The Gospel Miracles :: :: University of Virginia Library

“If thou be willing, thou canst cleanse me, Lord!”
The leper spake, as Jesus near him drew;
And, while his lips gave utterance to the word,
His knees he bent, his suppliant body threw
Prone on the ground, and prostrate there implor'd
The grace of Him whose potency he knew.

The face, the form, the attitude beseech,
Mute, but with all the eloquence of speech,
And, where compassion dwells, the Saviour's bosom reach.

The Saviour hears; and beaming heavenly mild,
Mild as the light which summer evenings pour
On some forsaken ruin, misery's child
He eyes; he lifts his hand; and bending o'er,
He touches him from human haunts exil'd,
Whom friendly hand had durst not touch before.
And so with aspect kind, and pitying mien,
How sweet to him by whom so long unseen,
And gentle voice replies, “I'm willing, be thou clean!”

Clean, from what plague? Is it not that whose root
Deep in the inmost frame its hold maintains;
And, thence expanding, bids its venom shoot
Wide o'er the snow-white skin in boils and blains,
Till, lo, from crown of head to sole of foot,
O'er all the man the foul contagion reigns;
Disdaining cure to life's extremest verge,
That none but God omnipotent can purge
The deep and dread disease, and quell that loathsome scourge?

And can the breath of one of human race,
A touch, a word, the index of his will,
From the heart's blood that close corruption chase?
As well it were, by dint of human skill,
To pluck yon mountain from his rocky base,
And with the pile the hollow valley fill.
Mark then the event! “Be clean,” the Saviour said:
The word is spoken, and the will obey'd;
Behold, the leper clean, the leprosy is fled.

Veil'd in his form, who made the leper clean,
I hail the beam of sempiternal light:
And deem, tho' earth-born shadows intervene,
To cloud the brightness of paternal might,
To him, who thus, in human semblance seen,
Could claim his own hereditary right,
Still should the voice be rais'd, the knee be bent;
The form express of God omnipotent,
Him from the throne of God on mercy's mission sent.

And what tho' scant beneath our northern sky
Its sway the leper's dread disease maintains,
Is there not still a deadly leprosy,
Which eats the flesh and curdles in the veins,
And, scorning man's attempts at mastery,
Wide and more wide with force resistless reigns?
And shall not he, that leprosy of sin
Who feels far spread and rankling deep within,
Despairing earthly aid, celestial seek to win?

“If thou be willing, thou canst heal me, Lord!”
Now, as of old, thou heart-struck mourner cry!
By sin polluted, and of God abhorr'd,
A helpless outcast, whither canst thou fly?
To Him, whom erst that leprous man ador'd,
Submissive fall, before him prostrate lie:
Vain hast thou learn'd all human aid to feel;
Thou know'st that none, save God alone, can heal;
Then haste, the Saviour seek, and at his footstool kneel!

With ready might, with answering will to aid,
Now, as of old, the Saviour makes reply.
He hears, he sees, before his throne display'd
The meek petition, and the suppliant eye.
The scepter'd hand of Majesty, array'd
In glory, next the Holy One and High,

He stretches forth, in faith's bright vision seen,
Where aye he dwells the Cherubim between,
And with compassion says, “I will it, be thou clean!”

Blest is the man, tho' sick with mortal taint,
Who knows the secret of his heart's disease!
Blest is the man, beneath his burden faint,
Who, where the fountain of his sorrow, sees!
Blest, who, in spite of nature's fond constraint,
From impotence of human succour flees;
And seeks repose and healing, where combin'd,
In glory's radiant tabernacle shrin'd,
Dominion arms the hand, and goodness fills the mind!

O Jesus, bountiful as strong to save,
For mercy as for mightiness ador'd;
O give me grace thy healing pow'r to crave,
“If thou be willing, thou canst cleanse me, Lord!”
Thy pity ne'er a ruthless answer gave,
In lowly fervency of heart implor'd.
Ne'er wilt thou spurn the sinner's contrite soul,
Ne'er see unmov'd the tears of anguish roll,
But gracious still reply, “I will it, be thou whole!”