JESUS TEMPTED.
“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness,
to be tempted of the devil.”—Matt. iv. 1.
And wert Thou by the prompting Spirit led
Through desert lone, to face Satanic power,
Oh second Adam! our anointed Head,—
To balk the demon in his blackest hour?
One moment, by baptismal waves we hear
From opening skies deep melody descend,
And drink that Voice with reverential fear
Which hail'd Thee, Son of God, whom Grace did send:
The next,—and Thou art in yon homeless wild
Fasting and foodless, with no eye to see
How the lost angel tempts Thine undefiled
Manhood, to break the bond of Deity.
'Twas even so: and if when Satan threw
A fiendish shade of subtlety and hate,
By tempting wickedness of words untrue
Into the heart of man's primeval state,
A mystery darkens round the deepest mind
Which ponders o'er that scene with prayerful thought,
How can we dream (unless by sin struck blind)
A tempted Christ, with. less of mystery fraught?
Thus doth our Athanasian symbol teach
A truth sublime which deep in Godhead dwells,
Something beyond a soaring thought to reach,
Surmounting all that wingèd reason tells,—
How in Emmanuel God and Man unite
Both natures true, in properties and powers;
The first retain'd its uncreated light,
The second, sin except, was weak as ours.
In act quiescent, though by Godhead there,
Divinity did not the man withdraw;
And thus obedient down to weeping prayer
The Infinite became, by finite law.
So may we read, with simple hearts and pure,
How thus between the Darkness and the Light
A conflict reign'd; nor let cold science lure
Our souls from faith in that mysterious fight.
No dream it was; no parable, no trance;
Nor mental ecstasy, which rapt the soul
Beyond the bounds where time and space advance
Their true conditions, or their just control:
Close to the record simply may we cleave;
Then, each temptation will to man impart
Wonders that whelm no reason to believe,
And awing wisdom which improves the heart.
Tempted by Satan, lo, the Adam first
Yielded, and fell beneath a boundless lie;
And by his fall condemn'd mankind were curst,
In whose one death all generations die!
But when again the Prince of Evil would
A second Adam likewise have assail'd,—
Based on eternity, our Rock withstood
And humanly o'er sin and hell prevail'd.
Vainly to crush Him thrice the Tempter brought
The magic fulness of infernal skill;
Nothing which sense or inward feeling wrought,
Assail'd the Holy One with shade of ill.
Far o'er the fiercest hunger faith arose;
No pride of life His meekness could o'erwhelm;
And Kingdoms of the world, as painted shows,
His heart rejected from its holy realm.
He came to suffer, long before He reign'd,
And home to God our human will to bring;
Thus, no temptation from the demon stain'd
That perfect Virtue, saints and angels sing.
Hail, Son of Mary! Arch-Elect of heaven,
Victim Divine, whose blood redeem'd our fall,
Conquer'd by grace, to Thee the world is given,—
Wield Thy love-sceptre, and subdue it all!
