Classic Poem

CHAPTER XII.

H E hath at last his heart's desire,
Who did above the rest aspire
 To sit with Jesus on His throne:
First of the twelve he drinks the cup,
He fills his Lord's afflictions up,
 Baptized with God's expiring Son:
Ambitious of the foremost place
He all outruns and wins the race,
 With strength from Jesus' cross supplied
He dies; and sits triumphant down
Distinguish'd by a brighter crown,
 And nearest to his Saviour's side.

Once embark'd in wickedness
 Sinners all restraint despise,
Satan and the world to please
 Still from crime to crime they rise:
When their measure is fulfill'd,
 When they can no further go,
Then the wrath of God reveal'd
 Sends them to their place below.

L ET fiends and men their wisdom join
 The purpose of the Lord to' o'erthrow,
They only blast their own design,
 And by their wise precaution show
That all submits to His command
Whose counsel shall for ever stand.

Herod intends' a saint to kill,
 But Christ intends to set him free:
Who can resist the Sovereign will
 If God's omnipotent decree
One servant to Himself receives,
Another to His people leaves?

T HE mournful church, of James bereft,
 (Who bleeds his Lord to glorify,)
Beholds the zealous Peter left,
 But left in bonds and doom'd to die;
Helpless, disconsolate, distress'd,
 With pious, unavailing care
To save her minister oppress'd,
 She finds her sole resource in prayer.

No other arms but prayer she knows
 (Which mix'd with tears to heaven ascends)
To stop the fury of her foes,
 Or aid her persecuted friends;
The fervent prayer of faith Divine
 Cannot be offer'd up in vain,
When all in one petition join
 They must from God their suit obtain.

What shall the Spirit's will defeat,
 The joint request to God made known
When all the race of Jacob meet
 And Israel's hosts besiege His throne!
When Jesus in His members prays,
 Their prayer redeems the saint from death,
Their prayer the bloody current stays,
 And plucks the prey from Satan's teeth.

W HILE his watchful friends are weeping,
 Wrestling on in ceaseless prayer,
See him in the dungeon sleeping,
 Careless, calm, and happy there!
Peace surpassing all expression
 Fills and keeps his faithful heart,
Earnest of the full possession
 Makes him eager to depart.

Shackled, death-devoted Peter
 Sleeps on the beloved breast,
(Never were his slumbers sweeter,)
 Dreams of everlasting rest,
Passing o'er his bloody passion
 To a palace in the skies,
Sees the God of his salvation,
 Grasps his Lord in paradise.

 W HAT could earth and hell do more
  Their prisoner to secure?
 Let but a short night pass o'er
  And Peter's death is sure;
 Keepers, guards, and gates surround,
Yet cannot all effectual prove,
 While one open way is found
  Of rescue—from above.

God His suffering servants sees,
 And all their sorrows shares,
Leaves them to the last distress
 And then He grants their prayers;
 True and faithful to His word
He then His guardian power makes known,
 Saves as an almighty Lord
  Who never fails His own.

 Then we testify His grace,
  And ever watchful love,
 Join our songs with those that praise
  His hallow'd name above;
 Jesus doth His church redeem
From all the rage of fiends and men,
 None can ever trust in Him
  Or ask His help in vain.

'T IS here my nature's state I see!
Fast bound in sin and misery,
 In chains of hellish night
Ready to render up my breath
I slept, condemn'd to endless death,
 Nor miss'd that heavenly light.

The' infernal jailer stood before,
With guards that watch'd the prison door,
 Yet unawaken'd I
And link'd to Satan's soldier's lay,
(The next was execution-day,)
 Nor dream'd of death so nigh.

'T was then the heavenly messenger
Did in my dungeon's gloom appear;
 The light of grace unknown
(Of grace which free salvation brought)
Came unexpected and unsought,
 And in my nature shone.

Alarm'd by mercy's sudden stroke,
My careless sleeping conscience woke;
 And lifting up mine eyes
I saw the glory from above,
I heard the voice of pardoning love,
 Which bade my spirit rise.

My sins fell off, my will was free,
I rose, restored to liberty;
 A messenger of peace
I put the gospel-sandals on,
And clothed with Christ, prepared to run
 And spread His righteousness.

I follow'd my immortal Guide,
Who saved me by His blood applied,
 Who did my sins redeem,
And turn'd my soul's captivity:
Yet still I ask'd how can it be?
 And thought it all a dream.

Darkness was light, and rugged plain,
Before that heaven-descended Man
 Whose footsteps I pursued:
I pass'd the first and second ward,
And opening of its own accord
 The iron gate I view'd.

Jesus hath made me free indeed,
Into the sacred city led;
 And now He tells my heart
He will not leave me here alone;
Who freely loves and saves His own
 He never will depart.

Saviour, Thou dost my soul restore:
My body too Thy gracious power
 Shall ransom from the grave,
Out of this worldly prison bring,
And show me that my Lord and King
 Can to the utmost save.

Under the conduct of Thy grace
I follow, in the holiest place
  Jerusalem above
The church of the first-born to meet,
And praise, around Thy dazzling seat
 My God's eternal love.

R EFLECTING on Thy wondrous ways,
 Thy dealings, Lord, with me,
Unnumber'd miracles of grace
 Throughout my life I see:
From all the rage of fiends and men
 Escaped I knew not how,
I own'd not my Deliverer then,
 But praise Thy goodness now.

Those steps I never should have took,
 (As now I understand)
Unless Thou hadst my soul awoke,
 And led me by the hand:
The dangers that I could not shun
 Were hidden from my view,
And frightful obstacles unknown
 Which Thou hast brought me through.

What but Thy grace that went before
 Could earth and hell control,
And open every iron door,
 And save my captive soul?
I now my great Redeemer bless,
 And taste my liberty,
And all the glory of Thy grace
 With joy ascribe to Thee.

I F two agree in their request,
 The blessing ask'd they must receive,
If thousands cry, and will not rest
 Till God the peaceful answer give,
He shall the promised grace bestow,
And all His faithful mercies show.

The prayer of those that Jesus love
 What can it not from God obtain?
It calls deliverance from above,
 It breaks the bloody tyrant's chain,
It brings the prisoner back, to raise
Their hearts, and turn their prayer to praise.

God passes kings and conquerors by,
And lets them in oblivion lie,
But doth to everlasting fame
Consign a simple damsel's name.
Throughout the church He makes it known
That goodness we in all may own,
In saints of every rank approve
Their joyful zeal, and patient love.

 T HEIR wonder plainly show'd
 That sueing for His aid
They had not dictated to God,
 But with submission pray'd;
 In humble faith made known
 Their sorrowful request,
And left the' event to Him alone
 Whose will is always best.

 But God the poor attends
 When saints afflicted cry,
He knows His Spirit's mind, and sends
 Deliverance from the sky;
 He lifts the humble up
 Who at His footstool grieve,
And more than they presumed to hope
 Their Lord delights to give.

 O UT of the dungeon brought,
 Through reason's light alone
The' ambassador of Christ is taught
 His furious foes to shun;
 The man of prudent zeal
 Withdraws out of their sight,
And when preserved by miracle
 Preserves himself by flight.

W HERE is the boastful tyrant's power
By wonders but confirm'd the more
 In cruelty and pride!
Yet all his bloody search is vain,
He never can be found by man,
 Whom God is pleased to hide.

Jesus, from hell and earth, and sin,
Thou art a place to hide me in,
 My refuge sure Thou art;
And saved and clean escaped away,
They never shall retake their prey,
 Or tear me from Thy heart.

  HEROD mounts the gorgeous throne
  The scaffold he ascends,
 Means to' exalt himself alone,
  Nor knows what God intends,
 Means in the triumphant day
In brightest majesty to shine,
 All his majesty display,
  And stately pomp divine.

 But the King of kings decrees
  E'en now His power to show,
 Blast the monarch's loftiness,
  And lay the tyrant low:
 Now the' oppressor's doom to seal,
Who Jesu's saints to death pursued,
 Smite His foe implacable
  And blood require for blood.

 God doth thus to kings declare
  His Deity supreme;
 Nothing but by Him they are,
  And only reign for Him;
 Men they die, if kings they live,
And must with all to judgment come,
 Quickly at His bar receive
  Their everlasting doom.

A DORED by the acclaiming crowd,
He falls a man, and not a god!
He falls (no sooner deified
Than smote) a sacrifice to pride,
Anticipates the fatal hour,
And worms their fellow-worm devour.

The man who praise from man receives,
Nor to his God the glory gives,
In him the just reward we see
Of sacrilegious vanity;
And all which nature call'd her own
We now refer to God alone.

But chiefly, Lord, the gifts of grace
To Thy sole glory we confess,
Afraid to rob Thee of Thy right,
And arrogate with vain delight,
Or take the homage of the throng
Which only doth to Thee belong.

Whoe'er, like Lucifer , aspire,
And suffer men their grace to' admire,
Most humbled, when exalted most,
Of Christ alone we make our boast,
And own (if we perfection name)
Perfection is with Christ the same.

PETER between the soldiers bound,
 Ready for instant death, is freed;
Herod , amidst his courtiers crown'd
 Extoll'd, and worshipp'd—is struck dead!
The hand Divine in both is seen,
 That saints may all from Him receive,
And heathens know themselves but men,
 And all to God His glory give.

H AVING fulfill'd the charge enjoin'd,
 A minister of grace
Returns with ready zeal, to find
 His stated work and place;
Gladly, if God appoint it so,
 He deals the outward bread,
But 'tis his chief delight below
 Poor hungry souls to feed.