| |
| AROUND Bethesda’s healing wave, | |
| Waiting to hear the rustling wing | |
| Which spoke the angel nigh who gave | |
| Its virtue to that holy spring, | |
| With patience, and with hope endued, | 5 |
| Were seen the gathered multitude. | |
| |
| Among them there was one whose eye | |
| Had often seen the waters stirred; | |
| Whose heart had often heaved the sigh, | |
| The bitter sigh of hope deferred; | 10 |
| Beholding, while he suffered on, | |
| The healing virtue given—and gone. | |
| |
| No power had he; no friendly aid | |
| To him its timely succour brought; | |
| But, while his coming he delayed, | 15 |
| Another won the boon he sought; | |
| Until the Saviour’s love was shown, | |
| Which healed him by a word alone! | |
| |
| Had they who watched and waited there | |
| Been conscious who was passing by, | 20 |
| With what unceasing, anxious care | |
| Would they have sought his pitying eye; | |
| And craved, with fervency of soul, | |
| His power divine to make them whole! | |
| |
| But habit and tradition sway’d | 25 |
| Their minds to trust to sense alone; | |
| They only hoped the angel’s aid; | |
| While in their presence stood, unknown, | |
| A greater, mightier far than he, | |
| With power from every pain to free. | 30 |
| |
| Bethesda’s pool has lost its power! | |
| No angel by his glad descent | |
| Dispenses that diviner dower | |
| Which with its healing waters went; | |
| But He, whose word surpassed its wave, | 35 |
| Is still omnipotent to save. | |
| |
| Saviour! thy love is still the same | |
| As when that healing word was spoke; | |
| Still in thine all-redeeming name | |
| Dwells power to burst the strongest yoke! | 40 |
| Oh, be that power, that love displayed! | |
| Help those whom thou alone canst aid. | |
| |
