 | Songs of Religion and Life |  |
150
The Generous Evangelist.
Well, friend, I see thy soul is hushed;
Methought thine eye was weeping,
Then when the strong-winged preacher rushed,
With thunders in his keeping,
Methought thine eye was weeping,
Then when the strong-winged preacher rushed,
With thunders in his keeping,
Athwart thy thought. Thou doest well;
'Tis rare that English eyes
Thaw at the pulpit's potent spell;
They are too coldly wise.
'Tis rare that English eyes
Thaw at the pulpit's potent spell;
They are too coldly wise.
But thou this day hast seen and felt,
In worship's solemn hour,
How in the rough-hewn Scotsman dwelt
The Word of God with power.
In worship's solemn hour,
How in the rough-hewn Scotsman dwelt
The Word of God with power.
151
No lawn-sleeved gospeller he; no trim
Vender of church proprieties,
Whence delicate lips may learn to brim
With nice new mixed varieties
Vender of church proprieties,
Whence delicate lips may learn to brim
With nice new mixed varieties
Of sacerdotal phrase. Not he,
For every human need,
With clipping tongue doth guarantee
The stamped and labelled creed
For every human need,
With clipping tongue doth guarantee
The stamped and labelled creed
Of statutable faith; but strong
In the rude strength of Nature,
Amid the motley human throng,
He plants his manly stature,
In the rude strength of Nature,
Amid the motley human throng,
He plants his manly stature,
And flings the wingèd Word abroad,
With large and liberal grace,
As one that hath conversed with God;
Such glory fills his face.
With large and liberal grace,
As one that hath conversed with God;
Such glory fills his face.
152
O'tis a noble sight to see
A strong fresh-hearted man,
From the cramped orthodoxy free
Of the square school-bred clan,
A strong fresh-hearted man,
From the cramped orthodoxy free
Of the square school-bred clan,
Preach Christ's pure gospel! Why should men
With bristling terminology
Of things beyond all human ken
Fence round divine theology?
With bristling terminology
Of things beyond all human ken
Fence round divine theology?
This man smells not of books. A green
And lusty show he bears;
As one whose foot hath wandering been
Where vitalising airs
And lusty show he bears;
As one whose foot hath wandering been
Where vitalising airs
Sweep the far-purpled hills. His God
He cabins not in creeds;
But feels him where the fir-trees nod,
And where the South wind speeds
He cabins not in creeds;
But feels him where the fir-trees nod,
And where the South wind speeds
153
O'er blossomy fields. In waves and winds
For gospel texts he looks;
And in the hearts of men he finds
What no man found in books.
For gospel texts he looks;
And in the hearts of men he finds
What no man found in books.
His doctrines from the streets he brings;
From ploughman's lowly cot,
From proud palatial halls of kings,
From dens where sinners rot
From ploughman's lowly cot,
From proud palatial halls of kings,
From dens where sinners rot
In darkness and disease. He hath
The wise man's art to borrow
From others' life; he treads the path
Of each man's joy and sorrow,
The wise man's art to borrow
From others' life; he treads the path
Of each man's joy and sorrow,
Even as a brother. What all feel
He speaks; and all men see
The thoughts their own dim hearts reveal
Glow with new radiancy
He speaks; and all men see
The thoughts their own dim hearts reveal
Glow with new radiancy
154
In his strong glass. As lovers see
Their wish displayed in lovers,
So to each God-moved spirit he
The God-ward path discovers.
Their wish displayed in lovers,
So to each God-moved spirit he
The God-ward path discovers.
Would there were many such! But we
By narrow walls are bounded
Of sundered life: so large and free,
So full, yet unconfounded,
By narrow walls are bounded
Of sundered life: so large and free,
So full, yet unconfounded,
Are few. The most shape forth a shell
Of narrow notions crude,
And in this self-spun prison dwell,
Strange to all foreign good.
Of narrow notions crude,
And in this self-spun prison dwell,
Strange to all foreign good.
Dear friend, our Scotch creed is severe,
I grant; but Christianity
Hath found one strong mild champion here
Who stirs our deep humanity,
I grant; but Christianity
Hath found one strong mild champion here
Who stirs our deep humanity,
155
And makes the blessèd tears to flow,
The fount of holy sorrow,
Which if thou cherish well, thou 'lt know
A clearer life to-morrow.
The fount of holy sorrow,
Which if thou cherish well, thou 'lt know
A clearer life to-morrow.
Thank Heaven, thou 'rt richer grown this day,
By one great fact at least;
And all who wept with thee may say—
‘Here spake a generous priest!’
By one great fact at least;
And all who wept with thee may say—
‘Here spake a generous priest!’
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