Classic Poem

The miracles divine of old,
Wrought to confirm the law,
Were such, as all who did behold
Were struck with dread and awe;

Witness the signs in Egypt shown,
That men with terror fill'd;
Destructive plagues, nay, wrath unknown,
That man and cattle kill'd.

But now the wonders Jesus wrought,
To show that from above
His peaceful embassy was brought,
Are miracles of love.

Moses turn'd water first to blood,
Of dreadful scenes a sign:
But Christ, intending sinners good,
Turn'd water into wine.

He, doing good, went up and down,
And carry'd, as he past
His heav'nly gifts from town to town,
And round him blessings cast.

To win th' obdurate Jews in vain
With profer'd bliss he strove:
His future glories they disdain,
And slight his Father's love.

If worldly pomp without annoy,
And empire he had giv'n;
'Twas that they wanted to enjoy,
And not his unseen heav'n.

Yet with good-will, in every place,
Salvation he reveal'd;
Dark minds enlighten'd by his grace;
Diseased bodies heal'd.

Impetuous winds were by him slack'd,
And waves his will obey'd:
The stormy tempests, by him check'd,
Aside their fury laid.

He made the raging ocean plain
And smooth at his command;
And walked on the liquid main,
As on the solid land.

He, with a word, did cure the lame,
And quickly heal the sick;
The lepers cleanse, restore the maim:
And made the dumb to speak.

He demons dispossess'd, who knew
This heav'nly stranger's pow'rs:
They from his awful presence flew
Affrighted to their bow'rs.

He to the blind gave open eyes,
To see the light that shone:
He bade the mould'ring dead arise,
The dead arose anon.

He fed the multitudes when faint,
With new-created meat;
And faster did the food augment
Than all the crowd could eat.

His care that distributed doles,
To do their bodies good,
Was more in feeding precious souls
With everlasting food.

To feed with manna from above
Was chiefly his employ:
His royal fare a feast of love,
Of pardon, peace, and joy.

His miracles corporeal
Were but his pawns, in place
Of miracles spiritual,
And pledges of his grace.

With majesty he spoke whom all
His audience did adore!
No man, (they did aloud propale,)
E'er spoke like him before.

The crew, whose swords did him surround,
He could have crush'd to death,
With equal ease as to the ground
He threw them with his breath.

But ev'n among the bloody band
That seiz'd him did appear
His loving heart, his healing hand,
Restoring Malchus' ear.

What was in man he fully knew;
The heart of friends and foes
He search'd, and pictur'd in theirview
The thoughts he would disclose.

He shew'd Nathanael's heart, and said,
Ere Philip called thee,
I saw thee underneath the shade,
The leaves of yonder tree;

I all thy holy motions spy'd,
In yon retir'd abode:
On which Nathanael, " Rabbi, cry'd,
Thou art the son of God. "

He to th' amaz'd Samaritan,
Her wicked life reveal'd,
Which from the view of mortal man
She thought had been conceal'd.

Hence, " O come see a man, " she said,
With perfect knowledge bless'd,
He told me all that e'er I did;
And is not this the Christ?

When Judas base had but his vile
And wicked scheme design'd;
Then Jesus told him all the guile
And treason of his mind.

What lives and lies within the deep,
Lay open to his view,
Who bade the fish the tribute keep
Till sought as Caesar's due.

When nought in fishing caught had been
By toilers all the night;
He caus'd the finny tribe convene,
And fill their net on sight.

Nor were his mighty works confin'd
To select friends he chose,
But, like his love to human kind,
Laid open to his foes.

No hidden corner Jesus sought,
Like forgers base of lies,
But in the light his wonders wrought,
Before a thousand eyes.

Nor were his miracles of love
Wrought in a scanty way;
He prov'd his mission from above
By wonders ev'ry day.

Bright at his birth the comet blaz'd,
That straight the wise men led:
Dark, at his death, the sun, amaz'd
With blushes vail'd its head.

Of heav'n and earth the rector bless'd,
Did thus, in signals giv'n,
His miracles on earth attest,
By miracles in heav'n.