Bless’d for ever are the pilgrims
Who in Jesus fall asleep
Resting from their toils and labours
And this weary drought and heat.
*See November Magazine, p. 302, for letter by the late Rev. Neil Cameron to this worthy woman.—Editor.
Wicked heart and sinful body,
Weights of nature, Satan’s wiles,
Sore temptations, earthly treasures,
All those drags are laid aside.
Dark and dreary was thy parting,
Parched, and dried and sore dismayed;
How to realise ’tis sweeter
Since ‘t was hidden from thy gaze.
No more earth, no flesh, no fetter,
To detain thy spirit now.
Only rest beneath Love’s Banner
And behold Compassion’s brow.
Praise, and peace, and happy concord
Every faculty employs,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Impart bliss without alloy.
Now thou art home, all trials ended,
All is love and sweet repose;
With thy Father now abiding
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
Well may Zion’s bulwarks totter
When such noble pillars fall,
When the faithful and the upright
Answer to the great Roll-call.
Fierce the storm and not far distant,
For with sickle sharp and keen
Christ is gathering home the clusters
Which are fit to be brought in.
Juicy clusters, lowly drooping,
Burdened with a freight of wine
Taken to the Master’s table
Ne’er to feel the blight of time.
Ah, we miss them sore and deeply
From amidst the faithful few,
For the harvest is so scanty
Since our Sins prevents the dew.
Caskets which we thought held jewels,
‘Tis so painful to behold;
Now upon examination
Dross appears instead of gold.
Sadly scant appears the vintage,
Worldly eyes may deem it green,
But how vain to look for clusters
When no tender grapes are seen.
Corn-fields, too, appear unfruitful
And the full-ears are so rare,
For with care the Lord collects them
Ere He burneth up the tares.
Still a few are left to cheer us.
We behold them day by day.
Ah! They’re ripening so quickly
That I fear they may not stay.
Woe, a deathly woe, hangs o’er us,
God’s great day of vengeance comes,
Happy those now safely harboured
With their Father in their Homes.
Mary Mackintosh, Gairloch.