I.
Description of a lost pearl (_i.e._ a beloved child).
The father laments the loss of his pearl.
He often visits the spot where his pearl disappeared, and hears a
sweet song.
Where the pearl was buried there he found lovely flowers.
Each blade of grass springs from a dead grain.
In the high season of August the parent visits the grave of his lost
child.
Beautiful flowers covered the grave.
From them came a delicious odour.
The bereaved father wrings his hands for sorrow, falls asleep upon the
flowery plot, and dreams.
II.
In spirit he is carried to an unknown region, where the rocks and cliffs
gleamed gloriously.
The hill sides were decked with crystal cliffs.
The leaves of the trees were like burnished silver.
The gravel consisted of precious pearls.
The father forgets his sorrow.
He sees birds of the most beautiful hues, and hears their sweet melody.
No tongue could describe the beauty of the forest.
All shone like gold.
The dreamer arrives at the bank of a river, which gave forth sweet
sounds.
In it, stones glittered like stars in the welkin on a winter night.
III.
His grief abates, and he follows the course of the stream.
No one could describe his great joy.
He thought that Paradise was on the opposite bank.
The stream was not fordable.
More and more he desires to see what is beyond the brook.
But the way seemed difficult.
The dreamer finds new marvels.
He sees a crystal cliff, at the foot of which, sits a maiden clothed in
glistening white.
He knows that he has seen her before.
He desires to call her but is afraid, at finding her in such a strange
place.
IV.
So he stands still, like a well trained hawk.
He fears lest she should escape before he could speak to her.
His long lost one is dressed in royal array--decked with precious
pearls.
She comes along the stream towards him.
Her kirtle is composed of ‘sute,’ ornamented with pearls.
She wore a crown of pearls.
Her hair hung down about her.
Her colour was whiter than whalebone.
Her hair shone as gold.
The trimming of her robe consisted of precious pearls.
A wonderful pearl was set in her breast.
No man from here to Greece, was so glad as the father, when he saw his
pearl on the bank of the stream.
The maiden salutes him.
V.
The father enquires of the maiden whether she is his long-lost pearl,
and longs to know who has deprived him of his treasure.
The maiden tells him that his pearl is not really lost.
She is in a garden of delight, where sin and mourning are unknown.
The rose that he had lost is become a pearl of price.
The pearl blames his rash speech.
The father begs the maiden to excuse his speech, for he really thought
his pearl was wholly lost to him.
The maiden tells her father that he has spoken three words without
knowing the meaning of one.
The first word. The second. The third.
VI.
He is little to be praised who loves what he sees.
To love nothing but what one sees is great presumption.
To live in this kingdom (_i.e._ heaven) leave must be asked.
This stream must be passed over by death.
The father asks his pearl whether she is about to doom him to sorrow
again.
If he loses his pearl he does not care what happens to him.
The maiden tells her father to suffer patiently.
Though he may dance as any doe, yet he must abide God’s doom.
He must cease to strive.
All lies in God’s power to make men joyful or sad.
VII.
The father beseeches the pearl to have pity upon him.
He says that she has been both his bale and bliss.
And when he lost her, he knew not what had become of her.
And now that he sees her in bliss, she takes little heed of his sorrow.
He desires to know what life she leads.
The maiden tells him that he may walk and abide with her, now that he is
humble.
All are meek that dwell in the abode of bliss.
All lead a blissful life.
She reminds her father that she was very young when she died.
Now she is crowned a queen in heaven.
VIII.
The father of the maiden does not fully understand her.
Mary, he says, is the queen of heaven.
No one is able to remove the crown from her.
The maiden addresses the Virgin.
She then explains to her father that each has his place in heaven.
The court of God has a property in its own being.
Each one in it is a king or queen.
The mother of Christ holds the chief place.
We are all members of Christ’s body.
Look that each limb be perfect.
The father replies that he cannot understand how his pearl can be a
queen.
He desires to know what greater honour she can have.
IX.
She was only two years old when she died, and could do nothing to
please God.
She might be a countess or some great lady but not a queen.
The maiden informs her father that there is no limit to God’s power.
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.
The lord of the vineyard hires workmen for a penny a day.
At noon the lord hires other men standing idle in the market place.
He commands them to go into his vineyard, and he will give them what is
right.
At an hour before the sun went down the lord sees other men
standing idle.
Tells them to go into the vineyard.
X.
As soon as the sun was gone down the “reeve” was told to pay the
workmen.
To give each a penny.
The first began to complain.
Having borne the heat of the day he thinks that he deserves more.
The lord tells him that he agreed only to give him a penny.
The last shall be first, and the first last.
The maiden applies the parable to herself.
She came to the vine in eventide, and yet received more than others who
had lived longer.
The father says that his daughter’s tale is unreasonable.
XI.
In heaven, the maiden says, each man is paid alike.
God is no niggard.
The grace of God is sufficient for all.
Those who live long on the earth often forfeit heaven by sinning.
Innocents are saved by baptism.
Why should not God allow their labour.
Our first father lost heaven by eating an apple.
And all are damned for the sin of Adam.
But there came one who paid the penalty of our sins.
The water that came from the pierced side of Christ was baptism.
XII.
Repentance must be sought by prayer with sorrow and affliction.
The guilty may be saved by contrition.
Two sorts of people are saved, the _righteous_ and the _innocent_.
The words of David.
The innocent is saved by right.
The words of Solomon.
David says no man living is justified.
Pray to be saved by innocence and not by right.
When Jesus was on earth, little children were brought unto him.
The disciples rebuked the parents.
Christ said, “Suffer little children to come unto me,” etc.
XIII.
No one can win heaven except he be meek as a child.
The pearl of price is like the kingdom of heaven, pure and clean.
Forsake the mad world and purchase the spotless pearl.
The father of the maiden desires to know who formed her figure and
wrought her garments.
Her beauty, he says, is not natural.
Her colour passes the fleur-de-lis.
The maiden explains to her father that she is a bride of Christ.
She is without spot or blemish.
Her weeds are washed in the blood of Christ.
The father asks the nature of the Lamb that has chosen his daughter, and
why she is selected as a bride.
XIV.
The Lamb has one hundred and forty thousand brides.
St. John saw them on the hill of Sion in a dream, in the new city of
Jerusalem.
Isaiah speaks of Christ or the Lamb.
He says that He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.
In Jerusalem was Christ slain.
With buffets was His face flayed.
He endured all patiently as a lamb.
For us He died in Jerusalem.
The declaration of St. John, “Behold the Lamb of God,” etc.
Who can reckon His generation, that died in Jerusalem?
In the New Jerusalem St. John saw the Lamb sitting upon the throne.
XV.
The Lamb is without blemish.
Every spotless soul is a worthy bride for the Lamb.
No strife or envy among the brides.
None can have less bliss than another.
Our death leads us to bliss.
What St. John saw upon the Mount of Sion.
About the Lamb he saw one hundred and forty thousand maidens.
He heard a voice from heaven, like many floods.
He heard the maiden sing a new song.
So did the four beasts and the elders “so sad of cheer.”
This assembly was like the Lamb, spotless and pure.
The father replies to the maiden.
He says he is but dust and ashes.
He wishes to ask one question, whether the brides have their abode in
castle-walls or in manor.
XVI.
Jerusalem, he says, in Judea.
But the dwelling of the brides should be perfect.
For such “a comely pack” a great castle would be required.
The city in Judæa, answers the maiden, is where Christ suffered, and is
the Old Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem is where the Lamb has assembled his brides.
Jerusalem means the city of God.
In the Old city our peace was made at one.
In the New city is eternal peace.
XVII.
The father prays his daughter to bring him to the blissful bower.
His daughter tells him that he shall see the outside, but not a foot may
he put in the city.
XVIII.
The maiden then tells her father to go along the bank till he comes to
a hill.
He reaches the hill, and beholds the heavenly city.
As St. John saw it, so he beheld it.
The city was of burnished gold.
Pitched upon gems, the foundation composed of twelve stones.
The names of the precious stones.
i. Jasper. ii. Sapphire. iii. Chalcedony. iv. Emerald.
v. Sardonyx. vi. Ruby. vii. Chrysolite. viii. Beryl.
ix. Topaz. x. Chrysoprasus. xi. Jacinth. xii. Amethyst.
The city was square.
The wall was of jasper.
Twelve thousand furlongs in length and breadth.
XIX.
Each “pane” had three gates.
Each gate adorned with a pearl.
Such light gleamed in all the streets, that there was no need of the sun
or moon.
God was the light of those in the city.
The high throne might be seen, upon which the “high God” sat.
A river ran out of the throne; it flowed through each street.
No church was seen.
God was the church; Christ the sacrifice.
The gates were ever open.
There is no night in the city.
The planets, and the sun itself, are dim compared to the divine light.
Trees there renew their fruit every month.
The beholder of this fair city stood still as a “dased quail.”
XX.
As the moon began to rise he was aware of a procession of virgins
crowned with pearls, in white robes, with a pearl in their breast.
As they went along they shone as glass.
The Lamb went before them.
There was no pressing.
The “alder men” fell groveling at the feet of the Lamb.
All sang in praise of the Lamb.
The Lamb wore white weeds.
A wide wound was seen near his breast.
Joy was in his looks.
The father perceives his little queen.
XIX.
Great delight takes possession of his mind.
He attempts to cross the stream.
It was not pleasing to the Lord.
The dreamer awakes, and is in great sorrow.
He addresses his pearl; laments his rash curiosity.
Men desire more than they have any right to expect.
The good Christian knows how to make peace with God.
God give us grace to be his servants!
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