Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXIV, No. 3, March 1849Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXIV, No. 3, March 1849
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
be wasted, and that the ploughshare of the infidel shall upturn the
sacred soil. Not for these did he weep—but that those children of the
Father, whom he “would have gathered as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings,” should be destroyed by the sword, and the virtue of
the daughters of his people should be the derision and spoil of the
conqueror. They were human tears—but divine sympathies!
And in that scene of wounded love, when the foreseeing, or the
foredwelling of his higher nature made the _present_ of his human
exposure terrible—in that hour of sympathy and sorrow, the favored and
the _intimate_ were his companions. Theirs was not yet the gift of
foreknowledge—they lived only in the present, and knew only of the
past. Little indeed could they comprehend the agony of the Master, as
they could not foresee the cause. Their highest gift was _faith_—they
could believe—they could confide—they could listen with silent
assurance—and however contradictory might appear the words of the
Teacher and the circumstances of the times, they had learned from
rebukes and experience to trust to the former. And as they follow with
their eyes the mournful bend of the Master’s gaze, as they melted before
the weeping of the sinless and loving, they bowed in meek assent to the
terrible _anathema_ foretold, and, not being authorized to give, or to
proclaim it, they meekly sighed the _maranatha_, and left the work to
God.
You see some of the multitude pressing up _toward_ the Master, but not
_upon_ him. You see, too, in the distance, woman with her face set
toward Him to whom her heart is given. Woman following but not
approaching. The first evidence of personal suffering would have brought
her to his side—the first chance of offering homage would have taken
her to his feet. It is woman, too, in her beautiful office—her heart is
with the Master—it is good for her to stand where she may be called. He
may not indeed speak to her, but virtue might go forth from him and
bless her—and so she had brought with her a little child. It seemed not
meet to her that she should seek Jesus and her child not be led to him.
She had indeed heard the Master say, in regard to some others, “suffer
little children to come unto me,” and how did she know, standing afar
off though she might be—standing in awe and reverence—how did she know
but when his moment of bitter sorrow had passed away, the Master might
turn and smile on her—and take her little child in his arms and bless
him—so had he done to others—and so she was willing to await, willing
to stand and see what the Lord would do.
But in the immediate scene of tears and solemn wailing woman is not
found. Where are those that followed his steps? Where are those who
ministered to his wants? Alas! the scene was not for such hearts. It was
the last sacrifice of national feeling; humanity acknowledges the
claim—for mental mortal agony at events to come there was no
consolation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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