Classic Poem

CHAPTER XVI.

W HO seeks the souls of men
Above all earthly views,
A fellow-labourer to gain
Will no occasion lose:
If Providence present
A man to preach the word,
He marks the chosen instrument,
And claims him for his Lord.

T HE pastor good and wise
Doth hindrances remove,
And every just expedient tries
Of condescending love.
He gives his freedom up
(Yet pure from guile or sin)
All things becomes to all, in hope
Some precious souls to win.

Free from self-exalting pride,
They their associates own,
Would not, though inspired, decide
And rule the church alone:
Elders with themselves they join'd,
Allow'd the meanest saint his part,
All who had the Spirit's mind,
And knew the Saviour's heart.

Thus from error's endless maze
The faithful we secure,
Teaching them the ancient ways
We make their footsteps sure;
To the saints where'er we go
The apostolic laws we give;
Walking by this rule, they know
The life that angels live.

Master of His own word and grace,
The Lord is wise in all His ways,
And knows His own design;
His gospel sends where'er He will,
The sovereign purpose to fulfil
Of purest love Divine.

His counsellors we cannot be,
The motives of His actions see,
The reasons comprehend;
But should with silent awe adore,
Nor pry into His choice before
Our faith in vision end.

He now instructs us to receive
The gifts which He vouchsafes to give,
With humblest thanks and praise;
For if we claim them as our right,
We force Him to withdraw the light,
And to revoke the grace.

H IGHLY favour'd them we call
Who the apostle heard,
While an holy preaching Paul
The joyful news declared;
We even we may now obtain
The grace as often as we will,
Read the words he utter'd then,
And hear him preaching still.

With Divine instructions fraught
We his epistles see,
Learn the heavenly truth he taught,
And taste the liberty:
Oh would all the truth embrace,
The welcome news with us receive,
Justified by Jesu's grace,
And saved, for ever live!

E ACH precious opportunity
A zealous minister improves,
To publish grace divinely free,
To preach the Man who sinners loves,
Sinners with open arms receives,
And grace to every beggar gives.

W OMEN , excused from public care,
Design'd for nobler service seem;
God gives them time in frequent prayer,
His handmaids to attend on Him;
And more to piety inclined
We always see the gentler kind.

Women we own the foremost still
Where stated prayer is made to' appear,
They first the place of worship fill,
They first the joyful tidings hear,
The welcome messengers receive,
And patterns to the faithful live.

B Y prayer disposed to hear the word
Which did the saving faith convey,
She readily received her Lord;
But He inclined her heart to pray,
And carried on the work begun,
And made His pardoning mercy known.

The Lord whoever truly hears,
Sincere in an imperfect state,
Least of His outward worshippers,
Earnest for farther light to wait,
The gospel-light shall clearly see,
And feel " The Saviour died for me. "

To me, almighty Saviour, give
Thy servant's sayings to receive,
The true simplicity impart,
The nobleness of Lydia's heart:
Of every heart Thou hast the key,
Command that mine may yield to Thee,
May hear Thy whisper in Thy word,
And opening now admit its Lord.

H ER house is open'd with her heart,
Soon as Jesus doth impart
The faith that works by love:
And still whoe'er in Him believe,
Their Saviour's messengers receive
As angels from above.

T HE nations dark who long beguiled,
Till silenced by that Hebrew child
And banish'd from his Delphic fane,
Returns to mock the world again,
The curious fools that still presume
And pry into the things to come,
The oracles of God despise,
But trust in hell's ambiguous lies.

P ARTLY false and partly true
Is Satan's oracle:
No salvation is for you
Apostate spirits of hell;
Christ the Way, ye lying fiends,
To men, and not to you we show;
Kept for pain that never ends
Your dreadful doom ye know.

Servants of the Lord Most-High
No other voucher need;
Commendations we defy
Which from your mouth proceed;
Praise abhorr'd cannot ensnare;
With you all commerce we disclaim,
Who the way to heaven declare
The faith in Jesus' name

P AUL exorcised the maid possess'd,
And Satan chased out of her breast;
But now the wiser world's afraid
To ruin the diviner's trade;
You, who the laws of God repeal,
Permit the fiend in souls to dwell;
And much the superstitious doubt
If all your " Acts " could cast him out

T HE ' accursed love of money leads
The haters of our Lord
To all unjust and cruel deeds
'Gainst us who preach His word;
Who hinder your dishonest gains
Ye would not have us live,
And while your thirst of gold remains
Ye never can forgive.

D ISTURBERS of the public peace,
We do indeed molest
Poor souls who dwell in sinful ease,
And will not let them rest;
Truths which the world could never bear,
We openly avow,
Pardon in Jesus' blood declare —
And all may feel it now!

T HE tools of bad revengeful men
Even Christian magistrates will be,
Unless they steadily maintain
Their place, and sacred dignity,
All things with calmest caution prove,
And truth revere, and justice love.

The world did thus Thy saints entreat
Of whom the world unworthy was!
And still they seize, and tear, and beat
The zealous champions of Thy cause,
Rabble and rulers join to shame
The confessors of Jesus' name.

T HY servants, Lord, in every age
The' afflictions of the gospel share,
And midst the persecutors' rage
Thy name among the Gentiles bear;
Answer their ministerial call,
All conquering, by enduring all.

N UMBER 'd with the transgressors see
The faithful followers of the Lamb!
Partakers of His infamy
They glory in the sacred shame,
His bonds and stripes with joy abide,
And bow to Jesus crucified.

How beautiful their feet appear,
When fetter'd for their Saviour's sake!
His people's Strength and Comforter
Doth on Himself their burden take;
And in the dungeon's deepest gloom
Their joy is full, their Light is come!

T HE person sanctifies the place;
The prison where a saint's confined
Becomes a house of prayer and praise,
Where angels and archangels join'd
Extol the grace to sinners given,
In presence of their Lord from heaven.

In hunger, weariness, and pain,
Cover'd with stripes and streaming blood,
In chains and stocks behold the men!
The friends and confessors of God!
As pure, impassive spirits they rest,
With glorious joy supremely bless'd.

Their prayer calls down the' eternal King,
And conscious of the answer'd prayer
Like seraphs on their thrones they sing,
Beatified — for Christ is there!
Sorrow before His presence flies,
And heaven is darted from His eyes.

T HEY heard the strange unwonted sound
Of joy enhanced by smart and woe,
Of liberty in fetters found:
The voice of saints who Jesus know,
Which comforts every soul that mourns,
And dungeons into temples turns.

They heard the voice so rarely heard
By wretches poor in bonds confined,
The voice which spake their God prepared
Imprison'd spirits to unbind,
Out of their sinful sleep to raise,
And fill their hearts with prayer and praise.

I N suffering saints when Jesus cries
The prayer by mighty signs is seal'd;
It brings deliverance from the skies,
It shows Jehovah's arm reveal'd,
The earth from its foundations shakes,
And sinners dead in sin awakes

Nor earth nor hell its power withstands,
Open it throws the prison doors,
It looses every captive's bands
Their souls to liberty restores,
While all confess the pardoning God,
And feel redemption in His blood.

A S soon as suffering saints require
That Jesus may their foes forgive,
He satisfies His own desire,
He bids the persecutors live,
And lo the vilest wretch and worst
Find mercy and salvation first.

What but the power which wakes the dead
Could reach a stubborn gaoler's heart,
In cruelty and rapine bred,
Who took the ancient murderer's part?
Could make a harden'd ruffian feel,
And shake him o'er the mouth of hell?

U RGED by his old infernal lord,
Who fear'd to lose his lawful prey,
He draws the self-destroyer's sword
Body and soul at once to slay,
Nor knows the End of sin and fear,
His true eternal Life was near.

H E sees him with the Saviour's eyes,
(Eyes that in thickest darkness see,)
In vehemence of affection cries,
As taught by Jesus on the tree,
Evil to recompense with good,
And save the foes who shed his blood.

T HE sufferers who His name confess
God amply recompenses here:
The chosen vessels of His grace
He calls them forth to minister
That Spirit which from Jesus flows,
And uses them to save their foes.

S AVED from the present guilt they feel,
Saved from the future wrath they dread,
Lost sinners sinking into hell
With all their crimes upon their head,
Pardon and holiness may claim,
And heaven through faith in Jesus' name

M UST I not do all I can?
Yes; and own the labour vain,
Feel my utter helplessness,
Feel salvation is of grace:
When I have my utmost done,
Lord, I look to Thee alone,
Help my unbelief, or I
Must with all my doings die.

A UTHOR of our sure salvation,
Author of our faith Thou art,
Call me out of condemnation,
Sprinkle with Thy blood my heart,
Give the faith that moves the mountain,
Pardon'd, saved by faith alone,
Lead me through that open fountain
To Thine everlasting throne.

O THAT I could but act on Thee
One simple act of faith Divine!
Saviour I then from sin set free
Should truly call Thy fulness mine:
Believing through Thy grace alone
My pardon truly I receive;
And if I once Thy love have known,
Redeem'd I may for ever live.

O help my unbelieving heart
To pant, and break, and struggle through;
Till Thou the faithful power impart,
Thou know'st I know not what to do;
I only can of Thee inquire
What must I do to' escape from sin?
Answer; fulfil Thine own desire,
And cleanse my heart by entering in.

Fast bound in chains of hellish night,
I still for full redemption groan;
Arise, Thou everlasting Light,
And send a ray of glory down,
Emit that emanation pure
Which only can my griefs remove,
My fears disperse, my evils cure,
And tell my soul that God is love.

A LAS , what shall, or can I do
But what I have already done?
My labour vain again renew,
My search after a God unknown?
Were there a mean 'twixt heaven and hell,
I could my anxious hopes forego:
But if with God I cannot dwell,
I must with fiends in endless woe.

What must I do? who hears my heart,
God, the incarnate God reply,
And save me through His own desert
Before the second death I die;
Through faith in His atoning blood
Which purges all iniquity,
Which for a world of sinners flow'd,
Mercy there is reserved for me.

A LL , except the children? No:
Them the Lord will not accept
Members of His church below,
For His heavenly kingdom kept.
Who would helpless infants wrong?
Through the consecrating blood
Infants all to Christ belong,
Infants all are dear to God.

H APPY prisoner of the Lord
Who his persecutors wins,
Souls redeems through Jesus' word,
Sinners looses from their sins!
Paid for all his toil and pain,
Minister of saving love,
Greater joy he cannot gain
Till he finds his place above.

Faith cannot unfruitful prove,
Cannot its effects defer:
Well he might return their love,
Wash their stripes with grateful care
They with greater tenderness
Pour'd the balm into his soul,
Minister'd the gospel grace,
Made his wounded spirit whole.

While their host with loving zeal
Kindly doth his patients tend,
Would they not of Jesus tell,
Point him to his dearest Friend?
Lo; the Crucified appears,
See, the bleeding tokens see!
Sinner wash them with thy tears,
Kiss the stripes He bore for thee!

I T cannot be a house of woe
Where souls their dear Redeemer know,
And glory in His love:
Partakers of the life Divine,
With joy unspeakable they join
The family above.

O that in every house there were
A church who could their Lord declare,
And saved by grace alone
Rejoice with joy of faith sincere,
Till confident we all appear
Before the' eternal throne!

T HE Lord our persecutors knows,
And can convince of sin
Our bloodiest, most remorseless foes,
By secret checks within;
Make them reverse the judgment rash,
The force of conscience find,
And smart beneath the torturing lash
Of their own guilty mind.

We, and the men whose wrath we feel,
Are in the Saviour's hand;
And all the powers of earth and hell
Must stoop to His command:
If He their enmity suspends,
Or bids their malice cease,
Our foes themselves become our friends,
And bid us go in peace.

H E would not urge the plea before
To' avoid his Saviour's pain and shame,
But cheerfully the scourging bore,
For Jesus had endured the same,
And bade His patient followers rise
In all His footsteps to the skies.

He pleads his privilege at last,
And puts his conscious foes in fear
That Heathens when their rage was pass'd,
Might injured innocency clear,
And magistrates themselves confess
The troublers of the public peace.

A Christian innocently may
Insist on his external right,
Nor yet through fear the truth betray,
Or shamefully decline the fight,
Or hope, engaged in Jesus' cause,
To gain the crown without the cross.

The world in every age the same,
Will never wait our cause to know:
To us who teach the slaughter'd Lamb
No mercy or remorse they show;
All laws and justice they defy,
And execute before they try.

T HEY would not obstinate appear,
Or warmly their advantage press,
As far from anger as from fear,
At peace with enemies to peace;
Departing at their foes' request,
A testimony sure they leave
In every persecutor's breast
That Christians can like Christ forgive.

N EVER weary of well doing,
Never faint with braving ill,
Jesus' saints their work pursuing,
Faithful and laborious still,
Share the mighty consolation
With their sympathising friends,
Largest earnest of salvation,
Glorious joy that never ends.

Give us Lord like them to' inherit
Thy benevolence of mind,
Peace and quietness of spirit,
Fervent love and unconfined,
Arm us with Thy perfect patience
Till we have the world o'ercome,
Pass'd through all our tribulations,
Reach'd our everlasting home.