 | Sonnets and Other Poems Chiefly Religious |  |
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SAINT PAUL IN ARABIA.
I should have known Thee as the Christ of God.I should have read aright the Prophet's words—
“A face more marred than any face of man;
A sacrifice whereof the poured-out blood
Shall sprinkle many nations; crushed, despised,
Yet strong to bear the sins and woes of all;
A Lamb in silent meekness led to death;—
Therefore Thy God shall set Thee up on high,
And from the mighty Thou shalt wrest the spoil,
And tread the Serpent underneath Thy feet.”
But for the Christ, upon a cross, to die
The death of robbers and of slaves, I deemed
Monstrous, unspeakable; and many a word
Haunted my memory from prophetic Psalms
Of Christ, a priestly monarch, riding on
To victory, with His warriors like the host
Of Heaven; the dew of youth upon His brow,
Jehovah's rod of empire in His hand,
To judge and rule amidst His enemies.
Oh, how unlike to Thee!—to Thee, betrayed,
Rejected, and abandoned by Thine own!
No dew of youth upon Thy holy brow,
But drops of blood!
The death of robbers and of slaves, I deemed
Monstrous, unspeakable; and many a word
Haunted my memory from prophetic Psalms
Of Christ, a priestly monarch, riding on
To victory, with His warriors like the host
Of Heaven; the dew of youth upon His brow,
Jehovah's rod of empire in His hand,
To judge and rule amidst His enemies.
Oh, how unlike to Thee!—to Thee, betrayed,
Rejected, and abandoned by Thine own!
No dew of youth upon Thy holy brow,
But drops of blood!
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Thy martyr Stephen first
Awoke misgiving in my secret soul.
I saw an angel's glory on his face;
I heard his words; they were not like the speech
Of one that pleadeth for his life, but words
Of some majestic teacher, when the crowd
Listens and bows in reverence;—and he spake;—
Awoke misgiving in my secret soul.
I saw an angel's glory on his face;
I heard his words; they were not like the speech
Of one that pleadeth for his life, but words
Of some majestic teacher, when the crowd
Listens and bows in reverence;—and he spake;—
“O stubborn children, deaf and blind of heart,
Ye, like your fathers, do for evermore
Resist the Holy Spirit; and our God
Will at your hands require the blood of all
His saints and martyrs poured upon the earth
From Abel on to Jesus.”
Ye, like your fathers, do for evermore
Resist the Holy Spirit; and our God
Will at your hands require the blood of all
His saints and martyrs poured upon the earth
From Abel on to Jesus.”
Then they stopped
Their ears, and rushed to stone him; but my ears
Would not be stopped; I listened, while I saw
The angel glory brightening on his face,
And he exclaimed—
Their ears, and rushed to stone him; but my ears
Would not be stopped; I listened, while I saw
The angel glory brightening on his face,
And he exclaimed—
“I see the heaven of heavens
Opened, and I behold the Son of Man
Standing beside the throne of God!”
Opened, and I behold the Son of Man
Standing beside the throne of God!”
He fell;
I saw no more, but heard his dying prayer—
“O Jesus, O my Saviour, Lord and God,
Receive my spirit, and forgive their sin!”
Jesus, the Crucified, his Lord and God!
I saw no more, but heard his dying prayer—
“O Jesus, O my Saviour, Lord and God,
Receive my spirit, and forgive their sin!”
I deemed it blasphemy; I onward went
To persecute and kill; but on my way
His dying prayer was ever in mine ear,
And in mine eyes the glory of his face,
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Dying, like Moses, in the light of God.
The more my conscience goaded me, the more
I strove with conscience; and another voice
Spake to my spirit, saying, “Persevere!
Drown thought in action!” and it had prevailed,
Until I heard Thy voice upon the way,
Speaking, O Jesus! from the height of heaven.
I could not hide me from Thy blinding light,
O Thou who knowest all my thoughts from far!
Thy love has conquered, Lord! and I am Thine.
And now, O Christ, the Vanquisher of death,
Who hast ascended far above the heavens,
Leading captivity captive, and received
Gifts from Thy God for men, that Thou mayest dwell
With pardoned rebels!—oh, forgive the past—
Thou hast forgiven it—and accept my life,
And consecrate it, that I may declare
Salvation to the nations, and proclaim
Glad tidings to the lowly and the poor;
Healing to those whose hearts are broken; light
To those who languish in the shades of death;—
And let me tell the promise of the time
When all the principalities and powers,
Thrones and dominions, of the universe
Shall be subdued to Thee, and sin and death
Shall be abolished, and Thou shalt restore
Thy power and Kingdom back to Him who gave,
That God the Father may be all in all.
| Sonnets and Other Poems Chiefly Religious | |