| |
| DOWN to the borders of the silent land | |
| He goes with halting feet; | |
| He dares not trust; he cannot understand | |
| The blessedness complete | |
| That waits for God’s beloved at his right hand. | 5 |
| |
| He dreads to see God’s face, for though the pure | |
| Beholding him are blest, | |
| Yet in his sight no evil can endure; | |
| And still with fear oppressed | |
| He looks within and cries, “Who can be sure?” | 10 |
| |
| The world beyond is strange; the golden streets, | |
| The palaces so fair, | |
| The seraphs singing in the shining seats, | |
| The glory everywhere,— | |
| And to his soul he solemnly repeats | 15 |
| |
| The visions of the Book. “Alas!” he cries, | |
| “That world is all too grand; | |
| Among those splendors and those majesties | |
| I would not dare to stand; | |
| For me a lowlier heaven would well suffice!” | 20 |
| |
| Yet, faithful in his lot this saint has stood | |
| Through service and through pain; | |
| The Lord Christ he has followed, doing good; | |
| Sure, dying must be gain | |
| To one who living hath done what he could. | 25 |
| |
| The light is fading in the tired eyes, | |
| The weary race is run; | |
| Not as the victor that doth seize the prize, | |
| But as the fainting one, | |
| He nears the verge of the eternities. | 30 |
| |
| And now the end has come, and now he sees | |
| The happy, happy shore; | |
| O fearful, and faint, distrustful soul, are these | |
| The things thou fearedst before— | |
| The awful majesties that spoiled thy peace? | 35 |
| |
| This land is home; no stranger art thou here; | |
| Sweet and familiar words | |
| From voices silent long salute thine ear; | |
| And winds and songs of birds, | |
| And bees and blooms and sweet perfumes are near. | 40 |
| |
| The seraphs—they are men of kindly mien; | |
| The gems and robes—but signs | |
| Of minds all radiant and of hearts washed clean; | |
| The glory—such as shines | |
| Wherever faith or hope or love is seen. | 45 |
| |
| And he, O doubting child! the Lord of grace | |
| Whom thou didst fear to see— | |
| He knows thy sin—but look upon his face! | |
| Doth it not shine on thee | |
| With a great light of love that fills the place? | 50 |
| |
| O happy soul, be thankful now and rest! | |
| Heaven is a goodly land; | |
| And God is love; and those he loves are blest;— | |
| Now thou dost understand; | |
| The least thou hast is better than the best | 55 |
| |
| That thou didst hope for; now upon thine eyes | |
| The new life opens fair; | |
| Before thy feet the blessèd journey lies | |
| Through homelands everywhere; | |
| And heaven to thee is all a sweet surprise. | 60 |
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