The Ascension.
ON sacred Olivet, once more,
The apostles met their Lord,
And looked with rapture on His face,
And heard with joy His word.
He spake with old-time gentleness,
And dignity, and love,
Commanding that they should not from
Jerusalem remove.
"But wait there till the promise of
My Father come," He said,
"Of which you heard me plainly speak
The night I was betrayed.
"For John baptised with water,
But ye shall feel the glow
Of baptism with the Holy Ghost,
Not many days from now."
And as He talked He led them on
As far as Bethany,
When they, together, forward came
And asked Him earnestly,
Saying: "Lord, wilt thou at this time
To Israel restore
The kingdom in such splendor
As it enjoyed of yore?"
But Jesus said unto them all:
"'Tis not for you to know
That which the Father doth intend
Respecting things below.
"But ye shall be endued with power,
And strength, and majesty,
After the Holy Ghost has come
Upon you from on high.
"And ye shall witness unto Me
Both in Jerusalem,
Judea and Samaria,
And lands ye now condemn."
And then He lifted up His hands,
And blessed them as they stood,
While He ascended from their sight,
Their Master, great and good.
And they beheld Him rise aloft
Into the ether bright,
Until a cloud enveloped Him,
And bore Him from their sight.
And while they looked up after Him
Toward heaven, amazed and sad,
Behold two angels stood by them,
In white apparel clad;
Which said: "Ye men of Galilee,
Why stand ye, gazing up,
As though the Lord had gone away,
And left you without hope?
"As ye have seen Him rise to heaven
In majesty sublime,
So, in like manner, shall He come,
In the allotted time."
Transcriber's Notes:
In the list of illustrations Return of the Prodigal Son 278 has been corrected to 378.
Illustrations have been moved out of mid-paragraph.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.
Punctuation has been retained as published.