O Christ the Vine with living Fruit, The twelvefold fruited Tree of Life, The Balm in Gilead after strife, The valley Lily and the Rose: Stronger than Lebanon, Thou Root, Sweeter than clustered grapes, Thou Vine; Oh Best, Thou Vineyard of red Wine Keeping Thy best Wine till the close. Pearl of great price Thyself alone And ruddier than the ruby Thou, Most precious lightening Jasper Stone, Head of the corner spurned before; Fair Gate of pearl, Thyself the Door, Clear golden Street, Thyself the Way, By Thee we journey toward Thee now Thro' Three shall enter Heaven one day. I thirst for Thee, full Fount and Flood, My heart calls Thine as deep to deep: Dost Thou forget Thy sweat and pain, Thy provocation on the Cross? Heart pierced for me, vouchsafe to keep The purchase of Thy lavished Blood; The gain is Thine Lord if I gain, Or if I lose Thine Own the loss. At midnight, saith the parable, A cry was made, the Bridegroom came: Those who were ready entered in; The rest shut our in death and shame Strove all too late that feast to win Their die was cast and fixed their lot, A gulph divided heaven from hell, The Bridegroom said, 'I know you not,' But Who is This That shuts the door And saith 'I know you not' to them? I see the wounded Hands and Side, The Brow thorn-tortured long ago: Yea, This Who grieved and bled and died, This Same is He Who must condemn; He called, but they refused to know, So now He hears their cry no more. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TOM BOWLING ['S EPITAPH] by CHARLES DIBDIN IDYLL 11. THE CYCLOPS by THEOCRITUS SOURCE by KENNETH SLADE ALLING BEAUTY MAKES US HAPPY by PHILIP AYRES SCHUBERT'S (UNFINISHED) SYMPHONY by FRANCES BARTLETT |