The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-31
Blest Land of Judea.

BleSC Land OF Judea.
Blest land of Judeal thrice hallowed of song.
Where the hottest memories pilgrim-lixe throng
In the shade of thy palms. by the shores of thy sea-
On the hills OF thy beauty my heart is with thee.
With the eye of a spirit look on that shore,
Where pilgrim and prophet have fingered before;
With the glide of a spirit / traverse the sod
Made bright by the steps of the angels of God.
Blue sea of the hills in my spirit I hear
Thy waters. Gennesaret chime on my ear;
Where the lowly and Just with the people sat
And thy spray on the dust of His sandals was
thrown
Beyond are Bethulie'a roountains of green,
And the desolate bills of the wild Gadarene;
And pause on the goat-crags of Tabor to see,
The CLEAN of thy waters, o dark Galilee
Hank sound in the valley when swollen and
strong,
Thy river o Kishon. is sweeping along;
Where the Canaanite strove with Jehovah vain,
And thy torrent grew dark with the blood of the
slain.
There down from his mountains stern zebulon
came
And Naphthar's stag, with his eye. balls of flame,
And the chariots of Jabin rolled harmlessly on.
For the arm of the Lord was Abnoams son
There sleep the still rocks and the caverns which
rang
To the song which the beautiful prophecies sang.
When the princess of Issachar stood by her side,
And the shout of host in its triumph replied
Lol Bethlehems hill-site before me is seen
With the mountains around, and the valleys
between
There rested the shepherds of Judah, and there
The song of the angels rose sweet on the air
And Bethanys palm trees in beauty still throw
Their shadows at noon on the ruins below,
But where are the sisters who fastened to greet
The lowly Redeemer and sit at His feet
I tread where the twelve in their wayfaring trod
stand where they stood with the chosen ofGod-
Where His blessings were heard and His lessons
were taught,
Where the blind were restored anti the healing
was wrought
o here with his flock the sad Wanderer came
These hills He toiled over in grief are the same
The founts where He drank by the wayside still
fow
And the same airs are blowing which breathed
on His brow.
And throned on her hills sits Jerusalem yet
But with dust on her forehead and chains on her
feet
For the crown of her pride to the mooker hath
gone,
And {he-h holy shechinah is dark where it shone.
But wherefore this dream of the earthly abode
OF humanity clothed in the brightness of God ?
Were my spirit but turned from the outward and
dim
1t could gaze, even now, on the presence of HIM
Not in clouds and in terrors, but gentle as when
In love and in meekness He moved among men ;
And the voice which breathed peace to the waves
- of the sea, 90
In the hush of my spirit would whisper to me
And what if my feet may not tread where He
stood
Nor my ears hear the dashing of Galilees food,
Nor my eyes see the Cross which He bowed Him
to bear,
Nor my knees press Gethsemanes garden of
layer?
Yet, loved of the Father, Thy Spirit is near
To the meek and the lowly, and penitent here 4;
And the voice of Thy love is the same even now,
AS at Bethany's tomb, or on Olivet's brow.
OF the outward hath gone but in glory and
over,
The Spirit surviveth the things of an hour
Unchanged, undecaying, its Pentecost flame,
On the hearts secret altar is burning the same.
j. G.. WHITTIER.