Mrs. C. A. Westbrook. End Other Works€¦ · Our youth may see the narrow way that leadeth up to...
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Transcript of Mrs. C. A. Westbrook. End Other Works€¦ · Our youth may see the narrow way that leadeth up to...
the Youths of Texas,I dedicate th is, my
first work,hop i ng it may assist them in
.
climbing life ’s rugged hil l. And that the
good old book PILGRIM’S PR OG R E SS” may
possess some attractions in i ts new dress,
wI have tried to cull fair flowers from the best Wri
ters,and arrange
‘t hem in a bouquet Which I pray
may send forth rich fragrance to gladden each heart .
Of one thing they may be assured There is no
thorn of sophistry concealed to pierce the soul . I
seek not to derive pecuniary profi t from its sale .
My purpose is to appropriate the proceeds to ben
eficen t purposes .
Your friend most truly,
M R S. O. A . WESTBROOK.
2 3682 4
HE radiance of Bunyan ’s star was resting on my heart
When forth its worship came,unbid—of life a very part.
The brightest day from darkes t night is sometimes seen
Spring,
And captives oft ,’mid prison ’s gloom
,the sweetest anthems sing .
And as I sat in silence bound . and sought the wondrous goal ,The wo rship—faint a t first—became , the passion of my soul .New peace and love with hope and j oy, in holy beauty blend ,And yet I tremb le to the world my little book to send ,For some will frown , and some will s m ile , and others look askance
Some will perus e,som e ha 'f read o ’
er, while others deign a glance ;But if the Father doth approve the offering of His child
,
H is l oving benedictio n grant, and b less her with H is smile ,’Twill prove reward enough to bless for hours of thoughtful care
And onward to the “ promised rest”her has te n ing footsteps bear .
Oh grant,Dear Father
,i n this book , as in a mirror bright,
Our youth may see the narrow way that leadeth up to light,
An d learn to shun within themselves,th e faults which they condemn
When brought t o v iew as “ blight and blast”i n lives of other men
Inscribing on the inmost heart the precept “ Know thyself
Esteem above Fame ’ s passing breath or cankering hoard o f pel f
The soul God - given,which shall outlive the utmost bound o f time
And rise to greet the Cherubim and j oin the hymn sublime .
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
e ralt HWH K EN ING. a DEPHRWURE. 3R .
Back t o the season of l ife’s happy spring !M N
"
I pleased remember,and while memory yet
Holds fast her om oe here,can ne ’er forget
,
Ingenious dreamer,in whose wel l - told tale
,
Sweet fiction and sweet truth alike prevail .
Whose humorous vein,strong sense
,and simple style
May touch th e gayest , m ake the wisest smile .
Witty,and we l l employed
,and like thy Lord
Speaking in parables h is slight est word ,I name thee n ot , lest so despised a nameShould move a sneer at thy deserved fame .
Yet,n ow
,in Life ’s late autumn day
,
That deftl y7 crowns my b row with silver gray,Revere the man whose Pilgrim”marks the road
And guides the progress of the soul to G od .
Oh poet,sad the efi
'
ul gen t beam
That lighted cell,and sh one i n dream
,
Burned in t hy heart, inspired thy pm
And made thee great,
’mid fel low m en .
The goddess Wisdom never sped her dart‘
M ore grandly,n or with more skilled art
,
Than when she rent the D reamer’s night away,
An d turn ed h is darkn ess in to heal thful day .
But,now methinks I hear y ou say
You ’ve slightly wandered from your theme away .
Thus Bunyan wandered through the world,it seemed
,
And while h e wandered,thus
,the Dreamer dreamed;
4 1.o"
ll;H thou now borne on Fancy ’s eager Wi ng,
4- 8 -1
Aman he saw,a wretched one
,
Forlorn,in rags , unpitied and undone ,
Standing alone,within a certain space
Abook was i n h is hand,and on his face
An anxious look,upon his back a burden bore
H is straining form was turned afrom his door .
Opening the book,with tremblin g dire he read
And as th e truth burned l l l his soul , i n dread
Cried out,
w
with loud and piercing cry,
“ What shall I do,Oh , whither must I fly
I ’m fil led with sin,death’s doom is o
’er my door
I dare not rest[me here , I know not where to go
Then,coward as he was, he hushed h is deep distress
Lest h is deriding wife would mock his wild unrest .Silent he could not be
,for stirred conscience strove
,
And of his former sins a death -pall wove .
Louder he cried,Oh ! who can me rel ieve
Of this great burden . Who my soul retrieve !M y friends , this city will b e burnt with fire .
The God of j ustice will his ris en ire
Vent on y ou all , unless you now repent ;
Oh flee,oh flee , at this His message sent .
”
His friends deriding him,with j est invoke
M orpheus t o lull him,and thus avert the stroke
,
But night as daylight,doth its horror keep ,
And thought’s dread spectres haunt th e deepest sleep .
The day’s dark clouds had settled over our hero ’s mind
At night the thunder came ; he cried : where can I findRelief “3 What shal l I do—oh
,tell m e - e t o be saved “
!
And tortured thus , he loudly, madly raved .
With prurience rude one asked,Say
,wherefore dost thou cry “
3“ Oh friend
,this book informs me I ’m condemned t o die
,
And after death to j udgment I must come,
And there receive the sinner’s hopeless doom,
I cannot do the first,I cannot b ear the last ,
My life is full of anguish,and yet I hold it fast .”
EVANGELIST.
“ If this thy case , oh than , why standest thou stock still”i
THE MAN .
“ I know not Where to go . Oh,why did Satan fill
My cup so full of woe !” Aroll to him he gave and bade him haste
to fly .
Seest thou that gate ? If n ot , you steadfast fix your eye
Upon that shining light -which you can clearly see .
When at the gate,loud knock and it shall opened be .
”
He swiftly set to run . H is,
No heed gave he to her, bu eye
Ben t on the cher lsh ed goal , entreaty he d 1 d spurn .
“ Eternal life I seek, I dare n ot now return .
”
Ne ’er looking back he sped h 1m onward through the plain ,With sinew stretched and body bent, hepressed t h e gate to gain .
H is neighbors mocking came , and two of them by force
Would bring h i m back,for with the wife they said
,
“ he crazy i s,of
course .
”
The name of on e was Pl iab l e, _the other Obst l nat e .
“ Why come you,friends t he runnercried To save you from the
fateYou rush to seek. You ’re crazed
,poor one .
“ Not so,I have m y head ,
Destruction 1 s your city’ s name; You dwell among the dead
,
I’m just from there myself. my friends , and this I know full well ,Unless you hasten ’ long this way , you
’ ll sink with it t o hell !
G o , go with me , I beg of you. Oh , heed my earnest call .”
What ! go with y ou .
“3 said Obstinate ,“ and leave behind our all
We re sent for thee to bring thee back , but seeming you are bent
To go your way , forsaking all ! Whence comes this sharp intent“l
I go,
”said Christian,
“ to a land where peace and j oy abide
No clouds are there,n or winter ’ s storm . N o good i s there denied
Bright flowers shed their fragrance sweet,o ’er all the b eavemly a 1r ;
N o fade 1 s there , no sorrow’ s tear ; but gladness everywhere .
In seraph ’s lay,I too
,may j oin , in that b lest home above
Whose sun i s‘
Christ,whose people saints , whose king the G od of Love .
”
Your talk is foolishness, p oor man ! Think you we can be m oved
By frenzy such as this , you do but your own weakness prove .
“ I say not of m yself these words . I beg y ou take'
th is bo'
ok
It hath withstood both fire and sword . Now Open it , a n d lookAnd for thysel f read i ts.
true words . Y ou see the fearful flood
Of sin and anguish that must whelm,unle ss saved by the blood .
”
“ Tut ! with your book away,I say
, will y ou with us return ,Or will y ou , like a senseless on e , the voice of wisdom spurn“ M y hand unto the plow I
’ve put ; within my heart doth burn
Such strong d esire for that bright land,I would not now return
If all the world was offe red m e . Oh friend s,I beg you heed
The warning of my book !’Tis
’
true . And while we run we’ll readOf that dread day when God shall come in vengeance dark and direTo strike the guilty . ones to doom an d purge the world with fir e .
Too late ’twil l b'
e amid the wreck to count th e bitter cos t ;
-i< I O +
Y our only cry in that dread hour will be , I ’m lost ! I ’m lost
Of this dread future which you speak, I have no fears at all ;Y our talk is like the silly words when babbling children call .
Com e , Neighbor Pliable , let’ s leave h im to h is weakis'h way ,
H e’ll see his folly and turn back before the set of day .
”
Said Pliable with smirkish smile I ’ve li st ened all the while
If what he says be honest truth,you sin
, thus to revile .I t strikes me as I think on it I will with Christian go ,For to the judgment of that book I would not com e , y ou know .
”
What ! go with him ? Why,you will be the by
—word of the town ;Be wise, be wise , Friend Pliable ; m ake not yourself a clown .
”
Oh friends,give heed !”p oor Christian cried,
“ the words I ’ve said
are t rueThis j udgment is for all the world as Well as m e and y ou
Escape we must,the book doth say, through Chri st the only way ,
Since in t he blood alone is life,accept it I you pray !”
You go your way,Friend Obstina te . To' thie I ’Ve made my mind ,
With Christian to associate . The se joys , I too would find .
”
You’ll get befogged,Friend Pliable . ’Twas only Christian
’s scareThat made him leave our goodly town
,and on this venture dare .
”
“ Not so ,”said Christian very bold. I
,know whereof I speak ,
Evangelist marked out the way . I ’ll find what now I seek .
We’ll to our j ourney n ow
,sweet friend and Pliable arose .
And bade “ good bye t o Obst inate . Wi th Christian then did close ,“While Obstinate
,with air of onewho
'
scorns and pi ties , tooBade them—the poor misguided ones, a hasty, sharp adieu .
“ I ’m very glad I came with you,good Chri stian ,
”with a smi l eSaid Pliable , 1n honeyed voice,
“ we can the way beguile
In talking o ’er the gains we’ll get from going in this way ,The riches
,honor
,peace and good, what are they, tell me pray
“!
“ Oh,words are very weakness
,friend
,when used to paint these things ,
The hum an heart cannot conceive the j oy s this j ourney brings .
But ,~li st m e while I read my book , and then you’ll cat ch a view,
Of glories that shine’round about J erusalem the N ew.
The great White Throne,the gates o f gold , wi th gems bestudded rare ,
Of crystal stream,with fadeless trees that heavenly fruitage bear.
”
"Bis very beautiful,and I’m glad I choose to com e with y ou ,
”
Said Pliable,as they strained on
,
“ but are y ou sure’t is true i
Th en Christian sp oke in earnest words,“ He shall its truth soon prove .
All this was writ for us by H im Whose very name is Love ,And we shal l crowns of glory wear ; to us shal l harpsbe given .
In gl istenin g garments we shal l stand and sing the songs of heaven .
“E l l -I
No more shal l death his i cy hand lay on our fleeting breath ,For Christ has trium phed over all , and conquered even death .
The elders , too , and harpers more than thousan d thousands , sing
Loud anthem s to the Holy One , of heaven and ear th the King.
”
“ This is too good,”sai d Pliab le ,
“ My heart v ibrates with j oy ;But do y ou really think , m y friend , these things will us employ ?
Here in my book the Lord him self these things recorded hath
For all who will deny them selves , and tread the narrow path.
Most freely wil l He give to those who wi llingly receive ,Oh
,hear h im speak th ese lovin g words : Look unto me and live .’
“ You charm me much , good Christ ian friend . And now I surely kn owThat al l you’ve sai d is very truth . Let
’ s onward faster go .”
Poor Christian sighed as Pliable urged h im'
t o quickened pace .
This burden is a weight to m e, I falter i n the race .
”
Come on , come, quick ! I would be there,”in words so sweet and fondSpoke Pl iable. Afew steps more , they reached the S lough Despond.
Both tumbled in . Both struggled fierce , but struggling . deeper sank.
About them was the sl imy p i t , above them vapors dank
Ah,me
,we ne ’er through this shall get ,
”said he of foot so fleet
If ever I from out shall come , I’ll beat a quick retreat
Where are you now ? You told me false ! is this t he goodly land "!
Where is y our‘record,
’ wh ere ’s your crown,your harp ? in deathless
hand .
Farewell , farewell , I turn abnut , and seek th e certain good,And leave you with your burden sore to tread the unknown road.
”
H e gave a lunge , a dash , a leap , and gained the nearer shore .
Poor Christian se eking, burden pressed, caught sight— then saw nomore .
I must get through , I dare not look back o ’er the road I ’ve come .
The wi cket- gate , the wicket -gate ! and then I ’m safe at home !
But oh,’twas fierce ; despair cam e down and seized his very soul .
I will believe,I ’ll n ’
er go ha'
ck, , but p ress on to the goal !”
Help he ld her heaven ly hand to him . H e grasped i t with a kiss.She raised him up , an d said , Look there
,the Gate you cannot miss .”
Look here,
”said,
Christian reverently,“ I would a question ask
Why in the King’shighway th i s bog ? Ah,heavy be the task
That wi ll repair this low descen t where slum of sin doth run !The King’s choice men have lab ored hard , and still the work ’s undone
,
Full sixteen hundred years they’ve to iled with patient,earnest zest
l t stil l remains a ‘nasty slough ’ for Pilgrims . And th e best
That they have done is through its mire to place these heavy stones,
And every Pilgrim ,though he si nk , comes out with so lid bones .
”
+ 1 3 +
—>3l£ WRIH DS. 1
The quagmire passed , with j oyous stepshe hastened o’er the plain .
His heart beat fast,h is hope rose high . the end he soon would gain .
Here up stept one with pleasing mien, and words of sweet e ntice :“ You ’re j ourneying t o the wicket gate ? Have y ou looked at the price
That it may cost y ou thus to tread this narrow,lonely road ?
And then it seems,my fr iend , you bear a. heavy, useless load .
”
I ’m told,
”said Christian , sto pping short,“ that if I reach that gate
,
I ’ll l eave this burden . Thus I haste ; I would not be t oo late .”“ And have you wife and children fond , and wi ll y ou loa i e them all ,And all alone , of doubts and fears to bearthe heavy thrall
”l
“
,
I have both wife and children fond,but‘ in them find n o peace .
This burden gal ls me t o t he quick , from i t I seek release .
”
You’re m ad,poor one . I beg you l ist to counsel sound and good .
Ten thousand s of t he son s of men have followed it , an d stood
As giants i n the streng th it gave . Have plucked a roseeach morn,
And never 5 et amid my flowers havefound a prick or thorn .
Bu t tell me ,”said the sly o ld World ,
“ who was the stupid bore
That told y ou to discard your load y ou 0’
er this way must go .
’
He was a fair and comely one,benignant was h is mien ,
E \ angel 1 st b e called himsel f. He was from heaven I ween .
Hath quite a noted character,
”said World wi th marked leer,
I f you wil l fo l low h is ad x m e you ’ll find it cost you dear.
Y ou ’ve bravely tried a mile or two and were besmirched with m ud.
You stand 1 1 1 sorry plight,and more
,your trial ’s m the bud ,
For l et me tell y ou there await you h’
unger,swor d and death .
I tell y ou true , and did I speak With my last ebbing breath ,I must this testimony plain , this counsel of a friend ,Place ’fore your j udgment
,that y bu know what sure must be your end .
”
With thoughtful face poor Christian stood whil e Wor ld his gloz espread fair .
At length he spoke . His timid words to World ’s strong contrast bearThis burden is to me more grief
, than al l you have‘
me told ,Relieved of this let what will
,come . I t ’s
‘
this that makes me bold .
”
But let me ask y ou , hal p l ess one , how came you by this load ?’Twas wel l enough your head to turn and cheat you in the road
”
I read th i s book , most honored sir, and th en my burden came .
There m ust be one who will it lift. Oh,
"
can y ou tel l his name
Pshaw , silly one ! you’re like to those who to high th ings
'
aSp ire ,
+ 1 3 +
The weaklings who,discarding peace
,are rent by strong desire ,
And fain would pry int o th e depths of all things they may hear ;In stead of j oy and happiness , they fil l their cup with fear .
”
I will n ot measure words with you , my burden is too great
I must press on as best I can until I reach the gate,
And there I ’m sure relief I’ll fin d,and so I bid good day ,
And hasten forward to my rest.”
Heigho , my friend , I say ,Cal led out old World , Are you so blind , and far beside yourself,As to give heed to Evangelist’s words , the doting, silly elf.Here
, si t beside me , while I tell of one whose skill will cure .
M y counsel , wise and friendly aid , I’m sure you ’ll never rue .
N ow l isten Old World’
s adv ice There lives a most j udicious m an
Called by most men Legality .
He lives in a small vil lage,only a short distance
,called Morality ;
An d he has the skill t o help men off, with burdens l ike thineTo him thou must go , he
’ll give relief. ’Tis th e way I got rid of min e .
He’ll be glad t o see y ou , but if he is not at home , Civility , h is son ,
Can do as well as h is father. M any can testify to what h e’s done,
And if thou dost desire it,I will send for thy children and wife .
Houses are cheap,society fine
,and you can lead a peaceful life .
”
CHRI STIAN . I am in a great dil emma,but if this counsel be true ,
I t i s the wisest course to take thy advice , and thy road pursue
Which i s the way t o this wise man’s house “
! Will you please tell ? ”
WORLD . D O y ou see that high hill ?
C H RISTIAN . Yes,very well . "
WORLD .
“ The first house y ou see is h is.
”
Then Chri stian did as he said .
But when he reached it,the t op laid over until he was afraid
That it would fall on him . H is burden was heavier,did much tire
Him,and he knew n ot what to do, for out of the hill came flashes of fire .
Then he regretted how he had acted . He saw Evangelist drawing near.Now Christian blushed wi th shame . Evangelist looked angry
,and fear
Caused Christian to trembl e . He asked,Didst thou not flee from sin ?
Ar t thou n ot the man I found ? But he was speechless before h im .
I see plainly I’ve sinned .
”
EVANG .
“ Did you b y my advice abide“Z
Y ou are n ow far ou t of the way,why so quickl y
’ turn ed aside ‘
2
“ I met a gen t l eman who said I could go t o the village which lies
before me,
An d be relieved Of my burden,have my. fam ily
,and from al l cares
be free .
”
EVANG . What was he
CHRIS . He looked l ike a gentleman,and at las t
Prevail ed upon m e to yie ld , bu t when I came here couldn’t get past
This b il l9!What d id he say
“i
CHRIS’
. Told me if I ’ou ld bel i eve
H im,that he would d irect m e how t o ge t rid army burden , and receive
M any pleasure s, and that hou se - re nt an'
d pro'
visions we re ve ry cheap .
H e would send ; for my family , andwe could th e best society keep .
”
EVANG .
“ N ow l ist to the word of G od ; see what y ou refuse ,N ot h im t hat spraketh , for i f , t hey esc ap ed n o t
,who did misuse
Him who sp ake gon e arthfi m uch m ore”
sh .1 l l we n o t escape if we turn
Heaven,and H i s com mandments
Thou hast thy sel f‘
alon e tot c'
en sure ; and n ow thou hast so soon begun
To rej ec t th e own thread o f salvation hast
t hous p un,” ( h
Then Chr istian fell d own; cry i ng;“ Lam u
'
ri dOn e, ,w0 e i s me !”
Evangelist rai sed zh im up and sa id iwé'At l l m a nn er of sin
,shall be for
gi ven thee.”
Then Christian stood trembling , andi sagassl‘
o l to r evive
Evangel ist sa id , 5‘Give heedl to :m e
,it is 1 e 1na 1 kab l e that thou art al ive .
The man who deluded thee, was:M r ; .World Wise M am -of this world .
He goes himself,and sends others to t he town o f M orality
,and has
url ed
M an yél
soul into perdition . H is devot ion and church i s Moral ity .
of ca i 1 1 ds, ,a 1 1 d a dreadful fatal ity
YM
p
You must abhor
Y ou m ay .
m
Escape the wrath of God ; th e K m g of hathi thus spoken unto thee , ’He that shall save hislifeinust Iose i t , y ou must forsake all for me
+ 1 5 +
And M r. L e gality is the son of a bond woman , and can he set y ou free“!
M r. Civility,his son
,1 s a hypocrite
,and like other men
,cannot help thee .
Now l e t this lesson be deeply inculcated upon t he tablet of thy m ind ,That no smiles or persuasions beguile thee , take and bind
I t around thy heart,and when thou wouldst depart from the true path
O f G od to follow m an ’s advice , it will sting thee , and thou wilt evade
the wrath
O f an angry God .
” Then Evangelist called for a confirm at ion t of what
he had said .
Then came words and fire ou t of the mountain,and Christian felt as
on e dead ;The. voice
,i n awful tones
,said
,It is wri tten
,cursed shall be every on e
That continueth n ot in al l things that are written and have not' done
Them .
” Now Christian looked for death,and with a lamentable cry
Exclaimed,What shall I do I s there no hope i M ust I in sin d i
‘
e“
i
I truly repent that I e ’er listened t o that man . Oh,may
I expect forgiveness ? Can I n ow go to the gate ? I ne ’er ' shall forget
this day !”
EVANG .
“ Thy sins are great,but G od can forgive ; go in peace , and
n ever
Listen more to man,lest G od h is love from thee Sever.”
Christian ’s heart oe ’rflowed with gratitude,and he did lightly bOun d
O ’er flower’d vall eys,and ere he was aware
,he found
A beautiful arbor prepared for rest ; here he went t o sleep ,Like many do in prosperity
,when they should their vigils keep
When he awoke,to his dismay
,he found it very late
SO he hurried on . Two frightened men said,Ah
,the fate
That wil l meet y ou Two great lions are directly in the Way .
”
CHRISTIAN .
“ What can I do “! I cann ot return I must n ot stay
Here . Lost my roll,and all these difficulties meet
Because of my indolence . N ow my torn and bleeding fe‘
etM ust wander in darkness . Oh
,I hear the awful roar
Of those lions I do repent ! I can never reach that'
sho'
re
Of eternal peace But t his i s my way,I must n ot
'
fear,
Even if death awaits me . What is that I see as I'
draw 'near“31
Two lions indeed ; but both are chained—n ow I wil l call
Unto the Por ter, Alas , I’m tOo late This doth ind
'
ee’
d appallM em or e than the lions . Ah ! I hear an answer—’tis " W
Only echoed back to me . He answers . N ow I 'wil l i'ejoi ce .
”
+ 1 6 +
PORTER Why so late my friend ?
CHRISTIAN . I have a sinTo ackn owledge : I slept t oo long in the arbor . D O let me in !”
PORTER .
“ Come into our palace prepared for the transient restOf pilgrims . Bathe thy bruised feet. Thou shal t have the bestWe can prepare . Now we have here a great variety
Of curiosities . Let me introduc e Piety and Charity .
Wel come,care -worn brother. We know something of thy trial s
But while j ourneying to the Celestial City we must meet denial s
And temptations . But there are many things I would have y ou know ,
And if you ’ve rested suffi ciently,I will them un to y ou show .
D o y ou remember , in the days of Pharaoh , when G od
Told Moses to take H is people from Egypt “
! This is h is rod .
Here ’s the hammer and nail with which Jael sl ew S is era ; and then
The o x -goad wherewh i th Shamgar Sl ew six hundred men .
And the jaw - bone with which Sam son did such mighty feats
And th e sword with which the Lord wil l kill Sinful men when H e. meets
Them i n the day of vengeance .” An d o ther things which did muchdelight
H i m . Then they ate suppe r and retired , for it was late at n ight .
In the morning Christian felt much refreshed,and said
,I mus t go .
”
They told him to stay another day,and they would t o him Show
The Delectable M ountains , prov ided it was sufficién t ly clearAnd this will add much to your comfort
,they are near
The Celestial City .
” So he consented . When the lovely morning came
They carried him to the observatory, and said , N ow look . The name
Si gn ifies the l oveliness of them .
” He looked,and saw mountain peaks
Towering over wooded glens and flowered vales .
CHRIS .
“ Ah ! weeks
I could spend in wondering Those fruits and fair flowers
D iversified o’er those grassy p lains— the fountains and fairy bowers
Tel l me,is not this country called Immanuel ’s Holy Land
PIETY .
“ Yes ; and free for pilgrims , as this palace . There is a band
Of shepherds who will the gate of this city show to thee .
”
“ This makes me anxious to go on .
”
PIETY. You must wait and be
Clad with the arm or of G od . These weapons will enabl e you
To get through .
”
CH RIS . “ Have any p ilgrims passed“2
PORTER .
“ A few
Have recently ; I noticed Faithful not l ong si nce passed by .
”
CHRIS . I regret so much that I did not go sooner. Why
+ 1 8 4
Of H is subj e cts was praise Yet He never did deliver them,
But the world knows h ow by power,or fraud . In delivered men
Wh o followed me,I soon in their breast deep love awake
,
N o o ne can ever say they have been by me forsaken
CHRIS . God ’s refusing to help them,is only t o try their lov e .
I f they cleave no t to him,th ey can ne ’er dwell above .
Christ is an exam ple of sufferi ng, and the pain is glorious ,When their Muster sends it
,they will soon m arch v ictorious
When the Prince cometh with h is host,and the trump sounds
Then past tortures will be forgott en ; th e heart bounds
To meet i ts Saviour .
”
APOL .
“ After Sinning dost thou thinkThat thou wilt be in that throng
“1? Thou art on the brink
Of eternal woe ”
CHRIS . Wherein have I been unfaithful to h i m a!”
APOL . At the slough of Despond thou didst sin
An d y ou did not wait patiently to get rid of your loadOf S1 11
,an d slep t an d l ost thy passport on the road .
Thou wast almost persuaded to return because ’twas night .D id y ou not waver. and trembl e
,at the trifling sight
Of t wo lions ? In al l thy talk and ways thou art very vain,
An d desirous of glory , which is evident to all can thy Pri nce remain
Loving t o thee,after thus acting “
5”
CHRIS . All you ’ve said
IS t oo true,but for these offenses I trust that I have made
Acknowledgm ents . M y Prince is nm erc i fu l,an d will forgive ;
I was guilty of those sins i n the coun try in wh ich I did live
I believe I have Obtained pardon .
” And when he thus spoke,
Apollyon flew into a rage,saying
,I ‘
do‘
n ow evoke
The lowest fiends o f Hell t o help“
m e curse thy Prince I hate
H i‘
s laws , and H im ,n o one shal l s erve Him . Ah ! t h e fate
I wil l withstand . That n ow awaits thee I will withstand
Thee .
”
CHRIS . Apollyon,Beware I ’m on my King’s land .
”
APOL . I do n ot fear ; prepare to die ! I do now swear
By my infernal den , thou shalt n ot go ! I say forbear
Thy attempt,or thou shal t lose thy life ; return if y ou start
To go, y ou kn ow y our fate .
”
I mus t .”
APOL .
“ This dart
Shall pierc'e thy heart ’ s core .
”
D O y ou See this shield ?
+ 1 9 +
It will enable me t o with s ta nd thee ; I can never yield .
”
Apollyon then sent them with such powerful strength
That Christian,notwithstanding his exertions , at length
Was wounded in the head,hand and foot
,which made him give way
,
And Apollyon followed,and thus it lasted for hal f a day .
Christian was weak , and in making a desperat e struggle , did fall .His sword fel l out of h is hand . Apollyon said
,N ow call
On thy Prince to help thee . Does he come "1? Ah
,dark despair
IS written on thy countenance . LO man ! n ow,where
Is thy King ! This Shall be thy last blow ,
’twill crush thee .
”
Christian now struggled desperately, go t h is sword , and
“ said, Oh
enemy,
Rejoice not against me . I ’m fallen , but will soon rise again .
Take thy deadly blow Ah ! this doth fil l thee with terror an d pain .
Thou art stunned Y ou see we are more than conquerors through
Him .
” Then Apollyon Spread h is dragon wings , and away he flew .
When Christian was recovered,he saw the fiend n o more
,
Bu t for hours after,the hi ll s reverberated wi th h is terrible roar.
Christian‘ exclaimed,Oh
,Lord ! l et me give thanks unto Thee
,
M y Deliverer , I know that i n all danger thou wilt help me .
”
Chris tian sang : “ Great Beelzebub,the Captain Of th is fiend ,
Armed him,and thought h e would ruin me . For this en d
He sent him well p repared . None can e ’er know h is rageUntil they see /hi m
"
. Oh,h ow fiercely he did me engage .
When I had almost despaired,M ichael ca
l
m e
‘
an d helped m e,and I
By dint Of sword and one desperate effor t made him tl y .
Would that all could unite with me in singing praise
And love,and would bless my great D eliverer always .
”
N ow I saw in my d ream that h is wounds made“
him feel
Very weak . Then came a hand with leaves which did healAs soon as they were applied . Then he ate the bread an d drank
the wine,
Which Piety had given him . He said,Oh
,th e Love of G od
’t is Div ine
After be ing refre she d,~he went on h is j ourney with a drawn sword ,
For he anticipated othen d angers, but there was none 0 1 1 th e road .
Yet there was 'a trial aWai t in gdi im ,but G od with H is grace
Could sup port ih im i h'
the Valley of: Death,
’twas a lonely place .
Jeremiah thus describe szit I: rlA‘lan dw here no thing d welt ;
+ 2 0 >i<
A land of deserts and pits . And who knoweth how poor Christian feltWhen he had to go all alone through this place . And what did he
See “! One running toward him saying
, G o back .
”
CHRIS . Tell me
Why I must turn back1 :
1 4There ’s danger do you know the name
Of this dark valley“
2”
CHRI S .
“ Yes ; tell me al l .”
MEN .
“ We came
To the border,and fortunately we there did meet.”
CHRIS . What have you seen ? ”
M E N .
“ Take a seat ,And we will tell you al l . The valley is darker than night ;There are satyrs
,v isions
,dragons
,pits
,and directly in sight
Of this valley are the clouds of Confusion,there ’s the yell
Of a people in utterabl e misery . The worst we have to tell
I s that Death’s wings are ever spread o ’er this dark path .
”
CHRIS . “ This must be my only way to Heaven . If God ’s wrath
Is poured upon me I ’l l pray, and will n ever be forsaken .
”
MEN . You will be sure t o repent of th e steps you ’ve taken .
”
Then Christian went with h i s sword. drawn ; could scarcely find
H is way ,’twas so narrow . O n his righ t hand wasgwh ere the bl ind
Had often led the blind into a ditch,where bothzwere lost ;
On the left was a dangeroous quag, which to many had cost
Tears,and even l ives . Into th i s quag King David once did fall
And would have perished,had not G ot eard his call .
Here many are lost . Ah Virtue,exert thyself
,and throw
Thy mantle around the world ; shield th em'
so they ’ll ne ’er know
Of such wickedness . With Christian we ’ll now go again .
H e found it difficult from temptations ever to abstain .
The way he had to go was narrow . He saw the flame ariseFrom the gaping mouth of hell . I t made him close his eyes .
He sheathed his sword,and knelt in prayer forlh el p . Ah ! dire
Were the tossing and groans , which came with flames of fire ,To welcome him to this vale ; then he met a mysterious shape ,If shape it might be called ; he knew he could not escape ,For others came
,and then a ban d
'
of howling fiends was heard
Marching in front,their breath was p oisonous , and the bird
That t e l ls the sick man’s passport from her hollow beak,
+ 2 1 4“
In the s il ent night doth their sad fate often speak .
Her shrill n otes chill,and sh e shakes contagion from her wings
She haunts thi s dismal place , and in darkness ever sings
Her doleful tune . All of this did greet Christian’s ear ;The fiends stil l came nearer . He said , I will not fear
Them ; I’ll trust in God and walk in His strength , l ’l l rej oice
I n my trials .” Then they l eft him ; he shouted , h i s voice
R ang loud and long. He anticipated evil,and he heard one say
Though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death,I may
Still h Op e , for in all my trials God will strengthen me .
”
This cheered Christian ; he knew that there were others he did not see ,And that G od had blessed them ; he tried to overtake
Them so he could have company, but soon day did break ,And he exclaimed He who has traveled this vale may sayIt is dark .
” He looked back at the dragons , and as the day
Dawned,he shed tears of gratitude when
,by the light
,
He could see the dreadful pit, and loathsom e quag which , in the night
He had passed . The glorious sun came to brighten the day ;He could see what he had to contend, with the re st of the way .
Dungeons . pits , and quags , an d many other things did show
Themselves, frightful to behold , but he said others did go
Through the same dangers . There were two giants,and not a ray
Of mercy shon e o ’er their palaces, and the bon es of many l ay
Around their dwellings . But their race was run God above
Had heard H is sain t ’s cry, had seen their anguish , and in love
Had crippled them . Their names were Pope and Pagan . By
Their tyranny they had reaped the reward of‘
sin ere they had to die .
After Christian had passed them he said, “ Oh , I ’m blest,To thus escape their snares
,they cause a blight
,an d no rest.
I ’m delivered from Hell,with all its darkness and sin
I knew not of the m any dangers which were in
That lonely vale ; they might have cast me down
If it “had not been for my God,and may the crown
Ever rest on His brow .
”
N ow he saw Fai thful as he wentOn his way he never loitered for val e or as cen t.Christian hurried on and cal led saying, I will go with you.
”
FAITHFUL .
“ The avenger is b ehi nd I must pursue
'P 2 2 2‘i‘
My j ourney.
” Then he ran faster, and tried to overtake
Faithful—hefwou l d have a companion that would ne’
er forsake
The true path of duty . This made Christian admire him more .
He kew that wastthe right way , for he had done so
When those wicked men tried to p e rsuade h im to return ,He refused to lis ten
,and the ir idle rum ors did Spurn .
Christian came up with Faithful an d said ,“ I have met
W ith a congenial spirit . How long since y ou started ? I can n e’
er
forget
Those loved ones which I’ve left. Tell me a l l . H ow long did y ou stay
In the city of Destruction ? ”
FAITH . My heart ached and I tore away
From those I loved . Some said the city would b e burnt to the ground .
CHRIS . Did many leave ?”
FAI TH .
“ They did n ot,and I found
Much skepticism . I heard some of them deridingly speakOf your pilgrimage . I believe ’tis a doomed place and I do seek ,A land where the re will be no t ears to d i m m y eyes
A home where Seraph s dwell , and praises of saints aris e .
”
CHRIS . Did you hear of Pliab le ?
FAITH . We heard y ou
And him j ourneyed together until you came to that slough ,Where some said he fell in . I believe it i s the decisio n
Of most of the town , he is held in great deri sion .
”
CHRIS . Why are they so bit ter ? They will n ot come in the wayWhich he forsook .
”
FAITH .
“ They call him Turn - coat,and say
He is not worthy to stay with,because he has forsaken
The true path ”
CHRIS . Are you not mistaken ? ”
FAITHFUL . No . I met him in th e street, and he tried to shun
Me he is , evidently , much ashamed of what he has done .
Hence th e proverb,
‘The Sow that was was hed has returnedmire .
Many are thus deluded and perish . Let’s l eave him,for I t ire
Even of h is name .
”
CHRIS .
“ Te ll me of y our journ ey .
FAITH . I escaped th e S lough of Despon d , which I see y ou fell
Into , and without any troubl e I soon went
To the gate but after I passed,there was a demon sen t ,In the form of a woman . She was beautiful
,and paraded al l
Around me . I knew her smiles had caused many to fall ,
+ 2 3 4
Yet,I lingered
,enchanted by her charms then up the rugged hi ll
I climbed ; there came on e swift ly by, then I stood still .
H i s looks indicated vengeance , and with a powe rful blow
He brought me to the ground . I cried Mercy !’ He said , to show
M ercy on on e who could not resist temptation , and then again
The blows came . Ah ! I hope that I’ll n e ’er feel the pain
That he inflicted . I know not how long it would have lasted Forbear’
Was heard . I saw His hand and side, I knew my Lord was there .
”
CHRIS . “ The man who overtook y ou was M oses . He spareth none ,Neither knoweth he how to pity those who willingly shun
His law .
”
FAITH . I know him,oft he has met with me .
Twas him that warned me of my danger,and caused me to flee
From God’s wrath .
”
CHRIS . D id y ou n o t see on the side
Of the hill a house with lovely grounds ?
FAITH .
“ Yes ; the Guide ,Or Porter was there . The lions were asleep ;
’twas about no’
on .
I thought I could not lose SO much time ’twas too soon
To stop for the night.”
CHRIS .
“ I’m sorry indeed ; the rarity
Of al l i I saw would have paid you , then I would have had your
company
Where I ’ve been so lonely . Whom did you see in the valley
Of Humility ? ”
FAITH .
“ Discontent. I strived and did rally
My feelings t o such a height,that I could easily resis t him
,
Though he said I would Offen d my friends Pride ’ pufi’
ed with Sin,
‘Egotism,
’ Mr . Worldly Glory,
’ and others and I was fool ish enought o wade
Through this lowly valley.
”
CHRIS . What arguments were m ade ? ”
FAITH . I’ told him those persons were not relatedTo me
,and never would be . I would ever resist him ; I stated
Plainly that honor was preceded by humility,and that a fall
Followed a haughty spirit,and that I did n o t wish men to call
Me wise .
”
CHRIS .
“ Did you me e t any oth er person here ? ”
FAITH . I met one who had neither principl e or fear ,And I think of all men bears the most inap proprIat e name .
Why ’twas given is a mystery , i t is Bold - faced Shame .”
CHRIS . Why,what did he say ?
”
FAITH . That re ligion was to him
Something very degradi ng,a tender conscience a great sin .
It was efi‘
em in at e to watch your ways , both n ight and day,
And to restrain all evil passions , and try in every thing to obey
The mandat es of the so - cal led boo k of God,and they did n ot possess
Any quality of a man . That religion did n ot relieve any distress,
And that most pilgrims were humble,and few of the world’s W1se
Men were on thisi dishonorable road ; that it did surpriseHim to see me . He said that there was no pleasure to l iveThus struggling with the turbulent ways of sin ; and to forgive
One ’s fault,or to ask pardon for your own
,was to him
The most ridiculous of all things . 7Twas on ly a childish whim .
”
CHRIS . What did you say ?”
FAITH . I could not tell
What to say at first ; his words sounded like those of He ll .I told him what is highly esteemed am ong men
,i s held in abomination
With God—that he was only a sham . Men of every station
Were discussed , but he knew nothing of what God’s Word is ,
Or its commands . At the judgment day , what will h is
Arguments avail him We will not b e j udged by the world
But according to the law of God,we will either be hurled
Into everlasting peace or woe,and what God says is best
That the world with its allurements might go,if I was blest.
I told him of the Power of Christ, and man a serpent when he hates .
Our Redeemer,I would follow him though the Fates
Combined Should exert their energies ever against me .
Then I to ld him to depart,that I would no longer keep company
With one who only showed the dark side o f religi on . In vain
Were his efforts to tempt me . I told him that I did h i m disdain ”
Then they noticed a man who soon overtook them ,and had much talk
FAITH .
“ Wither art thou going ? for thou dost walk
V ery fast. If you are j ourneying to the heavenly country, let me
Accompany thee .
”
TALKATIVE “ I’m on that road,and ’twill be
A great source of p leasure for us to hold concourse of things ,Which send their radiance o ’er congenial spirits , and brings
The future as if it were within our grasp . But few
-I , 2 6
Of yours can teach him you are tire d ,and he will be down
On your principles when from you .
”
FAITH . From this hour
I wil l remember the Kingdom of God is not in word , but power.”
CHRIS . “ I ’ve noticed him closely,and even the dum b brute
In his kind serves G od better. Yet he has the audacity to refute
The opinions of any ; he is a disgrace to religion , and a shame
To any community he is ill to his family. But it is vain
To try to enumerate his faults . Not satisfied with his sin , he makes
His sons follow in his footsteps he detests all that’s good ; the rakesOf the town abhor him .
”
FAITH . I’m aston ished,but you say
That you know him I must believe,though ’tis ve ry sad , and from
to -day
I will try to penetrate deeper into every m an ’s thought
Before I form an opinion so hastily . I would have been caught
By the fascinating language of this man,had not you led me
Into the secret of his character. Now I can plainly see,
Much can be assumed by sinful men,and as D avid says
,
Often their words are smoother than butter,yet they have for days
Been drawn swords .’ Too many of t his class we n ow meet,
Who s eem to worship you,yet their hearts are full of deceit
CHRIS . “ If I had not known hi m,I would have thought as you did ;
Or, if I had obtained it from any o ther source , would have hid
It within my bosom,thinking perchance some enemy
Was trying to inj ure him . What I ’ve said is true,and thus you see
Him clothed in the garb of deception .
”
FAITH .
“ This does inst il l
More deeply than ever,that talking is not doing God ’s w ill .”
CHRIS .
’Tis diverse indeed,the boaster ’ s soul is often dead ,
And such egotism is offensive for often what is: said
Sinks like evi l seed,sends forth plants of sin ; but pure
Religion is t o keep yourself unspotted from the world ’t is sur e
To visit the widows and orphans in their affliction .- But that m an
Never thinks of the practical part of religion—thinks he canReach Heaven by his tongue . Hearing is naught—s ave some of the seedIt requires watching and praying
,to keep rooted out every evil weed .
Men will be j udged according to their works ; at the day of doom ,
The secret thoughts of every heart will be known . Ah ! the gloomWhich will o ’ershadow many a countenance. The end of the worldIs compared to our harvest
, and Alas h ow m any will be hurledInto perdition .
”
+ 2 7 +
FAITH . Paul says , talkers are ever giving"
soundWithout life—like sounding brass , and m en of this kind will be found
In every country —though they have an angel ’s v oice ," raise the lid
Of the outward character and look within ” 11
How can I get ridOf him “
3”
CHRIS . “ Enter upon som e'discourse of the power
Of religion. Ask him about his plea sure in it, and in half an hourHe wi l l tire of you .
”
Ho , Talkative ! What cheer now ? ”
TALK .
“ Thank s , I’m well. Thought we shoul d have talked m ore . How
I s it you ’v e been absent so longFAI TH . Christian and I
Commenced an interesting conversation , and so the time did fly~
More rapidly than I was aware of. I di d not think I"
staid SO long,
But we will comm ence our discourse .”
TALK . A song
Before would be pleasant.”
FAITH . How doth the graceOf God manifest itself in the heart ? Oft en in the face
Is a true index into one’s character. Opinions plainly show
The channel of one’s thoughts,and by their conversation we can know
On what ground to place them .
”
TALK .
“ This great outcry
Against sin,when t here is grace in the heart
,we will now pass by
This theme,hurriedly .
”
FAITH . No grace makes us abhor sinz”
TALK . What is the difference of c rying against and being in
U tter hatred of it ? ”
FAITH .
“ You can condemn through pol icy,
But you cannot abhor it,but by virtue of antipathy
Against it. I ’ve heard men abuse it in the pulpit who did abide
It well enough in the heart—remember Joseph ’s mistress criedWith a loud y oice , pretending she was very innocent and chaste ;Notwithstandi ng her guilt and deception—List to her cry
,
‘Help !
Haste
What wickedness Her breathe more poisonous than a reptile ’s fang,
For they can reach only a short distance, but'
her hideous voice rang
The death -knell to poor Joseph’s hOp es Ah ! sure thepoor m an knew
-I~i 2 8 w -IJ
His fate—Yet he feared God . What a lesson Ah ! how fewWould have acted thus He is more to b e commended than Azim
For the affection of a fair Z elica taught him to resist sin ,
But Joseph , u n exiled servant, to resist the entreaties of a majestic
queen,
Knowing, too , he would excit e the wrath of the king. Yet, how seren e
Is innocence ! N o paleness,or blush came upon his placid face
When he heard th e verdict : Cast him i n the dungeon ! ’ for the grace
Of God he knew would shine e’en there ; His ways are not as ours .
The cloud
Of adversity o ’ershadowed h im,and in gloom ’s dark shroud
He was covered y e t h e despaired not, but said , I will ever trust
In G od,though He slay me .
’ When he was into the dungeon thrust ,There was on e light which cheered him , eve n in this dark
And lonely cell ; Hope found her way, and send her SparkTo comfort him . How G od b lessed his future every child doth know
But few follow h is example , which doth so plainly show
That if we wai t patiently,the Lord will certainly bless
And when He afflicts sorely , ’tis not because H e l o ves us less
But to return . Amother often cries out in anguish against her child,
But soon forgets , and begins to cherish her darl ing when it is mild .
”
TALK .
“ You are inclined to misconstrue,
‘ I perceive .
”
FAITH .,
No,I
Am o nly for having things r i zh t . What’s the second thing wherebyYou’l l prove the discover » o f the work of grace in the heart of man
TALK .
“ Great knowledge n f gospe l mysteries,but my first plan
Was rej ec ted,I ex pect this will b e too .
”
FAITH .
“ This should
H ave been first , for y ou know , knowledge never could
Be obtained ’thout grace . I tell you,a man may possess
Unlimited knowl e dge , and be a child of Sa tan nevertheless .
Do you remember Christ asked,
‘Do you know all these things ?
And He said , ‘Blessed are ye , if ye do them .
’ And this brings
Many similar passages to my mind . Give me knowledge , and .I
Will keep Thy law . I will ob serve it with my heart .”
TALK.
“ You lie
At the catch again—this is not for edi ficat ion . Will you propound
Any question , or produce any argum ent, whereby grace may be found
In the heart of man ? ”
TALK.
“ I cannot give any .
”
FAITH. MayI m en t ion ~som e
“I
+ 2 9 4
TALK .
“P ro ceed !”
FAITH .
“ It showeth itself i n this way
It present s to our view our sins , and brings to us deep conviction ,And shows to us plainly, unless we curb our passions , and place
restrictionUpon our habits
,we wil l be lost , and this causes sorrow for sin
We find a revealed,a forgiving Saviour
,and see the need of worshiping
Him,
Then we can plainly see,it is to us so many promises are made
And according t o our strength of faith,our j oy will increase or fade .
Though it manife s ts itself thus , yet we very seldom conclude
That it i s a work of grace . On a contrite spirit doubts o ft obtrude .To some it i s discovered by a confession of faith , and a holy l ife
Answers to their confession,n ot on e of conten tion and strife
With our neighbors—ih this way acts the hypocrite, for in
All h is ways he rej ects G od . The Christian always abhors sin .
I have given y ou my Opinion of grace , in as brief
A manner as possibl e obj ect if it does not meet with thy bel ie f ;If not
,I wish to ask another question .
”
TALK.
“ It is n ot my partTo obj ect. I will enter upon any topic with all my heart .”
FAITH . D o y ou experience the first description , and
Doth your life testify to the same“! or do y ou now stand
Condemned before me “! Be careful
,I wish y ou to say no more
Than G od will approve,and your conscience j ustify . You know
,
He who commendeth himself is not approved , but whom God dothcommend .
It is a sin t o say you are a Christian,when acts with words don’t blend.
”
At this Talkative blushed,but when his control he did recover
,
Repl ied : Y ou now come to experience and to God, and I discover
That you appeal to H im for j ustification all you have spoken
H as taxed my patience . I did not anticipate this : ’tis not a token
Of a pleasant companion . I am wounded and will not answ e r. You
chastis e
Without any ground ; the who le tenor of conversation doth surprise
Me much . Explain why you have thus acted .
”
FAITH .
“ It is b ecause I sawThat you were very forward to talk , and that p erchance a flaw
Was i n your life . Without farther equivocation , I have heard of you
before
Your rel igion lies ch iefly in your tal king , your boasting and your show .
True religion fares the worse for you. Your sins cause some to stumble
Into the ditch of deceit,into which y ou are n owready t o tumble .
The proverb is true of you,as of a harlo t : even yo ur very name
I s a reproach t o Christians , j ust as the harlot is to woman , a shame .
”
TALK . S ince you are so hasty i n your Opinions,I know you
Are some inconsistent person . We do n ot suit, so I bid you n ow adieu .
”
Then Christian came up and said Did n ot I tell y ou how it would be“!
He had rather leave your com pany than t o reform or to agree
W ith your sentiments . Let him alone : he is only a boast and a show .
We are happier without him,and he might have disgraced us ; you know
The apostles say From such withdraw thyself. ’
FAITH .
“ I am glad
I had this discourse with him,when he reflects it may make him sad .
He was angry when he left. I talked very plainly t o him ;M y con science is clear, if h e is immerged i n the gulf of sin .
CHRISTIAN .
“ I think y ou did right in talking to h im as y ou did
Generally we are too careful of feelings,and often much is h id
From the eyes of the church by a cloak o f wealth . They fear t o o ffendAn influent ial member, when their actions ne
’er did bl end
With those of a true Christian . This looks strange t o the world,I
believe
If al l such were rej ected, the church would be stronger , and rece ive
More members . They would be more careful how they tampered with
this theme,
Ah ! how sad to think foul men often use it for their scheme
By which they cover their darkest sins . Talkative raiseth h is plumes,H ow confidently he speaks , and what divine language he assumes ,To deceive and baffle all ; but only behold him as soon
As Faithful talks of heart -work,he reminds us of the moon
Which i s past the full , it begins t o decrease and into th e wane it goes ,And so will all who follow him ,
for Talkative never knows,Aught save h is foolish prating about what he has seen by the way.
CHRIS.
“ He thinks only of himsel f. God’s commands he does n ot obey .
Brother,your company has been a great pleasure to me
,and m any
lonely hourH as been banished by your sunny smiles . Ah h ow great the power
Wh ich true friendship hath . But oh ! degen erate men , h ow few
Are there in whom we can confide . Their flattery Wins y ou ,
+ 31 +
But oft like a serpent th ey t coi l around your heart, and instil thereTheir deadly poison .
’Tis sad t o think so, but we had best beware
Of most men and women .
”
FAITH .
“ M isplaced confidence I s WhySo many suffer. Oh ! who comes yonder “
! who is it’
we doth espy "!
CH R I s. It is our good friend Evangelist . ’Twas he wh o set me in the
way .
To the gate .
” By this time Evangelist came up,and unto them did say
Peace be unto y ou , dearly beloved how i s it wi th y ou ? ‘
D'
oth the night
Of darkness still con tinue ? ”
CHRIS . AN D FAITH .
“ Ah ! the sight
Of y ou banishes many dark forebodings . Our troubl es and trial s
We will relate . But when we asked God for mercy,we ne ’ er met with
denials .
His strong arm has brought us safe thus far.”
EVANG .
“ I ’m glad
You have resisted so many tem ptations ; the trial s wh i ch make y ou sad,
Wi ll eventually benefit y o u . I have sown an d y ou two have reaped .
But the time is n ot far dis tant when blessings will be heaped
Upon both the sower and the reaper ; persevere , and y ou wil l be made
Heirs of eternal l ife,be crowned with glory that never can fade .
Rem ember,only by faithful ness these blessings y ou can obtain .
Oh ! that the whole world would arouse and drop the curtain over
the vain
Trifles of life . Then we wou ld n ot be allured by fascinating sin,
But would look into our selfish hearts , and by God’s help search in
Their lowest depths . Then G od will give unto us strength and power
To resis t th e Evil On e , for he cometh i n an unknown hour .”
Then they both thanked him for h is advice , and desired h i m t o speak
More about the ir j ourney ; how to resist trial s,and h ow t o seek
The glory of G od .
EVANG .
“ It is through tribulation that the grace
Of His kingdom i s entered into . You will b e afflicted , and each faceWill be ploughed by the furrows of sorrow. Y ou will soon see
A town,where some wi l l seek to murder y ou ; an enemy
Will be met,in th e guise of a friend ; yet, the King will give
Acrown of glory to the faithful , and then you can live
4- 32 -1
Through eternity. But in this life you must sufi’
er much pain,
Yet you will be strengthened by thoughts o f future j oys . And again,
I say,do not b e discouraged ; God will help . When you have come
To the town,quit yourselves like men
,and let the bright home
Where the blessed Redeemer and shining angels wait for y ou ,
Let this encourage in all trials,and help to resist them . Ah ! the view
O f your celestial home N ow you see,you are almost there .
I must tel l you of a Fair,kept there
,which i s called “ Vanity Fair.”
It is as old as inj urious ; I will tell you something about it, and whenIt d id originate
,almost five thousand y ears ago , and then ,
oBee lzebub , Apollyon , with all their foul companions p erceiving
By the Pil grims ’ path,they had to go in this way
,and receiving
Many enticements,they might be led astray—for all kinds of games
Are constantly played there . Various are the streets, but their names
Are too numerous to mention . Pilgrims are compelled to go through
this town .
They must go out of the world , if they do not pass through this city o f
renown .
The Prince of Princes,while here
,went through this wretched place
,
And Beelzebub,the chief Lord of the town
,with his brazen face
,
O ffered our Saviour all the kingdom s of the world , and thought
He would allure Him to buy,but his devices came to naugh t .
Beware ! Farewell ! ’
4- 34 4
As an example and terror to others . Yet they cared 11 01 s 80 (3001 did
not frown
This treatment Christian and Faithful with so m uch meekness here ,That it won to them m any men who were enemies , and , as before ,I t created more disturbance . Then it was very soon con cludedThat nei ther irons nor whipp ing was sufficient for th ese
"
del udedFanatics—nothing but death would satisfy their hate .The pilgrims called t o mind what Evangelist had saidjof their fate .
They comforted each other by saying,the on e who snfiered most
Would soonest reap eternal j oy s , and be with the blessed and the j ust .
Then they commended themselves t o G od they knew He would fulfil lAl l righteousness
,therefore they waited prayerfully until
Th eir j udgment was passed .
When th e time arrived , they were brought
Before their enemies and arraigned,and al l the eviden ces
'
sough t .
The judge ’s name was H ategood . Their indictment was one
And the same in sub stance . The conten t s were,these two had com e
As disturbers of the trade,and that they all plainly saw
These men’s Opin ions were dangerous t o their Great.Prince ’s law .
Faithful said he was able t o bear their sent ence ; he had tried
To defend h is Maker ; he was for peace , but their prince he defied,Because he was Beelzebub
,and an enemy t o his Lord .
Then the p roclamation for all wh o had on e wordTo say against the prisoners . Then there came in threeWh o were ready t o accuse them . Their n ames were , Envy ,Superstition
,and Pickthank . The judge said “ You ’ ll now proceed .
”
Then came forth
Envy , and said : I have known this man a lon g t ime,and can attest
upon oath,
That he doeth all he can t o en tice men in his path and foll ow hisAnd notions
,which he call s principles of faith . I think
,in these
Of refinemen t,that they are absurd and ridiculous . He say s
C hristianity
Is d iam fietri cal l ly opposed t o the custom s of our town V anityBy which saying
,my Lord
,he doth n o t only condemn
All of our , laudable acts , but also us in doing them .
I know much more,but do n ot wish to be tedious . I
Me, I can testify to more .
”
I assure y ou he is a’n o x io
+ 35 +
Judge said it was su fficient . Then dark -hearted Super stition made
H isapp earanceL Said I know little , yet I wish it would fade
Forever from my mind . He is v ile , and makes our religion naught.”
JUDGE . This is enough,without an y more evidence being sought.
”
But Mr. Pickthank had to come and tel l all he knew against this
Prisoner . Said : This man speaks o f ano ther h ome,and the b li ss
Which he will enj oy , and on our noble Beelzebub ever rail s ;And speaks contemptuously of his friends , whom he never fails
To designate—as the Lord of Carnal Delight , Sir Greedy,Lord Lux urious , Desire of Vain Glory , and the rest of our nobility ;And he has not been afraid to abuse y ou , who have h is fate
In y our hands .
” When Pickthank finished,the j udge said
“ Thou runagate,
Heretic , traitor, has t thou heard what these men witness against y Ou iFAITHFUL . M ay I sp eak a few words in my defense ?
JUDGE . Dost thou pursueThy course of audacity , i n m aking such a request ? But speak
,
That_we may showhow kind we are , ere we our vengeance wreak.
”
FAITH .
“ In answer to Envy I said ,‘ things wh ich pl eased his god were
Very much O pposed to Christianity ,’ if this be amiss , I will b earAny reproach . I cannot make any recantation . I only said
That in the worship of God , faith must fill the heart, and what is
forbade
In His word,I rejected ; that I bel ieved it was of divine revelation.
Therefore,what i s thrust into the worship of G od by any nation
,
Whi ch Is n ot profitabl e to etern al life , wil l come t o naugh t ; and for m e
To Oxplain what Mr. Pi ckthank said , is useless , for I plainly see
That the Prince and his subj ects are combined , and are demon s
from hell,
Whose business it is to deceive al l they can , and here they dwell,Unti l they are repulsed by God’ s power .”
Then the j udge called
The j ury who stood by,very much excited and ap pal led
At Faithful’s bravery . See,gentlemen
,
”said the j udge ,“ this m an
About whom such an uproar has been made ; now you can
Hang him or save his life . Yet,I think it best to instruct and aid
You all I am able . In the days of Pharoah—servant to our Prin ce
he said :‘Those o f a contrary religion had mult iplied much and had grown
Too strong for hi m . He commanded the male chi ldren to be thrown
Into the river. And there was another ac t made in the days
Of Ne bucha dn ezz'
ar,tha t if al l did not follow in h is ways
,
+ 36 +
And worship his golden image , they should be thrownInto the lions’ den . If he had broken a few laws , I could have born e
It much better . This is not only in thought, but in word and deed
For he has openly defied our laws . This must be step p ed . He
doth needImmediate punishment. Pharoah ’s law was in due time
To suppress anticipated trouble , but here is apparent cr1m e.
He acknowl edges he holds our religion in great contempt
And for the vile treason he confesses , he cannot possibly be exempt .”
The j ury then went out to consult . Their n ames were , Mr . Nogood ,Blindman
,M alice
,Lovel east , an d close by these ,
Mr . Livel oose , H ighm in d , Enmity, and Mr . H at el ight h
Who unanimously voted against h im , saying they had acted right,For he was worthy of immediate death . Then th ey al l m haste
out went
Unto their j udge,to ta lk of the most torturous way they could invent
To put this foul traitor out of their sight . Faithful to h is cel l did retire ,Unti l he was sent for. List ! What shouts Look at y ou fire !
How bright it burns, as though some sacrifice would be pl aced there .
But alas ! The greatest of. al l sacrifices—a human form doth appear .
What means those knives,those stones and those swords “
! Ah what
terribl e pain
They wi ll soon inflict .
But where is Faithful now “3Will he n ot again
Make the same daring avowals when he doth plainly see
How many ways of torture they have . Hear him speak . Unto thee,
Oh,Lord I comm end my spirit unto thee . Their swords
,fire .
and stake
Can only punish me a while . I will never fear or quake,
Neither do I revoke what I have said . Ind ict any puni shment I
can stand
It without a murmur,for I will b e supported by my Savm ur
’s hand .
”
And patiently he hears their mocking,as they predict h is doom .
Not a word escapes h is lips ; no dark shade of gloom
Covers his radiant face,but like brave Stephen of old
,
He appeared l ike an angel . ’Twas faith that made him bold .
How many of us would have renounced re ligion ‘3 Watch him h ow
he dies .
H is lips move in prayer,and to heaven he lifts his eyes .
+ 37 +
And,lo ! a chariot is seen behind y ou burning cloud .
Th e sweet echo of angels ’ voices charms mine ear, but a shroud
Of gloom is o’er Christian . List ! a trumpet spoke of his celestial fate .What are terrestrial sorrows , if th ey are the nearest way to the gate
Which l eads t o eternal happiness “
i Then Christian no more weeps,
But cries : God knoweth best . He searcheth into the deeps
Of the inmost heart .” But now , Christian’s j ourney we will trace
,
An d see the end . Back to prison he was sent,and he s tayed for a space
Of several weeks. But his Father ordained his escape one day .
Then Christian went s ingi ng and rej oicing On h is way.
He often thought of Faithful,and said “ Pure man ! he did profess
His Lord Openly and met death bravely,and G od will surely b less
Him eternally,while faithless ones with all their delight
Are crying out for more bl ood,
'
say ing,’t is their legal right
Thus to murder . Faithful,thy n ame through ages will survive
Nations will ever call thee blessed,and though dead
,art yet alive .
”
+ 38—r
a t NEW ceurflnr.31K
HEN I saw in m y dream ,that Christian went n ot alone
For there was on e , named Hopeful , who was ever prone
Travel that road,though he needed courage , and being at
the Fair,And seeing how Faithful died, it made him j ealous , and j ust there
He resolved t o follow in h is footsteps and he wished to go
With Christian,for he had much experience , and he wel l could show
Him many useful things . Faithful died to testify to the truth ,And another rises out of h is ashes—even this hopeful youth .
He told Christian that many of his friends would certainly come
That Faithful ’s death would surely cause others t o seek the home
To which Faithful had gone . His example to many will teach
The true road to God . Look . They overtake on e from Fairsp eech ,Whose name is By -Ends
,yet he seemed very loth to tel l
It,after giving the name of h is town . Christian ask ed
,Can any dwell
In this place and be innocent ? ” He answered , I hope so .
” But
his name
He evaded . When Christian asked it, he reddened with deep shame
He feared Chr i stian had heard of him said,
“ I ’m glad of your company,
If y ou are going in this direct ion ; you are a stran ger to me .
”
CHRISTIAN .
“ I have heard of this town . Fairsp eech i s a place
Of much wealth .
”
BY -ENDS .
“ It is indeed,and many a kindred face
Greets me when there .”
CHRIS . “ Brother,I hope you will not tire
Of my inquisitiveness , who are your relatives ? I desire
TO know them .
”
BY -ENDS .
“ Lord Turnabout,Timorous
, Sp eech fair,
From whose ancestry the town took i ts name ; and there
Are many others—M r . Sm oothm an ,Mr . Talking -Both -Ways
,
Mr . Anything ; and the pastor of our parish says there i s - praise
Awaiting our great nobility . He was my mother’s only brother .
And if time would allow , I could tell of many o ther .”
CHRIS . Are y ou a married man ?
BY -E N D s.
“ Y es, I am ,of course . My
+ 39 +
Is a model—the daughter of Lady Feign—and my lifeIs serene . Even in this religi ous storm
,we never strive against
But when everything glides smoothly on,then we love to hide
’Neath the sunny fo lds of R eligion’s cloak , and to singWith others when l-oud applause of religion doth ring
Through every street .”
Then Christian stepped a littl e aside
And said to Hopeful It runs i n my mind , as he doth hide
So much,he must be the n o torious By -Ends
,and I tel l y ou , if
’tis he,
We have a most vil lainous knave , as bad as bad can be .
”
HOPEFUL . Ask him he will certainly give y ou his true name .
”
CHRIS . Sir,If I m istake not , sir, I have
"
heard of y ou .
”
BY -END S . “ My fame
Has spread far.
”
CHRIS . Y ou are ego t istical,and By -Ends
M ust be your name
BY -END S .
“ This is but a nickname,friends
,
I scorn those who gave it me but I must be content to bear
It as a reproach,as other good men before me
,for you know there
Never was a worthy man unless the Slime of slander was thrownO ’
er him .
”
CHRIS . That ’s true . Your character is well known
Abroad ; your neighbors say you merit it, or you would erase
The cause of so many rumors,bringi ng
'
on your head disgrace .
”
BY—ENDS . My attempt to do so has caused censure,some will load
M e with reproach .
”
CHRIS .
“ Your conversation betrays y ou ; this road
Canno t be traveled peaceably by both o f us at the same time,
For I believe y ou deserve this name , and your thoughts and m ine
Are altogether different .”
BY—ENDS . “ You are rude,and you ’ll find
In me an agreeabl e compan ion .
”
CHRIS .
“ You’ll have to bind
Up these broken places in your religion,and against wind and tide
Y ou must go,and ever own our religion
,though in rags y ou must
n ot h ide
From Him when He is in irons .”
BY -ENDS . You require too much . Leave
Me to my liberty ; let me go with you . I cannot just believe
As you do about all things .”
CHRIS . “ N ot one s tep,unless you
Consent to fol low ,m y advice .
”
BY -ENDS .
“ That I will never do .
I can never desert my principles , for I know that th ere
Is no harm in them,and much profit. Therefore I shall prepare
To go alone,until I meet some one of a congenial mind .
”
CHRIS . “ Farewell . Y ou may plenty of company find .
”
And thus they separated . But Christian on looking back
Saw three men coming. And By -Ends his pace did slack,
And received them cordially , for their feelings did well blend
In one,and they were happy. Mr. Hold - the -world
,and By -Ends
Had been to school together,to a Mr . Gripman
,i n Lovegain ,
The county seat of Covetry , where dwelt Mr . Loveall . And in vain
Were the efforts of the spirit to remodel this place . Here the artOf accumul ating was taught, oft religion was assumed . The dart
Of evil had never been broken,but sin had sharpened it
,and now
We see th ese sp ecimens of wickedness , not caring how
They manage,so they make a Show . Now
,Money - lov e spoke
,
Asking,Who are those before ? Suppose we try to provoke
Them to stop .
”
BY~EN D S.
“ They are strange men,who aft er
’
their mode
Are going on pilgrimage . Yet,they are so very rigid in their code
And manner of thinking,they shun others
,and dc lightly esteem
Their opinions . If you do not agree with them , they will teem
Many an insult upon you .
”
LOVEALL .
“ There are some of whom we read
Who are over - righteous . They condemn all . They say when the seed
Of repentance has never been sown in the depths of the heart.”
LOVE .
“ D id you differ on many points,ere you did wit h them part ? ”
BY -ENDS . “ Yes . They firmly believe ’tis their and every one ’s duty'
l'
o press forward to the prize That religi on has its beauty,
Even in rags and persecution. Even then,they say
,we must cling
Tenaciously to it,and when the solemn bell doth dolefu l ring
Its deadly knell for execution , they like fanati cs believe
That we ought to stand steadfast,and prayerfully receive
Any fate G od seems bes t to inflict, and adhere to Him ,although
The whole world should condemn them . They don ’t believe in show
Or display,—are humble
,yet careful with whom they associate .
Yet,I know that I am better than they. Such arrogance I hate .
I like religion when he is basking in the pleasant sunshine
+ 42 +
H is ministerial duties , and the mandates of God’ s will .
And as to the second part of the question which we view,
Let us suppose a minister to be poor , and with a chance to pursue
An easy path to wealth,by taking a rich wife ;
Men will soon forget it all . Then he can enj oy life .
If any on e becomes a Christian , he needs n ot to forsake all , and then
It oft en helps tp improve one’s fortune
,and they are he ld by men
,
As the best of the world .
”
This Opinion of Mr. M on ey love made
A great impression on them . Applauding i t much,they said
“ We cannot see how those conceited gentlemen can refute
What Mr . M oney love hath said , should they with By -Ends dispute .
What do you think of it my friends ? Let’ s call to them again .
It may d ivest them of their vanity,and our troub le will not be vain .
“ Agreed,
”they all cried ; Now let Mr. Hold - the -world propound
The question ; and they cannot Oppose him ,for he is ever found
Ready to give them an answer.”
They called—asked the quest ions . Th en
Christian said,
“ Even a babe in religion could answer them .
Your own language condemns y ou , for, if it is a great sin
To follow Christ for leaves,you should see the error you are in .
For if this b e wicked,how much more so is it for you , to make
Of Him and religion instruments of enj oym ent . You must forsake
The world. And there are none,save hypocrites
,who thus bel ieve
As you do . The heathe n Hamor,and Shechem
,when they wished
to receiveThe daughters and wealth of Israel
,and saw there was no other way
For them to accomplish their desires, y ielding to the law did say,
“ We must b e cir‘
cumcised .
’ And you can read and plainly see
What they did by assuming a religious guise . The Pharisee
Is a good example of hypocrisy. A long prayer for his pretense
But to rob widows of their homes . God’s anger was in tense .
Judas,the traitor
, was of thi s religion,he wished to better his
condition
When he took the bag. You knowthat he was a son Of perdition .
S imon the wizard was of th is religion,for he would have had
The Holy Ghost in order to get money . But,alas what a sad ,
But appropriate sentence Peter passed on him H e wh o doth take
Up religion for the world,will for the world forsake .
Judas betrayed h is M aster for the love of money ; now,therefore ,
To answer the question‘
affirmatively,as you have
,and to show
That it i s authentic Your Opinion s are heathenish and hypocritical ,
+ 43 +
And your rewards according to your works , diametrical
To all that i s pure .
”
Then th ey all stood in wonder,gazing
At each other,thinking the courage and talk of Christian most
amazing.
They were disappointed , and traveled in silence for miles and then
Christian said to H Op e ful :“ If they cannot withstand men
,
What will they do when they shall hear the sentence of G od ? If mute
When deal t with by vessel s of clay, how can they hear the rebuke
Of an avenging God ? ”
Then Christ ian and Hopeful l eft them again .
And very soon they cam e to the border of a beautiful plain .
Their e nj oym ent whi le crossing this was great ; y et it did n o t last long,
For soon they discovered a hill called Lucre , and then th eir song
Of pleasure ceased,for there was a silver mine in the cave ,
Which had attracted many to woe,for there was naught could save
One who should reach the brink,for the ground would break ,
And destroy immense numbers . The whole earth would ShakeSo , that some were t erribly maimed , and n ot until the day
Of their death be themselves again . And this is the sad way
In which millions have been lost. Then I saw in my dream
One Demas . A man of courtesy,and he cal led , and unto us did seem
To have naught else to do,save to entice others . He cried
,H O
Turn aside hither ! I have something of great interest to Show .
”
CHRISTIAN .
“ What is i t that can deserve our attention more than
the divine
Way of God ? ”
DEMAS Here is where y ou can get rich , and a mine
Of pure silver is here . Many are digging, and if y ou will only come ,Y ou can provide for your fami lies
, an d‘fit hen y ou can go home .
”
HOPEFUL .
“ Let us go and see .
”
CHRIS . Oh,n o I ’ve heard of this place
,
And how many have been Slain . I t has caused numbers t o turntheir face
From the true God .
”
Then Christian call ed loudly unto Demas,
+ 44 4
And said : Is not this p lace dangerous ? If I mistake n ot,it has
Been the ruin of thousands .”
D EMAS . Not very dangerous .”Yet he blushed
As he spoke .
“ Then,
”said Christian,
“ Let every word be hushed
About goin g to this place .
”
HOPE .
“ If By -Ends has as we
This cordial invitation,I know he will turn hit-her to see .
”
CHRIS . NO doubt,for his princip l es lead him in this way .
”
“ But will y ou not come and see for yourself ?”Demas continued to say .
Then Christian answered plainly : “ Demas,thou art an enemy
To the right way of the Lord , and art condemned by His maj esty.
An d why seekest thou to bring us in like condemnationBecause thou art cast off
,do not envy others their salvation .
,
And if I turn aside unto thee,our King and Master will hear
,
And will put us t o Shame,when we unto Him would n ear .”
Then Demas said Wait awhile . I wou ld like very much to walk
A short dis tance with you . Th ere is a vast deal I would talk
To you about .”
CHRIS .
“ Certainly . But first tell us your n ame .
”
“ They call m e Demas . I am the son of Abraham .
”
CHRI S .
“ The same
As I thought . Gehazi was your great - grandfather,and you
“
Are son of Judas Iscariot : as they did,so you do .
And this is on ly a fiendish prank Of yours . Y ou know your father
was hung
For a traitor, and y ou deserve the same fate , for y ou have oft en rung
The death - knell of many a pilgrim by your smooth words,
Which David says are oily like butter,but yet they are
“
drawn swords .”
By this time Mr. By -Ends and his companions came in sight .
They went to D emas immediately. Ah the terrible plight
They soon were in How wretched they fel t when they in terror found,
How they were deceived .
“ Beware,oh
,beware
,for this is dangerous
ground
Thus sang Christian . And [ ty-Ends and Demas doth quickly agree
,
One calls—th e other thought l essfy runs , that he , too , may beUndone by the gloze of Mammon’s snare , and thus you see how
these two
Take up in this world together,and their dreadful path pursue .
+ 45 4
Now I saw on the other side of the plain , that they came
To a place where an old woman stood , but there was no name
Written on this statue , which at firs‘ they could see . Thoughtful ly
they standFor a long time
,but aft er examining closely
,in a mysterious hand
Was written something that troubled much—they found it to be,
Remember Lot’ s wife Ah this is a warning for all to see,
And think of the covetous desire that caused this woman to l ook
Disobediently . Ah ! Brother, this fate must surely be told in your
book .
Every Sinful pleasure that glides by we must ever shun ;Oh
,let us ever this lesson remember , l est we , t oo , be undone .
Then Hopeful said somewhat to himself,“ I acted like a fool .
There’s difference slight between me and Lot’s wife , for I would have
been a tool
For Demas,if y ou had not interfered. For only looking back
, she
Was made an example . Lo , I have don e worse . I longed to go and see .
Let Mercy plead,and may I ever hang my drooping head in shame
That such wickedness should be found in my heart . Ah the fame
Of this mine of silver : how many a pilgrim it hath already beguiled .
For Demas ’ tongue is smooth as Oi l . I was ready to run when he
smil ed .
”
Then Christian spoke gravely , as he looked at h is friend “ Of that we
see here,
Let us take notice for admonition in the future . It doth appear
That the woman had escaped the destruction o f Sodom,and then fel l
By her sinful desire and as example is stan ding here to tell
All to beware of cove tousness .”
HOPEFUL . We should shun her sin,
For there was Korah , Dathan and Abiram ,and two hundred
.
and fifty
who in
Their wickedness perished . These say,beware But now
,aboveall
,
I wonder that Demas with his train do not into misery fall .They pipe and they play, they dance and they s ing, while here,This pillar stands as a lesson to all of them
,and yet they have no fear
,
And will not l isten t o warning.
”
CHRIS . How desperate they have grown !In the same way the reckles sness of rogues in the presence of j udges
is shown .
The character of these thieves is in every respect,l ike the se men
Of Sodom and Gomorrah . What sinners they were ! A“ then,
It i s said , they were sinners before the Lord , and did stand
+ 46 -r
In His presence , and sin , notwithstanding the fruitful landWas compared to Eden
,with all its beauties
,and there fore
,
This made their plague greater, and provoked God’s anger the more .
And so it is with thes e peop le, they have eyes , but do not seeEars
,but cannot hear , and God
’s j udgments surely must b e
Severe to the last .”
HOPE . What a m iracle we are alive
We can never cease to praise our God—not only spared,but thrive
Well on our j ourney .
”
While they talk a river comes in Sight,
Which is called by D avid “ The river of G od,
”and with untold delight,
They discovered that their way l ed t o this crystal stream,
And now beneath i t s cool ing Shades the wearied travelers dreamOf that Ce lestial City where God will forever smileWhere grief and tears are aye unknown . Here resting awhile
,
They the n awake. Calm and re freshed they are : scarcd y can believe
That it was real . The trees were clothed with graceful leaves
Which,when applied
,healed all diseases which did about abound .
The earth was filled wi th indescribable beauty, and the groun d
Was covered with lilies , which fill ed the air with perfume .
Here they rested several days before they did resume
Their j ourney. Then they sang,How the crystal streams soft glide
,
For the j oy of foot - sore pilgrims , down every mountain side ,A great variety of fruit and useful l eaves these trees do ever yield
,
If every one could see , they would sell all and buy this field .
”
They rej oiced with grand acclaim ere their j ourney they renewed ,And being much refreshed
,their onward path pursued .
But now they leave the stream,and find the hither way
Is very rough indeed,yet they dared not sto p nor stay,
And as the hours passed by, the weary pilgrim
’s feet
Were very tender grown . They would a better way seek,when 10 !
they gl'
adly meet,
A path leading in to a meadow . Then said Christian Now i f this
Cool meadow’s in our way,it cannot be
'
amiss
That into it we turn .”
HOPEFUL .
“ But if it leads us out of the way ?
CH RIS . “ That is not probable,for i t goeth by this road
,and we m ay
Travel much easier here .
”
GHS’I’BE6BDOUBT. i : GIHN‘BDESPH IR. ala
ND n ow they see a m an walking before,
Whose name was Vain Confidence . They call to him to know
Which way that pathway led . He answered,
To the Celest ial Gate .
”
Then they followed,but night came on
,and lo ! the dreadful fate
Which seemed them to await. T ’was dark,and they heard t he fal l
Of Vain Confidence’
i n some pit ; then both did loudly call
N0 answer to them came,only the echoes of hi s terrible groaning.
Chris t ian said,
“ I am to blame,and I can n ever cease my mourning
,
For this my great sin,in turning aside .
” Then rain began to fal l,
And Hopeful said in tears,Henceforth , I
’ll keep my way,nor on a
stranger call .
It’s vain for man to plan .
”
CHRIS . D o n o t be offended
With me ; I was sure that we were right . I never intended
To bring evil on us .”
HOPE . NO,Brother
, y ou have misunderstood
M e ; I did n ot wish to censure y ou, I believe this will be for our
good] ’
CHRIS .
“ Let us go back as quick as possible,I will go
Before,so if there danger be ,
’ twill come t o me .
”
HOPE .
“ Oh ! no
Your troub led mind may lead you wrong again .
”
Then therewas avoice
Heard for their encouragement. This made their hearts rej oice ,For it directed them to turn hastily back toward the plain highway ," And when you see b y - paths
,do not, dare not , in them stray.
”
And now the waters rise—they both were filled with pain ,And with all their perseverance they could n o t reach again
The stile,but finally came to one , where hopelessly they fel l
Asleep . Here Giant Despair found them , and who can tell
Or imagine their dismay,for he dwelt in a castle of Doubt .
He grasped th em with a clutch , and in anger loud did shout
Unto them to be up—his prisoners, they must goWith him to Doubting Castle. Ah ! this fill ed them with woe .
+ 48 -I
Then he forced them on before him,and in a dungeon dark
Reeking with filth,most noisome
,where they lay without a spark
Of fire o r gl immer of light . The Giant told his wife,at last
He had two prisoners,and wished her advice . He told her he had cast
Them into the deep dungeon . Then D iffiden ce , his wife , said :“ Beat
Them unmercifully.
” And this he did,from their head to their feet
,
So they were unable to move . Then left them to condole
Over their suffering dread . Their weeping and sighs were heard,but
none came to console .
The Giant’s wife then said : “ Indeed you must advise
The prisoners to kill themselves .” He came with his glaring eyes,
An d harsh voice , telling them to put themsel ves to death .
“ There is
a fine supply
Of poison near y ou both .
’Tis a most p leasant way to d ie .
”
He carried them to the castle ground to Show them the skulls,to fill
them with sorrow ;And said : Y ou had better destroy yourse lves . You know not what
to -morrow
Will bring forth .
” Told them how he had saints torn to pieces . And
as the dawn
Of day came on,he took them out . Ah ! the contrast of that morn
,
And the dark prison in which they had dwelt for days . He let them
t o behold
The bones of those whom he had Slain , then said : As you were
pilgrims bold,
This your fate must be,’fore ten days run their round
,
Un less you kill yourselves .” Then drove them under ground .
The Giant and his wife consult again . She said “ Perhaps they may
Intend to escape .
” The Giant answered : “ I do not know, but by the
break of day
I will make all things sure .”
But now we must return
To Hopeful and Christian . They lay in b lood,and the fever seemed
to burn
Their very vitals,fierce . Lean starvation seemed to stare them in
the eyes,
With all the Giant’s threats . But Christian cried with surpriseOh ! Brother
,how foolish I am ! I can
'
wal k at liberty !Why have I forgot that I have i n m y bosom a key,With which to unlo ck D oubting Castle NO longer now be sad:We will spend no more days in this dungeon dark . Come hither up
and glad
-I~50‘
s
»ac DEhEGlBHBhE meanrmn.ale
HEN they went on rej oicing, until they came to the noted‘
mountains,
Which belong to the Lord of the Hill . There they beheld
the fountainsOf c rystal water
,and the rays o f the sun made it appear
As though a holy light o ’ershadowed them and they now had
naught to fear .
The waters sparkled,and Z ephyrus with his perfumed wings
Hovers o ’e r this fairy ground . But hark Who is it sings
With that melodious voice ? Ah ! then another,and n ow the whol e
Choir j oin . Were such notes ever heard ? These strains dissolvemy soul
In ecstacies,and bring all heaven before m ine eyes ; this is a d im
Reflection of brighter j oys . Who would not try to cleanse his heart
from sin,
To taste of heaven ly bliss ? Look at the fair guardians,which t el l
Of our King’s love to weary pilgrims—By sin we fellInto t he Giant’s hands
,or we would have been happy.
”
Now a voice
Echoes o ’er the mountains . (They knew it was a shepherd .) It made
the irih earts rej oice .
Afte r reaching h im they asked Whose mountains,and whose
sheep
SHEP.
“ These are Immanuel’s mounts,and we His shepherds keep
His lan d’
an d'
sh eep . The lat tef H ei
lai di
d'
OWn His life to save .
”
CHRIS . IS this the way ?”
SHEP.
“ Y es, y ou are right.
”
CHRI S . Is the ro‘
ad safe
Then he d id say
It is safe for whom it is prep ared , but transgressors shall fal l
Therein .
”
CH R I S. i“ Is there any relie f
‘
for pilgrims
Then he did cal l
Another one,who said , Our King directed us to entertain
Strangers ; therefore , the best of the place is before y ou .
”
-1 -1
And as the rain
After a long drouth,refreshes everything
,so did thi s cheering news
,
For they h ad not recovered from the Giant’s stripes . And n ow the‘ dews
Of the eve bade them retire ; but when the shepherds found
That they were wayfaring m en,many questions they did propound
,
And being pleased with their rep l ies , a hearty welcome gave
To the Delectable Mountains . Soon your home you’l l reach, y ou
have but to be brave ;’Tis over there .
”
Then the shepherds,whose names were
,Watchful and S incere
,
K n oweldge , and Experience , said unto them ,We wish y ou to
stay here
Awhile,and get acquainted with us .”
HOPE . Wit h pleasure we will stay,
For we feel that we can'
l earn so much to help us on the way.
”
And being fatigued they retire, and sweet l y do they sleep ,In this fair
,rosy bower, by nature built,—for angels ever keep
Their faithful watch o ’er pilgrims here . And n ot til l the king of day
Brightened the lovely,rosy morn with hi s golden
,gl ittering ray ,
Did the weary pilgrims shake off the drowsy mantle of slumber,
And rise to see the wondrous things about them ,without number
.
The first‘
was a moun tain,Error called , which was very, very steep .
They b i d them look adown its side . They saw men , whom they keep
For an ex ample . After Seeing al l the wonders new , they then desired
t o go ,
But the she pherds said , We mus t to you the beauteous City Show .
They took them t o a grand m ountain the shepherds called it Clear ,And gave them their perspective glass , and asked what did appear .
They t ried to see , but as they strove , before their vision came
The horrid Sight they just had seen,which unexplained remained .
And yet they thought they something saw,m uch like the golden gate,
And glimpses of City Beautiful,sweet foretaste of the fate
O f those who hold out to the end,and on they went , glad , Singing.
ifH ow thankful,
”each to other said,that every day
‘
is bringing
Something to encourage our souls ! By these shepherds,secrets are
revealed
+ 52 +
To weary pilgrims , which from others are strictly kept concealed .
Let every one to these shepherds come,if they would plain ly see
Things miraculous and hidden , which to others , mysteries be .
”
Then the shepherd gave each on e a note to guide him on his way .
One bade them of the flat t erer heed ; another to them did say,“ Tak e heed , and see you do n ot sleep on the Enchanted Ground
.
”
And the four th bade them God - speed !
I awoke,and lo I found
It but a dream . But then , 10 I slept, an d lo I dreamed againM any things I will tell y ou , which I hOp e will
' not be in vain.
+ 53 +
—>aic rm; ceanrur or GdNGEIlI’. slea
SAW the same two pilgrims haste over the glorious m ountains,
Whose lofty peaks were crowned with snow : from them
gushed glad foun tains .
Below these mountain s,lie s the country called Conceit
,and on the left ’
hand
There was a crooked lane entering into the road , and here did stand ,A polite lad named Ignorance . He bowed gracefully, and Christian
asked hi m,
Where he was from and wither going ?
I G N OR . I was born in
A country to the left of here , and going to the Celestial City you see .
CHRIS .
“ How will you get in ?
As other good peop le,
” said he .
CHRIS . “ At the gate you may be disappointed,what have you to
show
I G N OR . I can tell . I am a good liver,pay what I owe
,and I know
M y Lord’s will . I pray , fast , pay t i th es, and have left now
My country .
”
CHRIS . Thou dids’t not com efiin the right way, and how
Canst thou expect to be received ? I fear the name of thief
And robber will be given—
thee,at the last '
day . Thy belief
Is as much entangled,as the crooked lane through which you ’ve come .
I G N OR . Y ou are strange to me .
i
I heed you not,I’l l reach my home .
I’l l go my course, y ou can go yours . I’m surea l l will be well
With me,and none from our country goeth now by the far gat e iy ou tell
Me of. We wish not this way to know ; we have a l ivel y green
And shady lane , wh ich meets the way, and many in i t are seen
To travel ch eeril y , ,but few go by the l ittle gat e .
”
Now , when they saw th e manWas wise i n his own conceits
,they said un to h im :
“ A foo l can
Have more hope than you,for a foo l walketh by the way
,
And when his wisdom faileth hi m,willingly doth say
,
I am ignorant .’
CHRIS . I think it best we have no more conversation with him,
And have him to reflect a while . I tell you this egotistical sin
+ 54 +
Is possessed by many. It i s best to give him time to muse
On all we have said ; and sure I hope he’ll not refuse
To take our advice . I fe el sorry, he is young, and must remain
In the greatest darkness about things of the greatest gain .
”
HOPE .
“ I think it is best not to talk to him . Let us pass
H im by,and talk when he comes up again
,for the mass
Of his kind cannot bear reproving . They always appear
SO perfect in the ir own eyes , that they canno t bear to hear ,Or read anything contrary to their thoughts . They don ’t believe they
are clay
Moulded by the ir Creator . But how different in that day
When judgment comes ! What will they have to cover then theirgu ilt
Money causes many to be silent , who ought to thrust to the hilt
Their swords of contempt, into the deceptive trunks which we see ,Sending forth branch es o f envy and lust
,until the full grown tree
Becomes like the upas . Ignorance always thinks n one has a thought
Superior to h is own .
”
N ow while they talked,Christian caught
A gl impse of some one coming down a very dismal lane .
It was a man possessed of seven demons,and
,oh ! the fearful pain
D epicted on his countenance ! Christ ian'
said ’twas Tyranny,
For all knew that he was a knave , and dwelt in the town of Apostasy .
But Hopeful noticed more closely, and said on his back was written“ Wanton Profes sor,
”and Damnable apostate .
” Now they both were
smitten
With horror,at the number of demons
,and the way he was bound .
But after they passed,they recovered from their fear, when they found
They were alone again . Christian said : “ This calleth to my mind
An incident recorded Of a man,who could ever bind
But little faith to his weak heart. He lived in the town of S incere .
H is name was Lit tl efai t h . O 1 1 entering thi s passage here,
There comes a lane,by Broadway
,it goes by the name
Of D eadman’s Lane .
” Many murders have been committed at
the same ,A place which is n o t far from us. Here Li t tl efaith fell asleep
,
And there happened along three dirty rogues , who stealthily did ke e p
+ 55 +
A daily watch for travelers, Guilt, Faintheart, Mistrust ; threeNoted for infamy, and deeds of darkest dye . Look here
,we see
Lit t l efaith j ust awaking. They al l commanded him still to stand
At this he became frightened , and nerveless grew his hand ,His comely face was white with fear ; they took him at great odds,
and Mistrust
R an to him in a frightful manner, and immediately thrust
His spear into hi s side , and thought him dead , as prone he lay ;Then the thieves thought they heard some on e
,and said
,We may
Yet be taken , let us go , there is that man Great Grace ,Who dwells in the city of Good Confidence . Let us now retrace
Our footsteps quickly .
” They thought they had l eft Li t t l efait h to die ,But he recovered
,and mightily cried for mercy . And when help
came,how shy
He was of his old enemies H e was much afflicted and distressed by
His sad loss—his j ewel s he dare not spend,but oft did cry
With hunger.”
HOPE . His pass he would not yield,by which he would receive
Admittance at th e Celestial gate . Ah verily I do believe
I should have part ed quickly with most anything, before
I would have suffered as he did—his sorrow none can know .
”
CHRIS . Ah ! he acted wrong, but nothing could have made him sin
So greatly,for he never could have b een admitted i n
The celestial city—rather would he have met all the thieves
Than to have been refused at the ce lestial gate ; there he receives
Eternal j oys .”
HOPE . How unlike Esau , who sold h is birthrightFor a mess of pottage ’twas his greatest j ewel , and h is might.
Not so Li t t le fai th,he would not sel l h is j ewels . H ow many this dark
path pursue !”
CHRIS . “ I acknowledge that Esau sold h is,an d so do
Many others,but you must some d ifi
‘
eren ce put,I ween
,
’Twixt Esau and Li t t l efai th . How contrary their estates Just liftthe screen
From ofi'
thine eyes . Esau’s birthright was only typical,
But Li tt l efai th ’s j ewels not. Though he was in a strait most critical,
H e was not tempted with desire to give up h i s treasures,and he
Would not will in gly fulfill the lust of the flesh,but you see
That Esau did , for he I am now at death’s very point,
Forsooth ; what good will birthright do me n ow , I ’ll anoint
My head,be merry
, satisfy my appetite .
’,But not so with the m an
,
Even of Li tt l efai th , for you see , soon aft er act ing wrong, he began
4- 56 -1
To show that his faith made him able to act aright,and resist all
Such vile temp tations Esau had no faith,not even a small
Proportion,and do you marvel that when the flesh bears sway
,
That any one wil l sell h is birthright : yea,wil l even pay
All that he has ; but Li t t l efai th could not, and here is your m i stake .
”
HOPE .
“ I acknowledge it,and your severe rebuke will make
Me more careful,though my ire ’gainst you was stirred .
”
CHRIS . I m glad you’ve wisely heard .
A true friend ho lds the mirro r square lest others darkly see,
And forget the words of this my book,and fail from wrath to flee .
But to our subj ect l et us look . The thieves were scared and ran away
If Lit tl efait h had shown any courage,I dare say
,
He would have gotten rid of these cowards without loss . Why
Did he not attempt to defend himself ? and if necessary flyOr yield when there was no other remedy ? I real ly think
,
If he had displayed any courage,he would have made them sink
Into utter nothingness .
HOPE .
“ Yes , some do think this way. I ’ve readOf many who talk bravely
,but when come the days of trial
,
They are like thos e who admire religion in wealth,but make a denial
Of it in adversity,and as for a great heart
,Li t t l efait h none had .
Alas,your idea of attempting to fight and run
,how very
,very sad
To thus express yourself ! And should they soon appear
Before y ou , would you not, like poor Li tt lefai th , be filled with fear ?
You must most careful be , examin e wisely too, considering again
That they are but j ourneyman thieves,and their effort s
‘
m ust
pro ve vain,
If you are prepared for them . These wretches serve the king
Of the bottomless pit,and he will quickly spring
Up to their aid . His cry doth cause all to tremb le . It do th soun'
d
Like the roaring of a lion,it shakes the solid ground ;
I too have been engaged as was Li tt l efai th,and ’deed
It was a struggle fierce . I tried to overcome,but when they were
in need,
Their Master to them came . I was duly clothed in armor of
fire - proof,
And though I thus had shield , it was hard to keep them aloof,For th ey are very vigilant
,and conflict stand ; but they
Could not withstand Great Grace,and had his orders to obey.
”
CHRIS . “ Y es, they have often fled , and their hideous Master too ,But they are brave only be prepared
,and my advice pursue .
You must remem ber Great Grace is the champion of our King.
+ 58 +
Wi th us,we have no cause to fear . He will comfort us
,I know ;
I ’ve engaged them once,have no desire to do so again I fear
That we are not out of danger. It may be they are near .But I was not destroyed by th e l ions—I hope God will e ’
er del iver
Me from al l dangers. What would we be without this glorious GiverOf every good ? Now Li t t l efai th had been among the thieves
,
Was robbed,came near getting killed
,and whosoever believes
,
Should be instructed , so you may more than victors be
Over ten thousand foes,and Faith will shield and strengthen thee
,
E ’en in the darkest hours o f gloom .
”
And as they talked th ey went
On qui ckly . Ignorance followed hard,for y et he was sore intent
On overtaking th e travelers . Just here they see a road
Leading into the one they walked. Its presence did forebode
Perpl exity, and maybe grief, for neither one could know
Which one t o take . But one called out and said that he would show
Them the right way . that he was bound to go to the same place .
They followed him , but soon they saw also the stranger’s face
Was turned in an opposite direction,and before they were aware
,
He led them into a net . They lay pleading with him to spare
Their lives ; they were much entangled , and could not extricate
Themselves . Then Christ ian said : We might have escaped this fate ,If we had strict at tention paid to what the shepherds bid .
They told us to beware of such talk as this one did
Those who spread nets for others ’ feet. They al so gave a no t e
About the j ourney,and if we had remembered David ,
‘
to quote
What he has said concerning the work Of men : he said,I’ve kept
From the path of the destroyer,by the words of Thy lips .
’ They
ne ’er slept
Any during the night. Le ! a sh inm g on e came—a whip i n his hand ,And he asked
'
them whence they came and when he did stand ,Looking very
[sorrowful upon them ,for they told him
Of the man who had deceived them,and had made them sin ,
SO he rent the net,and let the men ou t ; then Follow me ,
”he said,That I may set you in your way. Come .
” And then he ledThem back to the path , and asked th em then, Where did y ou stay
Night before the last ? If wi th the Shepherds , y ou have a note ofthe way .
”
They said,
“ Yes . ”
MAN .
“ Why did you not read , when you came to a stand
Said they, We forgot.”
+ 59 +
Then I saw in my dream,he had cords in his hand .
H e told them as many as he loved he rebuked,and they must lie
Down, and he chastised them there . He told them they'
had theirsupply ,
And they could go on their way , and ever after to take heed
To what the shepherd had told them , when they did need
Any direction . Then they went singing,and were glad to get clear
Of their trouble so easy. Still,they were filled with fear
,
For they had been deceived by one who wilfully beguiled .
But those who appear the fairest are often most defil ed .
Th en they sang,“ Come listen ! you who walk along this way
,
Learn something from our examp le , do not go astray,If you are ever caught you will be put I n a strange net ,From which you cannot safe come out, if you should e
’ er forget
Th e directions given you . We are rescued , yet you see ,That we are severely scourged
,so let us your warning be .
”
While singing thus , th ey espied one on foot hastening from the gateWhich led to the Celestial City . He asked them if their fateD epended on th e ir j ourney ing. They said G od did compel
Them to go on or to be lost . Their t rial s the y could tell ,Of sufferings
,too ,
and ups and downs,yet thankful for it al l .
At this Atheist commenced to laugh , and to ld them of the fallThey sure must meet
,for it was true they never would receive ,
Them at the gate . Said Christian D O you think , poor one , that we
believe,
One word of what you sayATHEIST. There Is not a place
Like the on e you speak of, and the sooner the better you efface
All such foolish ideas . When I was at my home,I heard of this great city : have sought it, but have come
To this conclusion , that it is absurd to think of it, and I can refute
Any argument y ou can bring forth .
”
CHRIS . Have no time to di spute
With one so firmly set in wrong ; say, Brother, can this b e true ?
He h as traveled far ther than we .
”
HOPE . Is it possibl e now that you
Are deceived again ? H e’s another flat t erer. Think what i t has cost
+ 60 4
Us, for listening to fair words , and i f we mind this On e we will be lost .We saw the gate from the mountain top by faith we onward must
,
If we expect to happy he,and live amid the j ust.
Cease,Brother dear , I pray you cease from everything which wil l
Make you forsake the ways of truth and peace . If you fulfil l
God’s b lest commands , you must resist all tempters , ceas e- to hear
Him,and let us
.pursue our j ourney , or we wi l l b e punish ed, sure .
”
CHRIS . “ You are right ; I did not ask the question of thee
Because I doubte d the truth ; I only wi shed t o see
What you wou ld say . For this poor man , he is bl inded by
This world . We must rej oice in the belief the soul can ne ver die .”
Then turned they from Atheist,and he went on his way .
—>3lc was rucflshran crease. a IeNeRH Ncr.Jit<~
HE pilgrims soon came into the Enchanted Ground,and
Hopeful then did say ,“ Oh ! Brother ! I am sleepy n ow
,can scarcely Op e my eyes ,
Suppose we take a n ap right here.”
CHRIS . “ Alas ! how quickly
All common sense When passions blow the gale,let reason
the helm
Remember the Enchan ted Ground,and quickly wash the fil m
From off thine eyes .
”
HOPE .
“ I confess I was al l wrong ;And I will try to prove more wise .
”
And then they sang a song.
Then he sang When saints grow sleepy,l et them come hither
,
And hear h ow these pilgrims talked and sang together .
Let them hear how Satan tempted , and , fearing , grow wise
Enough t o keep out of danger , and open their drowsy eyes .
Christian fellowship,if ’tis managed well
,
Keeps them awake and Shields from snares,as we can tell .”
CHRIS . Brother,what made you first think
Of forsaking SinHOPE.
“ I knew I stood upon the brink
Of the precipice of ruin I continued in the delight
O f those things sold at Vanity’s Fair,each day and night
I added some new feature t o my pleasures,and the wine
Had more charms for me than the beauties of a world d ivine
I delighted In rioting,Sabbath breaking
,all tha t tended
To destroy my soul . Ah there was nothing good b lended
With my feelings—but I heard how Faithful drew h i s latest breathIn prayer for h is enemies . I knew my way was death ;I was convinced that sinners would reap eternal wrath
Yet I was loth to l eave my companions,treading in sin’s path .
I had so reckless b een—to revert to my past gives me pain .
My prayers were n ot answered,and all t o me se e med vain .
The n I had warning too,when I heard the t olling of th e be i l
,
4- 62 -1
I knew not how soon it would be sounding my death - knell .
Thoughts like these pierced my heart,and continued to torment
,
Until I determined I would follow Jesus,if i t surely rent
Every friend from my bosom and praise God . From that day
I have felt happier,and wil l never cease te pray .
”
CHRIS . “ I am glad you are no longer i n the laby rinth of sin ;
Prayer is the door to heaven , and Faith the key to let us in .
”
HOPE . Look behind us,is not that Ignorance I see
CHRIS .
“ Y es ; perchance he may conclude to come and talk with
th eeJ’
HOPE . Friend,why dost thou loiter thus behind ?
Say,canst thou in our company some real pleasure find
IGNORANCE .
“ I prefer my own though t s t o any one’s talk
,
I ever have the most sublime ideas when alone I walk .
”
CH RIS . Wil l you be kind enough t o let us have some of them
We beli eve in conversing with the most hum bl e of men .
”
I G N OR .
“ I think of all to elevate,of G od and heaven , and wil l leave
All of my Old associates,and follow Christ—a blessing I ’l l receive .
”
CHRIS . “ I ’m doubtful of what y ou say , I see you’re not aware
Of the trials which al l undergo,and I fear you wil l never share
These b lessings unless you change . Le t me ask y ou , how y ou know
That you have left al l things for G od ? ”
I G N OR .
“ My heart says so .
”
CHRIS . The wise man says,
‘he that trust eth h is own heart
Is a fool,
’ and we dare no t from h is wise words depart .”
I G N OR . That is said of an evil man,I know that I am good .
”
CHRIS . How can you prove this now it seems to me , each should
Be very careful,for God says
,we are wicked and full of deceit,
That our righ teousness i s as filthy rags . I fear the heart’s conceit.
I G N OR .
“ Tell me . D O you think I ever had a good thought ?
Yet I never in my life b efore,the mind of any one sought.”
CHRIS . “ Y es,a good heart has good thoughts , and that
’s a good life ,Which accords with God’s commandments
,but you should not have
strife ,And know that you have these requisites
,and not only think so .
”
I G N OR . Pray tell me,what do y ou call a good life , and what assurance
Have we that we are l iving righ tCHRIS .
“ There are many kin ds
+ 63 +
Of acts by which we can distinguish the good,the heart which binds
Such confidence i s seldom right
I G N OR .
“ What can beGood thoughts concerning ourselves
CHRIS . Those which agreeWith the word of God .
”
I G N OR . When does each thought
Of ourselves agree with the word of G od ?”
CHRIS . “ NaughtCan we think o f ourselves
,
’ tis when we pass only the
Same j udgment as the Word does . I ’l l explain,and y ou can see
What th e Word of God says of men i n their ruined condition.
There is none righteous or doeth good,all would go into p erdition
,
If it was not for the blood of Christ. It saith al so that the
Heart of man is evil from h is youth,and n ow
,when we
Think thus of ourselves, and feel guilty , it i s then
Our thoughts are good,because they are not of men
,
But according to God’s commands .”
I G N OR .
“ I never willBelieve that my heart i s as yours .”
CHRIS . How cans’t thou fulfil l
What the Word of G od requireth when thou never hads t even one
Correct though t concerning thyself ? I ’l l proceed , and when I’m done
,
Y ou can see your condition . As the Word passeth upon our heart,
So it passe th a j udgment upon our ways,and we must depart
From every S in which it condemns,and when both heart and ways
agree,
Then they are according t o the Word .
”
I G N OR .
“ I cannot see
So through your dark meaning.
”
CHRIS . “ And God ’s Word saith that m an
Is sinful , and his ways are wrong ; and more , he never can
Enter life until h e sees that he is desperately wicked when
He. seeth thus,h is sense returns but the generality of m en
Are des t itute of this humiliation . An d these are,indeed
,good
Thoughts,because they agree with God’s Word . An d n ew
,friend
,
would
You like to know,also
,what good thoughts are concerning
God
I G N OR .
“ Certainly .
”
CHRIS . “ When there is no discerning
+ 64 +
Between our thoughts and what the Word of God emphaticallycommands
,
When we think He i s wiser than man,and then every one stands
Where they should in the sight of G od . He cannot even abide
An egotistical p erson—Tem em ber the publ ican . We ne’er can hideAny of our sins from Him .
”
I G N OR . D O you think that I
Am so silly as t o believe , that I can from His vengeance fly ?Or that I can ever be equal with Him
,though I do my best ?
CHRIS . Tell me,what do y ou think about it ? Let me hear you
,lest
I Should condemn t oe rashly .
”
I G N OR .
“ I must
Look to Christ for justification , or I’ll be forever thrust
From the presence of our God .
”
CHRIS . “ H ow then thinkest thou
Must believe in Christ,when thou dost not need H im ; and how
Canst thou see th e original infirm it i es and then be blind to see
The actual sins Thy opinion of thyself doth render thee
Inconsistent. Thou hast never seen the necessity of Christ’s power,
To j ustify thee before G od . Thou hast never known the hour,
That thou wast willing t o acknowledge thine actual need of Him .
”
I G N OR .
“ I believe notwithstanding,that I do not really sin
As much as you think I do.
"
CHRIS . How dost th ou belie ve
I G N OR .
“ That Christ died for sinners,and they shall n ot receive
H is blessings unless they are , before God , j ust ifi rd from sin,
An d Jesus by H is merits will cause us to stand in Him .
”
CHRIS .
“ Le me give answer t o this con fession which I’ve heard
Thou hast a fantastic faith,nowhere set forth in the Word ,
Thy faith is false,because it takes God ’s grac ious be en from thee ,
Even the righteousness of Christ, and giveth it to yourself, y ou see ,
This faith maketh n ot Christ a just ifier of thy heart, but of thy
Actions,and of thy heart for action ’s sake
,which is false
,and by
So believ ing you yourself deceive,and unless y ou change, you will
Be l eft tomeet the wrath of G od . For,in order to fulfill
God ’s righteous law,we must for life un t o our Saviour fly
H is sufferings have met the law , and he can well supply,Our every need . In Him we hide
,and sure if He presents
Us spotl ess to our Maker,for His sake God consents
To our acquittal from sin’s doom .
”
I G N OR . An d must we th en but trustTo what Christ did by his own death ? If so , we surely thrust
+ 66 +
Y ou’ll remember the past when hope is gone . Reflect y ou new,
and hear
The word of G od by man to y ou, for thou hast much to fear .But if you will in error st ill persist
, y ou alone must be
Th e loser of eternal life . Oh,let my words warn thee .
”
Then Christian un t o Hopeful'
said Brother,we are alone .
But I saw in my dream , though thus it seemed, on e unto them had com e .
Heedless here and there he walked . I t was Ignorance so peer .And as he passed
,they said ,
“ What a pity that the de erOf perception i s so closed t o h im ; but there are many in his condition .
They are blinded by conceit,and cannot be convinced t hat perdition
Awaits them every on e . The Word says,He hath b linded their eyes
,
Lest they Should see their fate .
’ What think y ou of a man whothus
,d ie s ?
HOPE . Y ou are older than I am,I want your Opinion
,and then
I can form be tter concept ions .
”
CH R IS .
“ I think that some men
Being natural ly ignorant , do n ot kn ow that such co nv ict ions tend
To their good , and therefore they persistently stifle , and thus send
Them forever from their minds,and flatter themselves in the way
Of their own hearts .”
HOPE .
“ I do certainly belie ve as y ou say .
CHRIS . I knew that I am right,without a doub t . So says the Word
The fear of the Lord i s the b eginning of wisdom but I too have heard
Some pretend t o fear,without knowing what it was . True
Or right fear is discovered by three things , and if we pursue
The right course,we will commence at the first : By its rise
It causes deep conviction for sin , and then it soon drives
The careworn soul t o the feet of Christ for salvation . And this
Con tinue th in us a well of grace , and an unfailing source of b liss ,Makes the heart adore G od , H is Word keeping it humble , and making
It afraid to turn from Him . And we find it truly forsaking
Every t hin g that would dishonor G od,or gr1 eve the blessed Spirit
,
Or cause any t o speak reproachfully Of Jesus’ precious merit.”
HOPE . Y ou have said the truth ; with y ou I full agree . Have
we passed
The Enchanted GroundCHRIS . “ Why ? Don ’t y ou y ou wish this talk to last ?
HOPE.
“ Oh ! y es, I only thought I would like to know j ust where
We areCHRIS . We have two miles t o go , and when we are there
We will rest . But let us resume our conversat ion . N ew
+ 67 +
The ignorant do not see themselves as they should , or how
They are influenced to stifle the ir feelings ; they think such fear
I s of the devil,when ’t is of G od . They resistLi t , an d appear
Miserabl e unless they root out the lastjp lan t , when alas Poor men ,They are the ones wh o lack in faith , and lacking this , they then
Become presumptuously confident , for these fears ever take
Away this terrible self- holiness , and cause us t o forsake
Everything like dependence on Grad . But we will take our leave
Of Ignorance,and h is acts . I think , we can receive
Greater profit from another topic .
”
HOPE .
“ Suppose y ou l ead the way.
”
CHRIS .
“ Do y ou know M r. Temporary,who was forced
,they say ,
Into religious matters “3
HOPE . Y es,I know him
,for he dwelt
In Graceless town,two miles from Honesty, an d I th ink he fel t
Very much attached to Turnback .
”
CHRIS . Y ou are right .
I remember he lived under the same roof,but he had once a sight
Of hi s sin ,and was awakened t o the wages which was due
HOPE .
“ Y es, this was so for oft he has come ask ing which path he
must pursue
CHRIS . I do pity him,indeed. He told me once he di d intend
To chan ge, an d go on pilgrimage , but suddenly I did offend .
I condemned h is intimacy with M r. Save - thy - Self,and then
He had no farther use for me .
”
HOPE . May we not ask why men
Change so oft “l
CHRIS . “ In m y'
Judgment, there are reasons four .
The conscience of such as these is oft im es very sore ,From the practices of sin yet , their minds arn ’t thereby changed .
Therefore when the sense of guilt is gone , they find they are estranged
From their thoughts again,which makes them in a worse cond ition
And this is the way so many go,who end at last in perdition .
Some , under a religious excitement, have a great desire to do good,But soon this passes off, and they become indifferent. We should
Ask God’s help daily. N ot doing this , we soon go back to our old
sins again .
The things of the world become our choice . To obey G od is a shame
+ 68 +
And their proud and haughty spirits are not willing now to bend
To the humble commands of God . And thus their way they wend
Back step by step to their o l d course . Guilt and terror favor them .
They do n ot like to see their misery beforehand,a nd these men
Shun all thought of the future,and harden their hearts madly .
”
CHRI S . “ Y ou are right ;’tis for the want of change
,and sadly
They stand as stumbling blocks to others . The felon who receivesHis doom
,both~quakes and trembles when he believes
The sentence of death is surely passed . But it is all the fear
Of the halter , and n ot pen itence for h i s guilt and shame . He will
appear
The same thief if acqui tt ed,and if there is any change in his mind
He would be otherwise .
”
HOPE . And now can y ou find
The reason of their going back ?
CHRIS . “ Y es ; they do erase
All thoughts of G od from out their mind,and soon they can retrace
Their step s . Their hearts have ne ’er been changed ; they soon begin
to cast
Off private dutie s , and closet prayer , restraint of lust , and at last,They shun the company of the good . Thus acting
,they soon grow
Careless about their public life , turn from the Word , and show
Feelings of envy—fin d ing fault with others wh o do wrong,Urging they cannot stay w i th hypo cri tes —and many throng
Daily to them,saying
,
‘ I have seen church members do such things
As would disgrace a moral man,such conduct always brings
To my mind,a disgust for religion .
’ But should they n o t despis e
The men,and no t religion ? When they thus speak
,the last spark fl ies
From them,and they wil l seek the company of wanton men
They are much worse than e ’er before,and are always glad
,when
Those who are considered honest,act wrong, that they may the more
Boldly do it,through their example . But ah when this li fe i s o
’er
How will they stand before the Bar “3
+ 69 +
->alc rm! Iguanas hHND.nlE<~
SAW that by this time ,They had passed the Enchanted Ground , and all things
seemed divine
For they were inspired with a new life ; and in cessantly they heard
The rippling of some crystal stream , and the song of some glad bird
As it winged to some sequester ed bower , whose rich and rare perfume
Made sweet,as Araby the Blest , the balm y air of noon .
The pilgrims haste,and soon they gain the lovely Beulah’s land .
N ow they can rest, and be refreshed , for here God’s gracious hand
Had lavished beautie s without s tint. Here there is n o more night ;The Shining Ones walk grandly here , forever in the sightOf the Blest City
,and ’tis here the Bridegroom and the Bride
United are in lasting bonds . Here endless j oys abide .
For as the Bridegroom rejoi ceth over the Bride , so doth G od
Rej oi ce over pilgr ims dear , wh o have come the narrow road .
And as they wended on their way, they now and then could hear
Voices from the City,which in glimpses did appear.
They l isted to the music sweet . ’Twas daughters of Z ion . Behold !
beholdThy salvation cometh . Reward you will reap .
” They lov ingly were told
Here,that they were the redeemed of the Lord , whom He Himself hadsought
Out as His own . What pleasure these sweet words to their ears
brought 1And as they drew the City near , they had a grander view’Twas built of pearls its s treets of gold , i t s beauties ever new .
H ow meagre n ow,th eir trial s were , in contrast t o their j oy 1
Their troubles had worked out for them pleasure without alloy ,
And as they pressed along their way,rich v ineyards
,glad and fair ,
Scattered o ’er thejflowered plains , were fruits of al l kinds rare .
They asked,Whose vi neyards are these
,friend ? The man replied
“ The King’s .
They are planted for the Pi lgrim’s food,while of H is Lord he sings .
Here beauteous birds,with matin throat
,and all kinds of fruits
are kept
+ 7o +
For Pilgrim ’ s cheer . Here are rich bowers . Walk in .
”
And so they sl eAnd were refreshed with peace and strength. Now saw I in my drea
That they talked much while sleeping,and this t o me did seem
Most strange .
The man replied their grapes caused this effect ; they
Had heard many Speak in their sleep,and often they would say
Things lofty and sub lime to hear .
After resting,the pilgrims proceed
On their j ourney,but the reflection of the City made them need
An instrument to behold i ts effulgen ce . M eeting with two men,
Whose raiment s shined like unto gold,Oh I tell us, how and when
Our way to make ? ”
They said Of trial s y ou but have two mo re
To encounter, ere you will be through .
’
The friends were very sore,
And well nigh lost their faith . Then they asked them again ,About th e way , and wanted their company. They told them
To obtair
E ternal j oy, y ou sure must go along with fai th alone .
”
—>3tt lI’HE RIVER OH DEH ’I’H .3l5<
H E gate is in sight,Yet there lay between them and the City
,a River.
Ah —the night
deep despair,which o
’ershades many when they come to this
River of Death !
t this is t he only way which leads to the home of eternal breath,
e pilgrims asked the men,i f thro ugh this dark river
,
th e only way t o the gate “2 And if some one could n o t deliver
They told them that on ly two men had ever
Enoch and Elij ah . And n ow they must sever
ve faith . Then Christian began to despond,
And looked in every direction for escape . At the river,they found
Guides encouraging them to have faith , for the waters were n ot deep .
Then they went in,and began t o sink . Poor Christian could not keep
H is head above water ; he cried The billows are over my head !”“ Be of good cheer
,th e botto m i s good . Come on !”brave Hopeful
said .
But he c pairin gl y answered back The sorrows of death do
compass me round
I can ne ’ er see the goodly land , but God’s frown
Will be upon me . All is darkness,I ne’er shall behold the face
Of my Redeemer !”
HOPE .
“ He i s able,with H is saving grace
,
To carry y ou safely through .
”
CHRIS . Oh ! the sins I have done,
Can n evee e forgiven ! I will remain here , and you a lone ,Will reap the reward of the blest
I see the gate,
An d men standing to receive us !”CHRIS
.‘
N o ’Twill be m y fate
To perish here,many sins have brought me in this snare
Oh ! Why was I so wicked
HOPE .
“ Remember your Record,where
The Psalmist says,the wicked have n o fears of dea th ,
But their strength i s firm,they defy G od in their last breath .
+ 7 2 +
These troubles are no sign that God has refused your prayers,or
forsakenY ou
, but are sent to test your faith’
; I know that you are mistakenIn your fearful apprehensions
.
”
Christian was silent. Hopeful said,
“ BeOf good cheer, Christ will make thee Who le .
”
CHRIS .
“ Ah ! I seeHim now ! And
’
hear Him say , When thou passeth through
The waters , they Shall n ot o ’erflow thee .
’ —Yes,all is t rue
,
He said He would be my comfort and strength.
”
HOPE . I told theeTo be encouraged .
”
N ow Christian found bottom,and said
,
“ I seeSome one on the opposite side
+ 74 4
And, lo a heavenly host came to meet them,
Whom the Shining Ones said , See these men . Y ou must greet them
With a warm and welcome kiss , for they have l eft all for God ’s name ,And we have brought them thus far
,and now the glorious fame
Of their mansion will b e seen .
”
Then they gave a shout,l ong and loud
Saying Blessed are they who are called t o the Marriage
Supper . ” When a cloudOf brightness o
’ershadowed them ; the air reverberated wi th the
melody
Of their voices . They never thought this happiness they should see .
It appeared all of the heavenly hos ts had come t o meet them,
and as they did behold,
Their hearts pulsed with love . Th ey said they had ne ’er been told
Of this great happiness they would have . And n ow,as they
sweetly sing,
The fair City comes in v iew,and they hear the loud bells ring
,
To welcome them at home. But above al l was the j oyful thought
Of being eternally with such friends,and in their souls thi s wrou
’
ght
Such gratitude and love,they knew n o t what to think . Then
they cameTo the gate over which was written
,in l etters of gold , the name
Of the City ; and these lines :
“ Blessed Are They Who Have Obeyed Each Command .
”
Christian said to Hopeful,
“ Knock We will in our King’s presence
stand .
”
Then I saw in m y dream the heaven ly host . And the massive gate
of pearl
On golden hinges Open flew . Angels their banners did unfurl,
To welcome the pilgrims home . They j oined the choral sy mphonies
Say ing,“ Hosanna t o the Highest
,we n ow rest from enemies .”
RAW aside the curtain . Hold i t with the star of morn .
Let th e beautiful echo from heaven
Resound through the earth,
’til by her peoples new - born,all power
unto G od Shall b e given .
->9tt GRUGIH IXION . i RBSURREG’I’ION . t HSGENSION . 3K
AS CENE AT THE PALACE on THE HIGH PRIESTS .
PRIE STS . Wha t darkness Will he never come “! H ow
A few hours more,and all is over . Lo our fate
Depends upon prompt action .—’Tis foot steps I hear .
CAPTAIN . The lamp glimmers ; a low figure doth appear . (En ter Judas) .The time for avenging will soon expire
,
This night we must vent our long - pent ire
Look to th e weapons,—lanterns . Ah how time flies !
Ah ! nevermore his name be wafted to the skies
NEAR THE MOUNT OF OLIVE S .
[Christ and H i s D iscip les ]
CHRIST . We wi l l go to the M ount of Olives t o pray ,That we m ay be guided in th e right way .
(Alon e) I see an an gel , sweet messen ger of l ove ,Sent t o cheer me
,from my Father above .
M y sou l is exceeding sorrowful , even unto death
Nature sympathizes Heaven holds her breath .
Father ! If it be Thy will,let this cup pass from me
,
Yet I came into the world to glorify Thee . (R eturns to di scip les. )Alas
,how weak Could n ot watch an hour —all asl eep
Is this y our devotion ? What v igil s ye doth keep !
Awake now,awake See how Judas now doth stand ,
Demon - like,with his dark and blood - thirsty band
My blood will soon be spilt,t o purge si n away
,
But from it will spring a bright,undy ing day,
To shine o ’er this dark and sin - polluted world,
Henceforth,my banner of love shall be unfurled .
[J udas wi th the m u l ti tude app roaches—the di scip les scatter.]
JUDAS . ’Tis hi m whom I kiss ; lay hold on him and bind .
JESUS . Betray s’t thou t he So of Man with a kiss ? Oh ! mal ice
undefined !
+ 80 +
(To the Chi ef Pri ests) Come ye out as against a thief, with swords
and with staves ?
I could pray my Father,and receive legions from heaven ’s concaves .
I was with y ou in the Temple, and daily in your power,Bu t the prophecies must be fulfil led . Improve your passing hour .
[Sim on P eter draws a sword against the H igh Pri est’
s servan t and
cuts ofi“
hi s ear .]
PETER . If it costs my life I will defend my M aster. Wretch,beware
JFSUS . Put up thy sword,I drink this cup ; t o me there is n o fear .
CHIEF CAPTAIN . Come soldiers do your duty now,and bind the
deceiver fast.
Y ou seem amazed ! Be at y our work, this dalliance mu st not last.
I N THE HIGH PRIEST ’S PALACE .
(En ter Judas.) Il ere , take your money’Tis the price of innocent
blood !
His calm,sweet face
,it haunts me now ; my grief, an angry flood ,
O ’erwh el m s my soul . I’m lost I ’m lost ! Oh ! let me hide my face
Hell ’ s gaping fiends are all about. Disgraced ! I’m sure disgraced
For thirty pieces of silver I the Lord of Life betrayed .
Oh,why did I this horrid deed ? This dreadful blunder made ,
The fatal knot around my n eck I will myself go t ie ,And like a loathsome traitor die
,for I deserve to die .
CHIEF PRIESTS . Take the mock king to the High Priests ; there let
him pray,And now perchance his prayer may be answered on the way .
PETER. I ’ ll never betray my Master, the last of Him I will see .
[D am sel asks P eter if he i s n ot a di scip le.]
PETER . Indeed I’m n ot . I came,and this is all of me .
[An ojficer say s Thou art on e of them .
PETER. And do you n ot believe me ? Then m y answers are in vain .
I have denied thi s thrice, and why need I now again ?
[The cock crews, and Peter rem em bers the word of the Lord ]
PILATE . What has this poor man done “! Hi s guilt I cannot s ee .
PRIESTS . He i s a malefactor, or would have n ot sent to thee .
+ 82 +
JEWS . We have n o king save Caesar . Le t this fellow diePILATE (to J esus) . List to what they say
,Cruci fy him
,crucify !
Give unto us Barabbas Ah ! soon the day will come
When you , denied rep entance , wi l l stand to meet your doom .
JEWS (to P i late) . We fear n ot . Let His blood be on us and children
forever.
Refuse Him now to us,and y ou Shall feel our ire .
You boast your power ; come tell us now art thou Caesar’s friend
If so,how dos t thou dare in this your ruler to offend ?
P ILATE . Why not take Barabbas,the murderer and thief “l
SOLDIERS . N o Place this crown upon H is head,and call Him m ighty
Chief,
Spit in h is face,and mock H im ,
t oo,and strike Him with a reed
Aha ! Aha ! His royal rob e He will no l onger need .
CAPT. (un to Sim on —Sim on tr ies to escap e) . Come hither man , this
traitor’s cross t o bear .
And should y ou dare refuse , h is fate y ou soon will share .
JESUS (seeth a com p a ny of wom en 'weep ing, and sai th un to them )Weep for yourselves and child re n—weep n ot for me .
My sufferings shall be brief ; soo n my glory you will see .
They will cry for mercy ,and that mountains on them fall
And hide th em from sure vengeance,but their anguished cal l
Wil l be in y ain . Are we now to Calvary ?
CAPT . Then we can hear more of this great m y stery .
Crucify one thief on his left,the other on h is right
The King between two malefactors . Ah ! the sight .
CHIEF PRIESTS . Lay Him on the cross and nail His maj estic hands .
JESUS . Father,forgive them ; th ey do n ot understand .
PEOPLE . Dost thou destroy and build the Temple in th ree days“3
Come from the cross , and then we’l l give Thee praise .
O N E OF THE THIEVES . If Thou be G od , save Thys elf and us from
this degradation .
OTHER THIEF . We’re guilty , He is not, y et in the same condemnation
Lord,when Thou comest unto Thy Kingdom
,will Thou think of me “
?
JESUS . Thou art now forgiven ; this day my glory Thou Shalt see .
HOLY WOMEN . Hope of Israel , we know Thou art pure and divine .
Lo ! the earth trembles ; the sun fo rge t s t o shine .
Flashes of lightning, and a dark cloud for H is frown .
From which t orren t s of rain fall , for He hides His crown
+ 83 +
JESUS . Father , into Thy hand my spirit I n ow commend .
CENTURION . He is righteous . G od will H is vengeance send .
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA(to P i la te) . Wilt thou let me take my Saviour ’sbody out of sight ?
N I OOD EM US. Here are Spices—I came to worship Him by night.JOSEPH . In this new sepulchre m an never has been laid .
WOMEN . Let us get spices—remember the Sabbath,as He said .
TH E CHIEF PRIE STS AN D PHARISEES AT PILATE ’S PALACE .
CHIEF PRIESTS (to P i late.) The deceiver said , after three days He
would rise again,
An d His crucifixion may y et be in vain ,For H is disciples can deceive ; we know that th ey will sayThat He is risen
,when they have stolen Him away .
PILATE . Go and make your guard attend to i t. Have Him secure
By sealing the stone ; and by this means H is body will be sure .
SOLDIERS AROUND THE SEP ULOH R E .
1 st SOLDIER. He saved others,and seemed to prove Himself div ine
Yet He fai l ed in not sav ing Himself. PaSS the wine .
zud SOLDIER. Look above ! See an angel , I’m filled with deep fear ;
H ow plainly n ow our si n we see !AS day it doth appear .
[Angel app eareth and hovereth o’er the tom b—The so ldi ers f a l l back in
dism ay—TheAngel ro l leth the ston e away .]
ANGEL . Death has n o power over God ’s holy Son .
JESUS (ri si ng) . I rise in migh t and glory . Father,Thy work i s done .
ANGEL . Look where they laid Him,but H e
’s not here .
Think what He said . This will n ot strange appear.
J esus secludes him self behind som e shrubs—The soldi ers flee in to J erus
a lem —M ary M agda len e com eth‘
to the sep u lchre wi th the m other ofJ am es].
MARY M . I’m fi lled with fear . Whose form is that I see ?
MARY . My feelings I could not tel l to thee .
JESUS . Why those downcast looks ? Whom seekest thou “!
MARY . M y crucified‘ Saviour
,before whose th rone I
'
bow .
+ 84 +
Hast thou taken Him away Shall I ne ’er see Him moreMARY M . We will meet Him again on that ce lestial shore .
JESUS . M ary ! go tell my brethren I must soon ascend .
MARY . Rabbi ! the pro phecies of Thy resurrec t ion here do end .
MARY M . Come with me . Remember our Saviour said
To His disciples,before H is crucifixion , that He would rise from
th e dead .
[Whi le the di scip les are ta lking, J esus draweth n ear ]JESUS . Tell me why this sadness , as onward ye do walk ?
CLEOPAS . The crucifixion of Jesus,it i s n ow all th e talk .
Some women,going early to H is sepulchre
,have seen
Angels , who said He had risen , as strange as it doth seem .
JESUS . D o you not believe the prophets ? Let me explain
Certain passages,li st Let i t n ot be in vain
D ISCIPLE . Come with us, glad to have y ou spend the night .
[Christ goes , and eats with them ,them vanishes from sight .]
SIMON PETER . We ought t o have known Him , by H is blessing of the
bread,
Why do y ou n ot think on all that I have said ?
CHRIST (App eareth) . About my de i th and resurre ction , beho ld nowmy feet
And hands,hath a spirit flesh Bring me now t o eat ;
It was written,by the prophets , that Christ shall ris e ,
And soo n I must asc end from earth unto th e skie s,
Teach,baptize
,and with these
,my doctrines ever blend .
Obey me,and lo ! I am with you e
’en unto the end .
AT '
TH E SEAOF TIBERIAS .
[The discip les fishing—Christ app eareth.]JESUS . Cast your n e t on the right side , and you then Shal l find .
PETER.
’Tis the Lord My Lord ! My coat around me I’ll bind,
And go to him . My Master ! I knew it was thee .
JESUS . Look ! see the fish they have,a hundred and fift y - three .
(To di scip les.) There is bread and fish , in full, now come and with
me dine .
Remember how I ’ve been seen of you,this the third time .
Tarry until I send y ou power from on high .
Weep n ot for me In heaven there is n ot e ’ en a sigh .
D I SOI PLE S. Look An gel s are coming t o welcom e Him home .
JESUS . Father , my work is finished . To Thee I come ! I come !
TH E LIFE OF STEPH EN AND PAUL.
WITH TWO I M AG I N AR Y CHAR ACTER S PAULI N A AN D N R ITA .
a s DH H IBH er! STEPH EN .ale-e
STEPHEN . Lena , I am selected t o administe r t o the poor and
widows .
LENA. I want. y ou to be useful , but I feel like some evil will
soon be fal l y ou . Sadness , l ike a dark shroud , has spread h is
chilling folds around me , and I cannot rend them away by
pray er .
STEPHEN . I hope this i s a mere mist of gloom,which will
vanish when th e sun of reason arises .
LENAWould I could think so . But when our utmo st duty
is done , we must welcome what we cannot Shun .
STEPHEN . If I knew I had to sacr ifice my life,I would n ot
swerve from my duty ; for, th e Spider’s most attenuated thread ,is cable to man ’s hold on earthly bliss . It breaks at every
breath,I know my en em ieS are numerous , and threats have
been made against my life ; yet, the greates t sorrow which
pierces m y heart , i s your grief ; if I could only mitigate that ,dea th woul d lose its sting. And I must soon leave y ou . Be
cheerful ; as our days are,so shall our strength be .
LENA. I dread my brother ’s vengeance . He is the worst
enemy y ou have , though he knows my attachment for y ou .
STEPHEN . He is indeed an influential man . Would that h iszeal was for Christ and his cause .
[Acom p any of horsem en app roach ]LENA. Oh ! I hear the rapid tramp of horses . Escape ! I
knew they would arrest you .
STEPHEN . We will be happy in yonder world .
LENA. Do not lose your life i n talking to me,remember the
trap door.
[Step hen van i shes,m en rush i n to the room .]
CAPT . Where have y ou hid him ? (Len a rem ai ns si len t ) .
+ 86 4
SAUL . S ister,answer the Chief Cap tain
,or your life wil l
b e a forfeit for h is.
LENA. Let them torture me , but never , n o never will I
b etray him !
CAPT . Proceed at once,and test her heroism .
SOLDIERS . We came here to arrest a man,and n ot on e so
fair .
STEPHEN . (rushes in ) . The first on e who approaches her
shall die ! I am n ow your prisoner . What accusations have
you against meCAPT . Y ou must answer before the Council .
STEPHEN . I am prepared to answer both before an earthly,
and a heavenly tribunal .
STEPHEN (asi de to P au l in a ) . Weep n ot for me : each Sighis like a dagger to my heart . I will be the first martyr . What
a glorious death M any others wil l follow . Dry your tears,
we will soon meet again .
CAPT . Bin d that man , h e talked enough before we came , he
will n ot have much use for love wh en we get through with him .
STEPHEN . Go into another room,dear .
LENA. Oh , let me die with y ou I canno t l eave y ou thus
STEPHEN . Paul ina, have forti tude . Good - bye .
1 st . WITNESS . I heard him say that our temple Should b edestroyed . He denies our faith and adheres t o an imposter ’s
doctrine . I have heard him blaspheme the word of G od .
zud WIT . He does n ot believe in Moses,and says al l of our
customs shal l be changed .
[Abri ght l ight o’
ershadows Step hen ]
HIGH PRIEST . Are these things so ?
STEPHEN . Brethren , you know I believe i n Abraham,
Moses and all theprophets— but which of them escaped y our
fathers ’ wrath ? You have slain those who foretold the birth
of Jesus,of whom ye have been the betrayers and murderers .
Do n ot gnash your t eeth ; the truth pricks t o the heart ; your
guilt is open to all .
PEOPLE . Away wi th him !Will he cast h is insults in our face ?
LENA(rushes to Saul) . Oh ! Brother , do try to rescue him !My God ! My heart is bursting !
NEITA(Fr i end to Len a) . Behold ! How they al l gaze on h is
countenance ! That radiance i s th e reflection of the crown
which the angel of Hope holds o ’er h i s head .
+ 87 +
SAUL . Lena,speak !
NEITA. H as she fain ted "
t
SAUL . Oh ! she is dead . Alas ! were the pangs so great asto burst l ife’s tender chords asunder ? Ah ! the nearest tie is
severed, but I will avenge myself of her destroyer .HIGH P . He has condemned himself
,and deserves stoning
.
SAUL . Give me his clothes .
HIGH P . All you throw stones at him
STEPHEN . Lord Jesus , receive my spirit , and lay n ot this
sin to their charge .
SAUL (To the H igh Pri est ) . I want authority to bind both
men and women,in Damascus .
PRIEST . M y son ,we have few so zealous as thyself. Take
as many with thee as thou desirest.”
Abri ght l ight o ’
ershadows him,an d he hears a voi ce
,say ing
Saul Saul ! Why persecutes t thou me ?
Sau l trem bles and f a l ls to the groun d, asking
Lord,what wil t thou have me to do ?
VOICE . Arise and go into the city , and it shall be told theewhat thou shalt do .
MEN . Oh ! Saul ! explain this m ystery We heard the voice
saw the light—yet n o man was visibl e .
SAUL . It was the vo i ce of Jesus ! Lead me t o Damascus .Oh
,tell my aged parents of this change ; what j oy it will give
them ! Would that Lena were al ive,t o share it
,t oo . May you
all fe el as I do .
JUDAS . Brother Saul , y ou have n o t eaten anything in threedays
,l et me insist on y ou having some refreshment .
SAUL . I am t oo much o’erwhe lm ed with grief—am beholding
myself in the mirror of the past , and can well exclaim ,Oh !
Memory ! That mirror which affliction dashes to the ground,
and on looking down , only beholds i ts fragments multiplied !
JUDAS . Brother , do n ot fall into the S lough of Despond,
though your head be bowed down , with grief, y ou shall lift it in
power .SAUL . I can see deeds darker than midnight —can hear theechoes of Lena’s dying voice , Spare ! oh
,Spare my Stephen
to me !” Then methinks I see S tephen , with his forgivingsmile
, and radi ant brow ,and I , demon - like
,holding the clothes .
JUDAS . D rOp the curtain of th e past,and look to the
future .
+ 88 +
SAUL . I have seen in a v ision Ananias coming unto me.
JUDAS . I t is the Lord’s doings,obey him .
ANAN IAS I N DAMASCUS .
A VOICE IN THE NIGHT. Go to the house of Judas,for
,
Behold ! Sau l prayeth there .
ANANIAS . Lord , I have heard of this man . He has authority to bind al l believers at this place .
LORD . G o thy way ; he shall b e a chosen vessel b efore me
to the Gentiles,and suffer many things for my sake .
ANANIAS . Brother Saul , I have come to tel l thee to receivethy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost .SAUL . I am willing to serve my Lord i n any way . I believe
He has forgiven me .
ANANIAS . Arise and be baptized,and fulfill His commands .
PAUL . Oh ! Lord , give me strength ; the Spirit is w1 1 1 1 ng, butt h e fl esh I s weak .
SIMON , LUCAS AN D MARCUS . Now Brother,depart in peace
,
and may G od bless your labors .
PAUL AN D BARNABAS I N SALAM I S .
SERG IUS PAULUS . M y' frien ds
,will you explain to me the
Word of God , and what I must do to be saved ?
PAUL . Y ou are familiar with the prophets , and if you search
them diligently, y ou will find they all testify of Christ being the
Son of G od,and of the death he should die ; that He would
‘
rise again,and sit on the right hand of God, to make in terces
si on for sinners . It is through Him our sins are pardoned .
ELYMAS un to Sergius. You are talking to a fanatic . The
High Priests read al l th e prophets . The impostor Christ,
denied all we believe , and said the temple Should be destroyedand built again in three days .
PAUL . Thou child of the devil,and enemy to all righteous
ness,wilt th en never cease to prevent the way of the Lord ?
Behold ! His hand is upon thee , and thou shalt be blind for a
season .
ELY MAs. I have sinned . Send some one to lead me .
SERGIUS . I know this power y ou possess comes from God .
I do believe with al l my heart , an d want to follow my Saviour ,
+ 90 +
PAUL D EPAR TET H TO I CON I UM .
CHIEF PRIEST. We must away with these disturbers,or our
creed will be lost . Stir up the discon tented and have themstoned .
A FRIEND un to P au l . D o you not know that the whol e city
is gathering, to stone y ou ? Flee ! We wil l assist you i n
making your escape .
PAUL . The Lord i s on our side .
BARNABAS . This i s a dark,rainy night
,they will never dream
of our leaving. Our friends must not know of our going.
CITY OF I CON I UM I N AN UPROAR .
CHIEF CAPTAIN unto Chi ef Pri ests. I commanded these
officers to keep a close watch over those men,but I fear they
have let a littl e rain prevent them from perfo rming their duty .
CAPTAIN un to Officer. S earch diligently for them,and if they
cannot be found,I wil l hold you responsible .
OFFICER . They are not in the city,but we will have them as
soon as they can be brought .
CHIEF CAPTAIN un to Ofii cer. Where are your prisoners ?
OFFICER . At Lystra,performing such miracles as never m an
performed before . They healed a m an who had been lame from
his birth,and all they did was to command him to stand on his
feet ; and the peopl e say , that the gods have come down in the
likeness of men . They call Paul Jupiter,and Barnabas Mer
curius. They brought oxen and garlands and wanted to
sacrifice to them,but these holy men of G od stopped them , and
said God alone should be worshiped,and they must turn from
such vanities ; but they could scarcely res train them .
CHIEF PRIEST . I knew we would be ruined . Put the bearer
of this unwelcome news in prison,and send others and see if
they will be converted t oo .
OFFICER . If they see what I did , they will b e convinced that
our rel igion i s l ike a wh i ted sepulchre .
H IGH PRIE STS . Dare y ou speak thus aft er vefusing to obey
our o rders
PAUL AN D BARNABASAT LY STRA.
PAUL . Look , Bro ther ! there is a company from Iconium !We will be arrested . for they have imprisoned the other o fficer
because he believed on G od . We cannot do more for Christ
than He has done for us. I am prepared for the worst .
Officers and M anApp roach.
Where are those men who disturb our peace ?
PEOPLE . There is the principal on e .
PAUL . I am here willing to suffer for my M aster’s cause . Ohye fickl e -minded m en of Lystra , ye are among our enemies t ooonly a few days ago and y ou would have worshiped us—gods
on e day, and demo n s the next.
CAPT. Why do y ou al l stand listening Stone him ! hedeserves death . [Al l cast ston es].PAUL . Oh ! Lord
,I thank Thee I am worthy t o suffer for
Thy name . They can kill my body , but my soul WI l l l ive in end
less p eace .
CAPT. He is dead . Drag h im out o f th e city . Where is theo ther ? Does it take a whole town and company to kill on e man ?
SOLDIERS . Barnabas has escaped while we were slayingPaul .
CAPT . We have the one who has done the most mischief l et
us return at once and report t o the H igh Priests .
[Pau l’sf ri ends gather around him to see if there are any
signs of life ]
PRISCILLA. His pulse beats He breathes ! Bring some
water . Ah ! H is lips move, Oh G od Spare him We had better
take him to the nearest house , and bathe h i s bruised limbs , we
may be discovered here . H ow he sufl'
ers
PAUL . Do not fear I am better now ,and thankful I can suffer
for Thy cause , 0 God !
D ISCIPLE . Do n ot talk,we must conceal you ; the Jews think
you are dead .
PAUL . God gives me strength . I can see poor Stephen how
he l ooked on h is enemies . Forgiveness beamed from h is face,
and h is last breath was a prayer for them ,he i s n ow in glory
,
and I am here t o suffer .
D I SCIPLE . Dear brothe r,we will do al l we can to alleviate
+ 9 2 4
your pain . Bathe your bru ised limbs, and sl eep , refreshing
sl eep will soon soothe you .
BARNABAS . Brother, I would n ot have left y ou , but I knew I
could be o f no serv ice They must have thought we are the sons
of Sampson from the number that tried to arrest us. When I
escaped I never expected to see y ou in this world . We m ust
got o D erbe
,or we will be detected .
AT EPH ESUS .
DISCIPLE (un to P au l ) . How long did y ou stay at Derb e ?
PAUL . Only a few days , but we strengthened the brethren ,and felt benefited ourselves . Have y ou received the HolyGhost
D ISCIPLE . We have n o t so much as heard that there i s a
Holy Ghost .
PAUL . Unto what were ye baptized,then ?
D I S. Un t o John ’s baptism .
PAUL . John baptized unto repentance,saying
,that on e
Should come after h im —Jesu s Christ—wh o would send theHoly G host as a comfor ter , afterHe ascended into heaven .
D I S. We will be baptized i n the name of th e Lord . There
are twel ve of us,an d we will as~i s t y ou a l l we can .
PAUL . I see fruit o f t h e seed sown by the Spirit . And n ow,
brethren,we will lay our hands on y ou, and y ou will receive
the Holy Ghost .
TIMOTHEUS (un to P au l ) . Sin ce I have been traveling with
you I feel l ike all things have become new ,and though trial s
may await me , I have a power from on high t o sustain me
through them all .
PAUL . I am glad t o hear y ou express yourself in that way,for las t night I saw a man in a vision , saying,
“ Come over and
help us !” And as we are needed at M acedonia,we will s tart
immediately .
PAUL . Our trip has been so pleasant that I can hardly realiz e
we are in M acedonia,where prayer is wont t o be made . Ah
I see quite a n umber of women resorting hither .
LYDIA(af ter p reaching) . My mind is cl ear,my heart is
changed , and to add t o m y j oy , my entire household have
expressed a desire t o unit e with God ’s people.
PAUL . It always affords me much pleasure t o comply with
Such requests .
+ 93 +
[Adam sel who brought her m aster m uch ga i n by sooth- say ing,
f o l loweth Pau l and Si las ]
DAMSEL . These men are servants of the M ost High G od,
which shew us the way of salvation .
PAUL (un to the sp i ri t) . I command thee in the name of JesusChrist to come out of her. (Un to Si las) Behold the multitude !Be prepared .
DEMETRIUS . H ow dare y ou interfere with m y profits ? Ar
rest these men and bring them before the magistrat es .
MULTITUDE . We testify that these men are disturbers of the
peace , and teach customs which are n o t lawful for us t o
receive .
MAGISTRATE . Beat them severely,and charge the j ail or t o
put them in the darkest dungeon .
A SCENE AT THE JAIL AT MIDNIGHT .
PRISONER . Ah ! List ! Did you ever hear such music ? Surelyheaven hath spared som e of the celestial host to cheer this
loathsome place .
ANOTHER PR I soN E R . Why are y ou shaking so ?
1 st . PRIS. It i s n ot me but the sa i th . Lo Look at the doors ,they are all open , yet we dare not escape .
[The j a i lor awaketh and draweth a sword to ki l l him self ]
PAUL . D o thyself no harm,we are all here .
JAILOR . Give me a light. I now know that I have sinned,
and while I prostrate myself to the ground,tell me what I
must do to be saved .
PAUL . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved .
JAILOR . Let me bathe your stripes . Will you forgive me,
and baptize me and mine , as we are all convinced that we are
wrong,and y ou are right
PAUL . Arise and be baptized .
JAILOR . Never was night so pregnant with good—you have
ministered unto us such spiritual food as we needed ; now come
into my house and be refreshed physically.
PAUL .
“We are more than compensated , that good has resulted
from our suffering. Often , troubles are blessings in d isguise .
SERGEANTS (un to J a i lor . Le t these men go .
+ 94 4
KEEPER (un'
t'
o Paul) . The magistrates say you can have .y our
freedom .
PAUL . They have beaten us openly,and uncondemned
,and
it is beneath a Roman to be thrust out priv ily .
SERGEAN TS (un to M agi strates) . Those m en refuse to depart
unless y ou liberate them openly.
MAGISTRATES . We may get into trouble and must be more
careful in the future . [Un to P au l and Si las]. We beseech youto depart i n peace , and regret the measures we have taken ;only leave us
,and we wil l b e m ore guarded .
PAUL AN D SILAS I N T H ESSALON I CA .
PAUL [in t he Sy n agogue]. I love to dwell on m yl Saviour ’
s
love,how he came as an innocent babe , suffered and died , and
rose again,and is n ow on the righ t han d of God
,pleading for
lost Sinners .JASON (whisp ers to P au l) . Your l ife is in danger ; certain l ewd
Jews have lit the torch , and the fire of revenge is spreading
rapidly all over the city . I wil l conceal you until their wrath
subsides . Go in haste to my house ; my wife has all arranged
Haste ! I see them coming.
JEWS (un to Jason ) . Where are those men who were staying
with y ou
JASON . I dare not t el l .
JEWS . Take him in their stead .
CAPT . (un to Jason ) . Y ou are accused of concealing men who
have turned the world upside down , teaching decrees contrary
to Caesar ,—saying there is another king—(one Jesus) .JASON . You have me in your power , but those men are out of
your reach .
JEWS. We will take y our security for them . Remember
what we say . We will have revenge .
JASON (un to P au l and Si las) . N ow brethren you must depart ,for they wil l make every exertion t o find you .
PAUL . We have concluded t o go t o Berea , and though we
regret l eaving our friends without one word of consolation , yet
it would n ot be right t o endanger your life , and ours too ;
+ 95 +
PAULAT BEREA.
Although we have been so cordially received here , yet, I stil l
feel anxious about the rage of those at Thessalonica .
SILAS . Oh ! Brother ! I see them coming rapidly .
D ISCIPLE . Flee to Athens We wi ll be as quick to shieldyou , as they are to find out your whereabouts .
AT AT H ENS .
EPICUREAN (un to Paul ) . What new doctrine art thou tryingto establish in our midst ?
STOIC . We must carry y ou to the Areopagus .PAUL . I will go with pleasure
,for I have heard that n umbers
collect there to hear or tell something new .
THE JUDGE . I would like to know the meaning of thes e newth eories y ou are advancing.
[Pau l in the m i dst of M ars H i l l ]
Ye men of Athens In all things I perceive you are too
superstitious,for as I passed by and beheld your devotions I
found y ou had this inscription To the unknown God .
”
Whom ye therefore ignorantly worship,Him declare I unto
you,God who
'
made heaven and earth and al l things therein,
dwelleth not in temples made with hands , neither is He wor
sh ip ed with lip service , as though He needeth anything seeing
He gi vethfto al l life sn d breath, and has promised that t o thosewho seek Him
,that He will be found of them
,for in Him we live
,
and move,and have our being,
—as certain of your poets have
said . For we are also H is OffSp I ‘ing. Forasmuch as we are the
ofispring, we ought n ot to think the G od head , i s like unto gold ,or silver
,or stone
,graven by man ’ s device . God commands
man every where to repent,because He hath appointed a day
in which He will j udge the world in righteousness , by that Just
One whom He hath ordained , whereof He hath given assur
ance unto all men,in that He hath rai sed H im from the dead .
STOICS . We thought it would end in something about the re
surrection of the dead .
EPICUREAN . We will hear you again of this matter .
D IONYSIUS . Othersand myself believe , and will e ver rev ert
to this day, as the most pleasant of our l ives .
PAULAT COR INT H .
Sp eaketh un to the J ews. I have testified unto you that Jesus
was the Christ,and ye have blasphemed and opposed me
,from
henceforth I will go unto t he Gent iles .CRISPUS—v—R u ler of the Sy nagogue
—(un to P aul ) . My whole
household believe,and desire to be baptized ; and Justus has
embraced thy cause .
[Paul, a lon e in the darkness of n ight , heareth the Lord, say ing
Be not afraid,but speak and hold not thy peace
,for I am
with thee,and no man shall harm thee
,for I have much people
in this city .
[P aul brought before G a l li c]
J Ews. This man persuaded men contrary to the law.
GALLIO . If there was an accusation of wickedness , I could
better bear with you . But if it is a question of manners and
words , and you are actuated by envy, depart at once .
PAUL (un to G a l li c ) . Most Noble Gallio —You have the honorof being the first offi cer
,who has treated me with any degree
of kindness . I have been hurled from all with “ Away,with
that b lasphemer wi thout any investigation of the charges
brought against me . Accept my thanks,an d you shal l have my
prayers and gratitude . How it cheers m y heart to see I am notSpurned by al l
,and that there is one at least who wi l l not swerve
from duty when the masses are against him .
AT EP I—I ESUS .
D ISCIPLE . There are many here who believe,and have heard
of the mi racl es you perform,and how you cast out devils . Last
week the sons of Sceva commanded an evil spirit—b y Jesuswhom Paul preached . The Spirit came out of the m an , and
possessed th em,and they fell from the house wounded . The
spirit said “ Jesus I know,and Paul too
,but who are ye ? ”
Great fear has fallen on all the Jews , and many have confessed ,and those who used curious arts , have burned their books
openly.
PAUL . May all such share the same fate . God’s word will
prevail . Hark ! what noise is that I h ear ? They cry,“ Great
+ 98 4
have declared faithfully unto you the gospel of God . Be care
ful to feed the church of G od,which has been purchased by
His blood . I know that after I depart grievous wo lves will
enter i n,not Sparing the flock men shall aris e and speak per
verse things,to draw others aft er them . Watch therefore
,and
remember that for twelve years I ceased not to warn you,both
night and daywith tears . I have administered unto my own
wan ts—have told y ou that the strong ought to bear w ith the
weak,and that it is more blessed to give than to receive . We
will kneel and pray,before I l eave . Weep not ; thes e earthly
separations will only be for a while,but there is a future
,oh
thank God,where the sting of parting will be felt no more .
D ISCIPLES . We will go to the ship with you.
PAUL AT PTOLEMAI S .
PAUL . We m ust spend some time with Philip .
PHILIP . I seeAgabus , the prophet of Judea, coming . I do
hope he will prevail on y ou to remain with us , and not go t o
Jerusalem .
[Agabus taketh Paul ’ s girdle and bindeth him self.]
AGABUS . Look at me , Brother Paul ! Li sten to what theHoly Ghost says “ So shall the Jews bind at Jerusalem the
man who owns this girdle,and shall deliver him to the Gen
tiles .”
PAUL . I know troub le await eth m e at Jerusalem . My
friends,do not weep and break my heart. I am not only ready
to b e bound for 1i Saviour,but to die .
AT J ERUSALEM .
[Walt D iscip les ]to
'
have you with us again , yet
we tremble lest evil’
shall befall you .
PAUL . I have good tidings from the Gentiles ; many believe,an d some are
'
an x ious t o em brace the truth .
D I S. Y es,there are thousan ds
‘
of the Jews con vert ed , t oo .
We have four men puri fy ing :th e Insel ves i n th e t em ple , wouldi t n o t be best for y ou t o purify yoursel f wi t h them ,
to Sh ow theJews you are not averse to their custom s
+ 99 4
J ews of Asi a 866Pau l in the Tem p le, and cry
M en of Israel , Help ! This i s the man who teacheth the
peopl e contrary to our law,and furthermore
,hath brought
Greeks into me temple to pollute it .
JEWS . Drag him out of the temple,do n ot defil e it with h is
blood—beat him t o death .
OFFICER (unto Cap tain ) . All Jerusalem is'
in an uproar,and
they are murdering Paul .
OFFICER . Collect soldiers and centurions and go as quick aspossible .
CAPTAIN (un to J ews) . I can discover naught save your con
fused cries , he has done noth ing worthy of death . Take h imto the castle .
MULTITUDE . Away with h im
PAUL (On the stai r - case of the'
cast le) . M ay I speak untothee
CAPT . Canst thou Speak Greek ? Art thou no t that Egyptian
who commanded four thousand m urderers in the wilderness
PAUL . I am a Jew of Tarsus , a city of Ce l ic i a,and I b eseech
thee to l e t me speak unto these people .
[Pau l sti l leth the m u lt i tude and sp eaketh i n H ebrew]
Men and Brethren—Hear ye my defense : I was brought up at
the feet of Gamaliel , and taught according to the perfect m an
ner of th e laws of the fathers,and was zealous
, as y ou all are .
I persecuted unto death both men and women . Your High
Priests can bear me witness that I obta ined letters from them
to bring all from Damascus to Jerusalem to be punished . And
it came t o pass,as I was near Damascus , about n oon , suddenly
there shone a bright light about me , and I fell to the ground ,and heard a voice
,saying Saul ! Saul ! Why persecutest
thou me ? ” An d I answered,
“ Wh o art thou,Lord ? ” And
He said,I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.”
I asked,
“ What shal l I'
do , Lord ?” He said
,
“ Arise , and go
unto Damascus,an d it shal l be t old th ee what to do .
”Ananias,
a devout man,was sent to tell me that I m ust bear witness
unto al l men of what I had seen and heard , and I arose and
was baptized .
‘
And it came to pass again , when I was praying
in the temple in Jeru salem ,I was in a trance
,and Christ said
,
“ M ake hast e and ge t thee down to Jerusalem ;”and I said
,
Lord,they know how I have treated those who believed
4 1 00 +
on Thee ; and when th e blood o f Thy martyr S tephen was SpiltI assisted .
” Then the Lord said ,“ D epart I will send thee to
th e Gentiles .”
MULTITUDE . Away ! with this man from the earth . He can
not live .
CAPTAIN . Bring him unto the house,and examine him by
scourgi ng.
PAUL . I s it lawful to bind or scourge a Roman un con
dem n ed ?
CAPT . Art thou a Roman ?PAUL . Yes .
CAPT . With a great sum obtained I this freedom .
PAUL . I was born free
CAPT . (Aside) . I regret binding him .
CAPT. Tom orrow the Chief Priests and all the Council wil l
meet,and y ou must appear before them for trial .
PAUL . I will b e pleased to do so.
PAUL IN THE PRESENCE OF THE COUNCIL .
M e n and Brethren —I have l ived in al l good consciencebefore G od unti l thi s d ay .
ANANIAS. Smite him 0 1 1 the mouth .
PAUL . G od Shall smit e thee , thou whited wall . S ittest thou
to j udge me after t he law, and commandest thou me t o be smit
ten contrary t o the law
JEW . Revilest thou God’ s High Priests ?PAUL . I wist n ot , brethren , that he was a High Priest, fer it
is written .
“ Thou shalt n ot speak evil of thy people ’s ruler .”
Li sten . I am a Pharisee ! Of the hop e of the resurrection of
the dead,am I called in question .
PHARISEES . We find n o evi l in this man and if an angel hath
spoken to him,l et us not fight against God .
CAPT . Bring him into the castle , or he will b e torn to pieces .
They are divided , and know n ot what they do .
The Lord sp eaketh a t n ight to P aul . Be of good cheer,for
as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem , so must thou bear
witness of me in Rome .
[Pau l’
s n ep hew ca l leth f or Chi ef Cap tain .
~-Both enter a t p rivate
room .]N EPH Ew . I am sent t o not i fy you that there are forty men
wh o have taken an oath that they woul d neither eat , nor drink ,
+ I O Z +
years I came t o bring ai m s t o my nation,whereupon certain
Jews from Asia found me purified in the temp le,neither with
multitude,n or with tumult
,who ought t o have been here
,if they
have aught against me . But those who are here cannot say they
have found evil against me—except it be i n my believing in theresurrection of th e dead
FELIX . When Lysias comes , I will hear th e utmost of the
m atter .
[Pan t reasons of truth and righteousness ]
FELIX (trem bles andsay s) G 0 thy way for this time , at a more
convenient season I will cal l for thee .
PAUL (before Festns) . These numerous complaints which theJews have laid before y ou—they cannot prove If I hav e done
anything worthy of death— I refuse n o t to die ; I appeal unto
Caesar .
FESTUS . Thou hast appealed unto Caesar,unto Caesar thou
shalt go .
FESTUS (un to Agripp a ) . There are accusations agains t
Paul,but they are prompted wholly by the superstition of the
Jews .
AGRIPPA. I wou ld like to hear him myself.
PAUL BEFORE FEST US AN D AG R I PPA.
FESTUS . He re is the man whom prej udice says ought n o t t o
live any longer,and ashe has appealed unto Caesar
,I would like
t o know what charges t o send wi th him . Therefore,I would be
pleased if y ou would exam in e him ,m ost nobl e Agrippa .
AGRIPPA. Paul , thou art permi tted t o speak for thyself
PAUL . I think m yself happy,King Agrippa
,that I may
answer concerning all t h e things whereof I am accused by the
Jews,and I do beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner
Of life from my youth - all know , and how many saints I shut upin prison . And as I was going t o D amascus , I saw a light at
m l dday , abov e th e brightness of the sun and I heard a voice ,say ing :
“ Saul ! Saul Why persecutest thou me And I
said : “ Who art thou,Lord “
3 The Voice said : “ I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest. I will make thee a minister,and a
witness of these things which will appear un to thee . Where
upon oh ! King Agrippa , I was n ot disobedient to the heavenly
vision . But shewed first un to them of Damascus , and at Jeru
sal em,and to the Gentil es
,that they shou ld repent
,and turn t o
G od . For these causes alone the Jews caught me in the temple
+ 1 03 4
and intended t o kill me , but I had help from God , and s till
witness to small and great , none other things than those which
M oses and the prophe ts did say should come t o pass—that
Christ should suffer and be rais ed from the dead,and should be
a light unto the Gent iles .
FESTUS . Paul,thou art beside thyself ; much learning doth
make thee mad .
PAUL . I am not m ad, mos t noble Felix , but speak forth the
words of truth and soberness . The king knoweth of these
things,for they were not done in a corner. King Agrippa
,be
lievest thou the prophet s ? I know that thou believest ?
AGRIPPA. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian .
PAUL . I would t o G od that not only thou , but also those who
are with thee—were n ot almost,but were altogether such as I
an t—save these bonds .
KING (asi de un to Bern i ce) . This man doeth nothing worthy
Of death .
AGRIPPA. I f thou hadst n o t appealed unto Cze sar, thou
couldst have been free H ope y ou wil l have a pleasant j ourney
to Italy .
PAUL . Thank y ou . The kindness [ have met with here,wil l
ever be an oas is in the des ert of my memory .
PAUL O N BOARD T H E VESSEL ,
JULIAS (to Pau l) . When we land , y ou can v isit your relativesand friends .
PAUL . We are near the Fair Havens . I fear this voyage will
be o n e o f peril to our lives,and destruction t o the Ship .
CAPT . The harbor is n ot commodious t o winter in . We must
go to Phen ice ; we have a so uth wind , and will soon make it.
PAUL . It has only been a few hours since I told you to
b eware,and ye heeded n ot . N ow the Euroclydon i s blowing
,
and we will have t rouble .
CAPT . Have the ship undergirded,I fear we will b e dashed
again st t he quicksands . This is the third day since we have
seen the sun,or stars .
SOLDIERS . We wi ll b e lost ! All must have a watery
grave .
CAPT . I have done all in my power ; this noble barque has
fought l ong and bravely against the angry waves , but she willsoon be (lash ed to p ie ces
+ 1 04 4
PAUL . S irs, y ou should have listened t o me , and not l oosed
from Crete . But be of good cheer,there shal l be no loss Of
l ife—only the grand Old Ship,and she i s now making her dying
struggles .
CAPT. Oh ! Paul ! Thou art a man of God,and I do repent
n ot taking heed t o thy advice ; do tell m e how thou knowest
we will be saved .
PAUL . There’
stood by me t o n ight an angel of G od,whom I
serve,and said : “ Fear not
,Paul
,thou must be brought before
Caesar . And Lo ! G od hath given thee al l wh o sai l with thee .
”
N ow,be of good cheer
,for it will b e as God has promised
,yet
we must be cast On a certain island .
CAPT . I think we are near land ; have them t o see .
PAUL . We had best cast anchor and wait for the m ornin g .
SAILORS . We Wi ll risk our lives in the deep—this vesselcannot last an hour longer .
PAUL (un to Cen turi on ) . Unless these men stay in the ship theycannot be saved—and this is t he fourteen th day we hav e been
fasting,and y ou all must eat something, for n o harm shall
b efall any of y ou . Now let us give thanks,and believe that the
three scor e and sixteen soul s shall be saved .
CAPT . Throw the wheat overboard . I see land,and we mu st
thrust the ship into the creek . Ah noble vessel ! We must
soon bury thee b eneath the waves,with which thou hast
battled so bravely ! Would that we could save thee, for wehave watched with breathless anxiety thy peaceful movements
when the waves seemed like playthings to thee . But n ow,thou
art mastered . I see the hinder part of the ship is broken ! Do
all y ru can to save yourselves .
SOLDIERS . Would it not be best to kill the prisoners , lest
som e of them escape “!
CENTURION . No,not on e l ife shall be taken ! All who can
swim,cast yourselves into the sea and try to make the land .
Here are boards and planks , for those who cannot swim .
PAUL . Do not be alarmed ! Be of good cheer ! All I have
told y ou has come to pass , so far . I know we shall all be
saved .
SOLDIER . Catch my arm ,I am sinking.
PAUL . Here is a stick ; be composed . Now you are safe ,help others .CAPT . (to Paul) . We wil l consider you a prophet, and must
say there is a reality in the religion y ou profess . They are all
+ 1 06 4
closed,and o ur ears dul l of hearing
,and we would n ot under
staii d with our hearts,that we m ay be con v erted , an d that he
was sent to the Gentiles .
PAUL . Brethren,my past history y ou all know. I expect t o
remain two years with y ou . If we are united,we can march as
one great phalanx against the enemy . There must be n o vain
strife,but a l l work together in God ’s grand arm y , hav ing Jesus
for our Captain . And when we lay our armor down,each can
say I have fought a good fight - The battle is over,and n ow
I will rest in peace !”
+ 1 0 7 4
e—alc BINES as
WRITT EN AFTER THE DEATH OF M Y BABE .
M y bud of inno cence,thou w ilt bloom abov e
Amidst the songs of angels , and a Sav iou r’s love .
N o sigh will ever rend thine infan t breast,N or tear bedim thine eye thou art at rest .
S trike the harp gen t ly in thy blissful home ;Let M other catch the echo
,till she come
To clasp thee t o her lov ing heart,
Of which for aye thou art alone the l arger part .Oh Birdie , thou did
’st n estl e near
Thy mother . What hadst thou to fear ?
Pure as a dew d rop on the lily ’s leaf,
Thou ’rt gone Thy mother’s heart is fil led with grief.
Oh G od ! is it because I‘
am o f sinner’s chief ?
Father of heaven,I pray thee send t o me relief.
List I hear a sweet voice from ou t t he skies
Brush the tear - drop from thine aching eyes,
The family chain i s broken - this link of love ,Will gently draw thee to thy home above .
+ 1 08 4
—>5lt MQENING REVERE Dlfi<~
Hark Listen ! What is that I hear It i s the matin lay
O f Nature ’s warblers,j oining glad , to wake the drowsy day .
Lift up your heads,ye fiow’
ret s fair besprinkl ed o ’er with dew
,
An d hail thej oyous hour of morn with fragrance rich and n ew .
Leap high and dash your snowy foam , ye S i lvery wimpling rill s ,And make soft music as ye wend your way down wooded hill s
Aurora’s herald streaks will fade i n growing light o f day,
The sun,l ike m onarch waked from Sleep
,will brighten with h is
ray
The upland l p e , the meadow green , the field of waving corn,
And of h is genial smile,erstwhile , a thousand beautie s born ,
Will gladden with a heavenly thrill al l Nature ’s vast expanse,
And happiness of bird an d rill a t housan d - fold enhance .
Oh,dullard man ! unheeding all ! Awake thee from t hy slumber ,
And t o the Giver of al l good rais e thou the tuneful numberAll these for thee did G od create ; l ead thou th e j oy fu l measure ,And let n ot brook and field
,innate
,proclaim thy shameful
leisure .
(‘
om e forth in grandeur and in might , a son of light and power,
With mind an d soul equipp ed for good,t o meet the labor hour .
The harvest a l l about y ou lies , who will the sh eafie ts bind
With earnest zeal an d rock ribbed faith,and loving, will in g
m ind,
For the home on high,where angel s are
,and b lis s abides for
aye
Wh ere the crown for the cro ss,th e harp for th e hook
,for life
the undimmed eye ?
Arouse,arouse ye sons of men The confl ict n ow is fierce
,
’Tis hand to hand,and sword to sword
,if we the ranks would
pierce,
And drive the foe from out t he field,whose presence is our
shame
Relying in our greatest need on th e Almighty Name,
Whose prevalence must conquer all,and make us v ictors
,too .
He will our courage,strength and j oy
,from day to day renew
We ’ l l trust us to His strong Right arm,through which we ’l l
surely win
Praye r i s the door to heaven ’s j oys,Faith the key to l et us in .
+ I I O +
al l showing that some other power than nature ’s , was required
for m an ’s production .
”
I quote so extensively from D ana,because every school boy
and girl i s conversant with his Geology ; and I write for them ,
and wish t o impress it upon their minds,that this is not the
language of a feeble-minded woman—but of such men as Dana,
Wallace and Huxley . Yet the advocates of Evolution tell usthey get their knowledge from Geology , and many of the would
be scientific , swallow this morsel of infidelity without even
chewin g it . But m y young friends , I want y ou t o analyze every
part carefully,before y ou e ven taste o f th is tempting bait.
Now I wish you to listen to one of the brightest lights in the
Evolutionary horizon . Though a believer,he does not wish to
delude others . He says , in the Sci en tific M on thly“ That m ere
reasoning can n ever conv ince the world . It mus t be hard , de
fian t facts , which n one can gainsay . But verily no such facts,
n or ev en their most distant forecasts , are before us . The
profound diffi culties which bustle round the inquiry , on every
hand,are prominent signals for caution , while the uncertainty
and incompetency of the methods hitherto employed , and their
confl icts of results , is alive with meaning. We know from
actual observation almost nothing with certainty, and the little
we do know from such careful and patient observers as Cohen ,Billroth , Lancaster , Ray and others , is so complex and conflict
ing as t o demonstrate the necessity of years of patient ex p eri
ment,and skillful research
,to plainly tell us of our ignorance .
The largest difficulty surrounding the question of the mode
of origin of sceptic organisms , is that of discovering the life
cycle . By dealing with them in aggregations , we run told and
untold risks . The confli ct of results by this means,in the most
accomplished hands,employing the most refined methods
,
during the past eighteen years,is sufii cien t witness . Repeti
tions of experiments and conflicting results, and explanations
of‘
the reasons why—and so the cycle rolls . Of course , important l e ssons are learned ; but not the lesson . For the weight
of evidence is n ot only,n ot in favor of abiogenesis
,but in the
strongest sense adverse to it. This great man (D al l inger)wants the truth , and nothing but the truth . Would that all
were equally honest, then the monument would be removed ,and the putrefy ing body of infidelity unearthed . The president
o f Princeton College , after prov ing the impossibility of agnos
t ic ism ,asks
,if we believe in this system what have we left
, t o
+ I I I +
cheer us through life,or to cling to in death “
3Will we be apt tose t a high e r value on life when we know it to be a mere b undl eof impressions , with unsubstantial ideas growing out of them “
I
Will we take a deeper interest in our neighbors when we have
come to believe theoretically (for to believe it practically is impossibl e) that they t oo are mere congeries o f appearances
Will we be disposed to do more for the world when we regard
it as a set and series of phantasmagoria,bound by rigid uni
form i t ies of likeness,co - existence and succession “
3 Will webe most likely to feel that life is worth living
,and that it is our
duty to work for its good,when we contemplate. it as a mere
series of images , which do n ot reflect any reality ? Wi ll not
one hindrance to self- indulgence be removed when we are made
to acknowledge that sensations and pleasures are realities,and
that there are no others ? Will not one hindrance t o self-murder
which we may be tempted t o commit when in trouble,be re
moved,when we are - sure that we are merely stopping a series
of sensations ? Will the regret of the learned murderer be
deepened,when he is told by the highest philosophy that he has
only put an arrest on a few pulsations “i Agnosticism can never
become the creed of the great mass of any people,but if it
should be taught by the philosophy of the day,I fear its influ .
ence on the youth , who might be led , not to amuse themselves
with it, bu t by faith to adopt it, and would find some of the
hindrances to vice removed,and some of the incentives to evil
encouraged . I t destroys the foundation of all religions,and
those w ho receive such a system must prepare themselves to
part with all the consolation they ever received from religion .
Now,weigh well what y ou have read . The testimony of the
first man is,that important lessons in Biology have been
learned—but not the lesson—and that after eighteen years ofpatient research
,there has not been found one l ink to connect
the iron chain of reasoning.And what has been learned are meresignals for caution . Then the president of Princeton College
,
uniting his voice with thousands of others,warning the youth
of our land to beware of the quagmire of infidelity,which so
many of them are rushing madly into .
But if there was not one man who had moral courage enough
to speak one word against Evolution,there is a monument
,the
echo of whose voice has sounded through forty centuries,say
ing to the scientific of tod ay ,“ I look down with disdain upon
this progressive age I transcend by fifty feet t he pinnacles of
+ I I Q +
St . Peter at Rome ; I am the most accurately oriented buildingin the world ; my foundation covers thirteen acres of ground
the immense blocks of stone of which I am built are eight
feet in length nearly the same in breadth,and five feet in
thickness ; these rise i n ti ers , one above the other , comprising
t wo hundred and sixty layers,m aking my height f our hundred
and eighty - four feet. How these stones were quarried,adj usted
,
and by what machinery l ifted,defies the best engineers of the
present day to answer . I have witnessed the ruin of many
empires , yet remained silent for four thousand years, but now I
will utter forth the voice of God in lofty eloquence,and unfold
the prophecies Of H isWord,asking the atheistic world to un
ravel the mathematical and astronomical laby rinths of knowl
edge possessed by th e semi - brutes of the transition period .
The Royal Astronomer of Scotland,Prof. Smyth
,will explain
why I was built . Joseph Taylor G oodsir, F . R . S . E .,asserts
that sound science is n ot only a handmaid,but a defender of
sound religion,and brings m y adamantine materials to testify to
the state of the stellar heavens at the time of my building . I
help t o determine the date of the flood,and t o give con sistency
t o the chronology and history of diluvian and post - dil uvian
times . I testify to the importance of the physical sciences , ter
restrial and cosmical , n ot merely from the utili tarian , but from
a religious point of view . We thus see uni ted , science and
religion,testifying from my summit
,with re - awakened voice ,
j ust as they were intended to do more than four thousand years
ago . I am the oldest building, and I harmonize with the oldest
book . St . John,Vincent Day
,civ il engineer of Glasgow , and
numbers of others speak of me in a similar manner. And it
appears to me the most absurd of al l theories , that men j ust
emerging from monkeyhood,could understand the science of
the heavens and earth,better than those of this advanced age .
G od made man a powerful and highly intellectual being, butsome of them fee l their degeneracy so ke enly, they conclude
they must be nearly related to some brute . “ But I stand here
in my massive strengt h , testifying to the world that it required
more science than Evolutioni sts possess to buil d me , and when
I am properly understood I wi ll cause the advocates of this
blighting system to stagger with the weight of their own convic
tions . And my v oice will be heard when the brutalizing athe
i sm of thi s progressive age lie s buried by'
i t s infidel brothers ,Porphy ry , Julian , V oltaire , Hume and Bolingbroke .
l
~i~i i 4 i
as THE 117-1531! warns alk
OF ACONFEDERATE SOLDIER .
OUSI N the tide of l ife is ebbing fast,
And the gates of death will soon be past .
Come now,and kneel close by my side
,
And list as life doth swit l y glide .
Thou hast shared with me my grie f and j oys
We ’ve known and loved since we were boys .
Do you remember one bright spring- like day ?
When the birds sang sweet est in the month of May ?
How we gathered our hats full of lo vely flowers,
And chased th e bu tterflies for many hours
There played with us a lit tl e girl,with dark brown hair ,
And eyes, and rosy, dimpled cheeks , and skin so fair .
We gathered shells on the sea - beach strand,
And I read your mind, as you traced on sand ,
Lines to one you loved . Since then her'
name
Has ever been your theme,and guidin g star to fame .
Alas ! our childhood’s gone,our years have flown .
We l ittle boys have now to manhood grown .
What’s that we hear ? our gun ’s call ! the band !
Blood has been spilt ! Distress is o ’er our land !
Strong hearts must break at this the parting hour.
The die is cast,and storm - clouds o ’
er us lower .
There is a being,pure—a noble lover ’s pride ,
Soon to become his lovely, childish bride .
Then hearts will bleed at war’s stern blast,And brightest hopes be relegated t o the past .
Well do I remember on that eve serene ,The tears and sadness of that parting scene .
You thought you felt the keenest pan g,For with much gaiety I talked and sang.
But there was smothered flame , a fire
Consumed my heart . I feared t ha t ire
Would take th e place o f brothers love.
I tell thee al l,for soon above
+ 1 1 5 +
The trial s of this mocking life
I sweet shall rest from passion ’s strife .
Tell her—m y life I laid on my country’s shrine .
M y last wish was, she should be thine .
I ’d fain have her weep , with drooping head ,When y ou return with glad and gallant tread ,For I shall live
,though numbered wi th the dead .
Live with my Lord . Death has no dread .
With leagued oppression poured by northern hate
I shudder for m y friends , but may their fate
Be that of Spartan bold,and Therm opylae
,
Their watchword ever , Death or Liberty !
For I would rather fill an honored sold ier ’ s grave ,Than crouch t o Tyranny—a conquered slave .
Of those at home,I would n ow like t o Speak
,
Raise my head - Some water. Ah ! so weak .
This l ook of hair I send my aged mother .
M y sword I so cherished , to my oldest b rother .
Tell them,upheld by fai th I do not fear
Christ is my surety ; my release is near .
M ore air ! Water ! Oh ! this anguished breath .
Farewell friends ! farewell ! The soldier lay in death .
+ 1 1 6 +
—>aic THE em) GRHPEYINE.
APA, spare that lovely vine .
My hear t will ever round it twine .
Don ’t tear it from its rustic home,
It cares n ot for a co stly dome .
Oft my play -house I have made ,And laid m y doll s beneath i t s shade .
Who would n o t love this fa i ry bower
Where life seemed but on e j oyous hour
Well d o I remember many a time,
Of stealin g grapes from this aged vine,
While the other children would j ump with glee,
And say ,“ Throw the m down ! Papa wont see .
”
I t s tendrils doth around me cling,
And ’neath i t s sh ade I often sing.
I ’ve watched it bear for si x l ong years ,It ’
s heard my laugh and seen my tears .
Then,Papa
,do n ot scorn my tear
,
Though weak to y ou it m ay appear .
But spare for me this aged vine,
Whose tendrils round my heart- strings twine.
44
Some may say , as Schopenhauer and Hartmann,that morals
and religion are necessary for the masses . But the sun of
genius will shed a halo so bright,that even
‘
l icent i ousness will
be overshadowed .
Mary Clemmer and others who say that George Eliot ’smoral nature was too seraphic to be commented on by common
people , are but echoing the v oice of Sandoval,when he de
clared the p rofligate Alexander, of the house of Medici , to be
a person o f excellent manners,and although he acknowledges
his licentiousness , Sandoval makes him so fascinat in g - that he
charmed those Florentines , whose dukedom he had usurped,and whose wives and daughters he had di shon ouredf Another
in speaking of th e Medici,says “ Their having restored
knowledge and elegance will in time obliterate their faults .Their usurpation
,tyranny, pride , perfidy , and inces t , will be
remembered no more . Future generations will forget their
a trocious crimes , in fond admiration .
” Is not this the prevail
ing sentiment which encircles the memory of George E liot ?Some may think this dark shading for so bright a picture an d
it is with feelings of regret that I have thus to deface what
might have thrilled all with del ight. But there is a secluded
spot on the landscape , which is but seldom seen . Look at thatlone cypress tree—beneath its dark shades sits a woman indeep distress ! Hear her crie s of anguish , as she drops a halfOpened letter
,exclaiming,
“ My husband has forsaken me !
Forgotten those sacred vows he uttered in the presence of
God and man ! My hands are cold, and my heart throbs wi th
pain ! Oh ! let me be hurled—anywhere ! Anywhere ! out ofthe world !” When we ask who i s this ? some one whispers ,M rs. Lewes
,the heart- broken wife of the man who once trav
elod over Europ e and Ameri ca with George Eliot. Yet this
star,wh
’
ose radiance every woman might have delighted to
bask in , darkly excluded every ray of hOp e from an innocent
and lawful wife . And shall we palliate such turpitude ? Or
countenance that crime which cuts up order and virtue by the
roots, and violates th e sanctity of happiness to many homes
God forbid that the women of the United States should ever
lower their standard of right,though a Sarah Bernhardt should
fascinate with her art,and a George Eliot charm with
'
her tal
ents . With feelings of pride we view the Parnassian territory
which the former is now invading,and the latter has occupied .
Ye t we must regret”
that the purity of their hearts has n ot
eclipsed the brilliancy of their m inds .
->3lC TH ERE IS NO HHRIXI IN IT.3th !
HERE are few lovers of pleasure who have not made useof this phrase , and its alluring appearance , masked with
innocence , has drawn more into the vortex of ruin , thanany other in the English language . Few are systematically
,or
p rem edi tat ivel y wicked , or propose to themselves more than
those indulgences wh ich they are persuaded there is no harmin.
” But the expression is so vague that every one can furnish
his own definition , and each on e can extend the limits a littl e
farther, until the bounds which fenced Ou t , permitted no unlawful and unpermitted pleasures, are gradually broken - down
,
and all marks of them obliterated . I am satisfied there
are many fashi onable women and men,who are daily dissemina
ting mischief by indulging in the dangerous notion that there
is no harm in anything short of positive vice .
” Shaksp eare
says “ You are the makers of manners,
” speaking of those
who occupy prominent positions in society ; and if such be
makers; they should be guardian s of public taste and virtue . I
fear too few,give this important subj ect the thought that is due
it,or we would not hear those who guide the y oung , indulge in
the baneful use of slang. Should not the Obj ect Of conversation be to elevate rather than degrade ? Is n ot slang super
fluous,indecent and degrading ? I am aware that many ladies
talk in inuendoes,and if they could hear the meaning echoed
back,their modesty would be shocked . For when they touch
'
the note of slang, there are vibrations to the lowest thought i n
the bosoms of most m en , and how often they condemn with
their tongues,what they approve by their sm iles ! There are
but few meetings where golden coins of the imagination are in
t erchanged , like those of the gallant S ir Philip S idney, and S ir
Walter Raleigh,when they met ’neath the cool shades of their
loved Mulga . Oh ! would that those who indulge in slang,
could see how much dross,and how littl e pure gold they have
from each conversation . They certainly would not say there is
no harm in it,because it is almost universally adopted . And
the advocate for dancing will bring in a similar argument,with
an appendage that it is better to dance than slander your
neighbor .—This I admit , for envy is the main - spring to slander,
and those who indulge in either,are like the loathsome toad
which cannot pass the fairest flower without casting its filthyfroth on it .
+ 1 20 4
Bu t proving that slandering is the greater of the two evils,does
n ot by any means prove there is no harm in dancing. If you had
committed homicide , would you like your lawyer to commence
his defense,by asserting your crime might have been darker ?
Sallust,the Pagan historian of the great Roman conspirator
,
said that his mistress was too good a dancer to be a virtuous
woman . If there is any impropriety in wasting time and
talents,or in being hugged very closely
,then there must be harm
in dancing . You hear this fashionab le amusement denounced
by most church m embers and minist ers ; yet they are in con si s
tent enough to attend a circus , and not only encourage the most
d isgraceful modes of dancing,but licentiousness
,both by their
presence and purses . They must have a very elastic consci ence
to fit all occasi ons .
There is another fashionable evil indulged in by some of our
best ladies and gent lemen . I allude to card playing, which is
equally as fascinating as dancing,and a simp le game of cards
has oft en led to gambling, which is a twin brother to dissipation ,and both destroy happiness and fortune . Then
,if so much
harm can resul t from a glass of w ine,or a gam e of cards
,should
we n ot abstain from the very appearance of evil ? We ought
to rem ember that gamblers and , drunkards are not born , but
m ade, by the iron fetters of habit . There seems to be a mys :
t erious mania in some fashionable circles , for the society of any,save wife
,or husband
,and I believe this custom is doing more
to stab dom estic felicity to t he heart, than any ign is f atuns the .
deluded ever followed , and is giving to the reporters those
ghastly stat istics .
The Ewam iner spoke of some time since , —one hundr ed andeighty - eight deaths resulting from j ealousy alone . This stern
fact,alarm ing as i t is, gives the gleanings of but one reporter,
and if a few of those horrible scenes which preceded those
deaths, could be presented to the view of fash ionab le men and
women, who are almost strangers around their own hearth
st ones, they certainly would awaken from their com p lacent
dreams,and real iz e that it will only be a question of time , ere
t hey pass through similar trial s, uunle ss they cease to apply to
their consciences that fatal opiate: There is no harm in any
thing which custom approves .
” I f we could only rise superior
to th e illusion of fashion , and analyze every practice b efore we
adop t it, we might so raise our characters , that we would make
the next age better, and have posterity in our debt, for the.ed
vantages it wi ll receive by our examp le .
4- 1 2 2 —1
—>aic rut: 1371 11"t en eflnvasmeu.sis
S I wandered o ’er the sea - beach fair ,I heard a noise so strange and rare .’Twas n o t the Splash of silver wave
That sighs and moans over many a grave .
NO ’twas the cannon’s fit fu l roar ,Thundering along our lovely shore .
In breathless haste I onward sped,
N ot knowing where m y pa thway led ,Until I stood in the battle’s face
,
To witness the passion of the human race .
Our forces were commanded by Magruder .
If not the purest,we have seen ruder
,
For he has taken on e sip at the cup of fame ,Which will ever give him an immortal name .
But to return to our subj ect again,
Which we can revert to without shame .
The battl e was raging in the m idst of night.
The firing was terrific to our sight,
Thundering of guns,as they lavished forth
Their volleys of hatred to the Isle of the South .
I thought Pluto might be venting his ire .
The waves appeared like billows of fire.
G ol iah~l ike,the mighty ironclads
Had dared our brave and trusting lads,
To the gulf which they seemed destined t o keep ,They would give their bodies to the fish of the deep .
Ah ! our men waver ; they’ve accomplished their fete
The battle ’s won and their victory is complete .
Hark ! there ’s noise in another direction ;Lo ! we have been under God ’s protect ion .
The king of the waters rides proudly on ,Not heeding the burst of t he peltin g storm ,
+ 1 2 3 +
Behold he reaches the proud Harriet Lane,
The men shoot, as if th ey were all insane ;Their enemies waver, their column melts away ,But the N eptune is wounded and cannot stay
To rej o i ce . SO flying to his brother near,
He parts with h is men he loves so dear,
And takes his calm and glorious sleep,
’Neath the foaming waves of the briny deep
Agai n the enemy rally ; and on deck they fly ,Vengeance beaming from every eye .
But alas,they are soon hurled below .
God is above man’s vain boast and show .
Ah ! they are surrendering to our noble few,
Aurora is smiling, and bespangl ing with dew
Our lovely flag of red,white and blue .
This proclaimed to the Venice of Texas the story,
That v ictory perched on her banner of glory .
Galveston was free from terror and spoil ,And blood had been Spilt on Lone Star State soil .
Mars has called His warriors home ;Th ey are wai ting to welcome all that come
Where the cannon ’s roar will b e heard no more,
On that calm , peaceful , celestial shore .
“ The true friend is n ot he who holds up flat tery’s mirror,
I n which to thy conceit,most pl easing hovers,
But he who shows thee al l th y vices , sirrah
And helps to mend them ere an enemy discovers
w ilt INYOGHTION 3R
WR ITTEN D UR I N G TH E CI V IL WAR .
0
H Lord,no longer hide Thy face
,
Bless us with Thy loving grace ,Let our prayers reach Thy throne
Not our will , but Thine be done .
We are sinful , Thou canst forgive ,For Jesus ’ sake , Oh ! let us live ;We are in the shroud of grief
,
Smile again,and give rel ief.
List ! Hope,with her cheering voice
,
B ids our aching hearts rej oice .
M an can do naught without God’s power ;
Of t he fades like summer flower ;Israel ’s trials came through sin ,Repentance did God ’s blessing win ;Each father pities h is child ’s distress
,
Our heavenly Parent wil l n ot do less ;Let us hum ble us, and kiss the dust,And He wi l l wipe away th e rust
From our hearts,and fi ll with love
,
For all that is good,in our home above .
Our troubles will vanish as the mist of a day,
When God shall change our night into day .
Read n ot to con tradict , nor'
to believe , but to weigh , and
consider . Some books are t o be tasted , others to be swallowed,an d some few to be chewed andd igest ed . Histories make men
wise,Poe ts witty
,Mathematics subtile , Natural Philosophy
deep,Morals grave
,Logic and Rhetoric
,ab le to contend .
+ 1 2 6 +
->3lC MIIrItER ll’fi BURNS.it‘s
I G H T you not, on yon slanting beam
Of moonlight kneeling to th e Doon ,Descend once more
,to this hallowed stream ?
Sure y ou stars y ield enough of l ight,
To spare from heaven thy face one night .
i t i t
The meek - eyed stars are cold and white
And steady fixed for al l the years,
The comet burns the wing of night
And dazzles elements and spheres
Then d ies I n b eauty and a blaze,
Of light b lown far through other days .
Canute,the Danish king of England
,being disgusted with
the flattery Of h is subj ects , rebuked their folly, by commanding
his chair t o be set by the edge of the water, whi le the tide was
rising,so that he might compe l the rude waters to depart from
his dominions . But the billows heeded not h is kingly com
mands whereupon he called on his servile flat t erers, to re
member how feebl e was the sway ofk ings,in comparison with
the King of Kings .”
fi fi dwhfi éfi
Brother the boquet which thou hast given me ,Shall b loom long
,and fresh in my memory
Nothing did so p leasantly,m y hours beguile
As the fragrance of flowers,and thy smile .
«fi ner—H —fi e
Like our shadows,our wishes lengthen , as our sun declines
”.
