 | Sacra Poesis |  |
71
THE CHRISTIAN WARRIOR.
Arouse thee, arouse thee, thou fainting soul,
Press forward, look upward, and on to the goal!
Arouse thee, arouse thee—the tempter is near;
But shrink not, a greater than Satan is here!
Wrestle, and struggle, and strive to be free;
He scoffs, but he knows that thy God is with thee;
Hell, with the fiercest and best of its band,
Cannot o'ercome thee!—it dare not withstand
That arm of Omnipotence raised to protect thee,
That beacon of glory which beams to direct thee.
Press forward, look upward, and on to the goal!
Arouse thee, arouse thee—the tempter is near;
But shrink not, a greater than Satan is here!
Wrestle, and struggle, and strive to be free;
He scoffs, but he knows that thy God is with thee;
Hell, with the fiercest and best of its band,
Cannot o'ercome thee!—it dare not withstand
That arm of Omnipotence raised to protect thee,
That beacon of glory which beams to direct thee.
72
Arouse thee, arouse thee, and grasp thy sword,
The Gospel of promise, the Word of the Lord:
Helm thee with hope of the glory to come;
Look to thy Saviour, and think on thy home.
Resolute courage be firm in thy breast,
'Tis only in death that the Christian may rest.
Satan must sicken, and quail at the light
That leaps from thy buckler, all burnish'd and bright,
Faith be the gorgon that frowns on thy shield,
Gird thee with vigour and—on to the field!
The Gospel of promise, the Word of the Lord:
Helm thee with hope of the glory to come;
Look to thy Saviour, and think on thy home.
Resolute courage be firm in thy breast,
'Tis only in death that the Christian may rest.
Satan must sicken, and quail at the light
That leaps from thy buckler, all burnish'd and bright,
Faith be the gorgon that frowns on thy shield,
Gird thee with vigour and—on to the field!
Ho! what is the watchword my zeal to inspire?
Ho! where is the banner my ardour to fire?
On the foe rushes, in fearful array,
One lone one I, but a myriad they!
See—they come—foaming, host upon host!
How can I stand?—I am lost—I am lost.
Whom shall I “look to” for succour and might?
Who shall uphold lest I fall in the fight?
I see no arm of “Omnipotence” o'er me:
No “beacon of glory” is blazing before me!
Ho! where is the banner my ardour to fire?
On the foe rushes, in fearful array,
One lone one I, but a myriad they!
See—they come—foaming, host upon host!
How can I stand?—I am lost—I am lost.
73
Who shall uphold lest I fall in the fight?
I see no arm of “Omnipotence” o'er me:
No “beacon of glory” is blazing before me!
Faithless,—O why dost thou tremble and fear?
Jesus, the Lord over Satan, is here,—
What is thy watchword to cheer to the field?
“Emmanuel loves thee, thy glory, thy shield.”
Where is thy banner!—O seest it not,
Or hast thou his agoniz'd body forgot?
Look on him, look on him, as he bleeds on the tree,
He is bearing thy sins, he is dying for thee!
And hath he not said that the ‘Lord will provide,’
Be faithful and trust: he is at thy side!
Jesus, the Lord over Satan, is here,—
What is thy watchword to cheer to the field?
“Emmanuel loves thee, thy glory, thy shield.”
Where is thy banner!—O seest it not,
Or hast thou his agoniz'd body forgot?
Look on him, look on him, as he bleeds on the tree,
He is bearing thy sins, he is dying for thee!
And hath he not said that the ‘Lord will provide,’
Be faithful and trust: he is at thy side!
74
I see him, I see him, I am not alone,
I am leagued with the High One that sits on the throne;
Tremble, ye tempters: the Lord is my strength,
Tremble, in him I shall vanquish at length.
Ye shall quail at the flash of my conquering sword,
Ye shall howl, ye shall yield, at the sight of my Lord.
The “beacon of glory” all blazing I see,
The cross shall be ever a banner to me!
I see the great God that is smiling above me,
Ever the same, he will not cease to love me!
I am leagued with the High One that sits on the throne;
Tremble, ye tempters: the Lord is my strength,
Tremble, in him I shall vanquish at length.
Ye shall quail at the flash of my conquering sword,
Ye shall howl, ye shall yield, at the sight of my Lord.
The “beacon of glory” all blazing I see,
The cross shall be ever a banner to me!
I see the great God that is smiling above me,
Ever the same, he will not cease to love me!
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