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THEY stood together by the sea | |
| Where He appointed them to be; | |
| The waves were breaking on the sand, | |
| The winds were moaning o’er the land, | |
| And life came back, like floating wrack, | 5 |
| On those dim shores of Galilee. | |
| |
| On every hill, ’neath every tree | |
| Was some fond haunt of memory, | |
| Where they had known the mystic force | |
| Of healing might or high discourse; | 10 |
| And at His will those waves were still | |
| Upon the Sea of Galilee. | |
| |
| But Peter nought can hear or see | |
| Save that dark cross on Calvary, | |
| The crowing cock, the certain maid; | 15 |
| “I go a fishing,” then he said; | |
| He could not bear the thoughts that were | |
| Thick crowding now in Galilee. | |
| |
| Ah! well from vexing thought to flee, | |
| Till better thoughts return to thee; | 20 |
| Ah! well to have some task to do, | |
| When grief is fresh, and trouble new, | |
| And life comes back, like cruel wrack, | |
| On some sad shore of Galilee. | |
| |
| Though vain the flight from thought may be, | 25 |
| As vain the thought from which we flee; | |
| And Christ is near to him that weeps, | |
| And to his task of duty keeps, | |
| Playing his part with heavy heart | |
| A long dark night on Gallilee. | 30 |
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