Classic Poem

CHAPTER XX.

Beyond his persecutors' sight
 The' apostle prudently withdraws,
Not by an hasty shameful flight
 Deserting his Redeemer's cause,
But sent on other souls to call
And Christ proclaim the Lord of all.

I N our redeeming Lord
 Who have believed indeed,
We many a quickening word
 Of exhortation need,
Line upon line, to' increase our zeal,
And precept upon precept still.

 In answer to our cry
  Jesus, exhorters raise,
 Who may Thy church supply
  With Thy confirming grace,
Thy sanctifying will explain,
And bring us to a perfect man.

W E do not, Lord, in Thee confide,
 But tempt, instead of honouring Thee,
Who lay the common means aside,
 Neglect our own security,
And look for Thy protecting grace
In a presumptuous idleness.

The prudence which Thy love bestows
 As Providence points out, we use,
To disappoint our cruel foes
 The most effectual methods choose,
From danger and destruction run,
And then we trust Thy love alone.

T HAT day by earliest saints confess'd,
That day distinguish'd from the rest
 By our reviving Lord,
In solemn prayer His people spend,
And constant in His courts attend
 The life-inspiring word.

We all obedient to our Head
Break the commemorative bread,
 Drink the mysterious wine,
Communion with the members know,
And find our heaven begun below
 In fellowship Divine.

O that the world with us would taste
The double spiritual repast;
 The word of pardoning grace,
The sacramental food receive,
And quicken'd by Thy Spirit live,
 The life of holiness.

Jesus, eternally the same,
Revive the long extinguish'd flame
 Of pure primeval love,
To Thee and all Thy people join'd
The world shall then with transport find
 How angels live above.

W HO heard the heaven-instructed man
They did not of the length complain,
 Or count the passing hours;
The longest night must short appear,
If God bestow the listening ear,
 And love the heart o'erpowers.

Happy the souls allow'd to hear
Jesus' enlighten'd minister
 Discoursing on his Lord!
Happy like them even now we may
Attend the preacher night and day,
 Nor lose one precious word.

We still may his epistles read,
With Paul's celestial doctrine fed,
 And bless the messenger,
Nor envy those who heard his voice,
While day and night our hearts rejoice
 The Lord Himself to hear.

W HO after the first Christians tread,
 Will all the works of darkness shun,
“In secret have we nothing said,
 In secret have we nothing done,”
But walk as children of the light,
Unblamable in open sight.

Yet heathens still by Satan taught
 Repeat the old exploded tale,
Crimes in our midnight meetings wrought,
 Horrible mysteries of hell,
Reason's reproach and nature's shame,
Fit only for themselves to name!

H APPY we as those above,
We who keep the feast of love,
Urge each other on to press
Toward the crown of righteousness!
Call'd to different climes away,
We in Christ together stay,
One in spirit, mind, and heart,
Parting we can never part!

P ASTORS thus the flock should leave,
Thus we should to pastors cleave,
With their last instructions bless'd,
Love prefer to nature's rest;
Sup rejoicing with our Lord,
Welcome souls to life restored,
Banquet till the morning ray,
Antedate that endless day.

 F AITH cannot pray in vain:
  The scarce departed youth
 Brought back to life again
  A witness of the truth
Increase of faith to each imparts,
And comforts the disciples' hearts.

 But our triumphant Head,
  Whose death for us we know,
 By rising from the dead
  Doth mightier joys bestow,
The everlasting gospel seals,
And all His church with transport fills.

 F RESH fatigue for Jesus' sake
  Is an apostle's rest;
 Happy who his zeal partake,
  His successors confess'd!
 They with joy renounce their ease,
Themselves in everything deny,
 Sinners for their Lord to seize,
  And Jesus glorify.

 C ONSTRAIN'D by Jesus' love,
 On wings of rapid zeal
He flew, his ministry to prove,
 His office to fulfil,
 Herald of gospel grace,
 To preach their sins forgiven
To sinners met from every place
 And nation under heaven
 The Comforter bestow'd
 He hasten'd to declare,
Purchase of the Redeemer's blood,
 And answer of His prayer;
 Another Pentecost
 That multitudes might find,
And witness God the Holy Ghost
 Pour'd out on all mankind.

Y E elders of the first degree,
Your most important function see;
 Your most incessant cares,
Your utmost strength and grace apply
To form, instruct, and edify
 The' inferior ministers.

Never unfruitful or alone,
A minister for Jesus won
 Includes a multitude:
He carries life where'er he goes,
Truly his gifts on all bestows,
 And thousands turns to God.

H APPY the parting minister
 Who can to the whole flock appeal;
His own integrity declare,
 His life throughout unblamable;
Who dares the world to witness call
 Of every word and action past,
And bold appears in sight of all,
 One even man from first to last!

O that from instant now I might
 The great apostle's steps pursue,
Unspotted walk with Christ in white,
 My heart and life and converse new!
My Saviour, evermore the same,
 Thy steadfast mind implant in me,
And uniform henceforth I am,
 And only live and die to Thee.

S TRANGER to pride and stateliness,
 A man of true humility
May yet his own example press,
 “Thus far—be followers of me!”
Conscious his way of life is right,
 He bids us after him go on,
While least of all in his own sight,
 Glory he gives to Christ alone.

S ERVANTS of God, by Jesus' love
 Are not exempt from grief and pain,
Though caught to the third heaven they prove
 That still on earth they are but men,
Through sinners' contradiction here
 For others, sorrowful they mourn,
Yet guided by the Comforter
 With songs of joy to God return.

The' apostle gloried in distress:
 Yet when his ambush'd foes essay'd
To stop the course of gospel grace,
 And oft prevail'd with Satan's aid;
Those haters of the' incarnate God
 Who made his Saviour's eyes o'erflow,
The same bloodthirsty men he view'd,
 And weeping traced the Man of woe.

 S UCH a witness for my Lord
  He knows I fain would be,
 Minister the gospel word
  With true fidelity,
 By the simple truth commend
Myself to all men's consciences,
 Keep in view my only end,
  To profit, not to please.

 Faithfully I would declare
  Whate'er may useful prove,
 Dare to' offend transgressors, dare
  The' unruly to reprove;
 Preach the cross, whoe'er refuse,
Nor fear by truth to scandalize,
 Preach the stumbling-block to Jews ,
  And folly to the wise.

 What I publicly proclaim
  I would in private show,
 Teach from house to house the same,
  And preach where'er I go;
 Urge, repeat, apply, enforce,
My talents, gifts, and life employ,
 Till I end my painful course
  In everlasting joy.

S INNERS , to God your Maker turn,
To God your End; and deeply mourn
 Your past ingratitude,
The sum of all our teaching this,
Break off your sins, from evil cease,
 And follow after good.

Repent in heart, and word, and deed;
The power that doth from Christ proceed
 By change of life express,
The correspondent actions do,
And providing your repentance true
 Awake to righteousness.

But rest not in the work begun,
Nor hope by works or tears to' atone,
 And buy your peace with God:
In Jesus seek the living Way:
Jehovah did on Jesus lay
 The universal load.

Believe in God; believe in Him,
Who died the nations to redeem:
 That you may live forgiven,
He tasted death for every soul:
Believe; and by His wounds made whole
 From hell ascend to heaven.

By faith your sins effaced ye know:
By faith in Jesus' footsteps go,
 And all His mind retrieve;
By faith arise for glory meet,
Yet still at your Redeemer's feet
 As pardon'd sinners grieve.

Always as pardon'd sinners here
Live out your time in lowly fear,
 Nor think repentance pass'd
Till all the work of faith is done,
Till all the Christian race is run,
 And ye have breathed your last.

 A ND let the Spirit bind
 A preacher of the word
To do and suffer all the mind
 Of his beloved Lord;
 Prepared alike to' endure
 Or act, at Christ's command,
He leaves his threaten'd life secure
 In his Redeemer's hand.

 Not careful to foreknow.
 What may himself befall,
But only after Christ to go,
 As guided by His call;
 Assured whom Jesus sends
 He covers with His power,
And still His messengers attends,
 Till time shall be no more.

 J ESUS Thy Spirit shows
 That trouble, grief, and pain
Must be the portion of all those
 Who would Thy crown obtain;
 But we who preach Thy grace,
 The outcasts of mankind,
A larger share in every place
 Of sharpest sufferings find.

 Warn'd by the Comforter,
 And strengthen'd in Thy cause,
We meet, without surprise or fear,
 The' inevitable cross:
 To' embrace Thy sacred woe
 Thou dost our hearts incline;
And lo, we live and die, below
 A sacrifice Divine!

  T HE holy unconcern
  That I even I may learn,
Show me, Lord, the dazzling prize,
 Thou Thyself my teacher be;
Then I shall my life despise,
 Only wish to live for Thee

  When I my Saviour love,
  Nor life nor death can move:
Partner of Thy weal or woe,
 For that blissful sight I sigh,
Crucified to all below,
 Only wish for Thee to die.

  Thy gospel-minister
  I see my business here,
Witness of Thy saving will,
 Of Thy free unbounded grace,
First mine office to fulfil,
 Then to win and close my race.

  I ask not how or when
  But be my Saviour then;
Grant in death my sole desire,
 Bid me lay this body down,
Joyful in Thine arms expire,
 Share Thine everlasting crown.

W ATCHMAN of Israel I,
 The gospel trumpet bear,
 With loud alarming cry
  A coming sword declare!
Set on the city walls I am,
And sinners warn in Jesus' name.

 The counsel of the Lord
  The gracious will I show:
 But all shall feel His sword
  Who Christ refuse to know:
Only of faith salvation comes;
But infidels His wrath consumes

 His mind reveal'd I tell
  That all should turn and live,
 The quickening principle,
  The saving faith receive,
And then His utmost counsel prove,
And then go on to perfect love.

 On this accepted day
  (Witness, ye sinners, bear)
 I preach the Truth, the Way,
  The Life of souls declare,
I publish now His whole design
To save a world by grace Divine.

 If now ye hear in vain,
  Your proffer'd Lord neglect,
 Or saved from sin, again
  His pardoning grace reject,
And die in your iniquity,
Ye cannot charge your death on me.

 Pure from the blood of all,
  The servant of my God,
 I every sinner call
  To faith in Jesus' blood,
Peace, universal peace proclaim,
And heaven for all in Jesus' name!

A RM me Lord with double grace,
 That I may with caution tread,
Circumspect in all my ways,
 Humbly to myself take heed;
First myself from evil keep,
Then o'erlook and guard the sheep.

Fill my heart with watchful love
 For the flock so dearly bought,
Lest a single soul should rove,
 Perish through their shepherd's fault;
Jesus keep them all and guide,
All in Thy own bosom hide.

W HO but the Holy Ghost can make
 The genuine gospel-minister,
The bishop, bold to undertake
 Of precious souls the awful care?
The Holy Ghost alone can move
 A sinner, sinners to convert,
Infuse the apostolic love,
 And bless him with a pastor's heart.

Not all the hands of all mankind
 Can constitute one overseer;
But spirited with Jesu's mind,
 The heavenly messengers appear,
They follow close with zeal Divine
 The Bishop great, the Shepherd good,
And cheerfully their lives resign
 To save the purchase of His blood.

 B OUGHT with the blood
 Of very God,
The church in every nation
 Publishes through earth abroad
The God of their salvation.

 The God made man
 For sinners slain,
The Life of each believer,
 Did from everlasting reign,
And reigns in us for ever.

J ESUS the faithful pastors keep,
 And stir us up to watch and pray,
As guardians of Thy lambs and sheep
 To warn them both by night and day;
To' uncase their Antinomian foe
And all his crafty windings show.

Remember Lord our griefs and fears
 Lest Satan make our labours void,
Lest all Thy work (a work of years)
 Be instantaneously destroy'd,
(A triumph for the Gnostic fiend,)
And shipwreck'd faith in ranting end.

T O succour man whate'er is done
On earth, Thou dost Thyself alone,
 God of the ransom'd race,
Wherefore with Thee my flock I leave;
To Thee may all my children cleave,
 And to Thy word of grace.

Thy word of grace sufficient is,
To stablish them in perfect peace
 Without my ministry,
To build them up in holy love,
And qualify for joys above,
 And lodge them safe with Thee.

Who in Thine oracles delight,
There let them find by day and night
 Communion with their Lord,
Thou by Thy Spirit the truth apply,
To save, and wholly sanctify
 The searchers of Thy word.

Then, then to their immortal state
The doers of Thy word translate,
 Bright as the stars to shine;
With all Thy saints on earth renew'd,
Wash'd in Thy sanctifying blood,
 And seal'd for ever Thine.

T HOSE sacred hands on sinners laid
Had oft the Holy Ghost convey'd,
 And special wonders done,
Yet labour'd hard for needful food
That you who serve the church of God
 May in his footsteps tread.

Those callous hands extended see,
Nor count it strange like Paul to be
 Neglected or forsook;
Whate'er yourselves or household need
Rejoice to earn your daily bread,
 And still to Jesus look.

J ESUS wept! and never chid
 Tears of social tenderness;
Saints are not by Him forbid
 Thus their frailty to confess,
Thus by passion pure to prove
Saints are men of grief and love.

W HILE the' afflicted people weep
 Hardly let their pastor go,
Can he still his distance keep,
 No humane emotions know,
Haughty gravity maintain,
Scorn to share the parting pain?

He who knew a father's mind
 Must perceive his bowels move,
Must his children's weakness find,
 All the tokens of their love
Kindly, cordially receive,
Mix his tears with them that grieve.

Tears of saints! how can it be?
 Saints rejoicing evermore,
Signs of man's infirmity,
 Proofs of God's almighty power!
He who knows their grief to explain
Knows the heart of God and man.

I F parting from a shepherd good
 The loss without regret we bear,
We never rightly understood
 How great the blessing and how rare:
Nor need we mournfully complain
 O'erwhelm'd with grief so quickly o'er;
So soon we all shall meet again
 Triumphant on the' eternal shore.

Bishop supreme, Thy people bless
 With bishops after Thy own heart,
Who may, as vessels of Thy grace,
 Blessings to all our souls impart,
Greatest, as ministers of all
 Their apostolic function prove,
As genuine successors of Paul
 In zeal, fidelity, and love.