^OF-CALIF(%, ^\\E UNIVER5/A SATAN CONQUERED, THE SON OF GOD VICTORIOUS. A POEM : IN FIVE BOOKS. BY J. W. GREEN. Effulgence of my glory, son beloved, * * For thee I have ordained it ; and thus far Have suffered, that the glory may be thine Of ending this great war. since none but thou Can end it. MILTON. ALBANY : C. VAN BENTHCTYSEN AND CO. 1844. PS PREFACE. BY a perusal of this volume, it will be seen that it does not accord with the prescribed rules of epic composition ; and that it has been no part of the author's design to allow himself a wide range of imagination, although that may be esteemed essential to true poetry; but rather to follow the course of divine truth, where all boundaries are marked by the Holy Spirit. His great object has been to present the history of Jesus Christ in conflict with the powers of dark ness, in such a form as not only to amuse, but benefit the inquiring reader ; and thereby pro mote the honor of Christ. If this end should be attained, his highest hopes will be realized. With this view he gives it to the world as it is, with the single remark: That in his judgment, there is a sublimity in the truth of God, which sets at defiance all criticism not in accordance with its holy dictates. CLIFTON PARK, N. Y., January, 1844. 904577 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, by J. W. GREEN, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Northern District of New- York. SATAN CONQUERED, &c. BOOK I. For onto us a child is born. ISAIAH ix. 6. For onto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. LfKB ii. 11. And they came with haste; and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. LUKB ii. 16. BOOK I. I COURT no fabled muse, whose fancied power, Could move the fountains of unfathomed mind, To pour rich streams of poesy and song ; Invoked too oft, invoked instead of God, By men of Christian name ! Ye patrons famed, Of liberal arts ! Ye sacred shadows all ! Your aid I ask not ; aid I need, must have, Or can not sing my Saviour's praise, whose praise To sing, is rich reward for life of toil. Thy guidance, God of truth, I ask, and ask In Jesus' name, whose praise, attempted, I Successfully may roll in numbers sweet As angels sing, to end of time. Revive In me the song of sacred mirth and joy, Of Judah's bards inspired, when harps inscribed To Israel's God, and swept by men elect, Touched sympathetic chords in hearts alive To holy melody and love. Instruct Thy humble bard, (if so much claimed, be not Presumptuous deemed, in one whose strains so low ;) The precious from the vile to separate The good retain, and mould to beauteous form ; The bad hold up in mean disgusting shape: That one may be despised, rejected hence ; The other loved, received by all as true Reflected image of the Deity! In famed Judea's ancient land, renown'd For deeds of holy men, who spoke for God ; s Where holy prophets sung inspired lays, A virgin lived. A rural maid, whose days Had passed thus far, among the vine clad hills And rural scenes of nature's richest dress, In peace and silence on, along the course Of life; as gentle streams in valleys low, Observed by few, o'erlooked by most, still urge Their winding, noiseless way to ocean's waves. Seclusion deep had thrown her curtain dark, Impenetrable, round her lowly home. A princess born by lineal tie, in birth Obscure, and little known among the great The sons of wealth and pride. She figured not At courts, nor dazzled heartless multitudes, By costly show of princely style ; yet He, Who looks with prescient glance from lofty heights Of uncreated light the home of God And calls by name the things that are not yet, Had marked her for his own, when she was not ! In council wise, eternal, he decreed That nations yet unborn should bless her name, As woman highly favored of the Lord * A mother worthy of his holy Son ! Mistaken zealots thence have blindly taught, And multitudes as blindly learned to bow Before the Virgin's shrine, addressing prayer To one but blest of God a mortal dead To importune for them the living Son ! A sinner she, and sprung from sinful root, Herself unholy, hence her holiness Imputed, and derived from attribute Of Deity. Inherent his, and most * Luke i. 88. 9 Essential to his being. Man with sense Distorted much by sin's perverting power, Has put for day, the darkness of the night; Writ over ill, 'tis good, and good, 'tis ill ; For doctrine substituted creeds of men, And taught to worship her who bore the Son ! The high and lofty One of ancient days,* His glory showed to him who lived in times Of Israel's kings. High seated on the throne, He saw the Lord in splendid majesty And honor crowned ! His train, angelic hosts, Seraphic forms of light, the temple filled ! With holy awe, profound as Ocean's depth, And faces veiled, they celebrate his praise In strains exalted as the place they fill. To him upon the throne they did not speak, But one to. other cried, and holiness To God whose glory fills the universe, Repeated thrice ! The prophet young, unused To scenes celestial, habitant of earth, As other kindred his, those who live not But in congenial element, was filled With most distressing fears, and cried, " I am undone, wo is me, sinful man! " Pure air of holiness he could not breath, Till from the throne dispatched, a seraph blest, With living fire from off the altar high, His lips had touched. Then quick as thought, Swift wing'd from pole to pole, his sins were purged, And visions bright of future bliss infused Into his soul, as pure incitements given To works prophetic, and commissioned grace 1 * Isaiah vi. 19. 10 Now strong impelled, the joyful prophet went To those rebellious, violent, and fierce ; Communicating messages of peace, From God to man. The greatest burden thus .- " The Lord to man a sign shall give : Behold ! A virgin shall conceive and bear a son ! His name, Immanuel our God with us Is called by him who calls the stars by name! "* In holy vision wrapt, the prophet's soul Was thence transported down the lapse of time To brighter days and rapturous scenes of joy. Enchanted thus he speaks in present time. As one who witness'd what good Simeon saw. And glowing lays in lofty notes begins : ' For unto us a child is born, a Son Is given ; and on his shoulders shall be laid The government of Israel's chosen host ! His name is Counsellor, and Wonderful ! The Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace ! The Mighty God ! Secret profound, divine '. By him a reign of love shall yet commence On earth with man. Established not by blood Of warriors spilled, or battles sorely won By legions armed, advancing to the shock Of conflict dread the satiate joy of hell : But means employed by wisdom infinite. Adapted not. to accomplish mighty ends In reason's choice : Approved of God and blest ! So simple, to confound the wise ; so weak. To overthrow the strong ; the gentle fire Of purifying grace I This reign begun. Shall be extended wide o'er earth's domain. " Isaiah vii. H. 11 Nor have an end, but where no tribes of men Shall dwell ! where footsteps human are not traced ! The Kingdom built on justice, judgment, love, The sceptre held by David's royal Son, Must stand 'mid changing scenes of earth and time, As pillars firm of Heaven's eternal dome ! "* Thus sung the ancient seer, and thus believed. But men of modern name, ignoble too, Who were not taught of God in school divine, And little skilled in knowledge of the Lord Unborn of him, unchanged in heart a less Exalted strain have sung proud men who love To drag Jehovah down to man's low grade ! Aspire to him, they can not, but, through Christ, Him they disdain ; and hence the equal Son, In whom the Godhead dwells, is humbled low To meet themselves ! O ! that such men could learn That God has cursed the man, who trusts in man, And makes his rebel boast in arm of flesh ! They claim him as a Saviour too, yet make Him less than Judah's King ! The heaven-born names, And titles high above the reach of man, As far as heaven from hell, employed to sing The Saviour's power, their maddened intellects Bestow to Hezekiah's praise! See here Theology, absurd, degrading, mean! Dishonoring God, exalting man above His humble place, in wise gradation fixed ! And this in spite of revelation's law ; To give that honor to the Son, we give To God ! Such is the Father's just decree. f Names rev'rend such as Gabriel may not claim, Isaiah ix. 9. t John T. 23. 12 Applied to him who is but man ; withheld From him who must be more ! Perversion blind. And mockery of thought legitimate, Or free inductive reason's course ! The chief Of hosts angelic, could not thoughts conceive Like these, in compass wide of largest mind! Egregious thoughts ! and bearing impress dark Of hellish origin, thence turned to shape In earthly mould, by imps of human form ! The hosts who bow before the throne, delight To honor him who sits thereon, as well To praise the Lamb ! Rejoicing much in view Of grace ineffable, when erring man Is turned from sin to God ! Redemption's work Is magnified to them ; the reason hence That jewels fresh are added to the crown Of Christ their King. So harps of gold are tuned Anew to praise, and swept by holy hands ! Ye sons of God ! Inhabitants of heaven ! If eyes celestial, used to medium such As vision infinite employs, can look Through twilight shades upon the friends of God Profess'd, on earth, who pluck from brows divine The crown imperishable, highest joy To all your sacred throng before whose throne, Ye wear no crowns, but cast them at his feet, Ascribing majesty to him O, say, If blush ye can, does not the crimson flush Of shame indignant, tinge your hallowed cheecks T The hurried course of ever rolling time, In whose revolving sphere the checkered scenes Of human life are seen, has ushered in The latter days. Years pregnant with events 13 Important way-marks on historic page To rebel man have fled and mingled long With ancient ages gone ! Proud empires, strong Intrenched by policy and art of man, Have passed as trackless visions' flight ! No trace Of Babylon, glory of kingdoms styled, The Chaldee's beauty, now is found ! And where The Medo-Persian kings of by-gone fame ? Or Grecian reign of brass ? Now Herod sits On David's throne, yet not by right divine, By usurpation gained by Caesar's power Oppressive days of iron rule, to all The chosen tribes of remnant Israel's host. They walked not in the way marked out of God, But turned away : He turned from them, and gave The kingdom to their foes. For Jacob's sake Beloved, the God of Jacob will not cast Them quite away. The sacred promise made To fathers blest, to all the waiting seed, Must be performed ; else where the truth of God ? The kingdom, in unearthly, glorious form The Spirit's reign of bliss must be restored To Israel's King ! Dark clouds of midnight hour, With storm surcharged, and dire forebodement fill'd, At morn's approach, their threatening mien oft change To brighter view, and seem embodied forms Aerial, dipp'd in rays of coming light ; So seemed the cloud which long o'er Judah hung, Now scattered by return of moral dawn ! The eyes unused to light, are blinded soon By that which eyes accustomed, grateful bear ; So men of Israel shrink to darkness back, Or twilight dim their wonted element To wait the preparation meet! The son 2 14 To be of virgin born, will introduce A dispensation new ; abolish rites In veneration held ; shake principles And laws of ancient strength, till naught remain. Established hence, approved of God and loved ; But worship spiritual, humble, meek, Of pomp devoid and showy trappings stripp'd Religion's beauteous, holy form, disrobed Of earth's deforming garb, in Heaven's own light And glory then reflected. Former rites Indeed, much glory claimed, as well they might, And challenged all of Pagan stamp, because Of origin divine ordained of God Till Christ the promised seed should come. But a The stars of morning fade before the sun, In splendor coming forth, so vanish all The former, when the lattr comes ! So mucb, Of revelation's brilliancy at once Displayed, would but confound, and overwhelm Where it should strengthen most! Among the throng Attendant round the throne of God, was one, As all, in borrowed light and radiance clothed, But favored much, and chosen oft to do His will, and go on missions to the earth. New Gabriel leaves the ranks elect, and wings His trackless way through space ethereal, To man's abode ! He comes to those belov'd Of God and man, who blameless lived, and walk'd In paths divine. The man, a priest of God, Appointed to Abia's course, whose lot Was then to offer incense up to Him At consecrated hour, in sacred courts, Whilst multitudes were bowing down without. Approaching thus the altar of his God, 15 Behold a form divine, in light arrayed, And brilliant as the sun at cloudless noon, In brightest blaze, his entrance waiting stood ! Affixed as marble statues are, so was The priest affrighted fixed ! Advance, or fle, He neither could ; nor yet could speak ; with fear His tongue was paralyzed ! To whom the son Of light discourse began : " Fear not Thy prayer Is heard. Thy spouse shall bear a son, of joy To thee, and many more ! A festive day When he is born ! Repentant crowds shall catch With eager ear, the pleasing strains of truth Soft music from his lip. He shall be great In sight of Him who estimates aright Man's greatness ; weighs in scales of balance just, All human claims." The preface sucL, employed To calm good Zacharias' fears, in smooth And gentle numbers flowed, as streams of oil O'er polished planes may run. His strength restored, Composure gained, he now can hear from God The message superhuman. Office kind And necessary. How can man receive Such visitants from Heaven, and start not back With awe? To his dark mind they mirror forth God's majesty and dread, as rays of light, In solemn night, by Sol's bright counterfeit, To earth sent back ! Affected thus was he, Who visions saw at ancient Ulai's banks, And Hiddekel's broad stream ; nor sense, nor strength, Regained, until the words, " O man beloved, Fear not !" with angel sweetness were pronounced !* A reason clear to finite minds, why mind * Daniel x. 19, 16 Eternal, infinite, accredits man To go on holy embassy to man, From courts celestial ! Station honored much , Exalted most on earth ! Diplomacy Of heaven to plead instead of Christ, with man! Compared with this, the envoyship of earth, As molehills at the base of Alpine heights, Or distant stars beside the orb of night, Appears! Engraved on truth's fair page we read, If prophet's word's despised, persuasive power Is lost, though herald from departed shades, Should come, unfolding secrets of the dead!* Ye favored men ! whose office holy, hearts Engaged, what task is yours ! persuading man To yield allegiance due to God, from whom Revolted ! You by power divine, perform AVhat God intends : The labor yours, as means Adapted wise to ends omnipotent ; The glory His, and most befitting so : Your strength, inadequate to work so vast ; Efficiency alone can come from Him ! Important still, and glorious toil, to work With God, and He with you ! accomplishing What angels can not do, nor yet may know, As known by you .' What though unknown to those Who turn in pride away, reject with scorn The message kind, and mark with stern contempt Credentials wise the cross you bear ; well known Are ye to Him who sends ye forth, and those Beloved of Him ! What though despised ; in turn They are despised of Him, and turned away When most they need, and loudest cry for aid ' ' Luke xvi. 31 17 Resumed the angel : " Abstinence entire From wine and stronger drinks, in Him unmoved. An advocate shall find, whose precept pure, And firm resolve, as equals true, concur ! He shall be early with the Spirit filled : A preparation for the work of God Designed, most gracious and magnificent! In deeds by Him performed, Elijah's fire Shall be renewed ; his spirit roused ; his zeal Revived ; his power exhibited ! For He Shall reconcile the father's stubborn heart, To sons of cherished hate ! and bitter foes, Of alienation long, in fond embrace Shall fold each other close, as absent friends Returned, are clasped by waiting loved ones, home ! For Israel's seed, in numbers large, shall turn To God, from sin ; to wisdom just, from folly's course ; To true obedience back, from rebel ways ! " But Zacharias questioned how the word, With solemn sanction given, should be fulfilled In order fixed, legitimate the course Of nature's law appointed. Stupid man, Forgetful of the power which spoke all things To being first, in hours of unbelief, Will find some things with God impossible ! To whom the angel stern replied : "I stand Before the Lord! My errand down to earth, To make these tidings known and faithless thou ? Thy tongue its office shall not do ; thy lips Remain in silence closed, until the day The promised good shall be enjoyed!" Then flew On joyful wing to heaven. The season pass'd. The child was born ! The father's tongue unloosed, 2* 18 Redeeming time in silence passed, began A strain of lofty praise to God : " The God Of Israel visits thus His chosen ones, Delivering them from foes of hatred deep ; Performing promises to our fathers made ; Restoring back their palmy days of good, When Israel worshipped Him in truth, and none Could make afraid ; that we may serve Him now, In righteousness and holiness again, as when Jerusalem and Judah offered prayer, And sacrifice acceptable to Him, And pleasant in the former years! Thou, child! The prophet of the Highest called, shalt go Before the face of Him who comes to bless The world with joy unutterable! Thou, Preparing ways for Him, who must prepare The way for thee ; with joyful heart and tongue, Shalt publish far, what thou, thyself hast learned, Not in scholastic halls, where science spreads Her tempting sweets to mental appetite, But from above, by inspiration taught, Thou shalt receive the knowledge of the truth The Spirit's science taught by Him who sits A teacher wise, deep skilled in things divine, The Lord, omniscient and omnipotent! To give this knowledge to His people, thine As organ of communication chosen ; And instrument in hand divine, to make A preparation wise, appropriate For more extended grace. 'Tis also thine, As orbs opaque reflect in milder rays The sun's bright beams, to pour the softer streams Of heavenly light on lands where darkness long Has brooded, 'gendering blackness and despair." 19 Who's thus address'd? This personage, whose birth Announced by herald angel's voice ? Is this The Christ? Elijah risen? Expected messenger ! Elias promised ! John the harbinger Of Christ! The twilight gray succeeding night ! The day premonished ; day-spring of a morn, Whose glories shall eclipse the mid-day sun, As when mad Saul, with threatening mischief filled, On hellish errand to Damascus sent, Distressing saints, delighting fiends, deprived Of sight, struck down to earth and overwhelmed With awe, with bursting heart for sin's reproach, With anxious soul for grace withheld, cried out, What must I do ? The porter, opening wide The portals of religion's ancient dome : Long closed by frowardness, contempt of good, Rich blessings richest in the gift of God Unthought of, undervalued and despised ; Improved not to his glory. Opened now, To welcome earth's expected guest from heaven ! The voice a theme of prophet's lays of one In places solitary, crying loud, As thunders roar, or voice of him, who stands On sea and land, "Let all prepare his way!* Let mountains sink, let valleys rise, let seas Retire, wide waters melt away, and earth A plain of vastness great become all earth Entire, quick changed, in richest beauty dress'd That glorious feet, with unobstructed grace, And dignity divine, may tread these yet Unhallowed paths! " Is this a fancy sketch, O'erwrought by hands unpracticed in the art, Unstudied and unskilled ? Obtruded on ' Luke, iii. 5. 20 The sight by glaring tints, and harmony Despoiled? Be not deceived. The picture's drawn By guided hand. A master's draft light, shade, And outline his ! Prospective seen and known! As beacon light to mariners appears In starless night, to guide them safe to port Desired, so's light prophetic to the eye Of christain faith. All prophecy must stand, Shall be fulfilled, in Heaven's appointed time ; This now in part, but then, all parts complete. The day of judgment day of God, the dread Of all who love not Him ; the truth denied, The promise disbelived by scoffers bold, In latter days ; must first with grandeur come ! A grandeur awful, glorious dreadful day ! The fiery advent must precede. The earth, Old earth, in form must pass away ! The curse Pronouced for man's abuse of happiness Conferred, must be removed : The early form And loveliness of earth restored. What scenes Of beauty inexpressible, will charm The sense of man renewed capacities Unbounded, unrestrained enjoyment's range ! O, for a soul of vivid imagery, And fire, and master's hand, to paint in bright, Enduring form, the beauties, sparkling, rich, Unparalleled, which renovated earth, In fresh primeval state, will then present ! Or which, far better, most desired by minds With truth enlightened influence divine The powerful breathing of the Holy Ghost, To w r aft me o'er the flowing tide of truth, Avoiding rocks and shoals on either hand; A guide to follow inspiration's track, 21 That as I pass in rapid course along, I may, in numbers sweet as harps of gold, To music tuned by holy choirs above, Repeat in perfect strains, the glowing songs, Once sung by those whose souls were fired by torch Of Heaven! The wilderness and desert lands* Shall blossom as the rose, (redeemed from sin ;) Transition, sudden as the lightning's gleam, From sterile gloom, to perfect beauty's dress ; Assemblages of beauties, skirted round By beauties richer still, and dazzling bright, As rubies' countless rays of infinite Variety. The fir, renowned of old, Instead of thorns shall grow ; the myrtle, fresh With fragrance sweet as morning flowers emit, In place of briars come : The barren grounds, By thirst parched up, where dragons lately dwelt, Shall be transformed to fertile, grassy plains, With rushes interspersed ; where living streams Meandering through with gentle flow, shall lave Their verdant shores ! Whence pleasant myrtle groves, Exhaling most delicious sweets by day No night shall intervene and arbors gay, Inviting, cool, where angels might repose Shall side by side, continuous range the earth Around ! Fair paradisean flowers, exotic once, But now indigenous, shall bloom as far As customed eye can look, like polished gems Of various hue, bright glittering o'er the plains ! Each floweret fanned by lambent breeze, soft, pure As angel's breath or balmy air of heaven, Beneath whose leaves and petals fair, to light Congenial spread, no deadly serpent lurks, * Isaiah xxxv. and IT. 22 An enemy to man ! The scorching rays Of noon-tide suns, and mists of darker day, As well as shadows of the night, shall pass As things of other times, away ; and light Subdued and mellow sunless light of Heaven O'er all the scene, from God, shall radiate! The garden of the Lord, and He the light Thereof, amid whose groves and arbors green, Bless'd man, renewed in image lost, may walk With God, as Adam walked in Paradise With Him : communication sweet, ecstatic bliss, And interchange of burning thought, impress'd By love divine, upon the soul, whilst here Imbodied, struggling with the flesh, confined In house of clay, with organs physical, Adapted not to faculties redeem'd, Capacities for bliss and God- like deeds ! Then savage beasts shall be subdued. The wolf," The lamb's most dreaded foe, voracious, wild, Shall sleep among the flock ; the tender kids, In quiet shall repose within the grasp Of leopards fierce, and fearful once to man ; Young lions, fatlings, calves incongruous group Together dwell as sportive children, young And innocent, of kindred blood and name ! The cow and bear at one appointed crib Well stored, shall feed ; the lion, dreaded most, Because of powers destructive most possess'd, As docile then shall be, as yielding ox Accustomed to the yoke : And infants weak, Unpracticed with the goad, shall guide them well, As shepherds lead their flocks ! How great the change ! * Isaiah xi. 6 23 The serpent of his poison dispossess'd, Destructiveness in name, and but in name, Will then exist ; and dwellers on the earth , Excepted none alas ! how many now ! Shall know and love the Lord : Delighted most, To hold communication with their King And Saviour, such as those redeemed from death Of body, spirit, both, enjoy. Enjoyed Alone, till then, by those who sing the song In Heaven peculiar to themselves. Is this Millennial glory? Kingdom of the saints, A thousand years before the Judge shall come f The judgment first ! Shall faith be found on earth* When He shall come ? Has He not said that tares With wheat together grow till harvest time? The harvest of the earth, when wicked men, Like vintage ripe, are reaped of God, and crushed As grapes are crushed, by his vindictive wrath 1 Dismissed from present waiting at the throne Of Majesty on high, where joyful bow, With reverential awe and listening ear, To catch divine command, ten thousand sons Of light, by twice ten thousand multiplied, Gabriel returns to earth ! His errand great And glorious ! Heaven rejoiced and man redeem'd ! Now shrink to nothing back, and hide your heads Ye mighty ones of earth, as reptiles mean From light unwelcome ! Gabriel pass them by ! Thy visit, long looked for, presaging much Of God's intentions, hitherto concealed, Shut up in secret cabinet of mind Eternal ; big with good or ill to man, ' Daniel vii. 2627 : Rev. xi. 1518 24 Is not for them! God looks upon the heart. Those who commend themselves, are not approved, But whom the Lord commendeth. Haste away To Nazareth. The virgin known of God And favored, waits thy coming. Mary, blest Among the fair, behold thy visitant! Who, eager his great message to reveal, With gladden'd haste begins : " Hail favored one! The Lord is with thee, fear thou not ! Thou shalt, Through intercourse with God, the Holy Ghost, Conceive conception wonderful ! unknown To earth ! Miraculous, unique, sublime ! The incarnation of the Deity ! God-head imbodied ! Heaven His presence void, If fullness infinite vacuity Can know, to give rich plenitude to earth! Thou shalt bring forth a son the Son of God ! To Him the throne of David shall be given ; And He shall reign in righteousness and peace O'er Jacob's house forever ! " Then away The angel back to Heaven. By custom fixed, Ordained of God, and venerated long, The virgin was espoused to a man devout And well disposed, of David's royal house. The nuptials yet unsolemnized, for God Had intervened. His great designs, replete With bliss to man eternity of bliss, In time commenced, and glory to himself Resulting, glory brilliant most in what Designed for man rich grace exemplified, Must first be consummated ! Heaven and earth In her must be united! Holy bans ! Enduring as eternity! In her Conjoined must God and man j these two in one ! 25 One glorious personage, with character Conformed and nature not his own! Assumed, put on as kings put on disguise ! Angelic, nor yet human ; nor divine ; But human and divine united, one! Mystery sublime! God manifest in flesh! He, one in flesh with us, that we with Him, In spirit one, and nature might become ! Now Joseph, unadvised of God's design, Reluctant stood, meanwhile perplexed, and mused As one distress'd, and hesitating much With justice what, or honor to himself, Or what comport with claims of her betroth'd, Should then be done ; nor could he well decide. At night, when sleep had sealed his eyes, (not sense For truth's reception,) God, who slumbers not, Appeared in vision saying : " Fear not thou, Nor hesitate. Take Mary to thyself As spouse beloved and virtuous as thyself. Miraculous to thee and wonderful, But not with God, is what thou seest. The child An heir of God, and by the Holy Ghost Begotten, shall save from sin's accursed power His chosen ones ; and Jesus thou shall call His name!" The morning came, and with it came A brighter day for Joseph. Doubts and fears The equipose of mind, distressing state To all but sluggish souls, inert where most Would be excited, active and awake To cause and sequence, else of import slight Were now dispelled by voice of God to him Addressed, as shades of thickest night dispersed Before the light of day ! Thrice happy man ! 3 26 Advised of God in case most critical And difficult of choice ! Domestic ills, With their attendant train of woes accursed, Most cruel jealousies and burning strifes, And disappointed hopes, with crushed desires Of early fancied bliss, for life involved ! But happy most in choice, at God's command Obedient made. Allied to her whom God Had bless'd reputed father of the Son ! To be affianced thus, might Gabriel wish, If he could covet earthly bliss, or ask What mortals may of God. Now Mary's cup Of pleasure's filled. A cup no mortal drank Before, or shall. Ingredients mixed, and well Adjusted to a taste refined by grace And intercourse with God. No good desire Unsatisfied ; no appetite unfed ; No thirst for living waters, deep, unslaked ; Perfected bliss! Attainment highest that Her state can reach ! Now she seeks, wisely seeks, As others of her sex, a confidant And friend of kindred blood and mutual choice, To whom she may, with added bliss, (because She may,) communicate her fullest joy! Her object fixed and mind established well, With good intent and buoyancy of soul She treads with swift untiring feet, the hills And dales of her loved native land ; nor rest, Nor respite knows until that object's gained. The way pursued, enchanting to the eye, In nature's wild profusion rich. Bright meads Extending far, bedecked with dewdrops fresh, Glittering in morning light as diamonds'set, Or pearls in crowns of gold, by princes worn ; 27 The verdant copse, now skirting wide the scene Where feathered warbles pour sweet melody Unmixed, from nature's fount, (instructed well By Him who guides their flight ;) the landscape fair, Spread out like painted fields of heathen fame, In loveliest view from elevations green, Are passed unheeded by ? And soon the place Desired, is near, and she with beating heart, At cottage door beloved, in waiting stands, The customed saluation to receive. The greeting welcome, oft received and given, Not now received. Not one that custom makes Respectful and expected greeting which The Holy Ghost inspired : " Hail, Mary, blest! Of women blest in what thou hast believed, Most richly blest, and what received of God ! The promise given to thee, most gracious, freely given, Embracing what the prophets sung, and kings Have waited long to see, shall be redeemed. Why am I honored thus ? More honored far, Than David's royal line of sceptred ones, To Zedekiah last, till heir of God Appointed. Honor more than man bestows On fellow man, with pageantry of earth, In triumph given for deeds of valor done ; Or visit royal, state and equipage Befitting, made to those of equal grade The mother of my Lord hath come !" To whom Responded Mary, thus : " My soul enlarged, Doth magnify the Lord, as mediums fit, From earth's position viewed, do magnify The orbs of heaven! My spirit hath rejoiced : Unspeakable my joy ! Chosen of God, In low estate, and visited of Him ! 28 From hence, not only thou, but nations great r Shall bless the mother for the Son, more blest ! He, who is mighty to subdue His foes, To favor friends, ordains it so. Holy, He, And reverend be His name ! His mercy great, From generations gone to end of time, Is shown to those who fear His name ; not those Who proudly soar in vain, imagined flights, Above their wingless fellow tribes ; above Whose grade they cannot soar, but ever doomed The same reality's degree in spite Of unavailing efforts, madly made, Repeated oft, and still the same. Such men Are scattered by His arm, as lightnings dread Are scattered from the cloud ; as chaff is blown Before the storm ! In their own net they're taken! Cast down in guilty, vain imaginings ! With triumph flushed, where's yielded honor less To victor, than to vanquished. Triumph base, Infernal, o'er the poor, enslaved, oppressed, And friendless ; here, among the just condemn'd, Reproachful, cruel ; celebrated loud In hell, with most malignant jubilee I His arm is strong revealed, in justice bared, To humble those exalted ; raise to seats Of power and honor, those cast down, oppressed : To fill the poor with good, and others turn The rich and proud, who look within themselves For good away, unsatisfied, despised !" The King of kings, and King invisible, By power unknown, contemned, by few confess'd, His sceptre sways o'er earth as well as heaven. Vile man, in all the universe, is led By hand unseen through life's extent, is led 29 On earth denied, in hell acknowledged, felt ! His wrath's restrained, and turned from mad designs Against designs omnipotent, divine ; As proud Sennacherib was turned, by hook Of God, and led from spoil and conquest plann'd Against Jerusalem ! From motives base, And selfish ends, man oft unwittingly Co-operales with God, effecting what His purpose fixed, whose word as pledged by man Inspired, in things minute shall faithful stand, And prove His prescience clear : " Thou Bethlehem,* Of Judah, small, not least ; for out of thee The Governor shall come, as Prince to rule My people well!" To this must Caesar's law Conform. 0, monarch great ! Augustus named! August thyself, in vain conception thine ; Ambitious. Worm thou art in sight of God! Thy great designs, encircling policy Of state extended ; policy in which The good or ill of many is involved, And government of empire vast, of right Administered ; thy splendid plans promulged, Promote, unknown to thee, the cause of God! Now Israel's tributary host, oppressed, Submissive to the Roman yoke, imposed As chastisement divine, obedient each To Caesar's wide decree, repair to place Respective natal origin and house, To render tribute to their king. A group Of opposite varieties : The man Of age and judgment fixed ; the child of days * Matthew ii. 6. 3* 30 And mind expansive ; volatile and staid ; Illiterate and learned ; polite and rude ; The credulous and sceptical ; the rich And poor ; religious, irreligious all With one desire impell'd. Among the crowd, Were two, by higher, holier motive led ; A modest pair intent to honor God, By honoring His behest to honor kings ! Quite unobstrusive they, and less observed, Than those of forward mien. Unknown to most, Yet known of God important links in chain Of His design to bless the world ! O, God ! Mysterious Thou, and none can trace Thy ways ; Thy home is in the whirlwind and the cloud, Thy footsteps trackless, and Thy paths unknown! The weary pair arrive at Bethlehem, But luckless, find no room, where others find A goodly fare, for compensation paid! No costly lodging theirs! No stately pomp, By citizens of David's ancient town Displayed, to welcome strangers eminent With God ! A stall their lodging place ! A place For cattle fitted ! Be astonished earth, Ungrateful to your King Here Christ was born! No furnished nursery's attendant state, Nor splendid style, nor festive season gay ; Nor gratulations meet, to princes given Of meaner name, by right of royalty Received ; in adulation blind bestowed ! His pillow coarse, the refuse straw ; His bed, The manger rude, where oxen fed ! No peal* Of acclamation break upon the ear, Nor demonstrations joyous fill the air, To mark the spot, and solemnize the deed ! 31 Vet celebrated round the throne of God And marked, an era new to earth and heaven ! The burning sun his ever circling car, Down earth's declivity had rolled ; his light Trailing afar, bright gilding nature's scenes, Had fled away and left instead, the gloom Of night to settle down on Palestine : A company of shepherds silent sat, And watched their resting flocks. They led them forth By day, to graze along the streams, and feed Amid refreshing meads ; at night they watched With care, lest ravening wolves, with eagar haste, Should waste their charge defenceless image fit, To shadow forth the Saviour's care for sheep, Redeemed by him with price of blood ! To these, Employed to watch their flocks the patriarchs Were such, and loved of God the Lord appeared! . As when by him on Patmos seen, or him, At Horeb's mount ; the angel his, who came, As representative of Deity ! Celestial light the glory of the Lord, Which rested on the camp in cloudy form, And marked the way by night, as fiery guide, To marching Israel's host His presence now Revealed ! As Moses at the mount of God, These men affrighted, trembling stood. To whom The angel : " Fear ye not ; behold I bring You tidings good and joyous ; tidings great ! To earth's extent and end of time embraced, By all expectants of the promised good Messiah's advent ! Born to you this day, Is Christ the Lord ; at David's city born !" Then quick as angel's flight, the song of Heaven, Was thence transferred to earth : A multitude 32 Of heavenly habitants were praising God, In notes celestial ; grateful to the ear Of Him whose praise they sing. Anthem of God ! Sung before time began ; again, when earth, From chaos rose, in Eden's beauty dress'd ; And now, with added notes of harmony, Revised in Heaven! Angelic choir on earth! Ye shepherds wonder ! Mountains echo back The sounds seraphic ! Hark ! How exquisite The strains ! as thunders, loud ; as trumpets, shrill ; Yet soft as breath of God, they roll along, As sweetly borne, in peals successive borne Upon the midnight air ! The counterpart Was sung in Heaven ; harmonious sung, by all The sons of God, with those of earth ; in this Alone harmonious : The occasion fit, To wake the slumbering lyres of Heaven ; so long By sins of earth imposed to silence dread, Because no door of hope was opened there For guilty man ! Ye holy choirs of God ! Reserve your songs for triumphs of his Son : Triumphs which soon shall wake the songs of earth, For man shall join in concert with yourselves ; Eternal, joyous concert j once commenced Shall never cease, but each continuous note, Original, add interest to the whole ! His praise deserved, appropriate, ye well Have sung ; His glory seen by you above ; To Him ye bowed and hallelujahs sung, Before He left the throne to dwell with man ! The burden of this song, unknown, unsung On earth before, was sung to celebrate A day of peace and glory to the world ! 33 From Abel's death the martyr first, who fell By brother's hand accursed, the work of hell On earth commenced till now, Messiah's birth, The blood of murderous murdered sires, has cried From thirsty grounds, which drank its flowing streams And garnered them as witness of their deeds, For vengeance on the sons ! Thus, earth, enriched With blood of man, has reaped a harvest ripe, Of wars successive, murders multiplied, And horrors dire, as fruit legitimate ! No hostile legions now with heavy tread, Moving to meet the hated foe, shall shake The solid earth, or sweep like autumn's storms, With angry blast, o'er cultured plains ; nor dread Imperial hosts with vengeance fired, march forth Against provincial foes enslaved at most, Not conquered j won by friendship, not by chains But Peace, like mercy's angel, winged in heaven, Delighted spreads her pinions o'er the earth ! From old Euphrates to Atlantic's shore, No cry to arms alarms the timid soul, Or courage frantic breathes in bolder hearts ! No martial bugle breaks the quiet air, With strains of dissonance to earth and heaven, Which rudely give the fearful note of war Of havoc wild, and thousands slain ; for Peace Her olive sceptre holds, and earth obeys ! The temple consecrate to Peace at Rome Strange offering for a nation bred to arms Is closed, betokening good! " Pacific age !" The adumbration of Messiah's reign ! If ought of earthly policy, or state, May show the glories of that kingdom forth, Where peace of God, from him derived, begets 34 As motive pure, each thought, each bosom swells, As spring impulsive moves all hearts to deeds Of love and joy, and holy consonance ! The shepherds heard the message sent from God And pondered, as did Mary, what they heard. A Saviour born! at Bethlehem! the Christ, Whose advent once was sung by bards of old ! This truth, so strange, communicated thus, Aroused their torpid minds to active state, And energy determinate. As when By martial music roused, the war-horse trained, To battle leaps impetuous ; so haste These men to Bethlehem, where Jesus lay! Their flocks were left in care of Him who cares For all, and provident for all in wide Creation's range, from insects small, that hum His praise in groveling strains, to angels high, Who strike the lyres of God. Their thoughts Were turned to Him the chief of shepherds born, And sheep of pasture His. The Spirit taught Them thus to think, and led them to the place Announced. The infant Saviour there they saw ! Their eyes with rapture lingered on the babe The embryo perfections of their Lord As on some scene enchanting ! Nor could they Well forbear ; innocence, nay, Heaven itself Was pictured there, in lineament and form ! The smile of love, unearthly love, played round His lip of rosy sweetness, as soft winds Around earth's gayest blossoms ; and His eye Expressive, beamed with new delight, by man Not understood, by angels seen, not known- Delight to do his Father's will to live 35 On earth a life of sorrow, sorrow more Than man can suffer or conceive ; to die A death that death, can pencil paint, or pen Describe? accursed, glorious death ; of man Reproached, of God exalted, glorified ! They gazed and felt, and caught the glow of Heaven f And then returned, rejoicing as they went, Ascribing praise to God, and glory new ! The consequence as constant as the cause Unvarying, they published what they saw. As Philip, when he found the one of whom The prophets wrote, to others said, " Come see !" The woman to Samaria's sons, when she The Saviour saw and heard at Jacob's well, " Come see the man ;" so every one who sees And hears the Son of God with faith, will ope For God, his mouth, and speak for Him, in praise Of grace bestowed, and life received ; for this Is life, to know Jehovah and His Son ! The joyful parents, grateful to their God, Present with prudent haste, the child to Him,* As was required by law which Moses gave : That first born males were holy to the Lord And His peculiar sons, unless redeemed By price determined ; and exempted thence From service Levi's sons performed by choice Of God, instead of those first sanctified To Him, and ransomed from Egyptian chains. t The Son of God was sanctified to Him For service none but He could do ! No price, Or ransom paid, exemption claims for Him From gracious work man's lost estate requires. * Exodus xiii- 2. t Numbers viii. 1418- 36 Nor would He seek exemption, where accrues No privilege, but privilege to yield Subjection liability engaged By Him, 'in covenant eternal made. His work, to magnify the law of God,* By passive sufferance first, obedience then, And voluntary. Jesus was redeemed, As first-born sons from priestly service due. Made under law and subject to the law, In Him the law must be fulfilled, and have Through Him. for righteousness, an end to all Believers in His name those justified Of God, acquitted thus through perfect grace .' Now Simeon blest, a man devout and just, Who waited long for Israel's hope and joy, Was by the Spirit led to approach the courts Of God, where sacrifice was offered up To Him for Jesus' sake the customed gift, For sons redeemed. To him it was revealed That he should see the Christ before his death Should come, though aged then, and feebly burned The lamp of Ife ! He took the child and said He spoke as one inspired of God : " Now let Thy servant, Lord, depart in peace, as Thou Hast said. I have Thy great salvation seen, As man's desires, and great as Thou art great ! Where man is lost, where sin is found, as wide As heaven and deep as hell ; to ends of earth Extended. Light of God to lighten man ; Prepared before the face of all, to shine On all the Gentile lands, neglected long And far from God, as well as Jews brought nigh ; ' Numbers zviii. 1516 : Lake ii. 24. 37 Those favored long with oracles divine. The book of God and sacrifices blest, Communications new and prophets wise, To point the way to Him. The far off now Brought near, shall be the heirs of life with Christ!" The parents wondered much at what was said Of Him, their Son. The good man blest them both, Then to the mother said : "A sword shall pierce Thee through, when He by wicked hands is slain! Then shall thou feel a mother's love a love Excessive, not misplaced, on such a Son As daggers piercing through thy soul ! Then thou Shalt see Him, not as Son of God by faith, For thee expiring ; but thy own dear Son, By brutal men destroyed ! And faultless He ; Destroyed to gratify malicious foes ! Thy heart shall bleed, but He, the Son of God Shall hold thee up and bind thy broken heart ! He shall be spoken of as sign of ill,* And omen of the nation's fall ! By Him Shall many fall in Israel ; others rise. The first be last, and last be first : For last Shall Israel rise again. Rejected first, For first rejecting Him ; received again, The living from the dead ! Their fulness hence, t When Gentile fulness ends, and blindness long Judicial curse for imprecations bold And blasphemous shall be removed ; the veil Taken off, and they with joy behold their own Messiah as he is ! Dispersed and peeledj Among the nations round, as God hath said, ' Luke ii. 34. t Rom. xi. ch. J Deut. xxx. 110. 4 38 They shall be gathered thence in latter days, And settled on their old estates the land Their fathers occupied. To Abra'm promised first. And to his seed, in generations theirs,* To end of time ! Then will He be their God Again, forever theirs ! Dispersed no more ! Reproached no more! Their day of glory come ! "t The old man ended here, his message sealed, And calmly waited for the approach of death I What scenes of novel joy will greet the eye ! New beauties rise along the ancient plains, In quick succession rise, like shifting scenes In fancied dramas painted ! Barren lands^ Grown rich and fertile, tilled again and sown ; As Eden yielding fragrant flowers, and more Substantial fruit ; new cities built, unwalled And safe, with neither bars nor gates to ward The foe ; Jerusalem inhabited Again in former place, and called the throne Of God ; the holy place, where tribes devout Shall worship Him in truth, through Christ His Son! The sons of strangers then shall build their walls, || And dress their vines ,- come bending at their feet, In servile office waiting ! Robb'd of them Before, they robb'd in turn, shall minister To wants of those they crushed ! They shall not plant * And others eat j to them again the vine Shall yield its fruit nutritious. Safely they Shall dwell and safely worship God, in form And pattern primitive the church of Christ,** * Gen. xvii. 8. Ezk. xxxvii. 11. IT Isaiah Ixv. 21-22. t Ezk. xxxvi. | Isaiah be. 10. ** Jerem. iii. 15-18 t Ezk. xxxvi. 8-12. 39 Apostles built ! Then men of heathen name, Of languages and nations far, shall hold The skirts of hasting Jews with deadly grasp,, Whilst they imploring say, " We'll go with you To repossess the land there God shall dwell !"* The jubilee to Israel promised long ; To Gentiles never ! blessings which these now Enjoy, and richly, end when glorious daysf To Jews commence ! The Saviour's looked for reignt On earth, is promised where, before the Lord As Judge shall come? Earth's jubilee entire, When anti-Christ shall cease ! The prophet false, And beast shall fall, the judgment set, and they In righteous sentence doomed, together writhe And rage, eternal in the burning lake ! And then shall sound the trump of God, the trump Of final doom to man ; and voices great, In heaven proclaim the universal reign Of Christ ! Till then shall Satan live ; nor taste The second death prepared, until this day Of glory's passed the thousand years of peace On earth ! But shorn of strength, and glory spoiled, As chieftain dread of hellish hosts, no power Shall then possess to push the nations on To fierce encounter! Swords to ploughshares turned, || Shall pierce the soil instead of man, and spears To hooks, the vine shall dress, nor drink man's blood Again, till Satan loosed from prison comes ; And comes to those, who dwell in Gentile lands, To urge them on to war and spoil desired ! Then ploughshares back to swords, and hooks to spears, Those instruments of death, shall quick be changed, Zeck. viii. 23. J 2 Tim. iv. 1. II Joel iii. 10, and Isaiah * Dcut. xxx 7 : Hosea iii. 4-5. Rev. xi. 15. ii. 4. 40 And hosts untold of mighty men, as led By him, shall march against Jerusalem !* With martial pomp and warlike dread, shall come In long and threatening lines drawn out, as when A cloud of wide extent and big with storm The lightning's flash and distant thunder's roar Rising with tempest's flight, begets deep fear And quailing horrors in the soul ! The last Great armament of earth ! Earth's strength combined Against Almighty God aad Israel's host I The city aad the camp of saints beloved, They will intrench encouraged by what's gained To daring fight and desperation bold ! But God shall fight for Israel: Weapons aimed At those He loves, shall turn aside, or fall As harmless down as leaves of autumn fall To earth's soft bosom, shaken by the wind ; For He shall rain upon their bands, from heavenf An overflowing storm of hailstones great, And fire with brimstone mingled ! They shall fall Their hosts entire, upon the mountain tops, A prey for ravening beasts the sacrifice Of God for them ! Here ends, forever ends, The power of earth and hell to strive with God ! * Ezk. xxxviii. * Ezk. xxxviii. 22 : Rer. xx. 9 SATAN CONQUERED, dec. BOOK II. And the child grew tmd waxed strong in spirit, filled with Wisdom ; and the Grace of God was upon Him. LUKE ii. 40 Though he were a Son, yet learned He obedience. HEB. v. a For it became Him * * * * to make the Captain of their salvation, perfect through suffering. MSB ii. 10. BOOK II. THOU God of Jacob, thee I now invoke ! Impress Thy truth upon my heart, for truth I sing ; all else is chaff Thy breath shall drive Away. All guises false shall thou tear off From truth essential, as habiliments Of man's invention, clothing that which needs No clothing ; naked best and beautiful Appears to Thee. With simple truth my heart Impress, that unadorned emissions thence May come to touch the heart. Enlighten Thou My mind, and guide, that I may walk in paths Thy word has marked. In heavenly light may walk, And others trace the footsteps clear of Him Who goes before ; nor deviate in all The way that leads through Christ to Thee. Of Thee Thy truth is honored ; man for holding truth. The truth let me not sink by this attempt At verse unpolished by the rules of art ; But me inspire and elevate my strains, Unworthy else of such a theme. As barks Ill-formed, whose shadows rude in mirrored face Of waters seen, are carried o'er the deep, And yet no trace remains ; so would I pass Through depths profound and oceans vast, and leave The truth's unruffled surface still behind ! For I would sing of Christ, my Lord : On earth Would sing, and sing in heaven ! But chiefly now, The path He trod from infant days of peace, To manhood's rugged years and thorny ways ! 44 The prophets, bards of God, His praises sung. And distant nations caught the strains inspired." As round the world they rolled! The classic bards, With feeble light and mimic song, attuned Their harps to praise of Him unknown the one To come, and usher in a golden age ! And wise men too, expectants stood : by faith Or half imagined hope, they looked for One Of wisdom great and royal power, to found By right, a school, which as a fountain pure, Should send its streams of true philosophy Surpassing theirs, to heal the world ! They saw His star, the guiding star of God, and came] Inquiring where the Christ was born the King They came to worship ! Bowed before Him then And offered frankincense and gold, and myrrh To Him, who needs nor wealth, nor gold ; but thus They worshipp'd. blindly worshipp'd Him. their Lord, Who asks alone the homage of the heart ! Where this withheld, all else of sacrifice Is vain and hypocritical ; to Him Disloyal and unjust, as offered bribe, Insulting to His majesty and truth! Now Herod troubled, and Jerusalem By Satan moved to jealousy and hate Behold in Him a certain rival born j Competitor for regal honors, such As earth bestows ! Mistaken men ! Praise more Exalted, and of nobler name, demands From Him attention ; kingly honor's grade, Above mock majesty of earth, as God * Rom. x. 13 Above the meanest creature formed! Aspire To Herod's throne He could not stained with blood ! Though King of Jews was born and Heir of right ! Polluted, guilty honors ! Thrones and powers And principalities are His ! His throne Eternal ! Hence the Spirit to Him thus : (t Thy throne, O God, forever, ever stands: A sceptre Thine of righteousness and truth ; These hast Thou loved, iniquity despised, So God annointed Thee with gladdening oil, Above the kings of earth ! In perfect form The worlds by Thee were made, and supple wing'd, To speed through airy fields their onward flight! They all shall perish ; feeble grow with age, Their fashion change, their glories fade away ! But Thou, nor age, nor change shall know ! Thy years As deep, unfathomed seas, eternal flow!"* Vain man, to fancy Him a rival born ! How vain ! Guilty and fearful, deep perplexed, Like others of his fellows, sinful men, Not quiet on their thrones, he asked of scribes And others skilled in prophet's word, where Christ Must be ; and strictly bade the wise men search, And diligent, till Him they found, that He Might sacrifice not worship sacrifice The Lord himself ! Presumptuous man ! Would blast Earth's brightest hopes, untune the harps of heaven, And wake the jarring notes of joy in hell ! But him shall God despise and disappoint ! The wise men sought and found. The King of kings They worshipp'd, and returned. So him they mocked, Nor did what he required. Now Herod roused fleb. i. 8-12. 46 To anger fierce, as greedy lion robbed Of prey, sends out his myrmidons to slay With cruel hands the babes of Bethlehem ! Who, innocent, knew ill nor good, nor had But then plurality of years attained, As greatest age ; above they did not go, But downward thence to infants born ! What scenes Of horror meet the eye, and wring the heart ! Enraged, these slaves of Herod's lust, and slaves To lust their own as well foul fiends disguised In manhood's form, with devilish minds intent, By sins long practised blackest deeds of blood Emboldened enter dwellings where till now, No fear of ills at hand, the inmates' hearts Had ever filled ; here snatch from mother's arms And fond embrace, the clinging child, to death Consigned! Unhappy mothers ! doomed to see Their children torn from them and slain, by men (If men they were, I blush to call them such,) Of iron hearts, with whom nor tears, nor prayers Prevail ! Thrice happy babes ! from all the ills Of life at once removed ! Nor bless'd in this Alone for Christ's sake slain, for Christ's sake bless'd. As martyrs, though unconscious they in works Or faith, and passive in the deed ! A voice Is heard in Ramah ! Mother's frantic moan* And wailing loud, for children gone ! In this Is seen the word prophetic. Rachel dead Her tomb was there seemed weeping then, instead Of mothers crushed, bereaved and comfortless, Address'd of God: " Refrain thy voice, thy eyes Refrain from tears ; the enemy shall hold Thy babes imprisoned long, but smiling hope ' Jeremiah xxxi. 15 : Match, ii. 17-13 47 The end shall crown Thy loved ones shall return/" Thus Satan stood, the Old Dragon named in word Apocalyptic ; ready stood, with jaws Distended wide, and hellish appetite Voracious, to devour the child when born! ' Twas night in Eastern lands, and such a night, Aside from incidents important, strange Economy of God, unfolded there As oft they saw : But now among the stars The cloudless moon, in queenly majesty Looked down on Bethlehem ; benignly look'd As on the scene of God's great drama, laid On earth, to end in heaven ! Attracting now The gaze intense of sainted hosts above, And vast concentred energies of mind Eternal ! Joseph then, unconscious quite Of danger nigh for who could dream that he Need fear the tyrant's hate ? in quiet slept, When God in vision came and turned his thoughts To heavenly musing ! Warned of him but not Alarmed that Herod sought the young child's life ! And straitly charged to flee in haste away From pending ills ! So Joseph quick arose, Nor waited for the welcome morn, but fled To Egypt safe, with Mary and the child ! Prohibited return till Herod's death ; For him did God abhor as wicked man, For fiendish acts and persecutions oft, Against his people done ! Nor this alone, As hypocritical and vain in works Of piety pretended ! Ardent love Of fame posthumous ; pride, the motive base, (Not love to God, the motive pure and bless'd,) Induced the work of magnitude, by him Performed, and consecrate to God most High ! The temple glorious edifice rebuilt, Adorned with gold and evil treasured wealth ; Amass'd by power and cankered by the tears And blood of those oppress'd ; so deep and dark, No acts devotional of outward show Can wipe the stain away ; but witness true At judgment day shall stand, and speak for God, In justice of his deep damnation fixed ! God's holy anger now, like waters pent, Accumulated long, with whelming force And fury burst, to sweep from earth the man Who dared to persecute his infant Son ! Anon disease, disgusting, foul disease, With horrid feature came, and threatening mien, As strong man armed, to attack the citadel Of life ! A raging fire by process slow His vitals burned. A fire which lived by what It fed on appetite unsatisfied ; Demanding food as fuel to the flame, And yet unsatisfied : but burning more, The more was fed, till all consumed ! So died This wretched man, an enemy to God ! Then Joseph came with Mary and the child To Nazareth ; that he a Nazarene Should thence be called, as prophet's word foretold.* As eastern sages bowed to Jesus, King, So must their wisdom bow to Him. " The world By wisdom knew not God." A teacher sent From Him and qualified by Him, must come To teach the way to Him ; instructed well * Math. ii. 23. 49 And trained in school of God. Philosophy Unsanctified, did oft o'erleap its bounds. (For sound philosophy its circle had, Of truth and usefulness to man ;) assume The place of revelation pure, and claim To teach instead of God, how happiness Could be attained on earth, and how attained In heaven! So turning from the path which God Designed, and lighted by His providence And truth the only way to eminence, Of good report with Him, and valued high ; And usefulness, and all that's loved of Him On earth it madly plunged its votaries down The darkest maze of thought perplex'd, and thought Disparted from its hand-maid sense, and thought Refined by contact with its kindred thought, Without external test of sober things ; Till whelm'd at last in vortex vast of vain Abstractions, endless as the unfathomed pit, Whence none could e'er return to reason's light, Or light of God ; but rayless night their doom Unending ! Final doom of all, who cast From them the truth of God, and follow guides Of unassisted reason's choice ! But what Was strange and unaccountable to those, Who held the lamp of truth, and saw in light Divine, the way they trod , such men seemed pleased With darkness more than light ; with falsehood, more Than truth ; with vain imagined proofs in place Of inference fair, or logical induction made, As sequence strong ! And when the darkness came They thought 'twas light. And what was truth, to them Sheer falsehood seemed : So when philosophy That's worth the name, on speedy wing did flee 5 50 Their grasp, they knew it not. When wisdom fled And virtue fled, they bolder grew, and claimed All wisdom, virtue, and acquaintanceship With God! Thus whilst professing wisdom theirs-, And virtue theirs, excluding others else, Whom they discipled not, the Lord pronounced Them fools, and mocked their efforts weak To find Him out, because in haughtiness Of heart and mind, with empty knowledge pufPd, They closed their eyes against the light He gave ! Of Atheist stamp were some, who stoutly held And loud proclaimed, that God's fair universe From atoms came fortuitous ; and formed Itself with shape designed intelligence Impress'd as 'tis to observation clear, Of minds untangled with such madmen's creeds. They did not firm deny the gods a place In their divinity, yet thought them weak And unacquainted with the affairs of man ; Or unconcerned about his state. And taught That souls were mortal too, like bodies born, And so to death were subject and decay ! Suppose this dogma true ; then what is man ? A worm ! Yes, less than worm ! For its brief day Is o'er in shorter space. In labor less, And less amount of evil here endures! A worm as he is mortal is confess'd, And kindred owns with habitants of dust t Immortal too in mind ; in principle Allied to Heaven, and to infinity Allied ! With angel flight he soars above Material things, and claims affinity With God ! Who immortality alone Doth claim essential to himself, but breathed At first the gift in man a living soul ! Fit deity for worshippers so blind : Who sought as highest good, indulgence base Of animal desire ! At whose low shrine Must virtue minister ; nor be pursued, But as it pleasure gave, and gave reward To appetite, or lust ungratified ! Nor was abstemiousness a virtue prized, But as excess unfitted for the end In view to pamper flesh and slay the soul! And others, wiser in their own esteem, Yet lax in morals, and in manners base, Taught scepticism disguised, for sober truth ! They fondly held, with wit affected, grave, That what to man appeared as truth, as truth Must be received. And what was probable To minds matured, might acquiescence claim ; But what was probable and certain what, Could not agree, nor fix what truth appeared! And so unsettled all first principles In moral truth, and gave no solid ground For man to stand upon no cherished hopes I Another class, of more exalted creed, One God acknowledged : obligations thence To moral law deduced. But these, to God No veneration gave, nor love to good, Accounted such by Him, the source of good ! Their deity a moving principle In nature's operations wide ; but not Of choice ! Volition gave to man ; to Him Denied ! Necessity their god adored ! Virtue and vice their great distinctions lost, And happiness existed but in name ! 52 Such deity just praise to virtue's cause. Could not bestow, nor vice its due rewarL Here God in character reproached, beholds In mirror'd form, His lovely features mariM' And others somewhat more of majesty To Deity assigned. His functions, they To brighter worlds above, did not confine To count the stars and regulate their course, In lofty heights of space ethereal : Nor to the clouds did fix His sway divine, But all the universe, they strictly held His presence animated empty thought, As subtile, active, penetrating fire ! But where it acted, penetrated where, Or how pervade all matter space and mind, Inscrutable and dark, mysterious all ! For they as firmly held him bound to earth To matter bound subordinate to fate ; And fate was blind, and so could never hold The torch to boasted reason's midnight path ! Thus darkened they, man's brightest prospects here Unfurnished all with hopes of bliss to come ! An other class there was, existed long, Of Grecian school ; who towered in wisdom high Above their fellows. Like the forest oak, Of ancient growth and sturdy trunk, whose roots Imbedded deep in genial earth, support And succour thence received, to cast abroad His arms, embracing all beneath him grew ; This sect with wide-spread arms embraced all truth, All virtue, wisdom, and all knowledge, which Their kindred sects had taught : And thus they stood 63 Pre-eminent and proud, above them all! But Israel's God denied ; rejected light By Him bestowed, to guide their wandering feet In wisdom ways ; so learning evermore Approximating still, and onward still, Their motto and their course, pursued in vain But never reached the truth's appointed goal! They turned from God his worship due, and led Bewildered minds to worship deities Inferior. The foulest creed of hell That e'er disgraced theology's fair page! Adopted since by those of Christian guise Assumed, and modified to suit the taste Corrupted : Brat of Pagan birth, baptized In Rome, and nurtured there to manhood's size ! These taught that souls imprisoned long on earth, By means of abstinence and penance done, Should be enfranchised thence. Pernicious thought ! If not by faith of Jesus qualified, And in submission held ! Take him of Rome, As one example to our case in point, Among the many else which might be named. He pass'd the streams and at the fountain drank ; Drank large supplies, delighted, often drank, The purest waters that philosophy. Could ever furnish to a thirsty soul ; Yet " died of thirst" of disappointed hope ! The world was made for Caesar, not for him ; So would not bide the will of Heaven ! Took arms Against himself, as ' ' master of himself," And rushed quite unprepared to meet his God ! And some there were of older name, who soared For many long and weary centuries, 5* 54 Through vagrant fancy's ample regions far, On wings themselves had made ! They vainly held A being infinite, eternal, wise ; With goodness and intelligence replete, Replete with virtue, wisdom and with light, Which he through vast expanse of space diffused. So excellent and pure his nature was, That finite minds, conception adequate Or true, could never have of what it was j Or how diffused or where it centred most ! Beyond this vast expanse, or fancied place Of everlasting light refulgent day This being lived in solitude confined! A genius, spirit of celestial light, Long known as Demiurgus vile, was sent, Or thence for crime expelled, (which, was not known, > To mould chaotic matter into form Of- order, symmetry and law. Which done, The government usurped and reigned o'er all ! Then parcelled out the worlds he moulded thus, To genii, ministers subordinate To him, who governed each his empire well ! 'Twas he made men and gave them souls, and filled The earth with beasts ! How slanderous and how vile ' How strange that man, against the light of God. Should close his eyes, or shut it thence, by clouds Forced in between himself and Him, which cast Thick shadows down upon his pathway here ; Then fancy that he walks in light, and boast Himself of deeds performed, as if he'd done Essential service kind to all his race ! From these, did systems of religion false, As these were false, enlarge and ramify, Till man, unsanctified by grace of God, Unsatisfied with self, with all his gods, With ever varying forms unsatisfied, Could count by thousands, multiplied by tens. The deities to whom he humbly bowed, And still unsatisfied ; then fondly sighed, To swell his catalogue with more, to whom He might pay homage still! A proof 'Tis plain, " The world by wisdom knew not God." Nor were they taught of Him ; by Satan's arts Seductive, taught, who power and wisdom had Retained from what he was before he fell To set religion up as counterfeit To God's most holy worship ; mingling grains Of truth with error's poisonous cup, to make It palatable ! Hence, must be destroyed , Ere long : Both satan and his works must fall ; He, to the lowest hell, his works as low ! The only wise, the true and living God, To man revealed in oracles divine ; In character, in purpose and in mind Revealed a people had ; a chosen race To whom He blessings gave, as Hermon's dews The fruitful field and yielding vine ; the seed And harvest time ; the early rains and rich Autumnal showers. With milk and honey oft, He flowed their land as welcome streams ; and gave Them richer blessings still the stream of life, Eternal life, from Him as fountain pure, Exhaustless, freely then to every gate And dwelling place of Zion flowed ; to make Them glad, and fruitful bring their offerings, vows And sacrifice of praise to God's own house ! And when they strayed from his appointed fold 56 He gent them pastors kind, to hold in check Their foes, and guide them back in safest paths, To Him ! And when they wisdom lacked, he sent Them prophets, teachers learned in school of God, To feed their minds with knowledge pure, divine, As watchful shepherd feeds his flock ! But hear, O, Earth! The heavenly hosts shall hear ! and stand Astonished when they hear ! These nourished sons And daughters loved, rebelled against their God! They oft rebelled, but He, in mercy oft Restored them to himself ! Anon they more Ungrateful grew, conspired against his word To make it void, by vain traditions, which Their fathers one to other gave, from sire To son 5 then wrote them in a book, and laid It by the side of God's eternal law, And taught therefrom, as if it were the book Of God! Then Jesus came to magnify The law, the law to Moses given, with pomp And awful grandeur given at Sinai's mount ; Where quailing hosts of Jacob's sons encamped, At distance stood, and viewed the wondrous scene ! In wild sublime and majesty of storm, The lightnings played around the mountain's top With sportive freak ! the clouds, in whirling course, With thunders charged, were driven along the sky ; Loud roared the trump of God, as if the day Of wrathful doom to wicked men had come ; The voice of words was heard, which paleness sent Through all the camp Then God came down to man ! The mountain, like some vast volcano, burned And smoked, and quaked, beneath his burning feet : Eternal fire, which came with Him, and shall With Jesua come, when He to judgment comes 57 Illumed its utmost height ; whilst blackness drear, Unearthly blackness, veiled from all the tribes Its trembling base ! Here man received His law ! This law must be obeyed the moral law Of God, the transcript of Jehovah's self, The Holy Spirit's code or government Divine must be reproached ; Jehovah's crown Dishonored fall, forever fall ; and shame Eternal fill the holy courts of God ! Hope disappointed die among the sons Of heaven, and hosts satanic swell aloud The everlasting song of woe to man, And song of triumph die o'er God in hell ! To teach observance to the law's demands, By precept and example both, the right And province clear of God's dear Son : A Son, And yet obedience learns ! A Son, the Heir Of all the nature, throne, and glory great, Of God ! The Heir of principalities And powers, in heaven, on earth the Lord of hell And yet obedience learns ! To Him the hosts Of God, all meekly bowed, and Him obeyed, Yet He obeys his Father's law ! Was rich, In glory rich here needs sublimer strains Ye harps celestial, swell your songs of praise ! And roll through all the wide expanse of heaven, Your lofty numbers sweet ! Let all -the earth Responsive echo back the strains, in glad Hosannas to the Son ! For He had wealth More precious than the miser's hoarded store Of cankered gold, or aught that earth could boast, Were all her glittering piles in one amass'd, Till towering readied, like Andes, to the skies ; 58 Yet sacrificed it all upon the altar pure, Of love to man ! What sacrifice is here ! Peculiar to the Son ! His wealth, His life ! His all ! The sacrifice of Heaven ! Ye host Angelic, wonder at the sight ! Behold The Son before his Father stand, and there Pour out His glory all, as stream of love ! Unfailing, living, rolling tide of love ; Not pent up there, but bursting forth, through bounds Of ancient strength, thence downward flows to earth, To wash away the stains of sin, enrich The poor and fertilize the souls of men ! He first obedience learned, as teacher wise, Then others taught what He himself had learned. For this He took our flesh, became a child, And grew a man, that He might feel as men And children feel, and find the avenues To human minds and- hearts, and touch the chords Responsive in the soul ! He grew in form, With wisdom and the Spirit filled : Increased In wisdom, and in strength of mind increased ! What growth can be, where growth's mature of mind And wisdom too ? God's wisdom all is His, And infinite perfection's topmost height ! His wisdom housed in form of clay, and thus Confined, development must have, in course Of nature's law, through fleshly organs now Assumed ; and these must grow ; so Jesus grew! The opening rose, by slow degrees, unfolds Its blushing petals fair to perfect growth And beauteous form the changeful cause unseen ; So He in wisdom grew, unfolding day By day His perfect grace, in such degrees As man could bear, and be instructed most ! 59 Inspired bards no songs of praiss inscribe To Him in infant days what young pursuits, What youthful pastimes His, or school boy feats, Or early flashings of his genius bright, Which indications gave of manhood's fire ; Or mental, moral worth, they did not sing. What scenes He saw ; what moral culture had ; What books He read ; what travels early stored His mind with varied lore, for wider range Of application meet in after days : What scientific halls He trod ; or masters rare His yielding mind did shape for usefulness To man ; or how His parents led him forth To pluck fair flowers from blooming wilds, or view With mind delighted, ample fields of gay Instructive scenery, rich in thought of Him, Who made them thus, and marked relations clear Between Himself and all created things : Or how He read from nature's volume great, Important lessons, that philosophy Did never teach, nor could in brightest days, They did not sing. Their burden simple, thus " He grew in wisdom and in stature grew !" Precocious traits of character He once Exhibited. Unknown to those who loved Him best, He tarried at the feast : The feast, At Zion yearly kept, to celebrate Their Father's exodus from Egypt's shores When Pharaoh's host pursued. His parents sought Him by the way, returned and sought him there ; With sorrow sought their child, as parents fond Would seek. No doubt they called Him truant boy, And thoughtless child, to give them pain ; for who 60 Can tell what pain they felt? what sorrow theirs? What dire foreboings wrung their hearts ? Perhaps They thought Him dead, or else had wandered far, With those who came from Gentile lands to keep The feast ; or lost among the throng, perplexed, With saddened heart, and weary, sought for them ! Three days they sought, with persevering aim, Then found Him in the Temple's sacred courts, Sitting with Doctors learned in holy law, Hearing and asking questions grave, beyond His years ! But who shall fill the outline, drawn By skilful hand? What tints, what shades appeared What studied grace or dignity of form, Expression gave, to fill the picture up To life ? Or who shall say what questions asked ? What answers given to show His wisdom forth ? Above what God has said in holy word, We are not wise. Thy aid impart, O ! God ! And guide me still ! I may not launch my bark, Where waves of endless speculation roll, Nor pilot's skill directs, nor compass points The way ; but follow strict the course laid down In chart of truth. O, God ! Thy word is truth ! Let truth our purpose aid, and demonstrate In light its own, what else would dark remain ! Nor let some fancied muse, presumptuous, blind, Imagined blanks of truth, attempt to fill, Where none, but in distempered minds, exists ! The Doctors, Scribes, and all who heard him then. Astonished were, and wondered much, to hear, From one so young, such wisdom deep, and felt Conviction strong, that He was more than man ! Amazed to find him there, His mother said : 61 '* Son, why thus deal with us ? Behold we sought Thee long with sorrowing hearts ! " To whom the Son : ^ How is this ? why seek Me thus ? Wist ye not, That I must be about my Father's work ? " How slow were they to understand what God Designed by Him to do for fallen man ,' Had they forgotten what to them at first, By holy messenger was said? How He should save His people from their sins ? In majesty And power upon the throne of David sit ; Redeem all Israel from their foes, and fill The earth with peace ? Or was their love For God and cause of truth, and holy zeal In that which wakes the harps of sainted bards, Lost in parental love ? absorbed in self? Oh ! foolish and unwise ! to interpose Their selfish claims, and turn from work of God Their Son, beloved of them, of God beloved, And set apart to life of holy toil ! His heart no selfish feelings knew, nor could He sympathize with aught that's wrong in those He loved. But all that's holy, loved of God On earth, in heaven, responsive felt, approved, And taught to man ! But God, who brings much good From evil cause o'erruled, and thus turns ill To good account, would glorify Himself In their parental feelings, strong embraced. Jesus obedience must to all the law accord. And yield to just authority of those, Who claimed the right, by law divine, to mould With plastic hand His character, to good Report and lovely form. Example just, We here behold of godly sort, and true To first command with promise given ; and hence 6 62 Most worthy imitation prompt, and wide As earth is wide. The Son of God, as Son Of man, returned to his paternal home. Obeyed and served, as subject children should, His parents kind, till His minority Was pass'd, and God's parental law fulfilled ! Then came from Galilee to Jordan's stream , The Son of God to be baptized of John ! The man of God, ordained and sent of Him To solemnize the holy rite to man, His fellow lost in sin an emblem fit Of foulest stains, washed out by Jesus' blood. John, overwhelmed with awe, exclaimed : "I need To be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou To me ? the greater to the less ! To me ! A worm, ordained of God to minister To man in low estate, degraded, fallen ! To me ! who must decrease, as Thou shall rise In power, in glory, majesty and grace ! To me ! who naught possess, nor aught received, But Thou hast given ! ' Twere condescension great In Thee, that I the latchet of Thy shoe Should loose ; and comest Thou to me ! I need The grace which Thou canst give and Thou alone ! Grace, signified by instituted rite Thy death and life prefigured clear which Thou Dost ask I Thou hast no sin, the grace is Thine, Then why dost ask the sign, where nothing ought Or can be signified, that Thou dost need, As man, the sinner needs ? " To whom the Son, With meek and modest words replied : "I come To ratify this institution new. Not as the priests of Levi's tribe ; I come, 63 From thee the customed washing to receive ; For that thou wast not sent of God, and I, From Judah sprung, from whom no priest did rise, To minister at holy altar's side. The priesthood changed, so must the law be changed ;* The order new Melchisedk the first, Without descent from sire to son, or days Commenced, or end of life. Ordained of God, Immediate done ; Eternal Priest and King ! It thus becomes the King to sanction rites, His subjects must, where government is built On justice, and on judgment built. I ask Obedience free, to laws by Me obeyed ! As earthly kings, I do not ask for love Where none is given ; for sacrifice and toil, Where I nor sacrifice, nor toil bestow ; F.or deeds of love, but as I lead the way And bright -example give. To follow where My footsteps lead, I ask, and ask no more. For less I cannot ask. I mark the paths Of righteousness and peace, for all to walk Therein, and well observe My doctrine plain. Hence thou wilt suffer me to be baptized Of thee, and thus fulfil My righteous law. " With solemn measured step, now hand in hand, Down Jordan's rugged banks the joyful pair Obedient go ! Anon they pause ! whilst crowds On towering battlements above, and crowds On earth convened, with eager gaze, await The scene of interest deep to earth and heaven ! The holy man proceeds : Immersed beneath The yielding wave, now Jesus passive lies ! Heb. vii. 12-16. 64 As he in death's embrace shall lie ! And now Emerges from the flood, as he shall rise And break death's icy chains ! Triumphant rise To conquer death for man and die no more ! Now strike your golden lyres, ye sons of God And spirits just ! Now roll in numbers sweet And loud, your lofty notes to Jesus' praise! Nature in smiling beauty clothed, adores The Son in silent mood ; her voice is hushed, In solemn stillness hushed ; the voice of man In breathless silence lost, attentive now To Heaven's superior claims ! The Father speaks And speaks in accents loud from holy courts, Approving what the Son on earth has done ! The highest heavens their portals open wide, To give free passage to His word sublime. And novel exit of the Spirit dove ; Which down from heavenly mansions flies, On brightest wing of pure celestial light, And sits upon the Son, as omen clear, Of Heaven's ecstatic joy ! and unction gives For future labors, sufferings great, and toil! From scenes of liveliest joy, and holiest praise, To scenes of direst woe, the Son of God Must quickly pass ! He came to stand, in part, In place of man. To suffer in his stead ; To feel the power of God's arch foe arch fiend ;. The enemy of man ; of righteousness ; Of holy peace ; of happiness on earth And happiness in heaven ! Man's happiness, His deepest hell ; man's woe, his highest joy ; If damned malignity and joy can find A common ground in hell : On earth is none, Beyond what seeming happiness or joy, 65 Employment gives to bad intent pursued, And satisfaction due to purpose gained. Thus Satan toiled with diabolic aim, Opposing God, and work of grace to man ; Determined chief to nip in early bud, The flower of heaven transplanted now On earth ; to check the rising power of God Commenced, in progress young ; to stop the tide Of life in swelling flood, and turn the stream Of death in torrents back upon the world ! Is this his purpose dark ? Shall it succeed ? The sequel must the great result unfold. Resistless then the Spirit led him on, To dreary wilds untrod by Him before, Where lions lurked for prey, and savage beasts With dreadful fierceness roamed ! He feared not these Nor need He fear ; for He their mouths could sea), As when the prophet slept within the den, Unhurt came forth at morning's dawn ! But He must meet, as God ordained, the beast Of deadliest name ; who roams not here alone, But walks the compass of the earth around, Watching to plunge immortal souls adown The gulf of endless woe, whence none escape ! As some lone, blasted fir, on desert wild, Exposd to tempests rude and lightnings dire, The Son, shut out from intercourse with friends, And left of God in gracious purpose left, To man most gracious, but to Him severe Must face the tempter's storm of fiery darts, In vengeance hurled to pierce His sorrowing heart ! In solitude most comfortless and drear, While forty days and nights, the Holy One 6* 66 Submissive dwelt ! Dire images of earth In ugliest form, and images of hell In horrid shapes, his vision haunted day And night ! No friendly voice to cheer his heart Desponding, sad : No friendly visitant Appeared to break the dread monotony Of hellish scenes, and thoughts perplexed, infused By Satan's power invisible ! No friend To his necessities did minister, Nor aught of food provide : By miracle Sustained, and strengthened to the conflict sore, Through power divine ! The forty days of fast Scarce ended, when his appetite returned. Then came the tempter on with new attack, And mode of warfare changed, who thus addressed In language fair and studied speech, the Son : " Art Thou the Son of God beloved ? The Heir Of principalities and powers, and thrones ? To whom He gave assurance audible, At Jordan's banks few days have intervened Of changeless love on Thee bestowed, in sight Of heaven's approving hosts, and crowds on earth Assembled? Sadly changed Thy form! and sad Thy visage, changed by nightly vigils kept And fastings long! Is this His boasted love For Thee? How false and cruel, thus to leave His Son to pine and perish here, shut out From sympathy of men ! all friendship, love And office kind prohibited ! Did He The lightnings charge to strike the dead, or send His messenger of vengeance, who destroyed The Assyrian camp, at once to cut Thee qff, 'Twere better far, than linger thus in state Of wretchedness unmatched! Assert Thy power 67 And prove Thyself a worthy Son of God! Nor suffer deep disgrace and prostrate rights To daunt Thy prowess! Take the kingdom Thine. As Thou art Heir, it must be Thine ere long The kingdom of the universe Thou art The Son, the Heir ; all nature will Thy voice Obey ! Command these stones the furnished bread Become, that Thou mayest eat and live, and gird Thyself with strength omnipotent ! " To whom The Son replied : " ' Tis written in the word Of God, that man may not exist by bread Alone ; but by a just observance, due To His commands, adjusted well to all His wants, must live ! What seems severe Is just and good, as discipline to fit By sanctifying grace not else enjoyed The soul, for greatest good conferred on earth, And happiness of highest praise in heaven ! " Then Satan, foiled in first attempt of base Design, in hellish conclave planned, removed Him thence, by power usurped, permitted then, And placed Him on the temple's giddiest height! To whom again deceptive speech employed : " I bow to Thy superior skill in things divine, Thou Chief of hosts invisible, and Chief Of powers on high ! Thy wisdom clear, is like The source of light ! Obscurity removes Where found, and sheds a brighter beam on truth Already bright ! Thy lips pour forth on man Celestial grace, like dews refreshing, rich, Distilled on Herrnon's hill ! Thy glorious head, With radiant brightness crowned, the brilliant sun Excels at highest noon, when stars, bright orbs 68 Of nightly beam, abashed, their splendor hide In his effulgent rays ! ' Tis true as Thou Hast said, that man, submissive, must observe The word of God and so must live. By that Must regulate his erring ways, and thus Secure his favor and protecting hand, To guide him on, and shield him, else exposed, Defenceless, weak, when dangers thick beset His path. Now cast thyself from hence; so prove Thy doctrine wise, and vindicate the truth Of God, in righteousness revealed, and given To man, to Thee, as guide infallible ! ' Tis written and hence 'tis true, that He shall give His angels charge to hold Thee up, lest Thou Shouldst dash thy foot against a stone ! Now trust With faith implicit, worthy Thee, the word Of God, and cast thyself to earth ! " To whom Again the Son, unmoved and firm, replied : " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God. ' Twere but Temptation, thus to cast one's self without The pale of His protecting grace ! All grace Is promised, so bestowed, where strict fulfilled Conditions claim the promise qualified, And guarded well. Who casts himself from hence Must be destroyed. Who treads unbidden paths May meet, quite unprepared, the foe. Who thrusts Himself, uncalled of God, within the reach Of Satan's grasp, must feel his power. Help comes To those alone, who walk obediently In his appointed ways ; all others fail And must, for he is just, and can not change ! " Then Satan turned, on wings of darkest plume, Once light, by mad rebellion changed, with Him 69 Through trackless air, he soared to a mountain high, And prospect large, in human vision large ; Whence countries, kingdoms, passed in bright review, Before the Son's enchanted eye ! Their wealth And glory pass'd, in trailing flight, as when Some meteor's blaze in following course, its way Doth quickly speed athwart the evening sky ! Now proudly wrapp'd in thoughts infernal, dark, With air of majesty and grace assumed, As one who great conception had, of things Invisible, eternal, Satan thus Resumed : " The kingdoms of the earth are mine ! Behold the glory of my power : Seest Thou that king In splendor crowned and majesty enthroned ; Whose willing subjects bow in waiting low At royal feet ? they yield their wealth, and sell Their lives at his command ! His courtiers cringe And flatter, where reproof would better suit Ingenuous minds ; but kings will not receive The truth to them applied : Who speaks the truth At court must lose what falsehood gains all show Of royal favor, pension, power, and place Among the great ! Hence maxim wise, by me As king of kings : kings must not hear the truth ! What pride of station his ! What dignity Of state ! above all praise of human lip ! And he above all law but mine ! He wills His will accords with mine, and so is right And his obsequious subjects fall their heads Dissevered, strew as falling leaves, the plain, To strike in trait'rous hearts new terror deep ! He wills, and laboring subjects' hard earned stores His coffers fill ; by policy required, When threatened kingdoms need defence ! He wills, 70 And flying squadrons take the field, and hosts Embattled meet in deadly fight, nor yield Till thousands fall, and cries of deepest woe From widows lone and orphans, fill the land ! This glory's mine ! I proudly reign o'er all ! Seest thou that conqueror return, new flushed With triumph great by valor won ? Amid Aspiring chieftains won, and loud acclaim t What glory beams from his delighted eye, While captive thousands grace, in lowly train, By right of power enslaved, His large exploit! And thousands greet him welcome home ! I move the wheels of his triumphal car, And claim the glory due ! Now turn and view With candid eye, yon legislative hall : Here reigns no monarch proud ; but simple head, Elected thus by suffrage free, and placed By wide consent as chief, with veto rights, And check conservative of balanced power ! Here I preside in course of wise debate And right decision made ! I touch the springs, And on the vast machinery moves, that moves Remotest interests of the state ! What deeds Are here performed of glorious fame ! What scenes Of honor here, to eyes not blinded quite With false religion's films ! Here honor's code In strict observance held, right praise ensures! Here servants, masters turn, and wisely stop At threshold of debate, the people's voice ! And yet themselves are free, and will not hear In ample speech before applauding crowds A word, detracting dignity of place, Or honored post ; else challenged combat fair, In single fight and chivalrous, ensues ! 71 A glorious code ! By me concocted well ! In hell's dark council first approved, and here Prolific nurtured in congenial soil ! These scenes, to those of moral vision, may Inglorious seem : But they mistake what is True glory ; name it crime, and thus mislead Themselves and some of kindred sort. Behold What honor oft to him accrues, who, safe In prowess great, well matched, with single hand Against His foe, comes victor off ! His name Emblazoned far by herald sheets, as one Of noble bearing, firm and gallant man, Inscribed on highest dome of pillared fame, Shall stand, while kingdoms stand and ages roll ! Nor is this all. The path here marked leads on To senatorial fame. Where people rule, I rule in them, and move their choice of those Approved by me and qualified. Seest thou A man who holds the promise fairly up To his constituents, of loyal deeds And service true, yet seeks his own and not His country's good? him I approve. Seest thou A man who loudly boasts of liberty To all ? whose soul is fired in freedom's cause, And sounds the tocsin far of trespass'd rights Rights dearly bought, when foes invade yet holds In bondage vile his fellow man ? him I Approve. Seest thou a man whose mind is firm, Whose haughty soul disowns the coward's name, Nor fears the point of burnished steel, nor yields In braggart strife the palm, but throws in high Disdain the gauntlet down in mad debate? Him I approve, and raise to dazzling heights, Beyond ambition's loftiest thought! Proof this, 72 All doubts aside, that I am king of kings, Control the governments of earth, and give The honor due, proportionate, to those Who faithful stand and true to glory's cause ! Thou art a man : And art Thou steeled against Ambition? motive worthy highest aim, Impressed on human hearts, not dead to fame, Befitting man's desire and efforts here Is not thy soul with emulation stirr'd, To imitate thy sires ? Thou didst descend From royal line and noble race of kings : Take David as example true, and best To our intent. In valiant fight he broke Tried bows of steel, by strength of mighty arm ; Scaled walls of ancient towns ; undaunted pushed His way through troops of foes, and humbled low The pride of kings and nations at his feet ; Then proudly sat himself and reigned in state As monarch bold, whose own achievments made Him what he was! Rise! shake Thy stupor off ! Worship me ! All this glory shall be Thine! " To whom the Son in accents stern replied : "Satan, begone! Thou reign'st in hell alone Among the damn'd ! Fit place for such a prince To boast his crippled power ! On earth thou hast No power, beyond permission given, for ends Unknown to thee and merciful. ' Tis written That man shall worship God, and Him alone Shall serve !" O'erwhelmed then Satan stood : soon seemed In aspect changed to fierce infernal look, As when from heaven's high battlements at first, Plunging and howling in despair, he fell, And said : " O fool accursed! to attempt alone, What myriads leagued, by force nor fraud could do ; 73 But fled from heaven in consternation dire, With glory tarnished and in sad defeat ! I know Thee now and might have known before, But mad ambition nursed in hell, which burns In bosoms restless, urged me on to meet This sore repulse ! Far worse than when by Thee Expelled, in deep disgust, I left the shades Of arbored heaven for burning blasts of hell! I fear my kingdom speedily will fall As lightning to the ground. Meanwhile I'll wreak On Thine defenceless, vengeance fit, and glut My hellish hate on those thou cam'st to save." Then back on cowering wing to hell he flew ! As victor chieftain on the field, unstrung And weary droops, till his exhausted powers He gains is nerved anew for active fight So Jesus drooped ! Not nerveless now His arm That arm invincible, omnipotent But by consent, that he might feel, as man Shall feel in after times, by conflict press'd, Thus sympathy extend and aid, to all The weakest of his chosen ones ! Then came On speedy wing, from realms of light despatched, Commissioned angels, who had watched meantime The contest as it raged astonished watched, And wondered much, to see the wide spread powers, Of heaven and hell in single fight converged ! They came to minister to Him, their Chief, Who ministers for all in holy place Not made with hands ! The ministers of those Who shall be heirs of His salvation, came For once to minister to Him, the Heir of Of all! 0, vast, unmeasurable stoop ! 7 To need their proffered grace ! Beyond the reach Of thought in widest range ! There's naught on earth And naught in heaven, its depth can sound, but love Divine ! the fathomed line of God ! Whose heights And lengths immense, unknown to all but Him ! How vast is Jesus' love ! The soul renewed, With all her powers refined, and sense acute For such pursuits, will stretch with glowing zeal Her anxious thoughts, but never know its heights And depths, transcending what, in full extent, Her own capacities enjoy ! What need She more? What more, my soul, can God impart? The soul capacious most, shall then be filled, And those of less degree, with Jesus' love ! The stars in magnitude may difference have, In brilliancy have none ; and thus 'twill be With souls redeemed : In blest capaciousness, Diversity may know, the same in kind If not degree : but all a fulness have, And all reflect with equal blaze the light Of God, through all the firmament of bliss ! SATAN CONQUERED, &c. BOOK III. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say. repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. MAT. iii. 17. Never man spake like this man. JOHN vii. 40. And His fame went throughout all Syria : and they brought unto Him all sick people, that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those which had the palsy : and He healed them. MAT. iv. 24. BOOK III. THOU glorious Son of God ! Thou brightest orb In all the galaxy of heaven ! Shed down Thy light on me ! Illume my mind, else dark, Inadequate to contemplation vast ! To study Thee is vast ; too vast for mind Unaided, unenlightened by Thy light ! The light of all on earth, in heaven, through which Thy Father's face is seen ineffable! Help me to strike to numbers true, my harp Inglorious and of earthly sort, unlike The harps of gold attuned by Thee, and placed In hands celestial, which harmonious roll Eternal numbers on; unceasing roll, Once tuned to holy song ! Not so the harps Of earth. Not so the harps by Judah's bards Employed : Oft they in moody silence hung, Where chilling breezes swept them by, high on The drooping willow's bough, till waked by Thee, To notes of praise ! Not so my harp : unlike To all, but him who sweeps its feeble chords : To melancholy numbers tuned quite oft, When tuned at all, if Thou touch not the strings By hand invisible ! Inspirit Thou My song, and teach my numbers how to flow From fount of truth, in purest streams to all, Who thirst for Thee, and righteousness of God ! Now God, the Father, who, at sundry times, By various methods spoke, by angels high, By prophets spoke to man, designs at last 7* 78 To speak through Christ, the word, to all the earth Keep silence islands, seas, and distant lands, He comes from high and holy place I As clouds Of flaming light, his glowing chariot speeds Onward it rolls on wings of flying winds, As thunders rolling through the vault of heaven Mid way in air he takes his stand, thence speaks From bright pavilion, which an other sun Effulgent seems, and to his Son such high Commission gives : " O, Thou, beloved Son r . In whom my pleasure infinite, finds room For ample exercise, and fit OH Thee Spontaneously bestowed! Thy Father's grace Hangs mantling o'er thy form delectable, As robe of snowy texture o'er the brow Of Hermon's mount! Thy beauty rare, exceed* The sons of men, as dazzling light of heaven, The twilight shades of earth ! Thy garments smell* Of myrrh and aloes : Cassia's rich perfume Its fragrance brings from palaces of kings, To give Thee joy ! Thy head with gladness I Annoint, and crown Thee King of kings ! And Thou Shalt sit above Thy fellows round, enthroned In royal state : Thy footstool, earth ; Thy throne, The heaven's wide circuit ; and Thy sceptre, love ! Kings' daughters fair shall be among Thy maids Of honoi found ; and at Thy side shall stand The Queen in gold of Ophir clad ; who shall Paternal home and kindred dear forego To follow Thee j and Thou with strong desire Shalt cleave to her, as she to Thee, her Lord! Thy daughter rich attired, shall come to Thee * Psalm xlv. 79 Replete with inward grace and outward state Concurring well. Her raiment, needle- work - Inwrought with gold a righteous robe from Thee , Received. And her companions fit shall come, The virgins and herself, with gladness come, And crowd Thy palace gates ! Instead of sires, Thy sons shall come from far, whom Thou shalt set As princes in the earth ! And I will make Thy name renown'd, remembered, praised and loved, By all the generations yet to come! This Thy reward. Thy recompense deserved, For sacrifice of all Thou didst with me Possess : equality of state and bliss, Of glory unobscured ; by angels seen, Appreciated, not by man! This keep In view as joy before Thee set ; but first, Ere this enjoyed, the cross endure, the shame Despise : Gird on Thy sword and ride As mighty chieftain on, the vanquisher Of hellish hosts ! Ride prosperously, because Of righteousness, and truth and meekness blest. Go forth ! The powers of darkness strong oppose, With bold, infernal front, Thy march : but Thou Shalt tread them in Thy fury down, and crush Them in Thy anger fierce ! Thy own right hand Invincible, which felled at first their chief, Shall teach Thee warlike deeds, and Thou shalt swell The song of triumph loud in every land ! Thy weapons meekness, righteousness and truth Mighty through Me become, and shall prevail Against strong holds of hell ! My truth obscured By man with wisdom puiFd, and devilish arts Seduced, by Thee disrobed of error's garb, 80 Shall shine resplendent as the sun ! and Thou My perfect attributes maintain entire ! Thy high prerogative shall be, to show By teaching simple, unadorn'd and clear, The character of Deity sublime, Original ! Philosophy,' on wings Of fancied plume, presumptuous soared to heights Unknown before, and traversed depths profound, In search of what it could not find untaught By me a Deity entire. A God Of attributes divine. A perfect mind, Intelligent, and infinite and just ! Their deities imperfect, like themselves, With passions vile, with rude and hateful lusts, Were selfish, mean, intolerant and weak ! What could they else, but draw from minds so dark A transcript of themselves ? They thought that I Was such as they ; hence sought within themselves A prototype from which to copy Me, The Almighty God ! The High and lofty Q#e, Inhabiting eternity ! Me, who Spread out the north o'er empty place, and hung In unsubstantial air, the ponderous earth ! I spoke at first, and this terraqueous glofee From chaos rose ! Again, and first born light, Hasting with rapid flight, from darkness came, Around the centre-orb opaque, itself Converged yon brilliant sun ! Worlds, systems vast, By worlds and systems multiplied, through space I scattered wide, and gave to all their bounds Impassable ! On earth's wide circling verge I sit : there weigh in scales, the mountains high, And toss about as little things, the isles 81 Of Ocean's bed, fast anchored by my power ! Whence I, in range of vision infinite, The nations wide behold ; diminutive As insects small j or dust of balance large ! Or drops to mighty water's depths compared ! In ample fists of strongest grasp, I hold The winds, and check their power tempestuous, wild, Careering with the lightning's onward speed, As practiced horseman curbs his plunging steed ! Or let them loose at will, to bow as grass The lofty forest pines ; to swell with rage The ocean's crested wave, or prostrate lay The dwelling place of man ! I clothe with clouds As garments frail, unrent, earth's vapory floods Condens'd ; which thence distil soft showers to fall On thirsty grounds producing flowers and herbs, Fruits, bread and seed for man ; or sweeping rains Pour out, to roll their wasting tides, with dread Confusion round the earth ! All systems, worlds, And creatures formed, obey my laws supreme, With two exceptions, praised in hell ! dispraised In heaven and mourned ! And these obedient once, And happy in their choice, (volition free From all necessity of ill,) to give Allegiance just ! But they rebelled, when free To stand, so fell ; the angels first, then man In time seduced ; thus sealed in judgment right Their state in endless woe : if Thou Thyself Do not for man receive the stroke, on him In justice ought to fall ! The angels pass. Man's nature well Thou hast assumed, not theirs That punishment may be inflicted just, And God be just, on human guilt to Thee Imputed, as the substitute of man ! 82 To him I send Thee forth. To him proclaim The accepted year of grace secured, if he Improve ; or double veugeance stored, if he Neglect ! " The Almighty Father ended here. To whom the Son most gracious speech returned : " Thou speak'st from high ethereal throne ; from earth, Thy footstool, I ; nor can again such height Attain, of equal grace and glory rich, Till all the work assumed by me is done. Meanwhile, I will Thy truth make known afar, Thy character defend, as Thou hast said. Thyself inscrutable, Thy grace from me Must shine, as image of Thyself, to show Thy glory, else invisible to man : Whose vision dimm'd by sin, may not Thy great Effulgence see and live, till cleansed from guilt, And thus restored to fellowship with Thee ! Thy truth, by enemies and seeming friends Disfigured, darkened, shall through Me restored, Its loved primeval lustre gain, and shine With rays increased ; as oft the morning sun Obscured by clouds, bursts forth with splendor new, Appreciated more the hidden beams Returned ! Thy chosen ones, by whom Thy truth Was kept, their sacred trust betrayed, mistook The institutions too, of Thee ordained, Till I should come prefigured sacrifice : Which breathing lore,, through dark, perverted minds,. Were made to foster arrogance and pride,. Exclusiveness of privilege, and hence They made Thee partial and unjust! Redeemed From this, Thy character as Father, God Of universal love and richest grace,. Shall soon appear to all who righteousness. S3 Approve ; appear in truth revealed, which once Withheld in council dark not gracious less For Thou mysterious art, in wisdom deep And manifold ; to man unsearchable ! Although Thy councils, faithfulness and truth, Have marked in every age, as guiding lights, The way of man on earth! 0, righteous God! The heathen world unsanctified by thee, Thy character traduce ; with slanderous tongues Thy name and cause reproach. The worship due To Thee, through sacrifice established, they Corrupt with rites of devilish sort, commend Thy holiest offerings to unholy gods, And deify their fellow men! They fell The forest oak which Thou didst rear for man, To aid his comforts here, and make a god ! Then bow, the master to the servant down, Nor know that what their hands have formed, is less Than they ! They worship creeping things, and birds, And beasts of vilest name ! How vile are they ! To look below themselves for objects base, On which to place that veneration claimed Alone by Thee ! Wilt Thou Thy glory give To imaged beasts ? Thy praise to other gods ? Gods, that speak not, see not, nor hear the prayer Of man debased, when humbled low, he cries For aid, nor finds what thus he seeks in vain ? The idol gods of every land shall fall Before Thy truth proclaimed, as Dagon, famed At ancient Ekron, Gath and Ashdod, fell Headless before the ark of God, when those Uncircumcised and sacrilegious died, Who dared the symbol of Thy presence dread, From Levi's sons so long detain ! I come 84 To do Thy will, Thy will before revealed. Dearer to Me, than meat to him who eats Or dies, Thy law engraved upon My heart? I go as 'tis ordained the love I bear Toman impels Me on to show the way Of life to myriads lost ; Thy character From foulest stains retrieve ; entire Thy law Observe and righteous government maintain ! " Then back the bright aerial chariot rolled To highest courts above : The Son to works Beneficient, Himself with zeal address'd. Long held the interview divine, as did The conclave vast, held on the eternal hills, When first was plann'd the way of man's escape From sin and hell ! As time on speedy wing Takes flight, when kindred spirits meet, so sped The time when these conferr'd ; in essence one, In person two ! But who of finite mind, Shall say, or chronicle in verse what pass'd ? Or who attempt above what's known ? Or gaze Emboldened, where the angels stand abashed ? Meantime the orb of day declined, and night With solemn pace came on : fit time for deeds Which shun, as crime its just deserts, the test Of light ! Then Nicodemus came to hold Discourse with Christ, the Son. A ruler he Among the Jews, and proud of situation high, And worldly fame. In covered darkness came For light ; the light of God on darkened points Of theologic lore. The light he sought, But darkness loved, and secrecy observed, Lest he should be reproached with Christ : whose own Of kindred tie, to whom He came, received Him not. Esteemed Him smitten of God, reproached, Afflicted thus, as punishment for sin ! A man accurs'd, subverting laws of God Ordained, and instituted rites, beloved As cherished gifts of heaven ! Endeared to all The sons, as richest legacy, from sires Of honored name received a sacred trust. To be observed inviolate in form And letter true, though spiritless and dead To them, apostate now in heart from God! Him Nicodemus found, and thus addressed : " Rabbi, Thou art a teacher sent from God. Of this Thou hast assurance given, in works Which none but God can do, or He whom God Assists. The unvarying flow of nature's law, By His Almighty hand established firm, As cause and sure effect, Thy word hath checked And turned to channels new ! The eye unsealed By Thee, with ravished bliss, now welcomes light And dwells on Thee as benefactor kind; Unseen, unknown on earth before ! The lame, From infant days confined, in joyful mood Leap forth Thy word the cause as bounding roes Unscared in native wilds ! The palsied arm New vigor finds ; and life renewed, awakes From death's cold sleep, as blooming spring bursts forth From winter's deepest gloom ! What works are these ! Who can but God control established laws, Which else immutable ? Give vision bright To eyes in darkness sealed! rebuke disease, Defying skill and practiced art of man ? Or life infuse, where death in triumph reigned ? We know Thou art a teacher sent from God." -8 The Saviour, who accepts not flattering praise From man, nor holds in admiration great, Distinctive appellations given to those By birth or merit raised to eminence In man's esteem ; in grace and majesty Of truth replied : " Man must be renewed, Ere he just praise or love attains with God. His prostrate powers, corrupt, from Adam first Received a bitter root, by disobedience turned From good to ill, and hence entailed to all The branches grown through Me must be redeemed, In principle and radical reform ! He must be born again ! The Spirit's work Of operation vast, to change the heart, And lead the current of the soul from earth .. To heaven! Be not surprised at what thou hear'st. Thou canst not see the tempest's form, which sweeps Invisible through earth. Thou hear'st the sound And seest effects of power the cause concealed So works the Spirit on the soul, from sin, To God and holiness transformed. Where love To things of earthly sort existed long, there love To God implanted, burns with vivd flame, Holy and pure, as incense sweet, to Him Acceptable. Where passions rude enslaved The soul the greater to the less enthralled There meekness, charity and abstinence Enthroned, fast hold in subjugation just, The appetites and dark propensities Of man. The affections winged with new desire, Soar up to element divine, nor seek A downward flight ; the heart unbarred, receives The Lord as welcome guest from heaven ; the ear Unstopp'd, delights in melting strains of truth ; 87 The ye eunclose 1 admits celestial light, And sees through medium clear, the reign of God On earth commenced the promised kingdom come T To see this kingdom, needs the birth of God ; To enter as a subject born, needs birth Of water j sign of inward grace and death To sin resuscitated life on earth, And hope of resurrection last, through Me, The first, as surety given, and type of all Redeemed, when I shall come to consummate Their bliss. Satan's proud reign must cease ' Mong men : In hell o'er subjects like himself, Fit prince ; fit reign where darkness reigns, and light Of God shut out just recompense for deeds Rebellious. Here again, his ancient bounds Shall Satan know, nor roam at large, nor man His influence feel, in free probation's state, Turning his moral powers from God. His power Malignant, to himself and fiends confined, Shall move to fiercest strife and deadliest hate Among themselves ; nor find repose from rage By rage begot, increased the more indulged In reflex vengeance on themselves disgorged ! And so eternal on : Agreed in naught But curses vain, at intervals, on God Bestowed, vociferous and deep as hell ; When consciousness of punishment returns ! And this is hell ! For Satan and his hosts Prepared, who, first disloyalty conceived, Which dire rebellion grew, matured, And waked the trump of war in heaven ! Such doom Awaits not these alone ,- but man, who hates As devils hate, beneficent regards ; who loves As devils love, impurity and sin ; whose hands 89 Fast gripe perverting gold, the price of souls ; Whose heart, with envy filled and pride, rejects Reproof and offered grace ; whose filthy soul Is feasted most on tears of orphans crushed, And widows wronged of sacred rights : their wail Sweet music to his ear, but stops not there, Goes up to God, a vengeful cry, and shuts Against his prayer the audience door of heaven \ All such must have their choice : Companions fit For fiends and spirits lost. Companionship With saints and spirits just they will not have. They serve their master here, must serve him there : Receive reward which he receives a part In flaming floods and fiery storms of wrath Vindictive howling blasts which strong conflict With rising groans of spirits damn'd ! But such As love the truth, believe on Me, and ways Of righteousness and peace pursue ; who hate Oppression, robbery and crime, nor love Deceptive gold, nor wrest for glittering bribes, Just judgment from the poor ; nor outward show Of man's estate regard ; but sternly plead, Against opposing hosts and bitter scorn, For virtue's cause inaliened rights of man, Earth's greatest good, high prized ; and claims of God Immutable to man's allegiance first, Entire, to government divine shall have Reward with Me in glorious state, estate Imperishable ! Those who serve Me here, Shall serve Me there ; my glory see and share ; My throne shall share ! As 1 shall conquer death And hell and set in triumph crowned ; so these Through grace shall reign ! My triumph theirs, and theirs Through Me, and God in all a unity 89 Of love, undying love, unfading bliss ! They perish not, but have eternal life ! My Father loved the world, so loved the world, He gave His Son ! What more could give ? His Son, To whom He all things gave ! So naught remained, But God enthroned ! His throne He could not give : God- head alone reserved ! Most precious gift ! Heaven's treasures poured on man, offending man, By Him offended ! Justice satisfied, Delays to strike : On Me the blow must fall, Till man in free volition, choose or death, Or life. And then from long forbearance shown, With gathered force, shall fall O, wretched man ! On him whose choice is death ! As Moses raised The imaged brass amid the camp, when hosts By venomed serpent's fangs, their deadly wound Received, that dying they might live ; in faith One look bestowed, (what less could God require, What less could Israel give,) gave life in death, And healed the malady entire ; so must The Son of God be lifted up, that man Not Israel's sons alone in every land, Diseased by sin, may look, be healed and live, Through Me, on earth, in heaven, eternal live ! And I, when lifted up effulgent light Of heaven, on earth converged in vision clear, And steadfast look, will fix all eyes on Me, By faith enlightened ! Piercing light of truth ! Who loves the truth, loves light, and comes to Me : His works induced by God and praised of Him, Not man. Who hates the truth, hates light, and shuns Discriminating test. His works transpire Through self, the constant spring to acts unpraised Of God, condemn'd, abhorr'd ! Yet judgment waits, 8* 90 And final doom, for those who disbelieve ! As judge to fix man's state in endless bliss Or woe, I am not come. The sinner's friend I come ! Unearthly love, fit theme of praise And song among supernal choirs in bliss, My bosom swells, and moves to sacrifice Unparalleled on earth ! To die for man, As friend for friend, may man ; to die for foes Must one, both God and man ! Herein is love ! Love pure, divine! But how canst thou believe? I speak of earth, thou understandest not ; How understand the love of God to man? Or feel a sympathetic glow, which burns Through all the angel hosts of heaven ? I speak What I have seen. My province to reveal, Exemplify this love to man ! To thee I seem as man ! What man ascends to God ? Or thence returns ? Who but the Son, who dwells With man, with God, and justly claims alone, Equality with Him in attributes Divine ? A master thou in sacred school, And knowest not these things ! " In thoughtful mood Then Nicodemus turned, nor deigned reply. The Son of God next choose the twelve, unskilled In eloquent debate ; unknown 'mong men Of science famed, and deep scholastic lore ; Of occupations rude, illiterate ; Disciples called in school of morals strict, And self-denying toil ; to work with Him, And usher in a glorious era new, Amid earth's moral gloom, like morning bright With orient beams, from thickest night redeemed '. But these now weak, need confirmation strong. 91 Need faith, and wisdom taught in school of Christ. Chosen of Him to revolutionize The world contend with wisdom, learning, skill, Combined against their Lord and them ! To stand Before the kings of earth ; hold forth in lands Benighted long, the light of truth ; confound With wisdom pure, man's wisdom most profound ; And fight in heavenly armor clad, with powers, And principalities in highest seats Of earth enthroned ! But not by strength their own. Innate ; by strength of God and furnished grace, Efficient made, as instruments divine ! At Cana soon a marriage feast was held. The happy pair much honored by their guest Most honored, prominence of character And name, on fame's recorded page, have lost. Obscure the place they fill in sacred word, As shadowy forms in back-ground sketched, to aid Design, produce effect and harmony, And bold relief. To these gay nuptials kept, Was Jesus called and his disciples all ! Swiftly the hours in festal gladness pass'd, Nor lacked they aught true appetite or taste Demands : Meats, fruits, and wines of various sort. Their furnished board of elegance did crown ; Which custom's due observance claimed, or fit Esteemed, where fit occurrence strict required. Amid enjoyment's highest glee, ' twas found, The wine, despatched with unexpected haste, By eager hands, had failed ! The Lord stepp'd forth. His form with majesty and power impress'd, As when in after times, conflicting winds And waves their tumult ceased at his command ; 92 He willed nor did He more the element Obeyed and changed itself to wine ! Was this To countenance the midnight revel, dance, Or song ? the festive board or wine's excess ? Did Jesus prostitute his power divine, Beneficent, to build what He destroyed? Did sanction then, what now He hates ? Which gives Excuse to drunkenness, debauch and crime ? And leads blind votaries to hell? Away With slander, blasphemy like this, from earth ! Let devils prate such ribaldry, not man ! Then what design did move the Lord, to work At this most unpropitious time, (as seems To man of judgment weak,) a miracle Of character so dark and doubtful cause ? Design imprinted on his works, bespeaks For Him, in voice undoubted as his word, A wisdom clear and infinite, in means Adapted to the end ! To gratify Desire of gaping multitudes, for deeds Of marvellous sort and vulgar fame, did He This miracle perform ? A nobler praise Impulsion gave, and urged to work so vast : To make His glory known, and so confirm The inceptive faith of His disciples young! Who other lessons need and soon shall have. Next, from Capernaum to Zion came The Lord on works of stern reform intent With his disciples : Here the Temple's courts He trod, reviewed with keen inspective glance, The hallowed dome not as the priests by whom, In trust reposed, this sacred place was kept But Master of the house, to whom inscribed ! 93 Event predicted long in Holy Word :* '* Behold I send My messenger before ; His warning must ye heed prepare the way, The Lord ye seek, in whom all worshippers Of God delight, shall come, and suddenly, To visit this. His consecrated house ! " But what reception fit, or offered praise, Did Jesus meet from ministers of God, At holy altars there ? They knew Him not ! Not so when last he comes as Zion's King ! When gladjiosannas loud from infant lips, His praises swell perfected praise of God ! With indignation stern and just rebuke, His bosom glowed, to see these holy courts, Where sainted men of old once worshipp'd God, By hypocrites polluted. Then by power Authority supreme, and means which seemed Not suited to the end, by power divine With scourge of cords, (how small the means,) expelled All who sold oxen, sheep and doves ; o'erthrew Their tables stored ; poured out the changer's gold, And said in tones of deepest wrath " Take hence These things. Make not My Father's house, a house Of merchandize ! By prophets called ' The House Of prayer ! ' Ye have made it a den of thieves ! " As conquest gained, fresh courage quick inspires In feeble bands, where spiritless before, Nor hope, nor fear could give incitement strong So his disciples, new attachment gained, And strength, and hope, from what their Master did, From what achieved by Him for God and truth ! And well to Him applied the Psalmist's words >:< Zeal for the House of God will eat Thee up, " * Malichi iii. 1, 94 Thence forth to distant towns of Palestine Did Jesus go, proclaiming truth divine ; Saying, repent, the kingdom is at hand ! Healing the sick, the lame and palsied frame ! At times by word ; nor means, nor touch applied ; As at Capernaum, when sorely press'd By him of martial fame, and wide command, To heal his servant loved, with palsy sick At home ; who thus his cause did plead with Christ : " I am unworthy, Lord, that Thou to me 6hould'st come ! a man of war and blood ! Speak Thou The word, it shall be done ! " To whom the Lord : " It shall be done. Thy faith requires, and hence Necessity devolves on Me a prompt response. Go thou thy way. From hence thy servant lives ! " Again by touch, or means employed, as when Jairus came, beseeching long that He Would heal his daughter sick seemed near to death! But while he sues for life, she dies ! Alas ! The father's hopes are crushed ! His spirits droop ! She, whom he loved, for whom he prayed, now sleeps In death ! His friends late come, despairing ask, " Why trouble Jesus more ? the child is dead ! " But what did Jesus do? What say, to him Depress'd and sorrowing o'er his daughter dead ? Urged he to stoical indifference then ? Or philosophic firmness 'gainst life's ills ? Taught he that manhood's stern, redeeming powers Should check parental grief, or steel the heart ? How kind His words ! " Fear not : believe on Me ! " Then grasp'd, amid this scene of sadness deep Of broken hearts, tears, groans and sobs suppress'd The hand of her beloved in death, to whom, In tones of sympathetic tenderness, 95 He said : " Damsel, arise ! " The scene is changed! The maid comes forth and mingles with her friends, In bloom of health, as morning freshly dawn'd! Sorrow to joy is turned, and Jesus praised! Or when He ope'd the eyes of him, born blind ; Whose friends desired from Jesus' hand, a touch A healing touch. That touch, which bows in wrath The everlasting hills, and rocks old earth Upon its base, till ocean casts her flood O'er side in boiling wastes ; applied in love, Restores the blind, gives life, dissolves the charm Of sin about the soul entwined ! That touch Once felt the blind man dimly saw. The veil In part removed men walking seemed as trees ! All shapes obscure, in glimmering light appeared, And indistinct, as when the twilight gray Precedes the morn ! Again applied : at once The intercepting cloud commingled light And shade dispersed ! He saw ! and clearly saw All objects, shapes, in form distinct, and man In form erect, as man ! And Jesus saw ! Believed, rejoicing followed and obeyed! Miracles all divine ! In nature, power, Effect and grace ! Worthy of Jesus' hand ! He went about doing great good to man ! On him the Spirit dove-like sat, with power To aid in works beneficent and vast ! He to the poor the Gospel preached, and oft Deliverance gave to captives bruised ; set wide The doors, to prisoners bound, and gave to all, As sinners vile, the accepted day of grace ! Who shall with mighty works like these, compare The false, pretending miracles of Rome ? 96 In tfashy legends of the church preserved, And taught the credulous and blind ! What truths Established by these " lying wonders" taught? Whose faith's confirmed, on reason built ? Whose lives Redeemed from death ? What good to man performed ? What maladies are healed ? What woes relieved ? What sum to human happiness subjoined ? What gained to cause of truth ? What glory given To God ? What end secured ? Alas ! the end That sanctifies, though vile as hell, the means As vile ! To bind in fetters strong, the will, And conscience bind ! To mould with better grace. The minds of men to base obsequiousness, And superstitious fear ! To aggrandize The few ; the mass impoverish and enslave ; So build ecclesiastical misrule ! What character ? what power ? their nature what ? Let one example serve : A sainted fool Did once call fishes from the rolling deep, To hear the truth ; they silent audience gave, When man through stubborness, his ear refused ! Fit preacher, audience fit, and miracle Sublime ! Behold their character and power ! The Son of God compassionate, relieved Distress, and bound up broken hearts ! With hands Of softest touch, wiped tears from widows' eyes ; Smoothed dow*n the wrinkled brow of age, care worn, And filled with joy the orphan's heart depress'd ! His visits opportune were made, and kind, With marked design to all confest ; nor doubts Could intercept belief, where Jesus went! He comes to Nain an ancient city walled. Forth issuing from the gates, with solemn tread. 97 A crowd of mourners came ! With grief bowed down A matron pass'd, whom Jesus saw o'erwhelm'd A widow she, bereft of all on earth Most dear ! Her son, her only son was dead ! Her hope in life, her staff in age, was gone ! Her counsellor, companion, friend ! and grief Had twined its aching cords, relentless, deep, Around her heart ! To whom soft words He spoke, " Weep not " approached and touched the bier whereon The corse was laid. The carriers stand amazed ! As if by thunder-bolts of God to earth Infixed! Who dares this solemn pageant stop, When onward moving to the tomb ? This scene Of sacred sorrow interrupt, by words Untimely uttered ? Whence this stranger rash, Who fears not God ? who meddles thus with hours Of sanctity and death? Jesus unknown, The dead commands : " Young man, arise ! " The voice Of Majesty was heard ! The lad arose, As if from sleep refresh'd, and back to her, Who mourned his death but late, was given ! How kind ! How strange the deed ! W hence comes this power to raise The dead ? and change deep sorrow into joy, As 'twere by magic done ? Fear came on all! And all conviction owned that God was there! Enchanted thousands followed where He led, From Galilee, Decapolis. and towns Beyond the Jordan and Jerusalem ; To whom the words of life He ministered. His forum nature's wild impressive scenes The mountain's rugged brow. His glowing lips Poured eloquence from heaven's empyreal fount, Fresh, pure, out-gushing from the heart of God ! 9 98 Unlike the orators of classic Greece, Or Rome, unmatched in earthly strains, and praised By those whose souls respond to moving speech His, heavenly, simple and sublime ; Once felt, Forever felt and praised ; Once held in high esteem, Forever held ; nor antiquated, lost In whirling vortex of the changing schools ! His poesy soft music of the soul New-born eternal numbers rolls unchanged ! Not imaged fancy of creative mind, Or wild effusions of distempered brain ; The images of truth on God- like mind impress'd ! Heaven's glories bright, exhaustless, which man's mind Can not conceive ; nor vision unrenewed, Can see, nor ear can hear God's perfect love ! Hell's dark abyss and ever rolling tide Of burning flame ; heaven lost to man, despised, Once offered ; groans of myriads damn'd, who would, In spite of love and sacrifice divine, Their choice pursue to death God's perfect wrath! Unlike to Him, the prince of poets called, Who, loftiness of thought, with dignity Of style combined, and dared attempt " Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme," And soared to heights unknown to him and all ! And so to him, who tuned the scenic lyre To notes of loveliest song, and just earned praise ; Who held "the mirror up to nature" well, Yet often lent to vulgar use, his powers Of song ; as birds of highest flight drop down To earth and feed on matter vile ! And so Unlike to him, " spoiled child of fame," who taught The muse to soar, " and with the thunder talked ;" Whose light, like beacon lights on mountains high, 99 At distance glared, but scorched and withered, where It should have warmed ! Who sung lascivious song, And died the wretched victim of his lusts ! His harp is tuned to heavenly cadence sweet, Which fills with melody of love, the courts Of God on earth, in heaven ! All subjects His : Of bold poetic fire, or softer flame, Or sweet inspiring theme ! ' Tis His to paint The orient morn and western sky with tints Of golden light, or blend with silvery hue, The flying cloud disparted by the orb Of night ! ' Tis His to garnish earth entire, With changeful drapery sublime ! To deck With foliage green and summer flowers, afar The smiling mead ; with fruit the cultured field ! To clothe the landscape wide, with wildest grace ; Profusion vast of rocks, hills, dales and groves, And flowing streams from gushing fountains cool! ' Tis His to keep alive the stars, bright lights For man ; to feed the burning fire of day, And light from thence the midnight lamp of heaven ! All thoughts, all themes, all melody are His ; All passions, fears and hopes by him controll'd, And He the grand original of all Existences, and elemental life ! His fame from Palestine to Syria spread With rapid pace : enduring more than deeds Of man, in characters of blood deep traced, Or on the monumental pile inscribed ! fingraved on grateful hearts and chronicled In heaven, eternal stands and brighter grows ! Now Satan from his dark retreat thence driven By interval of rest from hellish strife, 100 And diabolic contest waged with God, To fury lashed, as when the Lion chafed, From Jordan's swelling tide retreats soars up* As prince of airy heights, through starless shades To intermediate space and thickest night : The seat of principalities and powers Of darkness. Here convokes in council vast, All spirits vile, unclean, and demons called ; Magicians wise, who Moses long withstood, Jannes and Jambres, named in after days, Their leaders bold. Wizards and witches knownf In holy law to Israel given, and there Condemn'd. Familiar spirits, sought by those Who sought not God ; who divination claimed, And power to raise the dead. Like her, of Saul Employed j and him of Balak hired to curse Whom God had blest. And those long afterward At Delphos famed, who uttered oracles, Inspired by exhalations rare, divine, Uprising from Parnassus' lofty mount f Myriads of these convened at 1 is crmmand, And thus addressed : " Ye powers aerial, awake! Ye disembodied ghosts of those long dead, Coursing through darkness drear, your trackless way, And must in ' outer darkness ' dwell, condemn'd To such eternal state, if ye do not Kre long, exert your powers for liberty ; Attend my speech ! The Son of God, who seem* Impassible unconquered by my arm Hath late fresh laurels gained in Palestine ! Travelling in the greatness of His power, Speaking in righteousness and strong to save, ' Eph. ii. 2. t Ex. Mil. 18 : Lev. xix. 31. 101 Hath swept like overflowing flood, the land ! Thousands are cringing at His feet, and seek From Him relief, as from the hand of God ! The dead are raised and spirits cleansed from sin ! Before His word divine, diseases flee, As frighted guards, outnumbered, spiritless, Before embattled hosts invincible ! His fame, like lightning from the cloud elanced, To Syria 's flown, untired and onward speeds ! Companions of my toil and pain ! Judge ye Which best, to sit despairing here, or urge Through intermediate air, your hopeless flight, Or meet this crisis, dangerous as 'tis strange, In fit accordance with your prowess shown Before, when multitudes of heathen name, By you were willing led, and yielding host From Israel were seduced ? Come rally then ! And speed your w r ay to this good land j and there Invisible possession take of man ! As single habitants or legions joined, As best may suit our end, and thus oppose This mighty Chieftain, Son of God, so named .' He, or our ancient powers must fall ! Prince, He, Of light, and I of darkness, each distinct In elements of power and principles Evolved, can not affianced live in heaven, Or earth, or hell ! " Then swift in numerous train, As sable clouds o'er midnight hills are driven, The untold swarms of demons dark, descend To scour the plains of Palestine, in quest Of bodies organized, and minds to suit Their hellish purpose fixed bold war wilh God ! Undaunted, Jesus met the common foe To Him and man ! Advised, their nature, power, 9* 102 And mode of warfare understood the world Invisible, in phalanx ranged against the powers Of light ! And not as some of later date Assert mere metaphoric words set down Foul demons put for wan disease, to which Mankind are subject all ; but spirits base Imbodied tangibility assumed, To meet the Son in human flesh arrayed ! When Jesus came from off the holy mount, Where Peter, James and John his glory saw Transfigured form, and brilliant as the light, True pattern given of what His saints shall be, When glorified with Him a father brought His son diseased A spirit furious, dumb, Possession long had held of this young lad, Which dashed him oft times down, resistless then, Foaming and gnashing with his teeth, to earth. Where long he'd lay in frenzied, hopeless state ! First, the disciples sought. These not empowerd, Relief nor aid could give ! How weak is man, Where needs Jehovah's arm omnipotent ! Next, to the Lord himself applied, nor sued In vain ; his faith proportioned to desire, By prayer and correspondent acts confirmed. As God, now Jesus speaks imperative : '' I charge thee, spirit deaf and dumb, unclean, To leave thy habitation fond, nor seek To enter more such tenement usurp'd ! " Reluctant then this demon vile, obeyed The word divine, and owned superior power ! Submission forced, as all the enemies Of God to him accord ! The will untamed, The faculties and powers apostate still, 103 Malignant and inimical, ' gainst Him, For mastery will struggle on, till crush'd By sentence just, and chained where endless night, Despair prolific breeds extremest hell! So struggled this malignant spirit then, Rent sore the lad and left him dead, as seemed To all ! But Jesus' hand, his languid frame Raised up to life and health, and friends restored '. Nor could their vile concentred hosts, arrayed At single point, like legions armed with lance, Or spear, and cased in panoply of steel, Against the Lord make head. These routed, sued For truce as cringing foes subdued, and Him Adjured for clemency, as Son of God Most High ! Abatement ask'd cf punishment, Which due, He might inflict, and will, at time Appointed, when the sentence dread by Him Pronounced, shall seal the doom of angels lost And men! But gave till then what asked. As well Permission gave to enter, as besought, A herd of swine, two thousand named, which ran With fury down the banks of Galilee, Where strangling, sunk beneath the whelming flood! All power derived, is in subjection held, Nor can it be transferr'd without consent Of Him who gave. Such slate dependence owns. But He, in whom the attributes divine All met, gave power to His disciples, such As only God can give ! to heal the sick, Resuscitate the dead, and in his name, To cast foul spirits out, saying : " Go ye* And preach My word. Do ye as I hare done ! Math. x. 104 Freely ye have received, now freely give ! Behold I send you forth as sheep 'mid wolves, Which rend with ravening jaws the purchased flock. As serpents, be ye wise. As doves, be kind, Affectionate, and innocent, and mild ; Thus blending virtue fair, with wisdom prized ; Wherever found, by whom acknowledged, praised, As fit examples, imitation give ; However vile is he, who claims the one, Or humble he, the other shows approved ! To the lost sheep of Israel go and preach Go, preach the kingdom is at hand ! The sick Restore ; the lepers cleanse ; the dead raise up, And spirits damn'd cast out of those possess'd ! Nor raiment, scrip, nor gold provide ; but trust In God. My service meets reward. Fear not. The sparrow small, o'erlooked by man, by Me Is watched with care paternal ; guided on In puny flight, as well as birds sublime, Of heavenly plume, which sweep the mountain top In travelled course ; nor falls without my power Or free consent, as second cause controll'd ! More valued ye than they immortal men ! To propagate My gospel, ye are sent ; My providence your ways shall mark, and guide In all the paths of life, your footsteps right! Fear not. Vile man, opposing God, may kill The body ; further can not go. The soul, by faith In Me secured ingrafted life > he cannot reach ! Who touches this, must Me destroy ; in Me ' Tis hid with God ! Shall triumph hence, ' mid flames Or racking tortures borne, the arguments Of hell ! much used where error's clothed with power ! Appliance damn'd, to force weak consciences 105 To acquiescence base, where argument From truth deduced, would but the truth confirm '. Nor these your constancy of mind shall shake. Beware of men, but fearless truth proclaim Of man's seductive arts beware, nor yield Conformity to sin ; nor countenance Through fear, or praise bestowed, what I abhor! He that receiveth you, receiveth Me, And who receiveth Me, receiveth God ! He who despiseth you, despiseth Me ; And who despiseth Me, despiseth God ! " And thus He sent the seventy forth. These all Returned, and gave report of gracious works Perform'd : Rejoicing that the demons bowed To missive power, in Jesus' name dispensed! As one who saw the fruit of toil long borne, Conflicts severe and unremitting war, With pow r ers of darkness waged and fiercely fought ; Jesus rejoiced in spirit then ! Appropriate more His joy, than victor crowned, from scenes of blood Returned, where man o'er man, in martial pomp And pageantry of earth, loud celebrates His conquests gained ! Whose vaunted reign is o'er Proud lands of wealth laid waste, and cities burned ! Whose banquet mirth the saddest hour of earth! Whose triumph song the wailing requiem, poured From hearts with grief o'ercharged, for myriads slam! He saw with prescient eye the crippled foe, Whose diabolic hate, unchecked by Him, Earth's family entire would plunge in hell, Shrinking inglorious from the field of strife, With shattered shield and fallen crest, disarmed, Thus meditating new revenge, and said : 106 ' ' I behold Satan fall as lightning falls From heaven ! " AsJDavid when deliv'rance found, Thanksgiving then address'd to God : "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth ! in whom All wisdom's hid, that Thou hast hid from man, Self-styled and hence reputed prudent, wise, What Thou to babes wilt show Thy strength divine, Omnipotent, to Him, who trusts in Thee, Nor boasts His native skill in deadly strife" With sin and hell ! By fleshly arm the foe I Vanquished not, thus far subdued ! Unchanged, And free in his abode, recruited power, His cause shall aid in new attack, urged on By maddening shame, disgrace, and sore defeat. His onset furious, I again must meet, As I before have met, and vanquish, once For all, this boasting prince of hell, untamed And proud! Meanwhile to Thee, O, God! my thanks Are due, as I my power and glory all To Thee surrendered, poor became to make Man rich ; I now, till this performed, depend On Thee, as man whose nature, I assume! " SATAN CONQUERED, &c. BOOK IV. And some of them would have taken Him ; bnt no man laid hands on Him. JOHN vjj. 44, Why have ye not brought Him ? JOHN vil. 45. What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him onto you t And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver, MATH. xxvi. 15. And they that laid hold on Jesus, led Him away to Caia- phas, the High Priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. MATH. xxvi. 57. And they crucified Him. MATH, xrvil. 36 BOOK IV. UNSATISFIED with sad repulse endured, From Jesus' arm received recession dread From toils of warfare Satan, chieftain proud, Of hosts infernal, sullen, dark, and wise In policy of hell deceptive gloss, which makes The truth as falsehood seem, and falsehood seem As truth who higher power to none awards, In heaven, or hell, above himself; now sits Enthroned before his spirit-subjects damn'd, As one possessing majesty, with skill And power to conquer God omnipotent ! And thus in wily speech discourse begins : " Ye spirits bold, invincible! Of late, Your parts, ye well have acted : worthy each Of better state of royalty and power Conferr'd ! Return to principalities And thrones, your own, which ye have doubly won, By prowess rare in Palestine ! Eclipsed Your glory late has been, by fleshly forms Assumed ; your purpose grand, of rightful war Declared, and splendid conquest then required. Return with added glory crowned, because Of laurels gained your power, invisible Before on earth, exhibited ; man subdued, Obsequious made before the Son of God I The outposts guard. Scour well the airy heights Of empire vast. Oppose the squadrons bright, Celestial, in their travelled course to earth ; Whilst I, with single hand, attack once more 10 110 This Champion proud, of heaven's pretending hosts, Unconquered yet, invulnerable He May boasting say. Him I will now assail, With all the dread malignity of hell, And He shall yield to my superior skill ! " Obedient, these dispersed their several ways, Whilst Satan girded on his armor dark, For single fight, and coursed his way to earth I As prince of hell unseen, he walks abroad Through all the land ! By means mysterious, foul, Which used, beguiled fair Eve to sad revolt, Seeking to find in disaffected minds A lodgement sure, of base infernal schemes Against the Lord ; and thus by artifice, Supply the power in open warfare lacked : Oft tried, and suited well to dark designs ; As when God's people prosperous, rose above The neighboring kingdoms round, and thus stood high Their enemies subdued and bowing low, Much tributary service gave and power, To Israel's king ! O'er Moab reign'd, and cast His shoe o'er Edom's land ; Philistia's hosts Controll'd ; with Ephraim's strength, (not yet disjoined,) And Judah's valiant men, the nations awed! Then Satan came who oft to passions vile, In man, with mark'd success appeals to pride, And jealousy and lust to David, proud Of state exalted, with suggestions which A correspondent end secured. To him he spoke Of wealth, of valor, fame, and strength of arms, Which brought great revenue of praise, well earned, When marshalled men, by him led on, far pushed Their conquests o'er the land ! And urged him on To number Israel's sons, and sum the force Ill Of mighty men, who, when emergency Required, could take the field of hostile strife! And spoke of Nineveh, and Babylon, And Tyre, with which his state might well compare! As fowlers take the unsuspecting prey, So he with covered snare, deceived the king ! The yielding monarch, fondest credence gave To these suggestions, fawning made, and fair, As seemed to mind excited : Numbered then, By strict command, the people, who transgress'd The law T of God, promulged in Israel's code,* Nor brought the ransom price, the penalty For which the pestilence was sent of God, Severe, nor stayed till seventy thousand fell ! f Now Satan, wrapp'd in covered light, disguise Put on tbat he might gain his purpose dark, The constituted powers of Judah seeks, To bring complaint in law against the Son Of God ; so far and wide to sound alarm, And holy indignation deep, excite ' Gainst innovations dangerous, introduced And blended with the worship pure of God ! The sanhedrim, chief priests, and scribes, he roused By lengthened speech and argument, that seemed With glowing thought replete, and language fit Conveyed. Of ancient rites, and sacred held, Discoursed, and thus declaimed : " Pretended priest! The Son of God, pretended Son and vile ! He comes from Judah's tribe, from which, No priest ordained of God ere came, or can By law : so loud demands a change of law Immutable ! and change of rites long used * Exodus xx.x. 12-15. t 2 Sam. rxVr. 112 Inductive priestly washng at the door Of tabernacle, first by Aaron, then By consecrated sons observed instead A washing novel in the Jordan's stream, Has substituted, and received from one, Not sent, nor priest ordained, nor fit such rites Initiatory to administer ! The priesthood is in danger ! Worship pure Miscalled and mean, for fisherman designed, And common minds accursed, who heed not law. Who follow flickering light, as ' twere the blaze Of mid-day sun effulgent stript of form Attractive, he will institute ! Ye scribes And priests, and officers elect of God! Your holy office then, which now respect And veneration claims, and profit yields Abundant, (God asks not your toil for naught,) Shall most dishonored prove and profitless, If ye blast not with sure, but prudent haste, This new religion in the bud ! " Then one uprose, Who sat in Moses' seat; responsive spoke, And due corroboration gave to what The seeming angel said : The council charged. And all concerned, to watch the impostor vile, And follow where he went. His ministry Observe, to trap him in his words or works, Whether in public or in private done Among the poor in cottage low, o'erlooked By pharisee and doctor erst such now Must have attention, that impression made, On minds neglected long, of charity And holy deeds performed, might secrecy Ensure from public note the end conceal ! (V where the leprosy, with venomed breath 113 The healthful air impregned ; or at the grave, Where decomposed, the human form sent forth Its dread effluvia, arrowy death, dark winged, Through all the air, must they be found, nor shrink J Or at the sick man's couch, where pestilence Unchecked by art of man, stalked forth to meet, As men at arms, and bold, the timid foe ! Or where affliction sanctified the place As holy ground, where Jesus' sympathy Was felt and prized above all earthy bliss ; Must they obtrude : no place exemption gives ! Forthwith the council he dissolved ; who. now, Ambitious others to surpass, in works Malignant ' gainst the Son of God conceived, Dispersed, as troops en ambushment sent out! ] At Nazareth commenced. Hither His fame Had come ! But here He did no works of power And grace, because of unbelief and hate ! They, envious, Him attack ; contemptuous ask, " Whatever Thou hast done in other towns, Capernaum and Galilee throughout, Do also here ! Physician, heal Thyself! " To whom the Lord : " Hath prophet honor just ; At home ? where bred, where known ? Where rivalry And jealous hate, with blinding influence, close The eye of candor, and due praise withhold ? A curiosity unlawful, prompts Unjust demands ! Can ye the sovereign will, Or purpose deep of God, as shallow streams, Divert from customed flow ? When famine raged In Israel, many widows pined for bread, Necessitous. To none relief was sent, By good Elijah's hand, except to one 10* 114 To her, who at Sarepta dwelt f ' Twas thus Ordained ! And many lepers also were In Israel, when Elisha cleansed the chief Of Syria's host : But Israel's lepers cleansed He not ! Nor I, what thus ye seek, will grant ! " Then one to other sneering said such sneers For argument are substituted oft, Rejoinder made to gracious speech, to claim The vulgar praise "Is not this Joseph's son ? " So filled with wrath, they rose and would have cast Him down from where the city stood, but He Amid the crowd pass'd on and thus escaped ! But not by stefcdthy means, did He elude Their rage rage, impotent and vain 'gainst Him Directed ; firm intrenched in purpose strong, To give, at will, His life a ransom, due To God's eternal law and man's estate ! Next, Him accuse of casting demons out, By power Beelzebub conferr'd. The prince Of demons in collusion with the Son Of God ! As operator, subject, leagued, To work deceptive plans and seeming true, In mesmeretic feats, to gull weak minds .' Or worse, as if against itself arrayed The selfishness of hell to virtue's side Had turned, as servants change their masters oft .' Or stranger still to judgment sane, that sin And holiness were blended, and could hence Community of interest have in hell ! And Satan work for self, and work for God, So build His kingdom up ! And these were scribes. Whose lips should knowledge keep, and teach Untutored minds the law ! To whom the Lord n speech profound : "On earth, who ever saw 115 A kingdom stand against itself engaged In warlike strife? Then how the powers of hell? Themselves would soon exterminate ; nor man Would need God's power oft interposed, to blast Their schemes malignant. In its stead would find By human arm, an easy victory gained, Nor seek from God, what now he needs, or falls ! The strong man armed his palace keeps, and gocds In peace, till he the stronger comes and binds Him fast ; so Satan keeps fast hold on man, And subjugation claims o'er human mind, And with demoniac power the body chains And tortures deep inflicts, till overthrown By power divine, as ye yourselves have seen ' A superhuman power by you confess'd, Ascribed to hell in arms against itself! Denying thus what evidence, the sense May give, preverted not by sin indulged Your envious madness, goaded to its height By bigotry, exclusiveness and pride ! Thus ye blaspheme the Holy Ghost, who dwells In Me, and works by Me, deliverance kind, To those afflicted sore ! And thus provoke The Lord. His works of love, to evil cause Attribute, and His mercies mock, in spite Of sense and reason's light, and light of truth, In word prophetic seen ! Can ye escape The burning fires of hell? Me, ye have seen And hate ! Through Me, My Father see,- and hate .' The brightness of His glory, I reflect, In rays subdued, on man ! Had I not come, Your stubborn sins might palliation claim, But now remain and aggravated plead, For justice stern and sentence dread ! For Me 116 Ye blind reject. By Me forgiveness flows To penitence and prayer, as stream of life From, fountain pure. Me, ye despise, nor will From Me receive, what else ye can not have! Oh ! foolish scribes and priests ! Too late shall ye Behold and mourn your fate! Now hear your doom : Ye must be damn'd! " Confounded then, his foes Retired in sullen mood, with faltering step, As ocean swelled by high and angry winds, Retires at calm, with gradual ebb, and leaves The shore in peace where once its fury raged! 'Tis winter drear in Palestine. The feast* Of dedication held to celebrate The Temple purified, (by Syria's king Polluted,) now is kept. The ancient porch, As some vast rock amid the ocean's surge, Has long survived the ravages of time, And devastating hand of conquering kings ! In sacred word, as Solomon's porch is known A solemn pile and grand, looks tow'rd the east, A monument of what the Temple was, When God's symbolic presence dwelt as cloud Of glory there ! Here Jesus walked ! The Son Of man, nor house, nor home possess'd on earth, Here shielded from the wintry blast, spoke words Of life to thronging multitudes, and gave To weary hearts rich comfort, whilst Himself Was friendless and despised ! Round Him, the Jews Gathered in haste scribes, pharisees and priests, As hungry wolves around the lamb, estranged From native fold : Some accusation false, To find in words ungarded said, or find ' John x. 22. 117 Some evidence of guilt, as pretext fair, That speedy condemnation might ensue ; For they were pierced by words of just reproof. Oft said, as if by sharp and pointed spears ! With seeming honesty, they ask : " If Thou Be Christ, why make us doubt ? Thy miracles Equivocal, no witness give to claims So high important, true or false, to us. The guardians lawful of religious rites, Must judge of Thy pretentions boasting made ! For we, the oracles of God expound, And ordinance of sacrifice control. Moses we know : He led our fathers forth From Egypt ; gave them laws, from God received While on the burning mount : His glory saw ! But who art Thou ? Whom makest Thou Thyself? We look for Christ, a glorious personage, In prophet's word described ' The Mighty God ; The Prince of Peace ; ' of valor great, and power To lead our armies on to valiant fight, And drive from hence these powers usurp'd, and held Till then, as now, by sufferance wise of God ! Art Thou that Christ? Now let Thy speech be plain, Nor circumvention use, as oft Thou hast." Then Jesus, filled with indignation, spoke His words with terror clothed, as thunder seemed, Forth breaking from a cloud of storm, and awed To silence deep, the while, His caviling foes ! " Have I not said, and plainly said? But ye Believe Me not ! My works My claims confirm, Nor need, nor can they have a stronger proof. My sheep will hear my voice : but ye are not, And will not hear ! My sheep will follow Me 118 To death ! I give them life eternal life ! N'o one can pluck them from My hand, or pluck Them from My Father's hand ; for we are ONE ! " They audience gave till now. Enraged that He Should claim equality with God, in praise, Perfections, grace and love, with blasphemy Accuse the Son of God, and eager would The penalty of Moses' law inflict ! When Jesus bold resumed : " Why cast ye stonei In furious rage at Me, nor mark what's said ? Many good works have I performed, for which Do ye thus visit punishment for sin? And only due to sin ? Have I blasphem'd ? Which of ye all convicteth Me of sin ? If then My words ye can not overthrow, Nor dare dispute, why credence just withhold t ' Tis said in ancient scriptures, ' Ye are gods.' Shall men such high appellatives receive, In word of God, to whom the word was sent ; And ye, with fiendish malice say to Him, The Father sanctified, ' blasphemer, Thou ! ' Because I said, I am the Son of God? Ye hypocrites ! Your father's lusts ye do ! Blindly he leads you on to war with Me, And hence to war with God ! Effrontery Unmatched! unknown, but in the depths Of hell ! where ye your native element Shall find, and kindred spirits, who accord With you in envy, jealousy and hate ! " Routed but not dismayed, they then withdrew, And consultation held what could be done In case so critical. At once agreed Thereon, the council must deliberate. 119 Forthwith the sanhedrim was called ; and soon The hall of state was thronged, as when in hell, The massive edifice by Satan built, And sung by poet blind heroic verse Was filled by peers of that infernal prince, Devising means to crush the new-made pair If that were best, or else by subtlety If best, to win them o'er to side of hellf Here scribe, and pharisee and priest conferr'd. Now one, well skilled in intrigue, learned in school Of priestly kind, rose up and thus harangued : " Fathers and brethren, hear ! Full well were we Forewarned of this bold innovator's course What specious arts and fraud He would employ ; How He, with seeming miracles, would draw The crowd to servile waiting at His feet, And great renown among the vulgar sort Would gain ! With eagle-eye, Him ye have watch'd, And evidence of large amount laid up, To meet and test His claims, confronted here ; But naught prevailed. Where'er He goes, the world, Grown mad, still flock to hear His speech divine ; Seeing His mighty works, they bow to Him As God ! regarding not our holy law In force against idolatry and sin ! We thus shall well-earned reputation lose ; Our ancient rites their glory lose, and more, Far worse, Jehovah's name shall be despised These things allowed, will end in anarchy And death to hopes of pregnant joy, as ye May judge ! Ye guardians of the public good, Awake ! Nor idly here debate, as 'twere A measure small of import ye discuss, And not of danger imminent to all ! 120 Already are the people won, and range Themselves on side of this imposter great ! And how shall wise decrees prevail, by you Put forth, if public sentiment work not With righteous cause, which now ye advocate ? Let energetic means, devised at once, A speedy execution have, so end This mockery of legislation now ! " Amid applauding cheers, sat down. Then rose Another, somewhat more in age advanced, Some untouched point to reach ; and thus poured forth Exciting speech : " My peers in law ! To me your audience give ! This subject now Demands investigation ; nay, demands Executive decision ! Scenes like these, Do not our tributary state befit ! This Jesus claims to be a King ! And king Of whom ? The Jews ! Pretensions such, shall soon The Tetrarch's hate excite ! Will Pilate brook Such insult offered? or will Herod pass In silence, base indignities preferr'd ? Will Caesar know a rival here, and rest On his imperial throne ? I tell you nay. His sweeping cohorts armed, will quick o'erthrow What yet remains of toleration small, To us vouchsafed in our religion, law Administered by privilege enjoyed And dear as life ; which others can boast ! Shall this or life be sold ? In looks that burn, I read your answer ! Then exert your rights Legitimate, ere this shall reach its height Of mad career, to crush seditious crime, Wherever known ; or soon, amid the storm Of Csesar's wrath, this nation sinks unmourned ; 121 Nor aught remain but cheerless void, where once Her ancient glory shone ! " His speech here closed. Silence ensued ! The heart's deep feeling moved, Forbade response! Then Nicodemus spoke The same who came by night to see the Lord : " Ye elders of the people hold ! nor thus Impetuous urge your onward way ! What's done In haste, is oft ill done, by accident, If well. And oft repentance bitter comes In after thought, which fore thought should have been, And calm precursor to the deed. Will ye Condemn the man unheard ? or hither bring, And thus confront Him with yourselves ? And here Give place for just extenuation made, Or explanation due to majesty Of law by Him contemn'd, as some believe? Can ye by law, condemn this man unheard ? I charge you, weigh this matter well, nor act Precipitate, where judgment given requires Deliberation cool before it pass ! " Here ended. No responsive impulse now Sends forth approving shout, but silence first Prevailed. Not as before, when feelings deep, Too deep for utterance fit by words, fast closed All lips ; such as surprise begets, or shock Of fear, or when the coursing blood is chill'd By deeds of horror done! But soon were all Restored ; with anger filled ; then silence broke By murmuring words, which louder grew, to him Address'd, sarcastic said, and deeply felt Through all the house, " Art thou of Galilee ? " Then Caiaphas, high-priest that year, (God's law 11 122 Ordaining priests for life, by man was changed,)* Demanding audience, rose ; prophetic spoke, As one a sacred trust discharged for God Permitted so for Aaron's place he filled, To whom, because of station occupied, There was some lingering reverence due, not due To him as man, but to his office held Divine ! He spoke in name of Israel's God, As by the Spirit moved the Spirit moves Some men to speak in praise of God, who love Him not! As Beor's son, whom Balak hired To curse : Restrained of God he could not curse, But blessings asked instead ! Respectful now, All eyes to him are turned, who thus begins : " What! know ye not expediency demands, (Ye nothing know it seems,) that one must die, To save our nation, which must perish else ? Jesus must die! The public safety needs The sacrifice ; and justice stern requires The largest sum of human happiness, By smaller ills, soon pass'd, and felt by few, To man in aggregate should be secured ! But not this nation only, benefit Of vast amount shall thence receive, for He Shall bring God's children, scattered wide through earth. Together in one fold united, bless'd, As careful shepherd herds his wandering sheep ! " , This speech, as pretext served, to close with haste Deliberation then protracted long ; So speedy sentence pass'd, unanimous That Jesus Christ the Son of God must die '. ' Exodus xl. 15. John xi. 51 123 As prudent mariner, who shortens sail, Lets drive his bark before resistless winds ; So Jesus flees before the gathering storm, Foreboding ill, and thickening every hour ! His time not come, Himself to offer up, As voluntary sacrifice to God ; He goes to Ephraim city, there to dwell In solitude, till God's appointed time Shall call Him forth to meet once more the foe ! The yearly feast, the nation's jubilee, JVot that the fiftieth year was kept, when slaves, Among themselves were freed, but when themselves Egyptian bondage 'scaped, was nigh at hand. They sought for Jesus there amidst the crowd, And one to other, in the Temple said, " What think ye? will He come to keep the feast?" The sanhedrim again was called, no more To be dissolved, till this great crisis pass ! Now Satan comes, disguised as once before ; Disguise could none deceive, but those themselves Did first deceive and blind ; for eyes not closed By bigotry, could such bold falsity Detect. To these as messenger of light He seems, and thus addresses nattering speech: " Ye men of wisdom deep, and firmness large? Proud may ye be of your renown'd debate, And just decision made ! This land entire With acclamation rings, and due applause On you bestowed. Well may ye boast your fame And ancient origin ; but more, far more, Your recent deeds of glory, which do add A double glory to your fame, if add you can, To that which perfect is, nor more can have ! Rome in the zenith of her pride to whom 124 Ye bow as tributary power ; not fit As 'tis, the servant should as master sit Could not such senate boast ; grave, learned in law, And eloquence of native sort, not taught In schools, mechanical and frigid more, Than coruscations pale at northern pole ; But such as moves to grand and just results I But while I speak this great impostor's yet At large ! What's done is well. What need ye more. But judgment pass'd enforce ? Him lurking ye Shall find in secret place, as criminal From justice fled ! His followers, faithful men Worthy of better cause and rich reward, Fidelity ensures to deeds of praise Deceived, round Him as body guard encamp, And strictest watch maintain. But stratagem Shall well effect what force may not attempt ; As frequent disaffection makes in ranks A breach, where valiant hosts would be repulsed! Among this faithful number faithful where Disloyalty were virtue there is one, Judas by name, of noble mind and bold, Fitted this honored enterprise to head, And such assistance give to apprehend Our common foe, as ye may need. From first, Although as one of His disciples known, He was not duped, but His integrity Held fast, and independency of mind Evinced. In hopes of gain, He was induced To join their band, not lured by promise large And vain, of future good ; if haply He Might hold their treasured wealth. Him hither, I Will send. With whom confer and measures take To bring this matter to an end. Whilst I, 125 Meanwhile required by cause of truth, speed on To distant fields of neeJy toil, and large ! " So spoke the fiend, arch enemy to God! To whom with one consent they credence gave, As 'twere the will of God revealed, in stream Of inspiration poured from fount divine ! So work delusive charms on minds deceived, Who will not truth receive and hate the light ! Now on the mount of Olivet, the Son Of God in musing sadness stood, and looked With eye of melting pity down upon Jerusalem ! The city outspread wide, Lay at his feet like pictured map, and fair To view as fancied place of fairy tale, In imaged beauty drawn ! Her walls and towers And lofty battlements of threatening look, Defying troops of foes, whom God defied Stretching far west and south amid tall trees, And outline dim of towering hills, were lost! Along the brow of famed Moriah's mount, Sacred to all the chosen seed where once The Patriarch, his son, as sacrifice To God. in figure offered up, and him Received to life again the northern wall Ran straight ; Jehoshaphat's deep vale, With Cedron's dark and flowing stream below ! Whilst far o'er Zion's hill so fondly sung By ancient bards of God in sacred strains, To which all Christian hearts responsive beat Rose high the southern wall, with Hinnom's vale, Where Judah's sons apostatized from God, Their children sacrificed at Moloch's shrine Spread wide and dreary seemed symbolic hell! 11* 126 Here Jesus stood and looked, and felt, and wept ' And thus the heart's sad feeling poured, in strains Of sorrow forth : " Alas ! Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! Thou city fair, once loved By Zion's King, and dwelling place of God ! Beautiful once for situation ! styled The joy of earth ! The prophets thou hast kill'd, And those in mercy sent to thee, to show Thy sons the way of peace ! Thy children oft, Would I have gathered home to God, but they Would not ! Now desolation, like a cloud Hangs threatening o'er thy head ; ere long shall burst And sweep Thy loveliness from earth ! The day Shall come not distant far thy enemies Shall compass thee around, and keep thee in On every side ! Thy walls and proudest towers Lay low ; nor leave one stone in order laid, Of all thy dwellings fair ! Jerusalem ! Jerusalem! Oh! hadst thou known in this Thy day, the way of peace ! But now 'tis hid Forever from thine eyes ! Ye shall not see Me hence till ye shall say blessed is He, That cometh in the name of God, Most High ! " Thus He denounced God's vengeance just on those Who would not hear his word, with broken heart And interrupted speech his utterance broke By sighs and tears! Nor inconsistent this : As man of sympathetic heart, he wept! As God of attributes divine, he spoke ! Here too behold an exhibition kind, Of highest love ! Compassion pure, divine ? Benevolence refined, above what men Or angels feel ! Ye waiting angels, poised 127 On radiant wing, now hovering round the Son ! Can ye the mystery of these tears explain, In language used in courts above ? Or find In Heaven's own copiousness of phrase and song, Fit numbers to rehearse this scene to hosts On high, when ye return ? Here you may pause In wonder wrapt, nor think to explore the vast Profound of Jesus' love ! Ye giddy ones Of earth ! whose days are spent in revelry And mirth ; who pass the Saviour by, nor heed His sorrowing mien and outstretched arm to you ; O, wonder not at what He felt though angels may Nor think it strange that Jesus wept! He wept Not o'er himself, though scorned ; o'er man as doom'd To hopeless woe, for base ingratitude And sin, He wept, nor could His tears withhold! And such his ministers should be. Their hearts Should feel the word themselves to others speak. Not with vain trifling air, most awful truths Repeat in studied forms of elegance, To please fastidious taste, nor mourn results When truth's despised ; but weep in secret place ; Like Jeremiah, weep o'er pride, when man Rejects and mad defies Jehovah's arm Omnipotent, made bare, upraised to strike, With whetted sword, the rebel down ! And such Was Paul, who warned with tears, both day and night, The sinner, who, without repentance, faith And prayer, must meet eternal wrath ! He felt Oppressive weight of sorrowing heart, for those Who held relationship with him and Christ ; Who zeal and perseverance had, in works The law required, but destitute of faith, 123 Could not be saved ! For them he wished himself Accursed from Christ if tl at perchance could work Redemption sought, from hell So deep he felt Solicitude for those exposed to woe ! Ye ministers profess'd ! who never feel As Jesus felt ; whose hearts are never fill'd With bitterness for man coademn'd, and hence Exposed to pains of second death ; but give The lie most palpable to what ye preach, By fond applause oft sought of man, and not Of God : Far better ye should never tread Again His holy courts, as once ye trod ; But there record in ever during form, Your guilt and penitence to God confess'd ! An ancient bard, of God inspired, who lived When Judah's sons rebuilt the Temple, sung Of Jesus thus : " Rejoice aloud ! O, thou Daughter of Zion .' Shout ! O, daughter blest, Of loved Jerusalem ! Behold ! thy King, Having salvation, cometh ! He is just : No royal equipage or state is his Riding an ass, and meek, behold, He comes ! " Now Jesus came, as was by ancient seers Declared. The people saw their King approach, And caught enthusiastic glow of pride Or patriotism, or inspiration true Of Holy Spirit's fire if that could be For God designed in spite of pharisee And priest, and hell combined, in triumph now His Son should enter Z ion's ancient gates ! In crowds the people rush, ambitious all To honor Him they soon despise ! Him meet With waving branches of the palm, and shout 129 Hosanna to the King of Israel blest, Who comes in name of God ! He came to keep The feast the last that He would keep ! At night Sat down with His disciples loved, to break The bread He ne'er again would break ! to drink The cup, no more He'd drink, till new He'd drink It in his Father's kingdom ! Solemn hour Of meditation deep and mournful thought ! Their eyes were turned upon their Lord. His voice Soon heard, in mellow tones addressed, relieved The sad suspense which silence had imposed : u I now must go and leave you in the world ! I will not leave you comfortless My peace Shall still with you abide ! The Holy Ghost, The Comforter, shall dwell within your breasts, To guide you into truth all truth ; but not To give impulsion blind to doubtful acts : Impressions strong, of lessons taught by Me , Before, the Spirit on your hearts shall make, And hence through truth, shall lead to truth, and what The truth requires ! And He, your comforts too. Shall well enlarge. My promises secured To you, at highest courts My power shall there Prevail applied by Him, shall aid impart In darkest hours ! Why then should sprrpw fill Your hearts ? Orphans ye shall not be ! But I, O'er you my guardian care will still exert ! " Their feelings deep, with interest new, now clothed His speech ! They seemed to hang upon His words' Their lives suspended on His lips ! And none Of them could ask, " Lord, whither goest Thou? " The Lord resumed : " I go to meet My death ! Well pleased to meet that death which God ordained ; But wounded in the house of friends, 130 Hy one of you betrayed ! Their pent-up grief, Like smothered force of some volcanic fire, Struggling for vent, burst forth at length, in words Of loudest wail, and each inquiring spoke, '' Lord, is it I ? " Then Jesus answered calm : '' 'Tis he to whom I give the sop." Then gave To Judas, who, then frowning left the scene, Which angels could not contemplate unmoved, Plotting dark mischief 'gainst the Son of God ! Now Satan, having failed in all attempts Before, to conquer Christ, resolved at once To enter Judas : him through hopes of wealth Deceive, to act as traitor and betray The Lord ! Fit habitation for such guest ! A man of blackest heart and devilish mind ; A devil called by Him who can not err By Him who knows the heart can read its thougths, As lettered book of execution fair, Is read by man when covered deep and dark, The motive lies ; to which the outward act, Alone as index points, nor known before, To observation strict or eye of man ! A thief! who loved ill-treasured wealth, and talk'd As hypocrites, who large professions make. When charity 's diffusive made of waste When Mary poured the costly ointment cweet, On Jesus' head ; by Him approved and blest, As proud memorial of her deep-felt love ! Vile man, he loved not God ! Profess'd to love The poor ; but cared for such, as hypocrites For cause of truth! Him, Jesus had reproved For avaricious thought; that he despised And sought revenge ! The fiend ! what would he else ? His filthy soul, now moved by hellish springs, 131 Nor awed by Jesus' presence him he'd left Determined soon for gold to sell his Lord '. The sanhedrim, disturbed, and anxious sat, Waiting return of officers sent out To take the foe. These, overawed by words Of majesty, returned, but brought Hitn not! Before them now appears a man, with look Of stern resentment on his down-cast brow, Imprinted deep. Suspicious seemed, as one From justice 'scaped, with dark design impell'd .' His eye with fitful glance surveyed the hall And all the court. The sanhedrim returned His look ; with interest watched this stranger come. Waiting some message big with import, which Should bring relief to minds embarrass'd long, And weary grown with watchfulness and care ! At length, when curiosity was raised To utmost height, the stranger silence broke, And thus inquired : " What will ye give, and I Will sell this vile impostor to your hand ? Well known to me His haunts, where He retires With His disciples, and pretending bows In prayer and supplication to His God ! From me He can not 'scape ; nor will suspect Me as a traitor to His cause, who once Such firm adherence proved Who followed where He led, by day and night, through hunger, cold And heat ; nor aught my own, could call on earth ? My salutation, now as erst shall He Receive : Him ye shall know, whom I shall kiss, And hail as Master loved ! To me confide The conduct of this great affair. What think Ye now ? will give my price ? " With quick despatch 132 Him they secured and gave the price he ask'd The thirty pieces value of His Lord ! The price for which he bartered heaven, to gain The pains of hell ! Ah ! better 'twould have been, That he had ne'er been born ! nor seen the light ! Nor ever lent his ear to sound ! nor moved His slanderous tongue to speak Messiah's name ! The wakeful din of active life, is hushed To slumbering stillness now in Palestine. Season of rest for man and beast : the last To caverns deep, the first to wonted couch Repair. All save the watchman in his tower Who nightly cries " all's well ," when councils dark, Foretoken ill and those on mischief bent : Determined, well or ill, that Christ shall die! Now while the nickering taper casts dim light Around the court, where scribes, and pharisees And priests, in gloomy conclave sit their deeds As dark as pall of night now o'er them spread The moon soft tinges with her silvery light The ancient olives green, whose shadowy groves And arbors clad with creeping vines, rich dress And grace impart to lone Gethsemane. Here Jesus now retires. Here oft retired, When night dews fell upon His lovely form And howling winds swept by, to pour His soul All out in prayer, and there sweet converse hold With God. O, sacred spot, so oft bedewed With Jesus' tears ! now witness of His groans And agonies ! His time at hand, takes two Of Zebedee's sons and Peter, (others watch,) Aside, and thus exclaims : ' ( Now is My soul With sorrow overwhelmed baptized with grief! " 133 Then bade these also watch, whilst He withdrew ; (Fatigued they could not watch, but fell asleep !) Three times withdrew and fell upon His face ! Meanwhile the sweat, profuse as drops of blood, Gushed forth from every pore so great His grief! And thus to God, His plaint makes known, each time The same : "My Father, O, let pass this cup, If that may be ; if not, Thy will be done ! save Me from this hour ; but for this cause 1 came to meet this hour. Thy will be done ! " Sinner ! behold with agony, the Son Of God now prostrate lay ! What agony Is His ! Behold Him now with faltering step, Approach His death that death He came to die! What mystery is here ! How dark the cloud O'erhangs this scene, without the piercing light Of God ! His Father's face withdrawn, and left To feel as man, the tempter's power ! To feel The weight of sin concentred wrath of God ! See here the travail of His soul for man, Who else could not be saved ! The Just One now Suffering for sin, that whosoe'er believes On Him, may be accounted just with God ! Now hovering near, aloft in air, is seen A shape, unearthly in its form and bright A sun at mid-night seems, dispelling night. It proved an angel, timely sent, the Son To reinstate in power and grace again ! This done ; the conflict o'er with death and hell ; The Saviour now exulting speaks, as if ' Twere pass'd : " The Son of man's betrayed ! Arise From sleep ! Let us go hence ; behold, they come ! " The rolling stream with channel wide, deep notch'd, When earth in form uprose from eldest floods, 12 134 Sweeping in majesty through richest plains The meadows burdened with their promised store Of winter food for strolling herds, at will Cropping the herbage now of pastures green, Nature's fair carpet, spread through lengthen'd vales ; The woodland hills, with verdant beauty crown'd, Where warbling song of sweetest note is heard ; Luxuriant fields of ripening grain, with hue Of gold, continuous waving o'er the land, Like undulations mild of Ocean's swell As well the distant mountains, blending soft Their fading tints with azure sky proclaim That God is good! How good to send His Son, To suffer pangs of hell for man, hear one Inspired : " He spared Him not ! but freely gave Him up ! " As culprits given by justice up, To meet reward of crime, so God gave up His Son to meet for man, result of sin To feel stern justice' sword transfix His soul ! What holy love ! The embodied love of Heaven ! The gathered rays of strong celestial fire, Burning indelibly upon His heart The glowing truth Thy death must be the life Of myriads dead ! Intensity of love ! What sensibilities were His ! How deep The fountain of that love ! As deep as sin! That turbid current flowing down to hell ! I would that mine were such a heart ! O Lord! Vouchsafe Thy grace and give me such a heart! A heart, whose sensibilities acute, Shall ready impress take from seal divine ! A heart, whose deep affections, pure And free, as those that flowed from Jesus' soul, Shall pour at morn, at noon ; at eve, a tide 135 Of prayer aad sympathetic love oa maa ! Not there to waste its flow ; but rising reach Its source again, which thence reflective sends To this, else barren world, the blessing sought I Withhold all else Thou wilt ! Deny not this ! Leading a band with lamps aad torches bright, Which marked their course ; (the lamp of night was gone,) Armed as against a thief with staves and swords, Now Judas urged by Satan on, (hig will, All mental power aad physical, to him Subservient,) swift advancing, comes to meet The Lord and His disciples, " Whom seek ye ? " Aloud demands the Son of God, with voice ShalljWake the dead, when he in glory comes! As troops aggressive checked by sudden fire, And routed, when with hopes of victory flush'd ; So these stood fixed, then backward fell to earth, Repuls'd by Jesus' word ! This done to show They could succeed but by consent alone His time now come, to stern necessity Divine would yield, and not to powers of earth Inquires again : " Whom seek ye thus ? " If Me Ye seek, let these their wonted ways depart! So pleads exemption kind for His ! as said Jehovah by the word : " The shepherd, I* Will smite. The sheep will scatter hence ! " Encouraged by such free permission given, Judas approached and kiss'd the Lord. The last Shall give ! Sad seal of infidelity Most base that heaven e'er saw, till paralleled By those at Rome, who sat in papal chair : Yicais of Christ on earth, pretended ! Lambs * Zech. xiii 7. 136 Speaking with lion's voice ! Professing love To God, in works denied ! Usurping powers He never gave deposed the kings of earth, And drank the blood of saints from golden cup ! Sons of perdition ! they betrayed the Lord ! The chalice of His wrath, ere long shall drink Unmixed, when Babylon the great shall fall ! The signal given, the band approach and bind The Saviour, as a murderer, whom, through fear Of foul resistance, strict necessity Makes sure ! Oh ! shameful deed ! and shameless men Lost to all sense of moral worth and fame ! Ye midnight clouds, thick gather o'er the scene, Eclipse in darkest night this darker shame, Lest the wide concave blush at such a sight, And mourning stars weep floods to drown the world ! Him bound, they led before the court. As sheep Before her shearers dumb, He opened not His mouth! Arraigned, He answered not ! Nor plead Exemption for Himself from deepest ills That hellish machination could invent ! From hence to Pilate's judgment seat, and thence To Herod sent, (for Pilate knew that He From Herod's jurisdiction came.) Here mocked And set at naught ; arrayed in gorgeous robe Of majesty ; by brutal soldiery Despised ; remanded thence to Pilate's bar The last tribunal, cognizance should take Of this important case ! Ah ! wicked man ! Dishonored Christ, to honor Herod more ! So these before at enmity had lived, By mutual sin 'gainst Him were reconciled ! As frequent since, great men of earth have leagued, 137 When sacred truth was sold and Christ betrayed ! Pilate, forewarn'd by dream his wife that day Had had concerning Christ, to him promulged, Whilst due deliberation held awhile The waiting crowd, by form of law, so used Wavered in judgment, so through fear demurred, And questioned oft the clamorous rout, who still Held firm, because of proof suborned, that He Of treason stood convicted clear, and hence Must die ! But Pilate sought the more to shun Participation in the deed a deed Of doubtful issue marked, to Him it seemed ; Till one as organ of the whole, their will And sentence to communicate, stepp'd forth, And thus remarked : "If thou let this man go, Thou art not Caesar' s friend. Does he not claim To be a king ? A case of treason foul, ' Gainst Caesar, clear as noon-tide sun, when clouds Are scattered by his rays ! Caesar's thy friend : Wouldst thou his friendship barter for a dream ? As custom bids, release Barabbas now, A robber, true , but pure in character, Beside this malefactor vile, who makes Himself the king of Jews ! and moves the crowd To deeds seditious most and secret crimes ! Let Him be crucified !" This word, quick through The rabble host in echoing peels rang loud, Rending the air in universal shout, " Let Him be crucified ! Release Him not ! " In token then of innocence not his, Pilate, with water washed his hands, (not clean Of guilt,) next scourged, then gave the Saviour up ! Full license gained, the soldiers now with haste. Not sensible to pity, drag Him forth 12* 138 To the Praetorian hall, where tauntingly They hail Him King ! His form with purple robe Invest, as sign of royalty. His due ; (Acceded in derision, not in truth !) With thorns his head entwine, which piercing deep Bring crimson currents forth from hallowed brows, Which many crowns shall wear ! The mimic reed Bestow, then bow the knee in mockery, And heap with lavish hand, indignities Upon His head ! Ye puny worms of earth ! Ye know not whom ye thus insult ! Nor know . That He, who passive bears your cruel gibes, Now holds the thunder in his fists, could hurl To bottomless abyss, your wicked hosts, Who, oft unhurt have braved the battles' storm ; . But stays through intercession kind, not sought, The Father's wrath o'ercharged, else deepest hell, Would instant be your fate, eternal sealed ! Surrounded by a motely host of scribes, Priests, pharisees and people common herds Together with the Roman cohorts armed, Bearing his cross, with feeble step and slow, Toward Calvary now Jesus goes ! The crowd, Incensed, they know not why, nor sympathy Nor sorrow feel for Him oppress'd, till grown Weary. He sinks beneath the cursed load ! Another then, late from the country come, They press to bear it to the fatal spot ! Now thirstihg for His blood, as ravening beasts For prey, when hunger fierce impels them on, They hurry to its consummation soon, Their crowning act of most malignant hate ! Here on the cross erect, between two thieves. 139 With arms extended, held by rugged spikes Infixed -His body's weight suspended thus Bleeding and fainting, dying, Jesus hangs! Ah ! who can tell the measure of His pain ? Those dying pangs! that burning thirst! that sense, How keen ! of gracious approbation lost ! (The while His Father's countenance withdrawn.) When loud He agonizing cries : " My God, Why hast forsaken me ? " But at His pain. Behold they scoff! To slake His thirst, they give Him gall and vinegar to drink ! And yet He prays, "My Father! O, forgive; they know Not what they do ! " Was ever love like this ? Not satisfied with that, which hell might own As satisfaction vast, for vengeance loved ; They pierce His side with martial spear, whence flows Rich blood and water forth for sinners spill'd! Then priests and scribes, whom Satan moved, that they Might triumph in His name for this is now, His hour and powers of darkness pass Him by. Wagging their heads and mocking say : "If thou Be Christ, the King of Israel? save Thyself And us. He others saved, Himself can not ! Let Christ, the King of Israel, now descend From thence, that we may see, and so believe." f . Thus Jesus died ! Amid this scene He breathed His spirit out, an oflfering pure for Heaven ! Now supernatural night, as pall of death, Covers the land, as if the funeral hour Of earth had come ! The rending rocks ; the earth Trembling ; the opening graves ; the shattered veil ; Nature's dread agony attest ! The sun In darkness hides his beams by hand 140 Of God put out, as flickering taper quench'd ! The heavens put on their deepest weeds of woe ! The stars look forth in gloom, and o'er the cross Cluster, as orphan children, crushed with grief. Bending in sadness o'er their father dead ! Three hours creation mourned o'er Jesus slain! Nor cheerful seemed ! nor mourned alone. All His. Who loved and followed Him, in sorrow mourned, And wandered forth as chance might lead, like sheep Scattered, without the shepherd's guiding care ! They thought that Israel would have been redeemed ; But how, or when, or what redemption was, They could not tell ! But one thing knew and felt, Their Lord was dead ! And with Him, died their hopes Of all the promised good to Israel due Due, not by merit, but by gracious word So little knew of His design ! So weak Their faith ! He died for what? They could nottell ! But faith replies that man may go to heaven ! Heaven! Glorious heaven! I love to muse on heaven ! At meditation's calm and holy hour, Of evening shade, or morning's dawn, to rove By river's bank, beneath the sloping hill, With verdant coppice fringed, and shady oaks Arranged with tasteful hand, by Him I love Above all friends ; with gentle cascade's hum, (Small voice of God, for thus He speaks, as well As in the thunder's roar,) through balmy air, Faint breaking on my ear ; with cottage roofs, ' Mid clustering trees and village spire the rays Of closing day, or early glittering beams Of fresh, inspiring morn, reflecting far In distant view. ' Tis here I love to think Of God and heaven, and harps of gold, soft tuned 141 To melody and crowns by victors worn, Through Jesus gained ; and friends redeemed from earth. Singing with angel voice the praise of God, Whom I shall meet : And here I love to pray ; To offer sacrifice of praise at morn, And eve, and breathe on earth the atmosphere Of God ! Anticipated heaven ! O, this Is happiness below! But what compared To happiness above ! where faith is lost, And hope, in ocean vast of blissful love ! SATAN CONQUERED, &c. EOOK V. The first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, trnto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. JOHN xx. 1. That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. HEB. ii. 14. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. ACTS i. 9. Sit thou on My right hand, until I make thy foes thy foot stool. Ps. ex. 1 : ACTS ii. 34-35. BOOK V. ERE morning broke on eastern hills, or tinged With blushing light, night's dusky clouds ; or erst The twilight grey had come ; two female forms* Were seen low bending o'er the sepulchre Of Christ. It was a tomb of rock, dug out By art of man ; wherein no man was laid Before. They came to seek their Saviour dead ! With spices came, and ointments to embalm The body of the Lord ! (The way of life, They did not know as now ' tis known, how He Should rise, and captive lead sin, death and hell!) The tomb was sealed, the Roman guards, as charged, Kept watch, and due precaution used, to hold His body prisoned long. Far east, while dark, The keepers saw a form approaching fast, Bright wing'd with heavenly light, above the sun ! In majesty it moved and nearer came, A messenger of God confest ! Around Whose head, red lightnings beamed vindictive wrath Against those men who dared oppose the power Exerted now to glorify the Son ; ' Twas thus ordained in heaven, that He as prince Of life, should rise, attended by His guards. For fear of these, the keepers shook and fell Prostrate to earth as dead ! If thus they fear The emanation of His power, how much Shall fear the Lord himself! Earth trembling, heaved With dread convulsive throes, as if in pangs, * Matth. xxviii. 1. 13 146 To bring another world to birth ! The stone Was rolled away ! The crucified came forth To life, as God, in form divine arrayed, And glorious to the eye of faith, as that Which Peter saw, when on the holy hill, His soul was wrapt, then awed and overwhelm'd ! Free passage gained by whom it was not known A work so vast was done, the stone was great, And they had questioned how it could be done With haste they entered where the Lord of late Had laid, but found Him not. Instead a man, Clothed in white garments, flowing down to earth, Sitting beside the vacant spot! What sense Of mingled grief and fear conflicting sore Now rends their hearts ! They, weeping sought Their Saviour there entombed, and Him would find By sorrow deep impell'd : But now would fly Affrighted from the place, once sacred held ! Sacred as burial place of Him they loved. The stationed angel posted there, to make Report of what was done, instructed well In upper courts, ere sent, by God's own word, To know what these endured for Jesus' sake, To them soft words, most soothing speech, address'd : " Be not affrighted ye, who seek by faith And love, the Saviour crucified ! No ills May come to those who seek Him thus. Believe What He has said, what said before His death : He is not here ! Untenanted He's left This prison house of death ! Hath conquered death ! As once He said : 'I '11 be thy plague! O, death ! And thy destruction, grave ! I will redeem My sons from death, and ransom from the grave My chosen ones ! Nor shall repentance stay 147 The vengeful work, till hell subdued at last, Shall own my conquering arm and judgment just! '* Now come behold the place where low he laid As you shall lay but now in triumph lives ! Now sings the victor's song, whose echoing strains, In sweetest numbers roll through all the worlds Of light ; where myriad choirs repeat the song And roll it back to earth. Thus interchanged, The raptured notes rise high and higher still, Till all the universe is filled with praise ; * Loud hallelujahs to the Lamb, who once Was dead and lives again forever lives! ' Mistake me not. These higher notes of praise To Him, ye can not sing with fleshly tongues, Nor yet can hear with ears of fleshly mould ! A state preparatory now is yours To sing His praise in grovelling strains, (a gift Ye can not prize too high, it cost His blood ;) To love with carnal hearts renewed, but not Redeemed from earth ; to fight with weapons, He Shall furnish to your hand, the powers of hell; But fear ye not. The Lord hath vanquished him, Through death, who had the power of death ! He may Annoy and grieve, but can not harm. His fiends, Restricted in their powers, permitted still To skirt the camp of saints, will hurl quite oft Their poisoned shafts in hellish showers, to vex The godly hosts ; but fear ye not their rage Infernal. Even this by him o'erruled, Shall work for good among his saints. His cause Promote, though seemingly it may retard ; And finally with crowns, unfading, bright, The victor's head adorn ! Why lenient He " Iloseaxii. 14. 148 Appears, where naught but wrath in quenchless fires, Should burn to lowest depths of hell, the end Shall well disclose. Till then seek not to know. Let this suffice : As conquerors from the field, Reserve and thus enhance the glory gained To future day, their triumph show ; so He Shall bind and lead in captive chains the prince Of hell man's deadliest foe when Gabriel's blast Shall wake, and congregate the nations dead With those alive, to celebrate the deed ! Great day of God Almighty ! ushered in By angel shouts and songs, with harps of gold, Attuned that day anew ! The herald sons Of light shall then proclaim, with trump of God, The battle done ! The victory gained by Christ The Lord ! In following train the Son shall come, Riding the conqueror's horse, by Him one day* On Patmos seen ; celestial armies, close In rear, all dress'd in linen white and clean! His eyes as flames of fire shall then appear, Flashing with vengeance tow'rd His left the place Where wicked men appointed stand but soft With pleasure beaming tow'rd His right for there His chosen ones shall stand. Upon His head His many crowns, rich gemm'd, reflecting light Of softest ray, shall glorious shine, as orbs Of brightest beam admired ! His perfect form, Clothed in a vesture dipp'd in blood, the sign Of man redeemed and triumph over hell, Shall fill the ransomed soul with ravished bliss Whilst on His front, emblazoned fair, shall glow His name, THE WORD OF GOD, in characters Most legible to all the hosts of earth ! * Rev. xix. 11-10. 149 No one, that day, will dare dispute that He Is Son of God, divine ; and one with Him In all the attributes of truth ! But Lord Of all, confess'd by all, shall reign o'er all The sons of men ; for e'en the wicked then, Shall bow the knee to Him, confess His name, And own Him King of kings ! Close at the seat Of God, this holy pageant then shall halt. That Satan, introduced by seraph guards, Confined in massive chains, confused, and bowed With covered shame, may stand before the Judge, Once more confronted ! What an hour of woe ! Each moment pregnant with ten thousand years Of pain! The eye of God inflicting pangs, More grievous than the piercing flames of hell! Then writhing to and fro, like Etna's top, When rocked with raging fires within, shall hear His sentence pass : ' Cast him alive and bound, Into the lake of fire, to plunge and howl Forever in the billowy flame ! ' Loud then, The voice once heard by favored saint of God, Forth issuing from the throne, shall sound afar O'er hills, and plains, and mirror-surfaced sea * ' Praise our God, ye His servants ! Praise Him, ye That fear Him! ' And the voice of multitudes, Echoing through heaven as many waters roar, ' Hallelujah ! Hallelujah ! Amen ! For the Lord God omnipotent doth reign! ' Ere this can be, the Father's grace, through Christ, Must flourish in the earth, and cultured, bear Abundant fruit. And Satan's power must have Another check. A thousand years shall lief In chains, debarred his wonted intercourse ' Rev. XY. 2. t Rev, xx. 1. 13* 150 With earth. Then persecutions, wars, shall cease The while, and peace with joy, shall bless the world ! Return and fill your place in this great scheme, Nor mourn your Saviour's death. For now through death , He lives ! shall die no more ! Him shortly you Shall see ! Tell His disciples crush'd, what you Have seen and heard." Here closed. The females turned -, With weeping left the place where once they sat,* With mournful joy ! the Saviour met, and Him Addressed, but knew Him not, until his voice, Well known, they heard, to theirs rejoinder made : '' Mary why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou ? " With ecstacy of joy, then Mary hailed Him Rabbi, flew as she was wont, to clasp His feet in close embrace, as dearest friend Who had escaped a thousand fancied deaths, From perilous seas and sickly climes returned .- But suddenly was checked her gushing joy, When stern the Lord made answer, " Touch me not ' I have not yet ascended to My God : Thy God. My Father, also thine ! Withhold The fond expression of thy love. I know Thy heart, and well appreciate thy zeal ; Thy strict fidelity have seen and loved : But thou hast known Me in the flesh ; no more Canst know Me thus. The form that now is mine, Thou canst not touch, unless a miracle Be wrought, (that yet may be if faith require.)! It is the spirit's vehicle, refined From matter gross, and principles corrupt, Of earthly sort the process pass'd in death All intercourse familiar, hence must cease, Except through prayer, the spirit's channel free, * MaUh. xxvii. 61. t John xz. 27, 151 Through which communion must be held with God ! Tell My disciples that I live ! That death Through death, by Me is changed to endless life '. That I have triumphed over hell's vile host ! Their chief, in proud conceit invincible And dauntless, strove to oppose My grand design ; Oft met Me in the fierce attack, with arms Of horrid mould, devised in hell, and shaped For certain conquest 'mong the sons of earth, Unaided by my arm ! But these I turned Against himself, so firmly stood unharmed, As Hermon breasts the storm that sweeps the plain I Who then recoiled, and changed quite oft his mode Of war, as hellish council did suggest : At length this one expedient tried, as last Of all infernal schemes that wisdom damn'd, Could well conceive ! The pharisees and scribes, By sophistry which none but he can use, And none but they receive, unless like them Deceived, were urged to seek my life ! and on, Through pretext varying oft to suit the end, Were led to accomplish what their hearts desired ; And thus to fill their cup of vengeful wrath !* But He o'erleaped his own design and failed, When confident success at last had turned The scale to side of hell ! To make all sure, He whispered round among the Jews, to ask Of Rome, a guard to watch the sepulchre That night, that My disciples might not take The body hence ; but did not know, (so long He held the key of death,) that I laid down My life a sacrifice for man, and hencef Could take again, at will, what I resigned ! t 1 These, ii. 15-16. + John s. 18 152 All things secured, he kept not watch himself* But back, to hold a jubilee in hell, With all his fiends, o'er what was gained, he took His way. How short the triumph and how base ! An hour of fiendish joy, and revelry* In pain, succeeded by eternal night ! Now death, through me, has lost its sting ! The grave Its victory ! Death as tyrant reigned o'er man, From Adam down to Moses, and from him To Me, through Satan's power ! Through him man sinn'd. By sin came death so held the key of death ! But I have wrenched it from his grasp, and him Confined to boundaries marked ! Behold I live ! And hold henceforth the keys of death and hell ! When Gabriel's trump shall sound, the dead shall rise, To meet rewards of life on earth they pass'd ! The silent church-yards, planted round with yews, Whose solemn tops have sighed to moaning winds, Through ages past, shall send their myriads forth, To meet the hosts from ocean's bed disgorged, (That charnel-house of navies vast, through time ;) With all the treasured legions from the field Where millions slaughtered fell, and slept beneath The green clad mound a foul commingled mass ; And these shall join in phalanx large, The nations still alive, to pass review, In airy fields of amplest space, sublime, Before the Judge on burning clouds enthroned ! My saints shall rise in image of their God, Forever blest, (so shall My servant teach. )t Their natural bodies, though dishonored, vile, And powerless, when they die, in wisdom changed, Shall rise in power, in bliss and honor live, Luke txii, S3. t I Corinth, xv. 40. 49. 153 And immortality put on the dress Of saints, well wrought to suit their state renewed And strike their harps to songs of victory tuned, O'er death and hell, through Me their living Head ! Tell My disciples, also Peter, (mark The injunction,) Peter, who through fear denied Me once, when following where I bid him not So fell, and pierced his soul with sorrows through ! Him I restored when penitent, and thus, On all impetuous service unrequired, Or rash unskilful zeal however bright It burn, My seal of disapproval stamp'd Tell him, tell my disciples all, that I Will go before them into Galilee ; There shall they see me." Here dismissed at once, This subject new, delightful to them both, Which held them long, unconscious of the time That passed, that Mary might communicate With haste, the joyous message as enjoined. ' Twas on the eve of that same day that Christ* Arose, two men of visage sad and speech Subdued, were seen approaching near a place Call'd Emmaus. Their whole demeanor showed Some dread calamity to Israel come ! ' Twas clear that disappointed hope had fixed Its impress deep upon their clouded brows ! And they were Christ's disciples doubtful now, Of what their Lord had said before His death, That they should see His Kingdom prosperous rise Discussing what the probable result, Of all these strange occurrences should be. And as they reasoned thus between themselves, Luke xxiv. 13. 154 The Saviour came, as one whose journey led That way, to join their walk, (so strangers oft Unite in travelled ways,) and thus inquired : " What sad communications these, ye make To one and other as ye pass along? " Then Cleopas astonished greatly said : " Art Thou a stranger in Jerusalem? And uninformed that Christ, a prophet great In deed and word, condemn'd by scribes and priests, Was crucified ? We thought, (His word inspired Such hopes,) that Israel would have been redeem'd, By dint of His strong arm ! That Judah's sons With Israel joined, should worship God again In peace, delivered from their foes ! Three days Have pass'd our fondest hopes are crushed ! Besides, some females from the sepulchre Returned, who sought to find His body there, Reported that they^heard from angel's lips, In vision seen around the sepulchre, That He is still alive ! And some, who heard These things but doubted, found 'twas true indeed, But saw Him not! " The Saviour then replied, His speech was stern, but kind : " O fools! and slow Of faith, to disbelieve the prophets' word ! Ought not the Christ to suffer what Himself, In love to man, agreed before He came To take upon Himself? that justice' claims, Of fearful grasp 3 might not the prisoner hold, Shut out from mercy's reach ? ' Twere unjust else ! Nor could He e'er resume His glory, veiled From angel's view, by human form put on, But through that course of suffering, humbleness, And shame o'er which ye grieve, but shall no more." He then in condescension to their state 155 Untaught, from Moses on to Malachi Explained, in speech not mystified in school Of man, the word revealed concerning Christ ! To Him the prophets all gave witness cleat : Agreement strict between themselves, he showed. Between their word and facts transpired, so plain That captious infidelity could ask No more, nor sophistry, in seeming garb Of truth, pervert the argument deduced! Their unbelief, as darkness at the blush Of morn, dispersed ; the truth their minds illumed, And warmed as fire of God their hearts, to glow Of zeal and ardent love, as they arrived At Emmaus. Here stopp'd to pass the night, (For they had press'd the stranger hard to be Their guest ;) and as they sat at meat, He took As oft He did before His death, the bread, Gave thanks, and bless'd, then gave to each a part. At once their eyes unsealed, beheld their Lord ! Not long beheld He vanished out of sight ! With strength renewed, as when the soul refreshed By interview divine, or fed with bread Of God, begins life's pilgrimage afresh ; The two disciples now return, to greet Their loved companions at Jerusalem ! To them rehearsed what pass'd : How Jesus came, And joined them by the way ; their tardiness Reproved ; and exposition gave of what The prophets had declared concerning him ; Became their guest ; took bread, gave thanks, was known ; Then vanished out of sight ! Whose word, as shock Electric, pass'd from one to other round, Among the faithful few, revived their hopes ; Confirmed their faith ; fresh zeal and love inspired, 156 And gave impulsion new to holy joy ! Yet some there were, (how strange!) who doubted still ! On a lone mountain's top in Galilee, Far from the scene of Jesus' tragic death, Now the disciples met, await as taught, The coming of the Lord ! He bade them wait His coming here ! Here in the flesh, He loved To tread, with them, the mountain wilds, and draw From Nature's ample stores, instruction rich, And easy grasped by feeble minds. Again, Would meet them here and last injunction give ! He comes ! But as He lingers in the way, Some doubt ! He nearer comes ! He speaks! They bow In adoration down 'The Lord proceeds ! "All power in heaven and earth is mine ! Go ye And preach the gospel ye have learned and felt, To every man : baptizing all who shall Through faith receive my word : rejecting all Who will not thus believe they shall be damn'd ! Bid them observe My laws, and love My truth ; And lo ! I will be with you all, Amen ! Begin your message at Jerusalem, Where I was crucified ! My triumph there Must first be seen. Not as impostors do, Do ye commence in place remote from that The scene is made, to propagate some tale Incredible ; at home could be disproved : But where I bled and died and rose, there preach Repentance in My name ! My death and life The basis of the offers which ye make To man ; of pardon, life and peace through Me ! There pray, and tarry, till ye be endued With power from Heaven. This promise ye received 157 From me I from My Father. John did well Baptize with water : ye shall be baptized Few days hence with the Holy Ghost! Ask not To know the times and seasons not revealed Kept in the Father's power. Short time shall pass Before the Son of man shall come, to set His Kingdom up on earth, in form and power ! Come in the glory of His Spirit down, To recognize His church, baptize in one His people all one body organized And He the Head. One Spirit then shall guide The whole, till He shall come the second time ! " Meanwhile was Michael sent to overseef With four associate sons of God elect, The resurrection of the saints : To seal, And mark from Israel's tribes, twelve thousand each ; (The tribe of Dan except : For cause unknown On earth, they wait for His salvation now !)t The glorious retinue of Christ, to wing With Him through azure fields, their way to Heaven ! First fruits of God through Him, as pledge of what The harvest all shall be : presented now By Him as priest of God, in holy place, As Aaron's sons, the sheaf before the Lord ! Now Michael comes to Moses' grave the spot Concealed from man to wake this man of God He was a type of Christ, a faithful man And bid him join the waiting host, who rose When Christ arose and walked with solemn pace, Around Jerusalem ! Amazed, he saw A shape of huge dimension, wing'd with plumes Of darkest shade, and spear of hellish mould, " Matth. xviii. 16. 20 : Acts i. 4-7. t Genesis xlix. 18. t Rev. vii. 1-8: Rev. xiv. 1^. Matth, xzvii. 52-53, 14 153 In hand, awaiting his approach, stood firm ! Dark desperation lowered upon his brow. And from his eye defiance flashed, as when The lion hunted stands at bay ! His voice, Unearthly hissing seemed ; resembling most, If aught on earth it did resemble, sounds From mad Vesuvius' belching mouth, as thus He spoke : " Avaunt thou soft plumed son of light ! Thou weak, effeminate angel ! nursed in heaven, ' Mid green celestial bowers, and genial fruits Ambrosial ! Stand, and thou shalt feel my steel, Proved in the battle's strife, thou hast not seen ! Think'st thou to meet me, when thy Master fell Powerless before this weighty spear well poised ? What wouldst thou here ? Wouldst take from me the key Of death ? or wouldst invade my province, held Four thousand years with undisputed right ? Thy Master, true, escaped 't would not been thus Had I kept watch instead of man. Here miss'd, For once, my mark : but I shall catch ere long, In wily snare, this soaring bird. Meantime, No more shall ' scape. This body dead, I saw Deposited of God, as I was perched Unseen on Pisgah's top, in charnel house Unknown to thee. The door I closed with haste, Then turned with unrelenting hand the key Of everlasting night on this famed saint Of God ! From God came life by me came death ! Thus I obtain just vengeance, sought by me In heaven, on earth, in pleasure, pain, in weal, In woe, in hell, unceasing sought ; since he. Unjust and partial, laid on me the curse Of endless pain because of rights maintained By those, who would not cringe to power usurp'd ! 159 My heart increasing burns with direful hate Tow'rd God, whilst sore remembrance haunts My soul, in ghastly form, with what I was, And what am now, and what He is, and what Would be if justice reign'd ! My spirit free, Was cast in largest mould celestial, formed For glory, conquest, power supreme on earth, In heaven ! Befitting more that I should reign, Than He who thunders forth unjust decrees, Bearing unequally on those He rules ; And yet I'm doomed to service vile and damn'd! Can this be borne ? Witness ye heavens ! Ye powers Of earth ! Ye spirits lost who congregate In airy plains ! Ye powers of hell ! That here, I wage eternal war with God ! " To whom Michael made answer mild ; " The Lord rebuke* Thee Satan, boastful in thy speech, and proud J I bring no railing accusation bold 'Gainst thee ; though I in justice might. Nor dare I rail, as thou has railed. I fear not thee, Nor thy great spear in battle tried. The Lord Of hosts I fear, whose representative I stand : and therefore use soft language, such As suits my station high, before His throne ! Thou canst not harm me daring fiend : My life Secure in power divine, is hid from thee ! Thou canst not wield ' gainst me thy polished spear ; But paralyzed must stand, as criminal Thou art, and hear the will of God. My speech Not harsh, but true, shall well portray thy state ; Hid from thyself, by strong delusions thou Has cherished long, and fed by luring hopes, Concocted by infernal fancy's aid ! * Jude 9. " He disputed about the body of Moses." 160 Thou hast no power but what the Lord permits Thee in His providence to exercise, Against His people thou may'st think ; but not Against them, rather for their good ; that they, When tempted, proved, may be as gold Refined and unalloyed, from sins expurged ! Thou may'st forbid, but canst not stop the dead From coming forth at God's command. How vain The thought hadst thou kept watch instead of man, The Lord could not have risen ! His rising sinks Thee down to endless night ! His life thy death Shall prove ! His power has forced from thee the kej Of death ! Dost think thou hold'st it still ? Make search Deluded fiend ! Amid thy various stores Of hellish husbandry and implements Of second death, where found ? Thick night from thee Has brooded long o'er man. No cheering beam Could pierce the gloom, tillJesus rose ! From Him Diverges now in brightest ray the light Of life, to utmost ends of earth : From thence Returns to blend with kindred light in heaven ! Dost thou see this light? Thou canst not see it Nor yet would man, hadst thou held sway. But know From hence he may resist thy boasted power, By offered grace accepted ; nor shall walk In darkness, if he choose the light of God ! I charge thee now, in name of Him Most High, Who rules in hell and metes out punishment To crime proportionate, that thou attempt No interference here, or thou shall feel The heaviest blow his vengeance can inflict ! Go hide thee in the night of hell, nor show Thy darkened visage, grim as hell itself, Again among the sons of God, till He. 161 Shall call thee forth to meet thy final state ! " Then Satan turned, his spear let fall, nor made Reply, but seemed like raging waves convulsed, When howling storms sweep o'er the midnight sea ! His broad, dark wings he plied ; repeated oft The attempt abortive, moving the elastic air With flapping beat and heavy sound, like that Of some tall bark becalm'd, when first she meets The breeze with sails untrimm'd ! Then slowly rose, And tow'rd the abyss of hell he laboring fled Beyond the verge of earth a conquered foe! Then Michael quickly sped, what time detained He soon redeemed, and marshall'd on the plains The new raised host of God's elect, to pass With Jesus up to glorious state a troop Invisible to mortal eye ! In what Arrangement placed it was not known to man ; Perhaps, (as fruitful fancy now suggests,) ' Twere safe to say, they ranged in order thus :* First grand division, on east were those From Judah, Issachar and Zebulon ; The second, on the south, from Reuben, Gad And Simeon. On the west, the third were those From Levi, Benjamin, Manasseh raised ; (Manasseh stood in place of Ephraim left) And on the north, the fourth stood those redeemed, From Joseph, Asher, Naphthali ; (for Dan Remained unsealed,) with Jesus in the midst! A glorious host, with banners flouting high, In triumph floating, waiting now the word From Christ their King ! His chariots bright Their number twenty thousand named, by onef ' I Numbers, ii. ch. t Ps. Ixviii. 17. 18. 14* 162 Inspired in waiting stood, conveyance fit For retinue divine ! And hovering near, Ten thousand times ten thousand angels filled The mid- way air! From Bethany began, With awful majesty, his upward flight Himself alone was visible to man Leading those captive now, whom captive death Had held ; in long and gloomy triumph held ! Parted at once from His disciples, while With hands upraised, in accents sweet not used On earth He poured His farewell blessing down 1 Then rang the trump of God with solemn peal,* And tone of gladness, new and loud, not heard At Sinai's mount, nor at the jubilee By Israel held, whilst angels' shouts convulsed The teeming air ! His rapt disciples gazed Intensely up their senses all absorbed In sight ! The Saviour onward urged His way ' Then came the intervening cloud, and He Was lost to earth ! But onward still He soars. With His accompanying host from orb to orb, Where posted angels cheer them as they pass, Till they arrive at Heaven's high outer wall, Of jasper studded thick with precious stones, Bright as the brilliant sun's meridian li?ht! Here pause. The escorting angels slow advance In front, and thus make proclamation loud : ' ' Lift up your heads, ye gates ! and be lift up Ye everlasting doors ! and let the King Of glory in ! " The angel who kept guard Within, the same who watched with flaming gword, The tree of life in Paradise, when first The interdiction pass'd ; inquiring speaks : Pa. xlviu 5. 163 " Who is this King of glory ? " Those without Again reply : " The Lord of hosts ! The Lord Mighty in battle, He is King of kings And King of glory ! " Open wide, then flew The everlasting doors ! On high the gates Were thrown! Then onward Jesus moved, With gracious step, His train all following close, Approached His Father's throne, and thus began His speech sublime, whilst angel hosts With wings at rest closed down, in silence stood : " O ! Righteous Father ! God ! The hour has come ! Now glorify thy Son ! I have declared Thy name to man, and honored Thee on earth ! The work assigned to Me have done and now I come to Thee to claim the glory due The glory I enjoyed with Thee, ere man A being had, or time its course began ! " On whom the Father's smile complacent fell, Bright as the lightning's flash, without its glare, Reflected far o'er all the heavenly choirs, In waiting bowed, as He made answer thus : '' ! Son beloved ! Thou image of Myself! From whom did emanate, in yonder world, All the divine perfections, as the light From its concentred source ! Well hast Thou earned The glory claimed. To this hast thou aspired, And kept My promise large, in view ; when wrapt In conflict dread, which none but Thou could bear! Thou didst humility put on, in sight Of wondering crowds below their nature pass Here lost Thy reputation, sacred held Before, among the sons of heaven ! Above Their rank, pre-eminent, thou once didst stand, And sway Thy sceptre o'er their myriad hosts ! To Thee they bowed, and Thee adored divine ! This Thou didst sacrifice ! To man's low state Stoop down, to meet on equal ground His foe! Him Thou hast conquered ! Welcome Thy return .' Thou, in Thy former glory, shalt be crown'd ; The travail of Thy soul_ shalt see, and reign O'er all the earth ! Sit Thou at My right hand ! " The Son sat down upon His Father's Throne. And from Him shone the God head as before ! Then rang the holy choirs, through all their ranks Symphonious, " Worthy is the Lamb, who once Was slain, now victor over death is crown'd ; To have again all power and praise in heaven ! Amen ! Hallelujah ! Amen ! Amen ! " Long His disciples looked with ardent gaze And deep abstraction tow'rd the fancied place, Where the bright cloud received their Lord, and wrapt Around His lovely form, its ample folds Of fleecy light ! Two angels from the rest Detached, to turn their minds from this event To one not yet transpired, by words of hope Thus broke their wakeful dream : " Ye men Of Galilee ! Why stand ye gazing up To heaven ? Why doth despondency weigh down Your hearts? as if the Saviour would not come Again to earth ! He shall descend, as ye Have seen Him rise, in power and glory rise, From earth to heaven ! Him the heavens must retain. Until the time appointed come ; His work Of meditation done ! The Father's grace, Through Him as channel fit, must first be poured. In richest streams on earth ; and myriads bow To His redeeming power ! The day and hour. 165 Not known to man ; nor to the angels known ! Nor can the Son reveal, what God ordains Must secret stand, until preceding signs, As bright precursors, indication give Of His approach ! Watch, therefore ! Watch! That day Shall come ! Come as a snare to all who dwell* Upon the earth! No future prophets bold, By long array of mathematic proofs, Shall fix the time as demonstration clear ! Nor can they fix what God has never shown, But by eventful signs, described, and plain ! Sudden the lightning streams from east to west. Nor sends a herald forth to give alarm : So shall His coming be to rebel foes The signs acknowledged, hailed by faithful friends ! As in the days of Noah, men were blind To signs, and deaf to warnings given, and turned Away to feastings, merriment and crime ; Marrying and giving in marriage thoughtless souls As if their fleeting joys could never end ; Nor heeded what the preacher said, till they Were overwhelm'd with woe ; so shall it be When Christ shall come ! Perhaps that morn may be The fairest earth e'er saw a festive day Among the proud, to solemnize exploits Of man some large achievements madt in arts, Unfolding rich resources, hid till now, To swell the flood of happiness on earth ! False pleasure beams in every eye, and shouts Of mirth and gladness fill the air ! Here loud The roar of cannonry r js heard, and here The dance, and here the song ! And here the glass With sparkling death is filled ! In yonder hall, ' Luke xxi. 35. 166 (The time as fit, for this occasion fixed,) The marriage vow proceeds. The man of God Stands up to speak the joyful words. The guests In silent expectation stand ; (how gay ! In richest dress attired, with care that day At toilet given !) The ready banquet waits, And glad festivities at closing scene At once the trump of God shall sound, with blast Of fearful note, and deafening shouts come down To earth ! The heavens shall part ! The Saviour come ! His chariot large thick clouds of brightest flame ! His steeds the coursing winds tempestous driven ! His train the embodied hosts of heaven ! His voice The awful thunder's roar! His eye's bright beam The lightnings flash, o'erpowering mortal sight ! The dead shall rise ! The judgment set! The good Ascend to meet the Lord in air ! The heavens Together roll with dreadful shock ! The earth In penal fires be wrapt ! The wicked fall From mercy's reach their day of sorrow come ! Satan with all his hosts sink down to hell Remediless their state for ever damn'd ! And Jesus reign on earth as now in heaven ! "