St. Mark II. 5.

Away! away! We have work to do---
  See ye these palsied limbs, this ghastly face ?
  Open, dull crowd, and let a sick man through----
  Pity our friend, the last of his race.

What? no man yield an inch ?
                                  Quick ! up the stairs
  That climb upon the housetop !
                                   He is there----
God is not deaf to any loving prayers,
   Away, thou busy devil, with despair.

Leapt the four friends along the roof,
And tore rafter and tile away with Trembling hands----
  Sinks down the sick man's couch
   Upon the floor, where in an upper
   room the Saviour stands.

He looked upon the torture of those eyes,
  He read the silent anguish of that                                  heart---
Be of good good cheer.'
                              His spirit in him dies
Forgiven are Thy sins.'
                             'My Lord, depart.'

Fell down the weeping four, and kissed His feet---
' Ah ! never did we know a Lord like Thee---
Hide thou our friend in some serene retreat,
Where he may fling my sin's in memory'---

' Nay, back again at home,' the Master said---
' Take up thy bed, memorial of thy sin,
Among thy loved ones, who had dreamt thee dead,
New work for Me, in faith and love,
begin.'

And art Thou still the same, Lord ? May we feel that Thou wilt hear us for each stricken friend
When from the crowd by secret stairs we steal,
   O ! wilt Thou meet us at the toilsome end ?

Lost friends, so far away on land or  sea,
  Wanderers o'er topic plain, or desert snow,
Our love shall rest on God's eternity,
  And follow those we love where'er they go.

Each soldier, shielded by a mother's prayer,
  Shall face the column's walk of series steel,
Each ******, swaying 'mid the murky air,
  A father's blessing shall around him feel.

Christ ! be as kind to us, whose prayers arise,
  By day and night for friends on land or sea----
We bring them to Thy feet----
                                            Do not despise
  A guilty sinner's loving  agony !