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The Solitary Worshipper
A single member of the Society of Friends, in Boston, is said to have gone to their place of
worship for some years after all his fellow-worshippers were dead.
Alone and silent there he sat
Within the house of prayer;
Where, once with him, his brethren met,
In silent worship there.
They all had gone; the young and old
Were gathered to the dead;
He saw no more their friendly looks,
He heard no more their tread.
Yet still he loved, as came the day,
When they were wont to meet,
To tread the old familiar way,
And take his 'customed seat.
Plain was the place, an humble hall,
In which he sat alone;
The show of forms, the pride of art
To him were all unknown.
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No choir the stillness broke,
No preacher read the sacred page,
Or to his hearers spoke.
He needed not those outward things
To wake the reverent mind;
For other ends than such as this,
They seemed to him designed.
In silence, gathered to himself,
The Spirit he implored;
And without speech, or outward sign,
The Father he adored.
And to his mind was opened then
The meaning of the word,
“Ask and receive,” “seek ye and find”
The Spirit of the Lord.
That Spirit strengthened and consoled,
And gave him inward sight;
And round the lonely worshipper
There shone a marvellous light!
No more alone! For he had come
To Zion's holy hill,
The city of the Living God,
Which saints and angels fill.
The elders there with silver locks,
The sisters' modest grace,
The young, in all their innocence,
With glory filled the place.
No cloud of sorrow, or of care
A soul had ever known,
That in that happy band he saw,
Nor felt it e'er alone.
Their looks of peace and love unchanged
Assured his trembling soul;
And bade him banish every fear,
And every doubt controul.
With them again, as when on earth,
He held communion sweet;
And by their sympathy was made
For heaven's own worship meet.
Poem No. 34; c. 30 October 1852
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