Contents of Volume IV: The Bread of Life

“Come ye apart into a desert place:”
But, quick the folk the Master’s steps to trace:

All day the Master spake; the people heard,
And hungered while they listened to the Word. 

“Give them to eat,” He said: and one produced
A meal scarce more than one to eat was used. 

Christ blessed and gave to all that multitude
And all were filled with meat—and gratitude.

He bade His friends take ship; then sent away
The folk, and climbed the mountain there to pray.

A storm arose; He looked and saw them row
Their little craft while wild the winds did blow.

He walks upon the sea; they take Him in;
Instant, subsides the tempest’s fearful din. 

Next day the people seek Him in the place
Where He had fed them amply by His grace. 

Returned, they question Him; and mysteries,—
The work of God, the bread of God,—to these 

Unlearnéd He discloses; shows them how
God gave the manna as He feeds men now. 

Having made plain that life-sustaining bread
Must ever come from God, He turned and said,—

“I am the bread of life; who eats of Me,
That man alone eternal life shall see.” 

His disciples were offended: “How can He
Give us His flesh to eat? Can such thing be?” 

Many forsook Him and fled; the Lord was grieved:
“Will ye, too, go away?” they who believed 

Were asked in sadness: one stood up and said,—
“Thou hast the words by which a man is led

In the ways of life; to whom then should we go?”
Peter, that happy saint who answered so. 

“Nay, you Twelve have I chosen, and one of you
Is a devil:” said the Lord, whose word is true.

He told of things which most defile a man;
Not casual soil, but evil which he can

Conceal in his heart while outwardly he’s clean;
But his foul secret thoughts by God are seen.

Nor shall one unto God that portion give
Which he owes to his father—that the man may live.

He journeyed northwards to the coasts of Tyre;
A woman came with passionate desire

That He would heal her daughter, sorely vexed;
Nor at His chiding did she go perplexed,

But spake that word of faith the Lord approved,
And He healed the little daughter whom she loved.—

“The dogs,” she said, “the crumbs that fall may eat,”
And Christ received her at His mercy-seat.

A dumb-deaf man they brought; He touched his tongue;
“He hath done all things well!”—the people sung.

Again, a desert place the Saviour sought;
The people followed and their sick folk brought.

Three days they listened to the Master’s Word;
Ah, blesséd folk who on the mountain heard!

Once more He fed them from a trifling store;
They ate till none was willing to eat more.

Before and after that great word of Bread
Which He is, the Lord the hungry people fed;

That none might say, “Such Bread’s a thing of nought;”—
Unlike the daily bread men ate and bought.

Christ and the Twelve land at the sunset hour;
Men ask a sign to manifest His power.

The sign of Jonas,—is the Lord’s reply;
From those unfriendly shores with haste they fly.

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,”
He bids the Twelve; and they their Lord would please,

And chide themselves that they had not brought bread
Enough in the boat for each man to be fed.

The blind man of Bethsàida they brought
To Christ, who took his hand and led him out

Apart from the rest; cured him in stages three,—
In each of which a parable we see.

They journey north,—a pilgrimage oppressed
With coming woe—towards Hermon’s snowy crest:

And, on the way, foretelling grief and loss,
He bids the Twelve go forth and bear the cross.

“He that will save his life, that life shall lose;
He saves his life who doth not death refuse.”

And now He takes the three and climbs the mount
With heavy steps the weary men scarce count.

The Lord knelt down and prayed: the Twelve went, sleep,
Too weary loving watch with Him to keep.

They waked, and, lo, the Lord was seated there,
Shining and glorious—most exceeding fair!

And two spake with Him, men of royal mien;—
Persons so noble no man yet had seen:—

Moses and Elias, come to cheer the Lord,
Before His coming conflict, with the Word

Writ in the Scriptures for Him to fulfil,—
Accomplishing in all the Father’s will.

A sudden cloud enwrapped the glorious sight,
And the three, scarce sensible for joy and fright.

As they descend the mountain, lo, a crowd,—
A wretched father cries on Him aloud

To save his son, possessed; Christ drave them out,
The demons who had brought this ill about.

They left that region, sore oppressed with grief;
For Christ had brought home to their slow belief

The great things He must suffer, and the pains
They too should bear,—full gladly for all those gains

They found in Jesus and the words He taught:
Now, tardy steps the heavy pilgrims brought

To the house of Peter, there, in Galilee,—
Capernaum, fair city by the sea.

One came to Peter for his temple dues;
“Half shekel, too, your Lord will not refuse.”

“Go to Gennesareth and cast a hook;
Draw the first fish to land, nor pause to look:”

He went, and in its mouth a shekel found,
And paid those dues on every man were bound.

When all were in the house, now hear Him say,—
“What matter, then, discuss’d ye by the way?”

They were ashamed, for, Who should be the first,
Was their dispute; and none of them now durst

Confess his fault: Christ took a little child,
And looking round with loving aspect mild;—

“Look on this child; humble yourselves as he;—
Behold, the greatest in the kingdom, ye!”

Of peace, of salt, of many things He spake;
Of certain woe should that man overtake

Who scorned the little children, hindered those
Whom the Lord cherishes because He knows.

And as a limner draws stroke here and there,
And every stroke reveals the aspect fair

Of him the painter limns, so these perceived
The grace of Him in whom they had believed

Produced in clearer outline by each word
Which sorrowful, yet glad, they meekly heard.