The Anniversaries Poems in Commemoration of Great Men and Great Events. By Thomas H. Gill |
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December 10.
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December 10.
LUTHER.
“When I recall to mind, at last, after so many dark ages, wherein
the huge overshadowing train of error had almost swept all the stars
out of the firmament of the Church, how the bright and blissful Reformation
by divine power, struck through the black and settled night of
ignorance and anti-christian tyranny, methinks a sovereign and reviving
joy must needs rush into the bosom of him that reads or hears, and the
sweet odour of the returning gospel imbathe his soul with the fragrancy
of Heaven.”—
Milton, Reformation in England, Bk. i.
O Day-Break! doth to thee belong
A glow above all splendours bright?
O bird of morning! soars thy song
With ringing fulness of delight?
O breeze of dawn! dost thou bequeath
A life more fine, more full, more free?
O flowers of morning! do ye breathe
A subtle, sovereign fragrancy?
But O that sweeter, that diviner dawn!
O fuller cheer of that more glorious morn,
When full on Christendom's long dullëd gaze
Broke the clear glory of her half-seen Sun;
When right into her heart the Saviour shone
And smote her deeps of darkness into day;
Nor set her mountain-tops alone ablaze,
Nor only on her towers all golden lay,
But through each lonely valley streamed,
But on each lowly cottage gleamed,
Yes, made her all aglow and glad,
All o'er again in orient lustre clad!
O sweeter, more melodious dawn, that heard
The mighty music of the unsealëd Word,
When full and clear
On Christendom's long deafened ear
The Voice Divine, divinely heeded, rang,
And to her inmost soul the Spirit sweetly sang!
A glow above all splendours bright?
O bird of morning! soars thy song
With ringing fulness of delight?
O breeze of dawn! dost thou bequeath
A life more fine, more full, more free?
O flowers of morning! do ye breathe
A subtle, sovereign fragrancy?
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O fuller cheer of that more glorious morn,
When full on Christendom's long dullëd gaze
Broke the clear glory of her half-seen Sun;
When right into her heart the Saviour shone
And smote her deeps of darkness into day;
Nor set her mountain-tops alone ablaze,
Nor only on her towers all golden lay,
But through each lonely valley streamed,
But on each lowly cottage gleamed,
Yes, made her all aglow and glad,
All o'er again in orient lustre clad!
O sweeter, more melodious dawn, that heard
The mighty music of the unsealëd Word,
When full and clear
On Christendom's long deafened ear
The Voice Divine, divinely heeded, rang,
And to her inmost soul the Spirit sweetly sang!
O soaring soul, enjoy thy flight;
Bathe in the blessëd morning light;
In tender ecstasy prolong
The sweetness of thy morning song!
Again explore
With thine own wings the boundless realm of Grace!
Once more, once more
Meet thine own Heavenly Lover face to face!
Once more rejoice
To hear the very tones of His own gracious voice!
Again, again
Thyself the dear Redeemer entertain!
Back, Pontiff! His sweet smile no longer dim!
No more thy darkness thrust between His own and Him!
On, glad soul, all thy Lover's sweetness try,
Yes, full upon that tender bosom lie
In the meek rapture of thy new-won liberty!
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In tender ecstasy prolong
The sweetness of thy morning song!
Again explore
With thine own wings the boundless realm of Grace!
Once more, once more
Meet thine own Heavenly Lover face to face!
Once more rejoice
To hear the very tones of His own gracious voice!
Again, again
Thyself the dear Redeemer entertain!
Back, Pontiff! His sweet smile no longer dim!
No more thy darkness thrust between His own and Him!
On, glad soul, all thy Lover's sweetness try,
Yes, full upon that tender bosom lie
In the meek rapture of thy new-won liberty!
Ah! mournfully didst thou remain
Long ages in the House of Bondage drear?
Bitter and idle was the pain
Of servile tasks wrought out in servile fear?
Ah! sadly were those bootless burdens borne,
Those ignominious fetters sadly worn?
Amidst the gloom did thine o'ermastered eye
Forego its strong, far-reaching radiancy,
And feebly strain through those thick prison-bars
For glimpses few and faint of Heaven's sweet stars?
Didst thou forget thy soaring, all unlearn
The glory of thy long-disusëd wings,
And to a creeping thrall inglorious turn,
Weary and weak with vain endeavourings?
Ah! baleful glared that towering throne, whereon
A sinful weakling veiled the Eternal Son?
O then, exulting Christendom, lift high
This blessed marvel of thy liberty!
O bless the hand thy Lord made strong
That hold to storm, that throne to shake,
Those bars to burst, those chains to break,
To lead thee smiling forth and wake
Thine everlasting song!
Glow with thine awful Luther as he blazed
Down the dull glare of princedoms and of thrones,
And rang in ears of potentates amazed
The majesty of Truth's imperial tones!
Smile on thy Luther as he dauntless smote
That brow, whereon the awe of ages sate,
And on this day in flame far-reaching wrote
Woe to the Babylonian potentate!
Smile as the doomer he disdainful doomed,
And Antichrist's loud curse in scornful fire entombed!
Repeat the full defiance of that flame!
Enjoy the dear deliverance of that fire!
The pureness of thy early faith reclaim!
The glory of thy young, bright days require!
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Bitter and idle was the pain
Of servile tasks wrought out in servile fear?
Ah! sadly were those bootless burdens borne,
Those ignominious fetters sadly worn?
Amidst the gloom did thine o'ermastered eye
Forego its strong, far-reaching radiancy,
And feebly strain through those thick prison-bars
For glimpses few and faint of Heaven's sweet stars?
Didst thou forget thy soaring, all unlearn
The glory of thy long-disusëd wings,
And to a creeping thrall inglorious turn,
Weary and weak with vain endeavourings?
Ah! baleful glared that towering throne, whereon
A sinful weakling veiled the Eternal Son?
O then, exulting Christendom, lift high
This blessed marvel of thy liberty!
O bless the hand thy Lord made strong
That hold to storm, that throne to shake,
Those bars to burst, those chains to break,
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Thine everlasting song!
Glow with thine awful Luther as he blazed
Down the dull glare of princedoms and of thrones,
And rang in ears of potentates amazed
The majesty of Truth's imperial tones!
Smile on thy Luther as he dauntless smote
That brow, whereon the awe of ages sate,
And on this day in flame far-reaching wrote
Woe to the Babylonian potentate!
Smile as the doomer he disdainful doomed,
And Antichrist's loud curse in scornful fire entombed!
Repeat the full defiance of that flame!
Enjoy the dear deliverance of that fire!
The pureness of thy early faith reclaim!
The glory of thy young, bright days require!
O Apostolic Flames, burn clear again!
O Apostolic Splendours, glow as when
Ye drank directly from the Incarnate Light,
And make the world once more divinely bright!
O Soul supreme, transcendent Paul,
O sovereign Splendour, Flame imperial,
Leap forth again upon the long, long gloom
That grew as though thou ne'er hadst kindled Christendom!
Return into her midst, return!
Again for ruin and renewal burn!
The rottenness of dead works once more consume,
O'er heaps of mouldering forms destroying sweep,
From shrivelled rite to rite devouring leap!
From waiting soul to soul divinely flow!
Set Christendom once more with very Heaven aglow!
Bright by thy Luther's side thou beamest;
Full from those burning lips thou streamest,
With that tremendous arm thou smitest.
In that victorious fight thou fightest.
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Ye drank directly from the Incarnate Light,
And make the world once more divinely bright!
O Soul supreme, transcendent Paul,
O sovereign Splendour, Flame imperial,
Leap forth again upon the long, long gloom
That grew as though thou ne'er hadst kindled Christendom!
Return into her midst, return!
Again for ruin and renewal burn!
The rottenness of dead works once more consume,
O'er heaps of mouldering forms destroying sweep,
From shrivelled rite to rite devouring leap!
From waiting soul to soul divinely flow!
Set Christendom once more with very Heaven aglow!
Bright by thy Luther's side thou beamest;
Full from those burning lips thou streamest,
With that tremendous arm thou smitest.
In that victorious fight thou fightest.
180
O sovereign soarer in the air of Grace,
O strong-winged eagle of our Jove divine,
Again His charge to thee is given,
Again thou sweepest down the Heaven,
And bearest on those mighty wings of thine
His earth-bound darlings to their Lord's embrace.
O strong-winged eagle of our Jove divine,
Again His charge to thee is given,
Again thou sweepest down the Heaven,
And bearest on those mighty wings of thine
His earth-bound darlings to their Lord's embrace.
O Seers in the thick, thick dark,
On whom the glory broke e'en then,
Too early bright for angry men
In love with darkness, smile to mark
This grand, victorious Luther bright
With the very splendour of your light,
And your own dawn divine become
The golden noon of Christendom!
O souls beneath the altar, martyr throng,
Stay your keen cry “How long, O Lord, how long?”
Yes, drown it in the sweetness of your song!
Ring forth with Luther, when his voice outrung
The dwindled thunder of the Pontiff's ire—
Reach forth your hands with Luther's, as he flung
The shrivelled curse of Rome into that famous fire!
O smile and sing your innocent blood to know
At length requirëd of the Roman foe!
But gladlier mark, where that rich blood has poured
Its blessed rain, a garden of the Lord
With fadeless flowers abloom, with fruits eternal stored.
On whom the glory broke e'en then,
Too early bright for angry men
In love with darkness, smile to mark
This grand, victorious Luther bright
With the very splendour of your light,
And your own dawn divine become
The golden noon of Christendom!
O souls beneath the altar, martyr throng,
Stay your keen cry “How long, O Lord, how long?”
Yes, drown it in the sweetness of your song!
Ring forth with Luther, when his voice outrung
The dwindled thunder of the Pontiff's ire—
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The shrivelled curse of Rome into that famous fire!
O smile and sing your innocent blood to know
At length requirëd of the Roman foe!
But gladlier mark, where that rich blood has poured
Its blessed rain, a garden of the Lord
With fadeless flowers abloom, with fruits eternal stored.
Win from this deep-voiced day, O Time,
A more divine, melodious flow;
In the track of Luther's steps sublime
Along thy path more glorious go!
March to a swelling strain, ye after Ages!
On your more shining fronts proclaim
The glow of that renewing flame!
Stream forth, ye stronger souls, ye more majestic Sages!
Flame forth, of fairer light ye fuller Bringers!
Ring forth, ye mightier, more melodious Singers!
Pour on the world a broader splendour drawn
From the divineness of this rosy dawn!
More heights, more depths pass over,
A more adventurous band!
New worlds of light discover!
New realms of gold command!
Ah drooping, dwindling generations
That thrust away this light divine!
O rich-robed, high-enthronëd nations
That drink in glad this blessed shine!
O England, highest placed, arrayed most finely,
That drankest in the splendour so divinely,
Outgleam each rich-robed nation still;
These glad-voiced nations all outsing!
Their choral hymn its swell sublimest bring,
With thine imperial voice the harmony fulfil!
A more divine, melodious flow;
In the track of Luther's steps sublime
Along thy path more glorious go!
March to a swelling strain, ye after Ages!
On your more shining fronts proclaim
The glow of that renewing flame!
Stream forth, ye stronger souls, ye more majestic Sages!
Flame forth, of fairer light ye fuller Bringers!
Ring forth, ye mightier, more melodious Singers!
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From the divineness of this rosy dawn!
More heights, more depths pass over,
A more adventurous band!
New worlds of light discover!
New realms of gold command!
Ah drooping, dwindling generations
That thrust away this light divine!
O rich-robed, high-enthronëd nations
That drink in glad this blessed shine!
O England, highest placed, arrayed most finely,
That drankest in the splendour so divinely,
Outgleam each rich-robed nation still;
These glad-voiced nations all outsing!
Their choral hymn its swell sublimest bring,
With thine imperial voice the harmony fulfil!
Ye lowly souls, no longer kept away
By Priest and Pontiff from the Fount of Day,
With the one Presence Bright all golden,
By the one Mighty Arm upholden,
Bathed in the happy, odorous air of Grace,
Glowing and glorious from your Lord's embrace;
Linger melodious o'er this day divine!
Wait with enamoured breath
On this New Birth of Faith,
And to the world's glad strain your happy murmurs join!
By Priest and Pontiff from the Fount of Day,
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By the one Mighty Arm upholden,
Bathed in the happy, odorous air of Grace,
Glowing and glorious from your Lord's embrace;
Linger melodious o'er this day divine!
Wait with enamoured breath
On this New Birth of Faith,
And to the world's glad strain your happy murmurs join!
O Ages yet to come, unfold
The exhaustless grace of this transcendent day!
O Ages yet to come, uphold
This stately strain ne'er, ne'er to die away!
Your crowning smile from this bright day require,
And fetch your holier heat from that renewing fire!
The glory of this song advance
With more melodious resonance,
Till those glad murmurs, musical even below,
Rise to the heavenly height, and win the eternal flow!
The exhaustless grace of this transcendent day!
O Ages yet to come, uphold
This stately strain ne'er, ne'er to die away!
Your crowning smile from this bright day require,
And fetch your holier heat from that renewing fire!
The glory of this song advance
With more melodious resonance,
Till those glad murmurs, musical even below,
Rise to the heavenly height, and win the eternal flow!
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