“Faithful amongst the unfaithful found”

The Bread of Life.

(The Gospel History, Section 64)

Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.

“Faithful amongst the unfaithful found”

(The Saviour of the World, Vol IV, Book I, Poem XXIX)

“And would ye also go away?” Ah, Lord,
That anguish should compel so drear a word
From lips long-suffering! Forsaken, Thou,
As on the day when Calvary saw Thee—left!
Christ’s human heart is wounded: who shall heal
Him who all healing holds for others’ wounds?
But hark, one speaks; one of the Twelve stands forth
With healing word and mighty: not concern
For Christ dishonoured stirs his fervent speech:
A flash of the Spirit shows man’s ultimate need;—
Shows him the one thing which that need supplies:
Go? Whither go they when there’s none besides
Him, their one Lord? All heaven is in His eye,
And what is there on earth to be compared?
Poor is He, bare of gifts, the proud man seeks?
There is one wealth alone shall satisfy;
He, Peter, knew; had tasted and was filled,
Believed that he might not for a single day
Forego and live. “Thou, Lord, hast words,
The Words of eternal life; these be our meat,
Without them there is nought to live upon;
Where go we then?

Thrice blessed Apostle that thou spak’st those words!
All Christian souls rejoice and bless thy name
For that cup of cold water offered to our Lord
In this hour of His passion! Thou didst know
The profoundest mystery of our Faith profound;—
Some things there be of such surpassing worth,
That, put in one scale and all the wealth of life
Heaped high in t’other, the high-laden scale
Flies up and kicks the beam, nor weighs at all
’Gainst that which holds—but “Words—the words of life!
“Thou hast the Words of life,—to whom go we?
This thing we have believed and surely know,—
That thou art the Holy One of God.”

Relieved

From the intolerable shame of the Rejected,
We turn to see Christ eased and comforted;
But there be wounds which reach the seat of life
Not blessedest words can heal; the Lord replied—
No gracious word to Peter, His sure rock,—
“Have I not chosen you, the Twelve, and one,
Yea, one of you is a devil?” Deep the iron
Had entered into the Messiah’s soul,
Our Lord, most pitiful! His human heart
Sunk ’neath those waves and billows God allowed
To overwhelm His Son; then, all the wrong,
The agony of Calvary fell on Him;
Nor might words solace in that darkest hour.

St. John vi. 67, 68, 69.