St. James's Day

Sit down and take thy fill of joy
  At God's right hand, a bidden guest,
Drink of the cup that cannot cloy,
  Eat of the bread that cannot waste.
O great Apostle! rightly now
  Thou readest all thy Saviour meant,
What time His grave yet gentle brow
  In sweet reproof on thee was bent.

"Seek ye to sit enthroned by me?
  Alas! ye know not what ye ask,
The first in shame and agony,
  The lowest in the meanest task -
This can ye be? and came ye drink
  The cup that I in tears must steep,
Nor from the 'whelming waters shrink
  That o'er Me roll so dark and deep?"

"We can--Thine are we, dearest Lord,
  In glory and in agony,
To do and suffer all Thy word;
  Only be Thou for ever nigh." -
"Then be it so--My cup receive,
  And of My woes baptismal taste:
But for the crown, that angels weave
  For those next Me in glory placed,

"I give it not by partial love;
  But in My Father's book are writ
What names on earth shall lowliest prove,
  That they in Heaven may highest sit."
Take up the lesson, O my heart;
  Thou Lord of meekness, write it there,
Thine own meek self to me impart,
  Thy lofty hope, thy lowly prayer.

If ever on the mount with Thee
  I seem to soar in vision bright,
With thoughts of coming agony,
  Stay Thou the too presumptuous flight:
Gently along the vale of tears
  Lead me from Tabor's sunbright steep,
Let me not grudge a few short years
  With thee t'ward Heaven to walk and weep:

Too happy, on my silent path,
  If now and then allowed, with Thee
Watching some placid holy death,
  Thy secret work of love to see;
But, oh! most happy, should Thy call,
  Thy welcome call, at last be given -
"Come where thou long hast storeth thy all
  Come see thy place prepared in Heaven."