
Our lips Of childhood frame,
he last low whispers Of our dead
Are hardened with his name.
% Lord and Master of US all.
Whate'GT our name or sign,
we own thy sway, we hear thy cali,
We test our lives by thine.
'ihou judsest Us; thy purity
Doth all our lust> condemn:
Ihe love that draws us nearer thee
r. hot with wrath to them,
oar thoughts lie open to Thy sight,
And, naked to thy glance,
our secret SINS are in the light
or Thy pure countenanee.
The healing pains, IA keen distress,
Thy tender light shines in;
Thy sweetness is the bitterness,
ny grace the pang Of sin.
Vet, weak and blinded though we be.
Thou dost our service own,
We bring our varying gifts to thee
Ana thou reJectest none.
To thee our full humanity,
It> Joys and pains belong.
ne wrong OF man to man on thee
lnlilels deeper wrong.
Who hates thee; who love becomes
Therein to thee allied
Al. sweet arcords of hearts and homes
In thee are multiplied
Deep strike thy roots. y heavenly Vine
Within our earthly sod
Most human and YET most divine,
The flower of man and God
o Love! q Life Our faith and sight
Thy presence maketh one;
A. though trdnsligured clouds OF white
We trace the noon-iay sun.
So, to oar mortal ewes subdued
fiesh-yeiled, but not concealed
We know in thee the fatherhood
And heart OF God revealed
We family hear we dmly sec,
q In differing phrase we pray;
But. dim or clear, we own in thee
The Light, the Truth, the Way
The homage that we render thee
Is still our Fathers owu
Nor jealous claim nor rivalry
Divide the Cross and Throne.
10 do thy will is more than praise.
A. words are less than deeds,
And simple trust can find Thy ways
We miss with chart OF creeds.
NJ pride OF self thy service hath,
No place for me and mine;
Cur human strength is weakness, death
our life apart from thine.
Apart from thee all gain is loss,
All labor vainly dGne
The solemn shadow of thv Cross
Is better than the sun.
Alone, Love neifablcl
Thy saving name Is given;
To turn aside from thee is he'll,
To walk with thee is heaven.
How vain, secure in all thon art.
Our noisy championshp!-
he signing OF fhe cOntritp heart