Chapter I: TOLD you Andrew and Peter and John were fishermen. They used to go (4)

"And they shall scourge and spit upon,
And crucify your Lord;
The third day He shall rise again,
According to His Word."

The apostles listened, yet these things
They could not realize;
The meaning of the truths they heard
Was hidden from their eyes.

The Request of James and John.

THEN came, as they were walking on,
The wife of Zebedee,
Who said: "Lord, what I most desire
Wilt Thou grant unto me?"

He said unto her: "What wilt thou?"
She answered: "That my sons
May at Thy right and left sit down,
Thy kingdom's greatest ones."

Then Jesus to the young men said:
"Ye know not what ye ask.
To drink my cup, my baptism bear,
Would be too hard a task."

They answered: "We are strong enough.'
Then He said: "Ye shall try
To drink my cup, my baptism bear,
While grace shall strength supply.

"But to sit at my right and left
I cannot give to you;
My Father doth reserve those seats
For whom He deems them due.

"Be not such lords as Gentiles are,
And who would highest be
Let him be servant to the rest,
And take a low degree.

"E'en as the Son of Man came not
To take a lofty place,
But to be minister, and give
His life to save the race."

Blind Bartimeus.

AND now the Lord His way must take
Through ancient Jericho.
The people crowd around Him there,
And make His progress slow.

And Bartimeus, blind and poor,
Was sitting by the way;
Another beggar, sad and blind,
Sat by his side that day.

And when they heard the tramping crowd,
And asked the reason why,
They learned that Christ of Nazareth
Was just then passing by.

Then each man cried aloud at once,
In tones of earnest plea:
"Jesus, Thou Son of David,
Have mercy upon me."

And Jesus had compassion on
Their dark and helpless plight,
And gently touched their eyes and said:
"Your faith doth give you sight."

Immediately their eyes were healed,
And both with joyful mind,
Followed the Master, praising God,
And all the people joined.

Zaccheus.

AND now, as Jesus passed along,
A rich man hasting came--
A chief among the publicans,
And Zaccheus by name.

Jesus he sought to see, as did
The people, one and all,
But could not overlook the crowd,
His stature was so small.

So he ran on before, and climbed
Into a sycamore tree;
That, perched above the surging throng,
He might the better see.

And when the Lord came near, He raised
His eyes, saw him, and said:
"Zaccheus, in thy house, to-day,
I will take rest and bread."

And then in haste the man came down,
And joyfully received
Into his house, which stood near by,
The Lord, whom He believed.

And when the crowd saw what was done,
To murmur they began,
That Jesus was content to be
Guest with a sinful man.

Yet Zaccheus heeded not, but stood,
And said unto the Lord:
"Behold, Lord, half of all my goods
I to the poor afford.

"And if I aught have taken,
Through falsehood to me told,
More than is right from any man,
I give it back fourfold."

And Jesus said: "Salvation is
To this house come to-day;
For this man is of Abraham's line,
Though having gone astray.

"For I, the Son of Man have come
Into this world below,
To seek the straying and the lost,
And save from guilt and woe."

Parable of the Pounds.

AND as the people all around
Attentively did hear,
Believing that God's kingdom would
Without delay appear;

He taught the listening company,
By parable profound,
How God expects His faithful ones
To occupy His ground.

And as He does commit to them
Ten pounds, or five, or one,
He will reward them, at the last,
By what they each have done.

And having finished His discourse,
Wisely instructing them,
He went before them, in the way,
Up to Jerusalem.

The Anointing at Bethany.

SIX days before the Passover
The Lord appeared again
In Bethany, where Lazarus dwelt,
And his good sisters twain.

There, by a supper in the house,
Their welcome was expressed,
And Martha served, but Lazarus sat
At table with the guest.

Then Mary came and took her place
Down at the Master's feet,
And broke an alabaster box,
Of odor very sweet.

And tenderly she did anoint
The feet of Jesus there;
And wiped them with the flowing locks
Of her luxuriant hair.

Then Judas, called Iscariot,
His sullen silence broke,
And of the woman's costly gift
Thus, with a sneer, he spoke:

"For three hundred pence, in money,
This ointment would have sold,
And that would feed and clothe the poor,
Who hungry are, and cold."

He said this, though he had no care
Or pity for the poor;
But was a thief, and had the bag,
And coveted the store.

Then Jesus said: "Let her alone;
Against my burial day
She poured this ointment on my feet,
Her last regards to pay.

"The humble poor ye always have
With you, to help their needs;
But me ye cannot always have
To show me loving deeds."

Now many people of the Jews
Soon knew that He was there,
And crowded in, that they might see,
And His discourse might hear.

Yet not for Jesus' sake alone
Had they the visit made,
But to see Lazarus, whom He
Had raised up from the dead.

Entry into Jerusalem.

THE morning rose with peaceful skies,
The first day of the week,
And Jesus forthwith went His way,
Jerusalem to seek.

He knew what waited Him--the thought
His lofty spirit thrilled--
That all His Father's' work be done,
And Scripture be fulfilled.

Along the road towards Olive's mount--
That oft-trod road--He went,
Then two of His disciples
Into Bethphage He sent;

And said: "Into the village go,
Where straightway ye shall see
An ass tied, and a colt with her;
Loose them and bring to me.

"If any may say aught to you,
This shall be your reply:
'The Lord hath need of them,' then he
Will cheerfully comply."

Then the disciples went their way,
And found, as they were bidden,
An ass tied, and a colt, whereon
No man had ever ridden.

And their owners, as they loosed them,
Enquired: "Why do ye so?"
They said: "The Lord hath need of them."
And then they let them go.

And they brought them unto Jesus,
And put on them their clothes;
And Jesus rode upon the colt,
While loud Hosannahs rose.

And multitudes of people spread
Their garments in the way,
While others strewed palm branches where
The Master rode that day.

And "Hosannah, Son of David!"
They cried with one accord,
"Blessed is He that cometh thus
In the name of the Lord!"

But the Pharisees said: "Master,
Rebuke this noisy shout."
Said Jesus: "Should they hold their peace,
The stones would then cry out."

Now they descend fair Olive's Mount,
Jerusalem appears,
And Jesus beholds the city,
And over it sheds tears,

Saying: "Hadst thou but known the things
Which belong to thy peace:
But now from thine eyes they are hid;
Thy day of hope shall cease."

The city's gate they enter now;
Much moved, the people say:
"Who is this?" Some answer: "Jesus,
Prophet of Galilee."

Then to the temple went the Lord,
To clear its spacious courts
Of those who bought and sold within
Its sanctified resorts.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw
His wondrous works and ways,
And children in the temple courts
Shouting these words of praise:

"Hosannah to great David's Son!"
They very angry were,
And said to Him: "These babbling cries
Around, dost thou not hear?"

And Jesus saith unto them: "Yea,
Have ye not read the Word:
'The mouths of babes and sucklings doth
Thy perfect praise accord?'"

The Pharisees, among themselves,
Said: "Do ye not perceive
That ye prevail naught while the world
Doth on this man believe?"

The Barren Fig-Tree.

BUT now the eventide was come,
And Jesus turned away,
And with His twelve disciples went
And lodged in Bethany.

Next morning, as the Lord returned,
Quite early in the day,
He wanted bread, and looking, saw
A fig-tree in the way.

Without delay He went to it,
To get some figs to eat;
But He found only leaves thereon,
Which are not good for meat.

And then the Master spoke to it--
Spoke to the useless tree--
And said: "Henceforth, forevermore
Let no fruit grow on thee."

Into the city then He went,
And in the temple taught,
And preached to all who thronged around
And His instructions sought.

But the chief priests and elders came,
And asked Him: "Who gave thee
Authority to do these things
That we both hear and see?"

And Jesus answered: "I, also,
Will ask one thing of you,
Which, if you tell me, I will tell
Who prompts the things I do.

"The baptism of John, whence was it,
From heaven, or of men?"
This question, which He asked of them,
They could not answer then.

For thus they reasoned with themselves:
"If we shall say from heaven,
He will say: 'Why not, then, to him
Was your attention given?'

"But yet, if we shall say of men,
The people's wrath we fear;
For all hold John a prophet true,
And his name they revere."

And so they said: "We cannot tell."
He answered: "Nor to thee
Tell I by what authority
I do the things you see."

And then, as evening fell, the Lord
With His disciples went
Unto the mount of Olives, where
The night they often spent.

And in the morning they returned,
And lo! as they passed by,
They saw the fig-tree in the way,
All withered up and dry.

And Peter then remembered well:
"Master, behold," he said,
"The fruitless tree which Thou didst curse
Is withered all and dead."

And Jesus, answering, said to them:
"Verily, I say to you,
Have faith in God and doubt Him not,
And ye shall such things do.

"And who shall to this mountain say,
In firm, believing faith,
'Be thou cast forth into the sea,'
It shall be as he saith.

"And whatsoever ye desire
And ask for when ye pray,
Believe that ye receive the gift;
It shall be yours straightway.

"And when you pray forgive all those
Who have offended you,
That so your Heavenly Father may
Forgive the wrongs you do."

The Law of Love.

NOW, "Master," said a Pharisee,
Thus tempting Him again:
"Which commandment is the greatest
That the law doth contain?"

Jesus said: "Thou shalt love the Lord
Thy God with all thy heart,
And all thy soul and all thy mind--
This is the first great part.

"And the second is like to it:
Thou shalt thy neighbor love
In the same way thou lov'st thyself;
By deeds this new law prove.

"Upon these two commandments--
Within the spirit wrought--
Hang all the law that Moses wrote,
And all the prophets taught."

The Widow's Mites.

AND now the Lord was sitting where
He could the people see
As they cast their gifts of money
Into the treasury.

And many rich cast in large sums;
Then came a widow, poor,
And she threw in two mites, which make
One farthing, and no more.

Then the Lord called His disciples
And said to them: "Verily,
This poor widow has cast the most
Into the treasury.

"For all they, of their abundance,
Offered, some less, some more,
But she, of want and penury,
Did cast in all her store."

The Hypocrites.

JESUS spoke to the multitude,
That gathered at His feet:
"The scribes and Pharisees do sit
In Moses' sacred seat.

"Do, therefore, what they bid you do,
But follow not their way;
For they, themselves, keep not the law,
Nor do they what they say.

"For they bind heavy burdens
For other men to bear;
But will not give a helping hand
To ease another's care.

"And all they do is to be seen
Of men they daily meet;
Their outward garments they adorn,
Down to their very feet;

"And love the upper rooms at feasts,
And greetings in the crowd;
And the chief seats in synagogues
And titles make them proud.

"But be not ye called 'Rabbi,' for
To Christ that name is given;
And call no man father on earth;
Your Father is in heaven.

"Nor be ye masters called, for One,
Even Christ, your Master is,
And he that would be greatest, let
The servant's place be his.

"And whoso shall exalt himself
Shall be low and abased,
And he that humbles himself shall
To lofty seat be raised."

He Weeps Over Jerusalem.

AND then, His gentle spirit grieved
For Israel's sin and pride,
With tender pity in His voice,
He sorrowfully cried:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
Which doth the prophets kill,
And stonest them sent unto thee,
The promise to fulfil;

"How oft would I have gathered
Thy children to my breast,
As a hen her brood doth gather
Beneath her wings to rest.

"And ye would not. And now, alas!
Behold your sad estate,
Your doom is nigh, your house is left
Unto you desolate.

"Moreover, ye shall not see me
Until ye say the word:
'Blessed is He that cometh in
The name of Israel's Lord.'"

And His disciples then He warned
To watch, and faithful be,
Not knowing at what hour they
The Son of Man should see.

Parables of the Virgins and Talents.

AND then He pictured to their minds,
In parables most clear,
What should take place before the throne
When the Lord should appear.

The fate of the ten virgins,
Of whom but five were wise,
And five were foolish, without grace,
He placed before their eyes.

And of the nobleman who went
To travel far away,
And to his servants talents gave,
Their wisdom to display.

And two their talents used in trade,
And brought their master gain,
Which pleased him so he raised them up
O'er cities fair to reign;

While one was slothful, loving ease,
His talent hid away,
And brought with it a vain excuse
Upon the reck'ning day.

But his lord answered wrathfully,
He no excuse would take,
But told him what he should have done,
A lawful gain to make.

Then ordered that they take and cast
Nor pity him, nor spare--
The unprofitable servant
Out into dark despair.

The Corn of Wheat.

AND while He taught the people all,
From highest to the least,
Some Greeks appeared, who had come up
To worship at the feast.

The same approached to Philip, who
Was of Bethsaida,
Saying: "Sir, we would the Master see,
And from Him knowledge draw."

Philip and Andrew went apart,
And they informed the Lord
That polished strangers, standing near,
Desired to hear His word.

"The hour--the long-approaching hour--
Is come," the Lord replied,
"When I should close my earthly work,
And should be glorified.

"Verily, I say unto you,
Except a corn of wheat
Sink in the ground and die, it will
Alone produce no meat.

"But if it die, it brings forth fruit;
And he that life doth love
Shall lose it: he that hates it gains
Eternal life above.

"If any man will serve me, then
Let him come after me;
And where I am, there, also, shall
My faithful servant be.

"Now is my soul in agony,
And what more shall I say?
Father, save me from this sad hour,
My human heart would pray,

"But for this cause--that I might die--
Unto this hour I came,
So in my heart I cry: "Father,
Glorify thine own name!"

Then came there a voice from heaven,
Saying, in clearest strain:
"I have glorified it, and I
Will glorify it again."

The people standing by were sure
That thunder shook the air;
But others said: "Not so, it is
An angel's voice we hear."

Jesus answered, and said: "This voice
Came not because of me,
But that ye all might understand
The power of Deity.

"Now is the judgment of this world;
Its prince cast out shall be;
And I, if I be lifted up,
Will draw all men to me."

The Traitor Judas.

NOW Satan to the carnal heart
Of Judas entered in--
He that was called Iscariot,
Who money loved to win.

And he went unto the chief priests,
And bargained to betray
His Master to their evil power
If they would give him pay.

And his base scheme these men were glad
To hear and understand,
And thirty shining silver coins
They weighed into his hand.

And from that time he sought a way
He could, by sign or word,
In absence of the multitude,
Deliver up his Lord.

The Upper Room.

NOW came the first day of the feast--
Day of unleavened bread--
When the Passover must be killed;
And the disciples said:

"Where wilt Thou, Lord, that we shall go
And preparation make
For Thee to eat the Passover,
And we, with Thee, partake?"

Peter and John He then sent forth,
Saying: "As ye walk the street,
A man, bearing a pitcher
Of water, ye shall meet.

"Then follow him into the house,
And to the good man say:
The Master needs the guest-chamber
To keep the feast to-day.

"And a large, furnished, upper room
He unto you will show."
Then the disciples went and found,
As the Lord said, 'twas so.

Now, at the evening hour, the Lord
With His disciples came,
And sat down round the table where
Was served the paschal lamb.

And He said unto them: "I have
Desired with every breath
To eat this Passover with you,
Before I suffer death."

Washing the Disciples' Feet.

THIS being over, Jesus rose,
And laid His robe aside,
And a towel girded round Him,
So free was He from pride;

And with water in a basin
Washed the disciples' feet.
O, lowly Master! loving Lord!
Thy meekness is complete!

But Simon Peter would refuse,
With love and high esteem,
This humble office should be done
By Jesus unto him;

Till Jesus, checking his proud will,
Answered decidedly,
By saying: "If I wash thee not,
Thou hast no part with me."

Then Peter cried: "Lord, not my feet
Only from stain be free;
But also let my hands and head
Be purified by Thee."

Jesus said: "He whose feet are washed
Is every whit made clean;
And ye are clean, but not you all--
He Judas, false, did mean.

So, when the Lord had washed their feet,
And had His robe put on,
And took His seat, He said: "Know ye
What I to you have done?"

Then taught them that if He, their Lord,
Had washed their feet, then so
Should they to one another
Such act of grace bestow;

That they to His example
Should prompt respect accord,
Well knowing that the servant is
Not greater than his Lord.

Jesus is Betrayed.

NOW, after this, was Jesus sad,
And trouble did display;
For one of them who sat with Him
He said should Him betray.

And then, all being sorrowful,
Said: "Is it I?" in turn.
But He said: "'Twere good for that man
If he had ne'er been born."

Now the disciple Jesus loved,
Who next His bosom lay,
At sign from Peter asked: "Who, Lord,
Would vilely Thee betray?"

Jesus said: "When I dip the sop
It shall be that man's lot."
And when He dipped He gave it to
Judas Iscariot.

Yet upon Judas' callous heart
No softening touch it gave:
But Satan entered into him,
To harden and enslave.

Jesus said: "What thou do'st, do now."
None knew what this did mean;
But Judas rose and left the room,
And sought a different scene.

The Last Supper.

AND now the evening shades had closed,
And night was o'er the sky;
Supper was ended and lamps lit
Within that chamber high.

The Lord took bread, and, blessing it,
He brake in pieces small;
Saying: "Take, eat, this is my body,
Once broken for you all."

Then took the cup, and, giving thanks,
He gave it to them, too;
Saying: "Drink ye, for this is my blood,
Which is poured out for you.

"And eat this bread, and drink this cup,
For memory of me.
But I'll not taste the wine till I
My Father's kingdom see."

Peter's Warning.

THEN Peter cried out in alarm:
"Lord, whither goest Thou?
I will go with Thee unto death,
Or unto prison now."

Jesus said to him: "Verily,
Before the cock shall crow,
This day thou wilt deny full thrice
That thou the Lord dost know."

Promise of the Comforter.

AGAIN the Master's voice arose
In precious converse sweet,
The last and richest lessons,
With wisdom most replete:

"Let not your heart be troubled,
Believe in me, most true,
For in my Father's house I shall
Prepare a place for you."

And on, in soothing accents, flowed
Upon their listening ears
Words which, while they increased their love,
Excited still their fears.

For He talked of going from them,
Yet being with them still,
And giving them what they should ask,
If they would do His will;

And said He would pray the Father
The Comforter to send--
The Holy Ghost--who, teaching them,
Would lead them to the end.

And again He said unto them,
As He, at first, had said:
"Let not your heart be troubled,
Nor let it be afraid."

The Parable of the Vine.

WHEN it was time to go, He said:
"Arise, let us go hence,"
And they all stood and sung a hymn
Ere they departed thence.

Then out into the shadowed street,
After the close of day,
The Lord and His eleven friends
Walked slowly on their way;

On towards the mount of Olives, where
His custom was to go,
Along the well-known path which crossed
Where Kedron's waters flow.

And still the Master, as His wont
When walking with His friends,
Continued teaching golden truth
The which to glory tends.

He likened Himself to a vine,
While they the branches were;
His Father was the husbandman,
Who of the plant had care;

And charged them that they must bear fruit,
And never barren prove;
His Father should be glorified
Through faith that works by love.

And charged them to abide in Him,
And thus much fruit return;
And warned them 'gainst the dreadful fire,
Where barren branches burn.

He then unfolded to their view
The things that should be done,
When He, their Head, should go away,
And they be left alone;

And told them if they asked of God,
In His name, any thing,
Such prayer would quickly rise to heaven,
And joyful answer bring.

Again He spoke to them of love,
And of His blessed peace,
And said, as He had overcome,
So should their warfare cease.

His Prayer for His Disciples.

AND then He stood and raised His eyes
To heaven's transparent dome;
And in the same clear voice He said:
"Father, the hour is come."

Then followed such a solemn prayer,
With holy nearness filled,
As human lips ne'er breathed before,
By faith however thrilled.

The prayer ended, then Jesus crossed
Over the Kedron brook,
And the last walk, in silence calm,
With His disciples took.

Christ in Gethsemane.

ON Olivet a garden grew--
Gethsemane its name--
And here, in that portentous hour,
The "Man of Sorrows" came.

The shadows of the midnight fell,
And silence reigned around,
As He and His eleven friends
Trod the familiar ground.

Then, Oh! such heavy agony
Descended on His soul,
That even His strong spirit was
Unable to control.

He said to them: "Exceeding woe,
Beyond all mortal grief,
O'erwhelms my soul; watch here while I
In prayer shall seek relief."

Then went a little farther off,
And on His face He fell,
And offered up this earnest prayer:
"If it be possible,

"My Father--Oh! My Father!--
Let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, Thy holy will,
And not my will shall be."

Then, coming back to those He left,
A mournful watch to keep,
He found them prone upon the ground,
And wrapped in heavy sleep.

But Jesus said: "Sleep now and rest,
The hour is close at hand.
Behold the Son of Man betrayed
To an ungodly band."

At the Palace of the High Priest.

AND as He spake, behold a crowd
With lanterns and with swords;
And Judas, traitor, came before,
With kiss and guileful words.

But He who reads all hearts, and points
To what He finds amiss,
Said: "Judas, dost thou thus betray
Thy Master with a kiss?"

Then gently turning to the crowd,
He asked them: "Whom seek ye?"
They said: "Jesus of Nazareth."
He answered: "I am he."

And the armed band led Jesus
Along the city road,
Up to the high priest's palace--
Caiaphas' abode.

Meanwhile sat Peter by the fire,
Wondering how this would end,
And feeling wholly powerless
His Master to defend.

A servant, passing, said to him:
"Thou with this man hast been."
But Peter in great fear replied:
"I know not what you mean."

And soon another said he had
Of Jesus' friends been one,
But Peter cursed and swore that he
Had never Jesus known.

Just then the cock crew, shrill and clear,
And Jesus turned His face,
And full on Peter cast a look
Of love, reproach and grace.

Then over Peter's aching heart
Repentant anguish swept,
And he rushed out into the dawn,
And bitterly he wept.

Christ before Pilate.

AND now the morning beams appeared
The council of the Jews
Led Jesus to the judgment hall,
That they might Him accuse.

And Pilate gathered to his aid
Chief priests and rulers all,
And Jesus stood before him in
The royal judgment hall.

And Pilate said unto them: "Ye
Have brought this man to me,
Saying, 'He perverts the people,'
But no fault in Him I see.

"Nor yet Herod; for I sent you
With your prisoner to the king;
But no offence to Roman law
Could you against Him bring.

"I, therefore, will chastise Him
And order Him released;"
For 'twas custom he should free to them
A prisoner at the feast.

But they exclaimed: "Away with Him,"
And cried, with one accord,
That he release Barabbas,
And crucify the Lord.

Now Barabbas was a robber,
And they knew his record well;
He for murder and sedition
Lay in a prison cell.

"Why, what great evil hath He done?"
Pilate, the third time saith;
For he knew it was for envy
That they desired His death.

Pilate's Wife's Dream.

AGAIN upon the judgment seat,
To end this cruel strife,
Sat Pilate, when a servant came
With message from his wife.

"Beware"--the word the lady sent--
"That thou no evil do
To Him who stands before thee now--
That man so just and true.

"For I while sleeping on my bed,
Have suffered, in a dream,
Much anguish and distress of mind,
This day, because of Him."

Then Pilate saith to Jesus:
"Art thou the very king
The Jews expected should appear,
And their salvation bring?"

"My kingdom," Jesus answered,
"Is not beneath the skies,
Else to protect me from the Jews
My servants would arise."

"Art thou a king, then?" Pilate asked.
"Thou sayest it," the reply;
"For I was born, and hither came,
The truth to testify."

Pilate said to Him: "What is truth?"
Then left the judgment hall,
And said unto the Jews: "I find
In Him no fault at all."

Then Pilate, taking water, washed
His hands before them all;
And said: "This just man's blood on me
Shall not in judgment fall."

Then answered all the people:
"Let this man's blood be shed;
And let it fall on each of us,
And on our children's head."

The Crucifixion.

IT was outside the city wall
Of proud Jerusalem,
That Roman soldiers crucified
Whom Pilate dared condemn.

But from the suffering Nazarene
No word of murmur came;
Patience appeared through keenest wrong,
And dignity through shame.

Only this kind and earnest plea
Their malice from Him drew:
"Father, I pray, forgive them now,
They know not what they do."

The Mother of Jesus.

NOW there stood by that dreadful cross
The mother of the Lord,
Whose soul with sharpest agony
Was pierced, as with a sword.

When Jesus therefore saw her near,
And His disciple, John,
The man whom He loved best, He said:
"Woman, behold thy son."

Then said to the disciple:
"Thy mother here behold!"
And John thenceforth his loving care
Around her did enfold.

The Darkened Sun.

NOW 'tis high noon and, solemn sight,
The sun withdraws his face,
And shadows, over all the land,
The beams of day replace.

All nature, wrapped in solemn awe,
Stood shuddering in dismay,
As hours of stern, Almighty wrath,
Passed tediously away.

Once, from the cross, an anguished voice
Came languidly: "I thirst,"
And then a cry, as though the heart,
So full of love, had burst.

"Eli, Eli," these were the words,
"Lama Sabachthani?"
Oh! what acutest agony
Wrung forth that mournful cry!

Meanwhile a sponge, in vinegar,
One standing near Him dips;
And, putting it upon a reed,
He lifts it to His lips.

He then, with exclamation loud,
His voice aloft doth send,
Saying: "Father, now into Thy hands
"My spirit I commend!"

And, then, behold! the temple vail
From top to bottom rent;
An earthquake shook the city's walls,
The rocks to pieces went.

And the centurian, with his guard,
Seeing these signs abroad,
Exclaimed in fear: "Now, of a truth,
"This was the Son of God."

The Burial.

NOW a good man, Joseph by name,
Of wealth and high renown,
In secret a disciple true,
Of Rama's ancient town,

Besought that Pilate grant to him
Permission to remove
The body of the Crucified,
Whom he had learned to love.

And then came Nicodemus,
With aloes and with myrrh--
Another who had been of Christ
A secret worshipper.

And these two men, who ne'er had made
Profession, great or small,
Prepared the sacred body for
An honored burial.

They wrapped it, with the spices,
In clean, white linen clothes;
According to the way in which
The Jews their dead dispose.

Then reverently laid it down
In Joseph's tomb--quite new,
Which he had hewn from out the rock,
His own last sleep in view.

The Resurrection.

THE Sabbath passed in sullen calm
The Lord of all things slept,
And some exulted in their crime,
While others mourned and wept.

It passed, it ended, and, behold!
While darkness veiled the sky,
Midst shock of earthquake, there came down
An angel from on high.

He sought the silent sepulchre,
And rolled away the stone--
The heavy stone that filled the door--
And took his seat thereon.

His features shone with lightning glow,
His robes were snowy white;
With solemn awe the keepers shook,
And fell, as dead, with fright.

Women at the Tomb.

MEANWHILE the day began to dawn--
The first day of the week--
And sorrowing women early came,
The sacred tomb to seek;

With spices and with ointments sweet,
To preserve the precious clay;
And saying: "Who shall roll for us
That heavy stone away?"

But when they reached the sepulchre,
They saw the stone removed,
And, entering in, they also missed
The form of Him they loved.

Instead, they saw a strange young man,
Sitting up on the right,
Clothed in a long, white flowing robe,
And they were filled with fright.

And he said unto them: "Fear not,
Ye seek Him who was slain.
He is not here. He's risen indeed,
Come, see where He has lain."

The Ascension.

ON sacred Olivet, once more,
The apostles met their Lord,
And looked with rapture on His face,
And heard with joy His word.

He spake with old-time gentleness,
And dignity, and love,
Commanding that they should not from
Jerusalem remove.

"But wait there till the promise of
My Father come," He said,
"Of which you heard me plainly speak
The night I was betrayed.

"For John baptised with water,
But ye shall feel the glow
Of baptism with the Holy Ghost,
Not many days from now."

And as He talked He led them on
As far as Bethany,
When they, together, forward came
And asked Him earnestly,

Saying: "Lord, wilt thou at this time
To Israel restore
The kingdom in such splendor
As it enjoyed of yore?"

But Jesus said unto them all:
"'Tis not for you to know
That which the Father doth intend
Respecting things below.

"But ye shall be endued with power,
And strength, and majesty,
After the Holy Ghost has come
Upon you from on high.

"And ye shall witness unto Me
Both in Jerusalem,
Judea and Samaria,
And lands ye now condemn."

And then He lifted up His hands,
And blessed them as they stood,
While He ascended from their sight,
Their Master, great and good.

And they beheld Him rise aloft
Into the ether bright,
Until a cloud enveloped Him,
And bore Him from their sight.

And while they looked up after Him
Toward heaven, amazed and sad,
Behold two angels stood by them,
In white apparel clad;

Which said: "Ye men of Galilee,
Why stand ye, gazing up,
As though the Lord had gone away,
And left you without hope?

"As ye have seen Him rise to heaven
In majesty sublime,
So, in like manner, shall He come,
In the allotted time."

Transcriber's Notes:

Bold type is shown as =strong=.

Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.

Small capitals have been capitalised.

Illustrations have been moved out of mid-paragraph.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.

Punctuation has been retained as published.

In the list of illustrations Return of the Prodigal Son 278 has been
corrected to 378

End of Project Gutenberg's Captivating Bible Stories, by Charlotte Mary Yonge