| |
| MORN breaketh;—O’er the Sea of Galilee | |
| The light is still uncertain. On the shore | |
| There standeth One who looketh patiently | |
| Towards a group of fishers bending o’er | |
| Their empty net. They drop that net once more | 5 |
| Into the sea. Spending the night in toil, | |
| They have caught nothing … they who heretofore | |
| Never cast net in vain. With patient moil | |
| They spread their net once more, and yet they take no spoil. | |
| |
| They do not heed the Stranger on the coast | 10 |
| Watching their fruitless labour.—Ah, how nigh | |
| The Lord may be to those who love Him most, | |
| And they not know Him! Sorrow dims the eye, | |
| And dulls the ear, and clouds each faculty | |
| Of holy observation; even though | 15 |
| His well-known voice is heard, it passeth by | |
| Unrecognised. A solitary “No” | |
| Is all their sad response. O dull of heart and slow! | |
| |
| O doubly dull and slow of heart! He spake | |
| A promise to be with them when they met | 20 |
| Again, beside the Galilean Lake, | |
| Or anywhere; and now they are beset | |
| With doubt and care and grief! Their eyes are wet | |
| With faithless tears! They do not know the Lord;— | |
| But still at His command they drop their net | 25 |
| Once more into the deep, when lo! ’tis stored | |
| With a great shoal of fish at His prevailing word. | |
| |
| O mighty Word! No sooner is it spoken, | |
| Than the deep sea its silver treasure brings; | |
| And marvel more,—each mesh is still unbroken, | 30 |
| Through all the net, down to its slenderest strings! | |
| Each eager fisher marvels while he clings | |
| To his huge living burthen, “Who is He | |
| Who speaks one word, and lo! these wondrous things | |
| Are wrought; our empty net is filled, and we | 35 |
| Long-wearied watchers, win this treasure from the sea?” | |
| |
| Of Power Divine, of Love most manifest, | |
| Can earth or heaven one clearer sign afford? | |
| So shall he see Him first who loves Him best; | |
| And John be first to cry, “It is the Lord!” | 40 |
| John sees with love’s keen eyes; his sweet reward | |
| Is to see clearly. Peter’s is to feel | |
| Joy in quick action;—so, without a word, | |
| He leaps into the waters.—Ere the keel | |
| Touches the shore, he at the Master’s feet doth kneel. | 45 |
| |
| Love sees, Zeal hastens; but with love as true | |
| And zeal as fervent, all with joy behold | |
| Their gracious Saviour, and will hasten too | |
| To kiss His feet;—and yet not lose their hold | |
| Of all that their great net doth now enfold | 50 |
| Of Christ-given treasure. Not till on the shore | |
| Their freight is landed and its number told, | |
| Will they leave working.—They will praise Him more | |
| When they have made true record of that wondrous store! | |
| |
| So loving eyes may see the Saviour’s face | 55 |
| Sooner than others, Blessed are those eyes! | |
| And zealous feet run quick to His embrace, | |
| O blessed feet to win so rich a prize!— | |
| But while we these commend, they too are wise | |
| Who ply the labouring oar, or hold the net, | 60 |
| Or count their converts with a glad surprise; | |
| For all were needed, and are needed yet, | |
| And all from His dear lips sweet commendation get. | |
| |
| O Church to-day! If, in that morn’s grey light, | |
| Those dim-eyed fishers recognised the Lord, | 65 |
| What shall we say, who, with still clearer sight, | |
| Behold His glory,—as with conquering word | |
| He brings, not fish but nations, to be stored | |
| Within His mighty net? What can we say | |
| But “Lord, ’tis Thou!” Be evermore adored | 70 |
| Whether we look, or run, or work, or play, | |
| “It is the Lord!—Command us Saviour, every way!” | |
| |
