Читать книгу The Ancient Banner - Unknown - Страница 2

In boundless mercy, the Redeemer left,

The bosom of his Father, and assumed

A servant's form, though he had reigned a king,

In realms of glory, ere the worlds were made,

Or the creating words, "Let there be light"

In heaven were uttered. But though veiled in flesh,

His Deity and his Omnipotence,

Were manifest in miracles. Disease

Fled at his bidding, and the buried dead

Rose from the sepulchre, reanimate,

At his command, or, on the passing bier

Sat upright, when he touched it. But he came,

Not for this only, but to introduce

A glorious dispensation, in the place

Of types and shadows of the Jewish code.

Upon the mount, and round Jerusalem,

He taught a purer, and a holier law,—

His everlasting Gospel, which is yet

To fill the earth with gladness; for all climes

Shall feel its influence, and shall own its power.

He came to suffer, as a sacrifice

Acceptable to God. The sins of all

Were laid upon Him, when in agony

He bowed upon the cross. The temple's veil

Was rent asunder, and the mighty rocks,

Trembled, as the incarnate Deity,

By his atoning blood, opened that door,

Through which the soul, can have communion with

Its great Creator; and when purified,

From all defilements, find acceptance too,

Where it can finally partake of all

The joys of His salvation.

But the pure Church he planted,—the pure Church

Which his apostles watered,—and for which,

The blood of countless martyrs freely flowed,

In Roman Amphitheatres,—on racks,—

And in the dungeon's gloom,—this blessed Church,

Which grew in suffering, when it overspread

Surrounding nations, lost its purity.

Its truth was hidden, and its light obscured

By gross corruption, and idolatry.

As things of worship, it had images,

And even painted canvas was adored.

It had a head and bishop, but this head

Was not the Saviour, but the Pope of Rome.

Religion was a traffic. Men defiled,

Professed to pardon sin, and even sell,

The joys of heaven for money,—and to raise

Souls out of darkness to eternal light,

For paltry silver lavished upon them.

And thus thick darkness, overspread the Church

As with a mantle.

At length the midnight of apostacy

Passed by, and in the horizon appeared,

Day dawning upon Christendom. The light,

Grew stronger, as the Reformation spread.

For Luther, and Melancthon, could not be

Silenced by papal bulls, nor by decrees

Of excommunication thundered forth

Out of the Vatican. And yet the light,

Of Luther's reformation, never reached

Beyond the morning's dawn. The noontide blaze

Of Truth's unclouded day, he never saw.

Yet after him, its rising sun displayed

More and more light upon the horizon.

Though thus enlightened, the professing Church,

Was far from many of the precious truths

Of the Redeemer's gospel; and as yet,

Owned not his Spirit's government therein.

But now the time approached, when he would pour

A larger measure of his light below;

And as he chose unlearned fishermen

To spread his gospel when first introduced,

So now he passed mere human learning by,

And chose an instrument, comparable

To the small stone the youthful David used,

To smite the champion who defied the Lord.

Apart from human dwellings, in a green

Rich pasturage of England, sat a youth,

Who seemed a shepherd, for around him there

A flock was feeding, and the sportive lambs

Gambolled amid the herbage. But his face

Bore evidence of sadness. On his knee

The sacred book lay open, upon which

The youth looked long and earnestly, and then,

Closing the book, gazed upward, in deep thought

This was the instrument by whom the Lord

Designed to spread a clearer light below

And fuller reformation. He appeared,

Like ancient Samuel, to be set apart

For the Lord's service from his very birth.

Even in early childhood, he refrained

From youthful follies, and his mind was turned

To things of highest moment. He was filled

With awful feelings, by the wickedness

He saw around him. As he grew in years,

Horror of sin grew stronger; and his mind

Became so clothed with sadness, and so full

Of soul-felt longings, for the healing streams

Of heavenly consolation, that he left

His earthly kindred, seeking quietude

In solitary places, where he read

The book of inspiration, and in prayer,

Sought heavenly counsel.

In this deep-proving season he was told,

Of priests, whose reputation had spread wide

For sanctity and wisdom; and from these

He sought for consolation,—but in vain.

One of these ministers became enraged,

Because the youth had inadvertently

Misstepped within his garden; and a priest

Of greater reputation, counselled him

To use tobacco, and sing holy psalms!

And the inquirer found a third to be

But as an empty, hollow cask at best.

Finding no help in man, the youthful Fox,

Turned to a higher and a holier source,

For light and knowledge. In his Saviour's school,

He sat a scholar, and was clearly shown

The deep corruption, that had overspread

Professing Christendom. And one by one,

The doctrines of the Gospel, were unveiled,

To the attentive student,—doctrines, which,

Though clearly written on the sacred page,

Had long been hidden, by the rubbish man's

Perversions and inventions heaped thereon.

He saw that colleges, could not confer,

A saving knowledge of the way of Truth,

Nor qualify a minister to preach

The everlasting Gospel; but that Christ,

Is the true Teacher, and that he alone

Has power to call, anoint, and qualify,

And send a Gospel minister to preach

Glad tidings of salvation. He was shown,

No outward building, made of wood and stone

Could be a holy place,—and that the Church—

The only true and living Church—must be

A holy people gathered to the Lord,

And to his teaching. He was clearly taught,

The nature of baptism, by which souls

Are purified and fitted for this Church;

That this was not, by being dipped into,

Or sprinkled with clear water, but it was

The one baptism of the Holy Ghost.

He saw the Supper was no outward food,

Made and administered by human hands,—

But the Lord's Table was within the heart;

Where in communion with him, holy bread

Was blessed and broken, and the heavenly wine,

Which cheers the fainting spirit, handed forth.

The Saviour showed him that all outward wars,

Are now forbidden,—that the warfare here,

Is to be waged within. Its weapons too,

Though mighty, even to the pulling down,

Of the strong holds of Satan, are yet all

The Spirit's weapons. He was shown, that oaths

Judicial or profane, are banished from

The Christian dispensation, which commands,

"Swear not at all." He saw the compliments,—

Hat honour, and lip service of the world,

Sprang from pride's evil root, and were opposed