ON GOLGOTHA

J. S. Machar

It was the third hour when the cross was raisedBetwixt the crosses.Red from exertionThe soldiers sat upon the much trampledAnd bloody ground. They parted His raiment.And for the coat which was without seam theyCast lots.And many of the multitudePassed gazing up at Him and wagged their headsAnd said, Ah, come down from the cross! For ThouDidst style Thyself king! Thou, that wouldst destroyThe temple and then build it in three daysWell, save Thyself!Stood by also chief priestsAnd scribes with long and flowing beards, and saidAmongst themselves: True, true, He saved others;Let Him then save Himself now.—There alsoWere many women looking on afar,Who ministered to Him in Galilee,Salome, Mary, and Magdalene, and whoCame up with Him unto Jerusalem.Crucified, naked, shorn, He was numberedWith transgressors. And crusted blood clung toHis scourged body, while ruddy streams oozed fromHis hands and feet and dripped upon the ground.His dying eyes gazed out into distance,Across the white city, hills and woodlands,And ridges of the peaceful peaks in whoseLap lie the blue waters of Galilee.He bowed His head.A winged rustling reachedHis ear. ’Twas not the Father’s angel withRefreshment’s chalice for a weary soul—An unclean spirit with its batlike wingsOutstretched upon the air flew unto Him.He had to suffer Satan to sit onHis cross, lean toward His head. For faint withinHim was His spirit and weak to resist.And Satan then said: Woeful Sufferer,Upon Thy cross of wood we meet again!To-day the last time. ’Tis settled to-day.The battle has been fought.Rememberest ThouThree years hence, when I carried Thee yon inThe wilderness upon a high mountainAnd shewed Thee mighty kingdoms, promised TheeAll of the glory of this world, shouldst ThouFall down and worship me? Thou didst refuse.Thou wouldst proclaim the coming kingdom ofHeaven to the weak, wretched. Thou wouldst bestowImperishable gifts upon clean hearts.Thou wouldst show humble souls the way intoThy Father’s glory and erase the curseOf Adam from each generation’s brow!Thou didst go to Thy death quiet, resigned,Just as the lamb that openest not its mouth.Thou pourest out Thy blood even like the dewTo moisten Thy young and early sprouting seed.Jesus of Nazareth, behold the throngsThat surge continually about Thy cross!Not long ago, when Thou didst enter inThe city in triumph, they strewed palms ’neathThy colt, cried praises unto Thee, and thenProclaimed Thee David’s son. For they thought ’mongstThemselves the kingdom of God was at hand,The cherished time of milk and honey wasNow come. And then Thou didst refuse again.The disappointed throngs next in angerCried, “Crucify Him!” into Pilate’s ears.And now they come and wag their heads and say:Here the king of the Jews is crucified.Let Him save Himself. He would be the SonOf God. But God seems to forsake Him now.And God forsook.Behold that heaven where ThouDidst deem He reigns in all of His glory!Cloudless, serene, it smiles quietly onWith its insensible blue smile. As ’twasBefore, so ’twill be after Thee. So tooThe fowls flying the air and every beastInhabiting the earth has lived and livesAccording to one law, that is my law.The strong forever shall absorb the weak.’Tis so with man. And this whole wide, wide worldIs my kingdom. Because I am the Life.I rule. I sit enthroned in hearts, in souls.No one shall ever banish me, nor Thou,Nor Thy Father. Thy kingdom of God isA dream. That dream I leave to man for e’er!Behold, how calmly Rome’s centurionSpeaks with the scribe in white beneath Thy cross!’Twill ever be thus. They are now heirs ofThy words, Thy dreams. One shall change his idols,The other his Jehovah for Thy name,And on the world shall live as I ordain.Why didst Thou not then take all those kingdomsAnd this world’s glory from my gen’rous hand?Thy youthful life would not have thus been spentIn shameful torture. Happily couldst ThouHave lived and brought millions Thy happiness.But what bring’st Thou? Death and discord Thou spreadst.Thou fallest first. And for Thy name, Thy dreams,Hundreds upon hundreds shall spill their bloodOn crosses and arenas and scaffolds.And when ’twill seem Thy dream has been fulfilled,Then in Thy name, and only in Thy name,The carnage shall go on. So far as eyeCan see, there rows of flaming pyres extendWhere sacrifices are burned in Thy name;And in Thy name numberless wars shall rage,And in Thy name cities and towns shall burn,And in Thy name countries shall be laid waste,And in Thy name curses shall be uttered,And in Thy name there shall be slaveryOf body and of spirit.For beholdThe centurion and the scribe! The oneShall murder in Thy name, the other blessHim in Thy name. Wretched millions shall payFor Thy dream with their most precious estate,Their lives.And o’er the blood that is thus spilledThy dream of God’s eternal kingdom andHeaven’s glory shall rise up like a phantomThat shall reward the dead. A lure to themIn life thruout and on till ends the world!Why then didst Thou not take all those kingdomsAnd glory of this world? For life is mine.I am the life, the lord of all below.And forever I sit in hearts, in souls!...And then forthwith Satan arose and spreadHis great, dark, batlike wings, that extendedWith swiftness of the wind in distance vastAnd ghastly great. O’er Golgotha entire,O’er city and valley and o’er the hills,O’er regions round about, o’er distant peaks,O’er waters blue of lakes of Galilee,O’er realms beyond afar and seas remote,There was projected then a dark, black veil.And there was darkness over all the land,Which trembled then.And in the end JesusAbout Him gazed and with a loud voice cried:Elói, Elói, lama Sabachtani,And yielded up the ghost....

It was the third hour when the cross was raised

Betwixt the crosses.

Red from exertion

The soldiers sat upon the much trampled

And bloody ground. They parted His raiment.

And for the coat which was without seam they

Cast lots.

And many of the multitude

Passed gazing up at Him and wagged their heads

And said, Ah, come down from the cross! For Thou

Didst style Thyself king! Thou, that wouldst destroy

The temple and then build it in three days

Well, save Thyself!

Stood by also chief priests

And scribes with long and flowing beards, and said

Amongst themselves: True, true, He saved others;

Let Him then save Himself now.—There also

Were many women looking on afar,

Who ministered to Him in Galilee,

Salome, Mary, and Magdalene, and who

Came up with Him unto Jerusalem.

Crucified, naked, shorn, He was numberedWith transgressors. And crusted blood clung toHis scourged body, while ruddy streams oozed fromHis hands and feet and dripped upon the ground.His dying eyes gazed out into distance,Across the white city, hills and woodlands,And ridges of the peaceful peaks in whoseLap lie the blue waters of Galilee.

Crucified, naked, shorn, He was numbered

With transgressors. And crusted blood clung to

His scourged body, while ruddy streams oozed from

His hands and feet and dripped upon the ground.

His dying eyes gazed out into distance,

Across the white city, hills and woodlands,

And ridges of the peaceful peaks in whose

Lap lie the blue waters of Galilee.

He bowed His head.

A winged rustling reachedHis ear. ’Twas not the Father’s angel withRefreshment’s chalice for a weary soul—An unclean spirit with its batlike wingsOutstretched upon the air flew unto Him.He had to suffer Satan to sit onHis cross, lean toward His head. For faint withinHim was His spirit and weak to resist.

A winged rustling reached

His ear. ’Twas not the Father’s angel with

Refreshment’s chalice for a weary soul—

An unclean spirit with its batlike wings

Outstretched upon the air flew unto Him.

He had to suffer Satan to sit on

His cross, lean toward His head. For faint within

Him was His spirit and weak to resist.

And Satan then said: Woeful Sufferer,Upon Thy cross of wood we meet again!To-day the last time. ’Tis settled to-day.The battle has been fought.

And Satan then said: Woeful Sufferer,

Upon Thy cross of wood we meet again!

To-day the last time. ’Tis settled to-day.

The battle has been fought.

Rememberest ThouThree years hence, when I carried Thee yon inThe wilderness upon a high mountainAnd shewed Thee mighty kingdoms, promised TheeAll of the glory of this world, shouldst ThouFall down and worship me? Thou didst refuse.Thou wouldst proclaim the coming kingdom ofHeaven to the weak, wretched. Thou wouldst bestowImperishable gifts upon clean hearts.Thou wouldst show humble souls the way intoThy Father’s glory and erase the curseOf Adam from each generation’s brow!

Rememberest Thou

Three years hence, when I carried Thee yon in

The wilderness upon a high mountain

And shewed Thee mighty kingdoms, promised Thee

All of the glory of this world, shouldst Thou

Fall down and worship me? Thou didst refuse.

Thou wouldst proclaim the coming kingdom of

Heaven to the weak, wretched. Thou wouldst bestow

Imperishable gifts upon clean hearts.

Thou wouldst show humble souls the way into

Thy Father’s glory and erase the curse

Of Adam from each generation’s brow!

Thou didst go to Thy death quiet, resigned,Just as the lamb that openest not its mouth.Thou pourest out Thy blood even like the dewTo moisten Thy young and early sprouting seed.

Thou didst go to Thy death quiet, resigned,

Just as the lamb that openest not its mouth.

Thou pourest out Thy blood even like the dew

To moisten Thy young and early sprouting seed.

Jesus of Nazareth, behold the throngsThat surge continually about Thy cross!Not long ago, when Thou didst enter inThe city in triumph, they strewed palms ’neathThy colt, cried praises unto Thee, and thenProclaimed Thee David’s son. For they thought ’mongstThemselves the kingdom of God was at hand,The cherished time of milk and honey wasNow come. And then Thou didst refuse again.The disappointed throngs next in angerCried, “Crucify Him!” into Pilate’s ears.And now they come and wag their heads and say:Here the king of the Jews is crucified.Let Him save Himself. He would be the SonOf God. But God seems to forsake Him now.

Jesus of Nazareth, behold the throngs

That surge continually about Thy cross!

Not long ago, when Thou didst enter in

The city in triumph, they strewed palms ’neath

Thy colt, cried praises unto Thee, and then

Proclaimed Thee David’s son. For they thought ’mongst

Themselves the kingdom of God was at hand,

The cherished time of milk and honey was

Now come. And then Thou didst refuse again.

The disappointed throngs next in anger

Cried, “Crucify Him!” into Pilate’s ears.

And now they come and wag their heads and say:

Here the king of the Jews is crucified.

Let Him save Himself. He would be the Son

Of God. But God seems to forsake Him now.

And God forsook.

Behold that heaven where ThouDidst deem He reigns in all of His glory!Cloudless, serene, it smiles quietly onWith its insensible blue smile. As ’twasBefore, so ’twill be after Thee. So tooThe fowls flying the air and every beastInhabiting the earth has lived and livesAccording to one law, that is my law.The strong forever shall absorb the weak.’Tis so with man. And this whole wide, wide worldIs my kingdom. Because I am the Life.I rule. I sit enthroned in hearts, in souls.No one shall ever banish me, nor Thou,Nor Thy Father. Thy kingdom of God isA dream. That dream I leave to man for e’er!

Behold that heaven where Thou

Didst deem He reigns in all of His glory!

Cloudless, serene, it smiles quietly on

With its insensible blue smile. As ’twas

Before, so ’twill be after Thee. So too

The fowls flying the air and every beast

Inhabiting the earth has lived and lives

According to one law, that is my law.

The strong forever shall absorb the weak.

’Tis so with man. And this whole wide, wide world

Is my kingdom. Because I am the Life.

I rule. I sit enthroned in hearts, in souls.

No one shall ever banish me, nor Thou,

Nor Thy Father. Thy kingdom of God is

A dream. That dream I leave to man for e’er!

Behold, how calmly Rome’s centurionSpeaks with the scribe in white beneath Thy cross!’Twill ever be thus. They are now heirs ofThy words, Thy dreams. One shall change his idols,The other his Jehovah for Thy name,And on the world shall live as I ordain.

Behold, how calmly Rome’s centurion

Speaks with the scribe in white beneath Thy cross!

’Twill ever be thus. They are now heirs of

Thy words, Thy dreams. One shall change his idols,

The other his Jehovah for Thy name,

And on the world shall live as I ordain.

Why didst Thou not then take all those kingdomsAnd this world’s glory from my gen’rous hand?Thy youthful life would not have thus been spentIn shameful torture. Happily couldst ThouHave lived and brought millions Thy happiness.But what bring’st Thou? Death and discord Thou spreadst.Thou fallest first. And for Thy name, Thy dreams,Hundreds upon hundreds shall spill their bloodOn crosses and arenas and scaffolds.And when ’twill seem Thy dream has been fulfilled,Then in Thy name, and only in Thy name,The carnage shall go on. So far as eyeCan see, there rows of flaming pyres extendWhere sacrifices are burned in Thy name;And in Thy name numberless wars shall rage,And in Thy name cities and towns shall burn,And in Thy name countries shall be laid waste,And in Thy name curses shall be uttered,And in Thy name there shall be slaveryOf body and of spirit.

Why didst Thou not then take all those kingdoms

And this world’s glory from my gen’rous hand?

Thy youthful life would not have thus been spent

In shameful torture. Happily couldst Thou

Have lived and brought millions Thy happiness.

But what bring’st Thou? Death and discord Thou spreadst.

Thou fallest first. And for Thy name, Thy dreams,

Hundreds upon hundreds shall spill their blood

On crosses and arenas and scaffolds.

And when ’twill seem Thy dream has been fulfilled,

Then in Thy name, and only in Thy name,

The carnage shall go on. So far as eye

Can see, there rows of flaming pyres extend

Where sacrifices are burned in Thy name;

And in Thy name numberless wars shall rage,

And in Thy name cities and towns shall burn,

And in Thy name countries shall be laid waste,

And in Thy name curses shall be uttered,

And in Thy name there shall be slavery

Of body and of spirit.

For beholdThe centurion and the scribe! The oneShall murder in Thy name, the other blessHim in Thy name. Wretched millions shall payFor Thy dream with their most precious estate,Their lives.

For behold

The centurion and the scribe! The one

Shall murder in Thy name, the other bless

Him in Thy name. Wretched millions shall pay

For Thy dream with their most precious estate,

Their lives.

And o’er the blood that is thus spilledThy dream of God’s eternal kingdom andHeaven’s glory shall rise up like a phantomThat shall reward the dead. A lure to themIn life thruout and on till ends the world!Why then didst Thou not take all those kingdomsAnd glory of this world? For life is mine.I am the life, the lord of all below.And forever I sit in hearts, in souls!...And then forthwith Satan arose and spreadHis great, dark, batlike wings, that extendedWith swiftness of the wind in distance vastAnd ghastly great. O’er Golgotha entire,O’er city and valley and o’er the hills,O’er regions round about, o’er distant peaks,O’er waters blue of lakes of Galilee,O’er realms beyond afar and seas remote,There was projected then a dark, black veil.

And o’er the blood that is thus spilled

Thy dream of God’s eternal kingdom and

Heaven’s glory shall rise up like a phantom

That shall reward the dead. A lure to them

In life thruout and on till ends the world!

Why then didst Thou not take all those kingdoms

And glory of this world? For life is mine.

I am the life, the lord of all below.

And forever I sit in hearts, in souls!...

And then forthwith Satan arose and spread

His great, dark, batlike wings, that extended

With swiftness of the wind in distance vast

And ghastly great. O’er Golgotha entire,

O’er city and valley and o’er the hills,

O’er regions round about, o’er distant peaks,

O’er waters blue of lakes of Galilee,

O’er realms beyond afar and seas remote,

There was projected then a dark, black veil.

And there was darkness over all the land,Which trembled then.

And there was darkness over all the land,

Which trembled then.

And in the end JesusAbout Him gazed and with a loud voice cried:Elói, Elói, lama Sabachtani,And yielded up the ghost....

And in the end Jesus

About Him gazed and with a loud voice cried:

Elói, Elói, lama Sabachtani,

And yielded up the ghost....

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