"AND THERE WAS NO MORE SEA." Rev. xxi. 1. BY THE EDITOR OF THE PARTING GIFT. WHAT art thou, mighty element? O'er thee sad thought doth rove, And scarcely even hope can buoy And burial-place of joy! Alas! how often does thy placid flow A tearful current know, As the lone watcher of the night, Broods over scenes of past delight, And all his spirit's lullaby Is one sad murmur of the things gone by! In Paradise thou wert not found, Thus shall it be again When earth shall put on immortality, And thro' creation's range no spot be found for thee! I saw a gallant ship at anchor ride To seek, in hope forlorn, a distant shore, Where they in desolation must abide, And the world's wealth obtain, but happiness no more ! I saw an only son With early laurels won, Though scarcely had his race of fame begun ; O'er the relentless deep; I saw the mother's frantic agony The father's tearful eye, As to the last their cherished darling strove I saw a lovelier form upon the strand, By weeping parents led;-they murmured not, Of her who was to them of untold worth, And they resign her at her Lord's command, And send her forth His messenger, even to a savage land! To each she turned, and fondly still she hung And charmed away the woes of riper years, Yet see the delegate of heaven, To whom her earliest vow was given, For he had heard a summons o'er the deep, The bearer of the sacred sign Goes forth, to rouse a pagan world from sleep! A parting smile, But scarce a tear, the young apostle gave As the descending sun dipp'd in the ocean wave, Is fixed, and all too high His glorious destiny To spare for earthly loss one mournful sigh! "Behold the world of pure abiding bliss," He said, which here in dim perspective seen, Upon the ruined site of this Shall rise, nor ever barrier intervene Man and his brother man between ; The zone of charity the globe shall bind, The soul its centre in the Saviour find, While in that sphere of perfect unity His church shall realize the blest decree "THERE SHALL BE NO MORE SEA!" |