Poems and Songs By Robert Gilfillan. Fourth edition. With memoir of the author, and appendix of his latest pieces |
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EZEKIEL'S VISION. |
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 | Poems and Songs |  |
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EZEKIEL'S VISION.
The Spirit of the Lord from heaven
Upon Ezekiel came;
The prophet knew the voice of God,
And kindled at the same:—
“This is the valley of the dead,
Behold it wide and deep;
Where, from their troubled dream of life,
A thousand strong men sleep!
Upon Ezekiel came;
The prophet knew the voice of God,
And kindled at the same:—
“This is the valley of the dead,
Behold it wide and deep;
Where, from their troubled dream of life,
A thousand strong men sleep!
“Behold their bones in countless heaps,
That blanched and withered lie.”—
The prophet look'd upon the bones,
And they were very dry.
“Say, son of man, can these bones live,
In which no life-springs dwell?”
The prophet answer'd, “O! Lord God!
'Tis thou alone canst tell!”
That blanched and withered lie.”—
The prophet look'd upon the bones,
And they were very dry.
“Say, son of man, can these bones live,
In which no life-springs dwell?”
The prophet answer'd, “O! Lord God!
'Tis thou alone canst tell!”
312
“Then bid them hear the word of God,
And this that word shall be—
Awake, ye dead men, from your sleep,
The Lord shall set you free;
New flesh upon your bones shall come,
And skin shall gather there;
And round the clouded brow of death
I'll stamp my image fair:
And this that word shall be—
Awake, ye dead men, from your sleep,
The Lord shall set you free;
New flesh upon your bones shall come,
And skin shall gather there;
And round the clouded brow of death
I'll stamp my image fair:
“And breath I'll give, that ye again
Your Maker's praise shall sing,
Then shall ye know that I am God,
Your Saviour and your King!”
The prophet raised his voice and cry'd,
“Ye dead men, now awake!”
And, lo! a mighty noise was heard,
And all the bones did shake.
Your Maker's praise shall sing,
Then shall ye know that I am God,
Your Saviour and your King!”
The prophet raised his voice and cry'd,
“Ye dead men, now awake!”
And, lo! a mighty noise was heard,
And all the bones did shake.
And bone to bone together came,
Each bone into its place,
But cold and lifeless was each form,
And ghastly was each face;—
The eye had not yet light—the mouth,
Unmoving, still was dumb,
And from the heart no living stream
In purple tide did come.
Each bone into its place,
But cold and lifeless was each form,
And ghastly was each face;—
The eye had not yet light—the mouth,
Unmoving, still was dumb,
And from the heart no living stream
In purple tide did come.
313
“Call on the four winds, bid them blow,
And breathe upon the slain,
That they may wake to life once more,
And walk the earth again!”
“Come forth, ye winds of heaven! obey
His voice who bids ye blow;
And raise the sleepers from their sleep,
Whom death has long laid low.”
And breathe upon the slain,
That they may wake to life once more,
And walk the earth again!”
“Come forth, ye winds of heaven! obey
His voice who bids ye blow;
And raise the sleepers from their sleep,
Whom death has long laid low.”
The winds obey in songs:—they shout,
In lofty notes, his praise;
And high as ever angel soared,
Their voices forth they raise.
The dead men startle at the sound,
The breath of life is given
By Him who walks upon the wind,
And rules the host of heaven!
In lofty notes, his praise;
And high as ever angel soared,
Their voices forth they raise.
The dead men startle at the sound,
The breath of life is given
By Him who walks upon the wind,
And rules the host of heaven!
The prophet gaz'd with fear and awe
To see this living band,
That grew an army great in power—
That covered all the land.
“Who are the sleepers?—Who the dead?
Once blind, but now who see?
Whence is the vision of the bones?
And what may those things be?”
To see this living band,
That grew an army great in power—
That covered all the land.
“Who are the sleepers?—Who the dead?
Once blind, but now who see?
Whence is the vision of the bones?
And what may those things be?”
314
“These are the lost of Israel, who,
Wandering from the way,
Refuse the Witness sent from God,
Their only hope and stay;
Who sleep in darkness and in death,
And scattered o'er the plain,
Till God's free Spirit o'er them come,
And call to life again.
Wandering from the way,
Refuse the Witness sent from God,
Their only hope and stay;
Who sleep in darkness and in death,
And scattered o'er the plain,
Till God's free Spirit o'er them come,
And call to life again.
“Dark winter now around them reigns,
And dreary is their tomb;
But summer yet shall o'er them smile,
And bid the valley bloom.
Then shall their dry bones quicken'd be,
And they shall hear his word,
And know that Jesus reigns as King,
The great and mighty Lord!”
And dreary is their tomb;
But summer yet shall o'er them smile,
And bid the valley bloom.
Then shall their dry bones quicken'd be,
And they shall hear his word,
And know that Jesus reigns as King,
The great and mighty Lord!”
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