Scriptural narratives of those passages in Our Blessed Lord's life and ministry, which are subjects of annual commemoration in the church preceded by preliminary notices of the days on which they are commemorated, and followed by reflexions and collects: adapted to the greater holydays of the United Church of England and Ireland; and designed, together with biographical notices of the apostles, evangelists, and other saints, to form a course of reading on all the holydays of the church. By Richard Mant |
 |
THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE
EASTER. |
 | Scriptural narratives of those passages in Our Blessed Lord's life and ministry, which are subjects of annual commemoration in the church |  |
163
THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.
164
Free and mysterious are the ways of heaven!
'Tis man's to profit by God's bounty given;
That bounty how to give, is God's own choice.
Perchance his presence when we think to find
Rapt in the fire, the earthquake, or the wind,
Behold, we meet him in the still small voice.
Creation's range the Maker Spirit fills,
But deals his influence where and how he wills.
'Tis man's to profit by God's bounty given;
That bounty how to give, is God's own choice.
Perchance his presence when we think to find
Rapt in the fire, the earthquake, or the wind,
Behold, we meet him in the still small voice.
Creation's range the Maker Spirit fills,
But deals his influence where and how he wills.
165
“Why bathe in Jordan? wherefore should I lave
My leprous limbs in Hebrew Jordan's wave?
In vain do Abana and Pharphar roll?
Do not Damascus' princely floods excel
All the scant streams that water Israel?
Why bathe me not in them, and so be whole?
The seer methought would raise his potent hand,
And sickness vanish at his high command.”
My leprous limbs in Hebrew Jordan's wave?
In vain do Abana and Pharphar roll?
Do not Damascus' princely floods excel
All the scant streams that water Israel?
Why bathe me not in them, and so be whole?
The seer methought would raise his potent hand,
And sickness vanish at his high command.”
Thus the proud tongue of Syrian Naaman,
Unwont Jehovah's attributes to scan,
The dictates of a wayward spirit pour'd:
Till, by persuasive reason better taught,
In God's own way the help of God he sought;
He bathed in Jordan, and he rose restor'd.
As fresh with health the tender infant glows,
Pure from the wave the snow-white leper rose.
Unwont Jehovah's attributes to scan,
The dictates of a wayward spirit pour'd:
Till, by persuasive reason better taught,
In God's own way the help of God he sought;
He bathed in Jordan, and he rose restor'd.
As fresh with health the tender infant glows,
Pure from the wave the snow-white leper rose.
So fares it with the sickness of the soul:
Man from that leprosy would fain be whole;
But life and healing come from One alone.
He names the cure: but man mistrustful spurns
The Saviour's heavenly medicine, and turns
To other views, and reasonings of his own.
Vain reasonings all, which aim to cast aside
Celestial truth by dreams of human pride!
Man from that leprosy would fain be whole;
But life and healing come from One alone.
He names the cure: but man mistrustful spurns
The Saviour's heavenly medicine, and turns
To other views, and reasonings of his own.
Vain reasonings all, which aim to cast aside
Celestial truth by dreams of human pride!
“I know my Saviour suffer'd for my sake;
I hope his promised grace: but why partake
The needless rite of yon mysterious board?
Enough; my feet each day of rest repair
To seek his presence in his house of pray'r:
Enough; his goodness in my heart is stor'd;
And, conscience-led, that heart sincerely pays
Its freewill meed of reasonable praise.”
I hope his promised grace: but why partake
The needless rite of yon mysterious board?
Enough; my feet each day of rest repair
To seek his presence in his house of pray'r:
Enough; his goodness in my heart is stor'd;
And, conscience-led, that heart sincerely pays
Its freewill meed of reasonable praise.”
No, not enough, if more thy Lord demands.
Hopest thou his grace? then seek it at his hands
Beneath the hallow'd bread, the mystick wine:
Him at the paschal feast reclining see,
“Take this, and eat; drink this, and dwell with me;
Behold my presence in my stated sign.”
Trust not the grace, without the means, to share,
But, where his word directs thee, seek him there.
Hopest thou his grace? then seek it at his hands
166
Him at the paschal feast reclining see,
“Take this, and eat; drink this, and dwell with me;
Behold my presence in my stated sign.”
Trust not the grace, without the means, to share,
But, where his word directs thee, seek him there.
Own'st thou his love? What he injoins, obey.
Pass from the paschal feast, and then survey
Thy Saviour bleeding on the fatal tree:
There mark his lips by silent death comprest,
Which lately breath'd to thee his last request,
“Do this, and this, in memory of me!”
What less return than such memorial, say,
Could love demand, can gratitude repay?
Pass from the paschal feast, and then survey
Thy Saviour bleeding on the fatal tree:
There mark his lips by silent death comprest,
Which lately breath'd to thee his last request,
“Do this, and this, in memory of me!”
What less return than such memorial, say,
Could love demand, can gratitude repay?
Such be thy thoughts! then when the sacred priest
Again shall bid thee to the heavenly feast,
Pledge of thy health, and in thy Saviour's name;
Turn, if thou canst, away! But ask thy heart,
If thine the love, that speaks the Christian's part;
If thine the faith, the Christian's grace may claim.
No, turn not, turn not! take what God would give:
Why wilt thou die, when he would have thee live?
Again shall bid thee to the heavenly feast,
Pledge of thy health, and in thy Saviour's name;
Turn, if thou canst, away! But ask thy heart,
If thine the love, that speaks the Christian's part;
If thine the faith, the Christian's grace may claim.
No, turn not, turn not! take what God would give:
Why wilt thou die, when he would have thee live?
| Scriptural narratives of those passages in Our Blessed Lord's life and ministry, which are subjects of annual commemoration in the church | |