Devotional Verses Founded on and Illustrative of select Texts of Scripture [by Bernard Barton] |
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QUICKENED, BUT HELPLESS. |
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190
QUICKENED, BUT HELPLESS.
“And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with
grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus
saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”
—John, xi. 44.
Is it not thus, in spirit, to this day,
With souls whom thou, O Lord, hast call'd from death,
Who, powerless, helpless, fetter'd, thus obey
The summons of thy yet life-giving breath?
With souls whom thou, O Lord, hast call'd from death,
Who, powerless, helpless, fetter'd, thus obey
The summons of thy yet life-giving breath?
Are there not those who, as in graves have lain,
Dead to the life which Thou alone canst give,
Until thy Spirit has recall'd again
Their souls, as from the dead, and bade them live?
Dead to the life which Thou alone canst give,
Until thy Spirit has recall'd again
Their souls, as from the dead, and bade them live?
The voice hath been obey'd: obey'd so far,
That vital consciousness hath own'd thy will;
But much remains thy triumph yet to mar,
And death's enthralments keep us prisoners still.
That vital consciousness hath own'd thy will;
But much remains thy triumph yet to mar,
And death's enthralments keep us prisoners still.
191
Our grave-clothes cling around us; we are bound,
And blinded by the trappings worn so long;
Thy word once more must speak, and by its sound
Render the quicken'd, but still helpless strong.
And blinded by the trappings worn so long;
Thy word once more must speak, and by its sound
Render the quicken'd, but still helpless strong.
Let not thy glorious work be incomplete;
Thyself our perfect Resurrection show,
And deign the gracious mandate to repeat,
Which then pronounc'd, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Thyself our perfect Resurrection show,
And deign the gracious mandate to repeat,
Which then pronounc'd, “Loose him, and let him go.”
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