The Gospel Miracles :: :: University of Virginia Library

Among Capernaum's children met
To hear the word, be taught, and pray,
Mid watchful foes was Jesus set;
Beneath a cripple lay.
“Arise,” the Saviour gave command:
“Arise, stand forth, stretch out thine hand!”

For nerveless and unstrung,
As drooping by the cedar's side,
Its verdure gone, its moisture dried,
A scath'd and broken branch, the wither'd right hand hung.

“Stretch forth thy hand,” the Saviour said:
No more: observant of command,
The man the Saviour's word obey'd,
And forth he stretch'd his hand.
More quick than vernal swallow's flight,
Or wing of viewless wind, or light
Whose flash the sound outflies;
The word is said, the deed is done:
Life thro' the flagging veins hath run,
And with its fellow's strength the palsied hand supplies.

You look perchance to see the crowd
In worship to the Saviour bend;
You list to hear their voices loud
Their Hallelujahs send:
You think at once to hear them own,
He, who such heavenly pow'r hath shewn,
From heav'n his pow'r hath brought:—
Ah! cast the baseless thought away;
For on the Sabbath's holy-day
That heavenly pow'r was shewn, that work of wonder wrought.

With other thoughts around the crowd
His mournful eye the Saviour threw:
For their dim minds how thick a shroud
Of darkness veil'd he knew.
Fain had he seen some little spark
Of faith illume those shadows dark,

Tho' with a glowworm light:
But, no! his mournful eye descried
The bitterness of wounded pride,
Inveterate malice deep, and murderous mad despite.

Yes, the learn'd teachers of the law
He knew what prejudice possest;
And what the inward thoughts he saw
Of the proud Rabbi's breast.
And how the shade of wilful night
Flings o'er the fairest scene of light
Its dark discolouring hues;
And how with keen malignant glance
They eyed his heav'nly deeds askance,
If aught of doubtful stamp might his fair fame accuse.

And when that crippled man he drew
Forth 'mid the gazing crowd to stand,
And bade him in the publick view
Stretch forth his wither'd hand;
Their harden'd hearts as he beheld,
His soul with deep emotions swell'd
Of anger and of grief;
That they, who from the pit releas'd
On the sev'nth day their fallen beast,
Should grudge the self-same day their fellow man's relief.

True, 'twas Jehovah's sov'reign will
On the sev'nth day his seal imprest;
And bade the sons of men be still,
And keep his holy rest.
When from creation's work he stay'd,
That day of weekly pause he bade

His work's memorial be;
And in the mirror of the rest,
Which then he sanctified and blest,
Will'd that of God's repose an image man might see.

And when on Sinai's burning crown,
'Mid thunder's roar and lightning's glare,
In fire and smoke the Lord came down,
While Israel quak'd from far:
That law primeval of mankind
He on his chosen flock enjoin'd,
Grav'd by himself on stone;
Charg'd them the solemn rest to hold,
Deep in their mindful hearts-enroll'd;
Gave the six days to work, and stamp'd the sev'nth his own.

But say to keep that holy rest
Was man by his Creator made?
Or was that Sabbath season blest
For man's delight and aid?
And what forbids, that He who came,
Invested with the human frame,
But arm'd with pow'r to sway,
Howe'er he will'd, creation's plan,
Should, for the benefit of man,
Supreme dominion use o'er God's high holy-day?

Then ask not, men of legal lore,
Ye who with sanctimonious pride
Of God's own kingdom close the door,
The key of knowledge hide:
Ask not, what day the Saviour chose,
To cause in aid of human woes

His healing rays to shine;
But ask, what deeds the Saviour wrought;
If with celestial symptoms fraught,
If breathing love for man, and worthy pow'r divine.

The wither'd hand, outstretch'd and sound;
The pallid form, which dropsy held
As in relentless fetters bound,
Releas'd, its tyrant quell'd;
She, whom for eighteen years of woe
Satanick pow'r constrain'd to go
With body bow'd and bent,
Rous'd in the twinkling of an eye
With shape erect to glorify,
Touch'd by the Saviour's hand, God's pow'r omnipotent:

To sense what say they, but that He,
From whom such marvels flow'd, may claim
A more than prophet's dignity,
A more than prophet's name.
That He, o'er ills which man molest,
His will by word, by touch, exprest,
Who wields Jehovah's rod,
Ev'n tho' on God's high holy-day
He exercise his sov'reign sway,
Stands forth in human form reveal'd the Son of God?

“ 'Twas he, who our diseases bore;”
Thus in the volume of his book
His seer had prophesied of yore;
“He who our sorrows took.”
And he hath taught us, how we best
May sanctify his day of rest,

When, at his Father's shrine
Our debt of worship duly paid,
We seek our brethren's wants to aid,
And by good deeds to man adorn the name divine.

Lord of the Sabbath, led by thee
Such day of rest I fain would view:
That first pure-hearted piety
May bear dominion due,
Secure from worldly cares and strife;
Next the sweet charities of life
May unreprov'd prevail:
Type of the Sabbath, which remains
For God's belov'd, where ever reigns
Devotion's spirit meek with love that ne'er shall fail.