Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/384

376 and the words were even from the psalm whereof we had been but now speaking, while discoursing concerning the forsaking of Jesus by God. Now the song describeth the suffering of the Messiah. Therefore when she came in her singing to these words, "They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones; they stand staring and looking upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture:" then we wept, remembering the sufferings of Jesus. But when she sang the next words, "But be not thou far from me, O Lord. Thou art my succor, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling also from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: Thou hast heard me from among the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. For he hath not despised, nor abhorred the low estate of the poor; he hath not hid his face from him; but when he called unto him he heard him:" then we wept no longer, but we marvelled while we looked on her, and while we hearkened to the words of her singing: for she sang as one taught of God, so that we durst not stay her; yet we thought in our hearts, "Notwithstanding when Jesus called unto Him, He heard him not." And when we thought on this we besought her that she would cease.

Howbeit she ceased not, but began to sing yet another psalm, a part of the great Hallel; even the very words that Jesus himself had sung to us on the night before he suffered. And the other women joined with her, and they sang so that the sound thereof pierced to our very souls. Then could we endure it no longer, but covered our faces with our hands. But they continued singing, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened and corrected me, but he hath not