Household Verses By Bernard Barton |
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“A CHRISTIAN IS THE HIGHEST STYLE OF
MAN.” |
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 | Household Verses |  |
41
“A CHRISTIAN IS THE HIGHEST STYLE OF MAN.”
“Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum
puto!”
A noble thought! and worthy to awake,
From Rome's proud senate, in her palmy days,
Both for the orator's and nature's sake,
O'erwhelming echoes of accordant praise.
From Rome's proud senate, in her palmy days,
Both for the orator's and nature's sake,
O'erwhelming echoes of accordant praise.
“I am a man! and therefore to my heart
Think nothing human alien e'er can be;
That sense of union can enough impart
Of weal or woe to make it dear to me!”
Think nothing human alien e'er can be;
That sense of union can enough impart
Of weal or woe to make it dear to me!”
And, truly, in such bond of brotherhood,
To those who estimate its hidden might,
Enough is seen, and felt, and understood,
For human hearts to own its hallowed right.
To those who estimate its hidden might,
Enough is seen, and felt, and understood,
For human hearts to own its hallowed right.
42
But while I pay my homage to his
soul,
Who thus humanity could broadly scan;
And, looking only at their mighty whole,
Do honour to the natural rights of man;
Who thus humanity could broadly scan;
And, looking only at their mighty whole,
Do honour to the natural rights of man;
I can but feel—a Christian, by his faith,
May humbly stand upon yet higher ground;
And feel to all who live by vital breath
In a still dearer brotherhood fast bound!
May humbly stand upon yet higher ground;
And feel to all who live by vital breath
In a still dearer brotherhood fast bound!
Is he a follower of The Crucified—
The Nazarene—who died that all might live?
In that one bond of union is implied
More than the Roman creed could ever give.
The Nazarene—who died that all might live?
In that one bond of union is implied
More than the Roman creed could ever give.
That would but link, by human sympathy,
The noble speaker to his fellow-man;
But this makes known a closer unity
Than proud philosophy had power to scan.
The noble speaker to his fellow-man;
But this makes known a closer unity
Than proud philosophy had power to scan.
There needs no more to knit in closest thrall,
Beyond what Greek or Roman ever knew,
Than this—“One common Saviour died for all!
And rose again—to prove his mission true!”
Beyond what Greek or Roman ever knew,
Than this—“One common Saviour died for all!
And rose again—to prove his mission true!”
43
This, of itself, has a more hallowing leaven,
Than human sympathy can e'er confer;
Because its loftier hopes are linked with heaven,
And God's own word is its interpreter!
Than human sympathy can e'er confer;
Because its loftier hopes are linked with heaven,
And God's own word is its interpreter!
Then chide me not, if, yielding homage due
Unto the noble Roman's noble thought,
I hold the humblest Christian's happier view
As with a higher, holier union fraught.
Unto the noble Roman's noble thought,
I hold the humblest Christian's happier view
As with a higher, holier union fraught.
Higher—as opening up a loftier line;
Holier—as springing from a deeper root;
For love to God may be pronounced divine,
When love of man becomes its genuine fruit!
Holier—as springing from a deeper root;
For love to God may be pronounced divine,
When love of man becomes its genuine fruit!
| Household Verses | |