the complete poetical works-第213节

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breezes。

Love　is　the　root　of　creation；　God's　essence；　worlds　without

number

Lie　in　his　bosom　like　children；　he　made　them　for　this　purpose

only。

Only　to　love　and　to　be　loved　again；　he　breathed　forth　his　spirit

Into　the　slumbering　dust；　and　upright　standing；　it　laid　its

Hand　on　its　heart；　and　felt　it　was　warm　with　a　flame　out　of

heaven。

Quench；　oh　quench　not　that　flame！　It　is　the　breath　of　your　being。

Love　is　life；　but　hatred　is　death。　Not　father；　nor　mother

Loved　you；　as　God　has　loved　you；　for　't　was　that　you　may　be

happy

Gave　he　his　only　Son。　When　he　bowed　down　his　head　in　the　death…

hour

Solemnized　Love　its　triumph；　the　sacrifice　then　was　completed。

Lo！　then　was　rent　on　a　sudden　the　veil　of　the　temple；　dividing

Earth　and　heaven　apart；　and　the　dead　from　their　sepulchres　rising

Whispered　with　pallid　lips　and　low　in　the　ears　of　each　other

Th'　answer；　but　dreamed　of　before；　to　creation's　enigma；

Atonement！

Depths　of　Love　are　Atonement's　depths；　for　Love　is　Atonement。

Therefore；　child　of　mortality；　love　thou　the　merciful　Father；

Wish　what　the　Holy　One　wishes；　and　not　from　fear；　but　affection

Fear　is　the　virtue　of　slaves　；　but　the　heart　that　loveth　is

willing

Perfect　was　before　God；　and　perfect　is　Love；　and　Love　only。

Lovest　thou　God　as　thou　oughtest；　then　lovest　thou　likewise　thy

brethren：

One　is　the　sun　in　heaven；　and　one；　only　one；　is　Love　also。

Bears　not　each　human　figure　the　godlike　stamp　on　his　forehead

Readest　thou　not　in　his　face　thou　origin？　Is　he　not　sailing

Lost　like　thyself　on　an　ocean　unknown；　and　is　he　not　guided

By　the　same　stars　that　guide　thee？　Why　shouldst　thou　hate　then

thy　brother？

Hateth　he　thee；　forgive！　For　't　is　sweet　to　stammer　one　letter

Of　the　Eternal's　language；on　earth　it　is　called　Forgiveness！

Knowest　thou　Him；　who　forgave；　with　the　crown　of　thorns　on　his

temples？

Earnestly　prayed　for　his　foes；　for　his　murderers？　Say；　dost　thou

know　him？

Ah！　thou　confessest　his　name；　so　follow　likewise　his　example；

Think　of　thy　brother　no　ill；　but　throw　a　veil　over　his　failings；

Guide　the　erring　aright；　for　the　good；　the　heavenly　shepherd

Took　the　lost　lamb　in　his　arms；　and　bore　it　back　to　its　mother。

This　is　the　fruit　of　Love；　and　it　is　by　its　fruits　that　we　know

it。

Love　is　the　creature's　welfare；　with　God；　but　Love　among　mortals

Is　but　an　endless　sigh！　He　longs；　and　endures；　and　stands

waiting；

Suffers　and　yet　rejoices；　and　smiles　with　tears　on　his　eyelids。

Hope；so　is　called　upon　earth；　his　recompense；　Hope；　the

befriending；

Does　what　she　can；　for　she　points　evermore　up　to　heaven；　and

faithful

Plunges　her　anchor's　peak　in　the　depths　of　the　grave；　and

beneath　it

Paints　a　more　beautiful　world；　a　dim；　but　a　sweet　play　of

shadows！

Races；　better　than　we；　have　leaned　on　her　wavering　promise；

Having　naught　else　but　Hope。　Then　praise　we　our　Father　in

heaven；

Him；　who　has　given　us　more；　for　to　us　has　Hope　been

transfigured；

Groping　no　longer　in　night；　she　is　Faith；　she　is　living

assurance。

Faith　is　enlightened　Hope；　she　is　light；　is　the　eye　of

affection；

Dreams　of　the　longing　interprets；　and　carves　their　visions　in

marble。

Faith　is　the　sun　of　life　；　and　her　countenance　shines　like　the

Hebrew's；

For　she　has　looked　upon　God；　the　heaven　on　its　stable　foundation

Draws　she　with　chains　down　to　earth；　and　the　New　Jerusalem

sinketh

Splendid　with　portals　twelve　in　golden　vapors　descending。

There　enraptured　she　wanders。　and　looks　at　the　figures　majestic；

Fears　not　the　winged　crowd；　in　the　midst　of　them　all　is　her

homestead。

Therefore　love　and　believe；　for　works　will　follow　spontaneous

Even　as　day　does　the　sun；　the　Right　from　the　Good　is　an

offspring；

Love　in　a　bodily　shape；　and　Christian　works　are　no　more　than

Animate　Love　and　faith；　as　flowers　are　the　animate　Springtide。

Works　do　follow　us　all　unto　God；　there　stand　and　bear　witness

Not　what　they　seemed；but　what　they　were　only。　Blessed　is　he

who

Hears　their　confession　secure；　they　are　mute　upon　earth　until

death's　hand

Opens　the　mouth　of　the　silent。　Ye　children；　does　Death　e'er

alarm　you？

Death　is　the　brother　of　Love；　twin…brother　is　he；　and　is　only

More　austere　to　behold。　With　a　kiss　upon　lips　that　are　fading

Takes　he　the　soul　and　departs；　and；　rocked　in　the　arms　of

affection；

Places　the　ransomed　child；　new　born；　'fore　the　face　of　its

father。

Sounds　of　his　coming　already　I　hear；see　dimly　his　pinions；

Swart　as　the　night；　but　with　stars　strewn　upon　them！　I　fear　not

before　him。

Death　is　only　release；　and　in　mercy　is　mute。　On　his　bosom

Freer　breathes；　in　its　coolness；　my　breast；　and　face　to　face

standing

Look　I　on　God　as　he　is；　a　sun　unpolluted　by　vapors；

Look　on　the　light　of　the　ages　I　loved；　the　spirits　majestic；

Nobler；　better　than　I；　they　stand　by　the　throne　all

transfigured；

Vested　in　white；　and　with　harps　of　gold；　and　are　singing　an

anthem；

Writ　in　the　climate　of　heaven；　in　the　language　spoken　by

angels。

You；　in　like　manner；　ye　children　beloved；　he　one　day　shall


gather；

Never　forgets　he　the　weary；then　welcome；　ye　loved　ones；

hereafter！

Meanwhile　forget　not　the　keeping　of　vows；　forget　not　the

promise；

Wander　from　holiness　onward　to　holiness；　earth　shall　ye　heed

not

Earth　is　but　dust　and　heaven　is　light；　I　have　pledged　you　to

heaven。

God　of　the　universe；　hear　me！　thou　fountain　of　Love

everlasting；

Hark　to　the　voice　of　thy　servant！　I　send　up　my　prayer　to　thy

heaven！

Let　me　hereafter　not　miss　at　thy　throne　one　spirit　of　all

these；

Whom　thou　hast　given　me　here！　I　have　loved　them　all　like　a

father。

May　they　bear　witness　for　me；　that　I　taught　them　the　way　of

salvation；

Faithful；　so　far　as　I　knew；　of　thy　word；　again　may　they　know

me；

Fall　on　their　Teacher's　breast；　and　before　thy　face　may　I　place

them；

Pure　as　they　now　are；　but　only　more　tried；　and　exclaiming　with

gladness；

Father；　lo！　I　am　here；　and　the　children；　whom　thou　hast　given

me！〃



　　　Weeping　he　spake　in　these　words；　and　now　at　the　beck　of　the

old　man

Knee　against　knee　they　knitted　a　wreath　round　the　altar's

enclosure。

Kneeling　he　read　then　the　prayers　of　the　consecration；　and

softly

With　him　the　children　read；　at　the　close；　with　tremulous

accents；

Asked　he　the　peace　of　Heaven；　a　benediction　upon　them。

Now　should　have　ended　his　task　for　the　day；　the　following

Sunday

Was　for　the　young　appointed　to　eat　of　the　Lord's　holy　Supper。

Sudden；　as　struck　from　the　clouds；　stood　the　Teacher　silent　and

laid　his

Hand　on　his　forehead；　and　cast　his　looks　upward；　while　thoughts

high　and　holy；

Flew　through　the　midst　of　his　soul；　and　his　eyes　glanced　with

wonderful　brightness。

〃On　the　next　Sunday；　who　knows！　perhaps　I　shall　rest　in　the

graveyard！

Some　one　perhaps　of　yourselves；　a　lily　broken　untimely；

Bow　down　his　head　to　the　earth；　why　delay　I？　the　hour　is

accomplished；

Warm　is　the　heart；I　will！　for　to…day　grows　the　harvest　of

heaven。

What　I　began　accomplish　I　now；　what　failing　therein　is

I；　the　old　man；　will　answer　to　God　and　the　reverend　father。

Say　to　me　only；　ye　children；　ye　denizens　new…come　in　heaven；

Are　ye　ready　this　day　to　eat　of　the　bread　of　Atonement？

What　it　denoteth；　that　know　ye　full　well；　I　have　told　it　you

often。

Of　the　new　covenant　symbol　it　is；　of　Atonement　a　token；

Stablished　between　earth　and　heaven。　Man　by　his　sins　and

transgressions

Far　has　wandered　from　God；　from　his　essence。　'T　was　in　the

beginning

Fast　by　the　Tree　of　Knowledge　he　fell；　and　it　hangs　its　crown

o'er　the

Fall　to　this　day；　in　the　Thought　is　the　Fall；　in　the　Heart　the

Atonement。

Infinite　is　the　fall；the　Atonement　infinite　likewise。

See！　behind　me；　as　far　as　the　old　man　remembers；　and　forward；

Far　as　Hope　in　her　flight　can　reach　with　her　wearied　pinions；

Sin　and　Atonement　incessant　go　through　the　lifetime　of　mortals。

Sin　is　brought　forth　full…grown；　but　Atonement　sleeps　in　our

bosoms

Still　as　the　cradled　babe；　and　dreams　of　heaven　and　of　angels；

Cannot　awake　to　sensation；　is　like　the　tones　in　the　harp's

strings；

Spirits　imprisoned；　that　wait　evermore　the　deliverer's　finger。

Therefore；　ye　children　beloved；　descended　the　Prince　of

Atonement；

Woke　the　slumberer　from　sleep；　and　she　stands　now　with　eyes　all

resplendent。

Bright　as　the　vault　of　the　sky；　and　battles　with　Sin　and

o'ercomes　her。

Downward　to　earth　he　came　and；　transfigured；　thence　reascended；

Not　from　the　heart　in　like　wise；　for　there　he　still　lives　in

the　Spirit；

Loves　and　atones　evermore。　So　long　as　Time　is；　is　Atonement。

Therefore　with　reverence　take　this　day　her　visible　token。

Tokens　are　dead　if　the　things　live　not。　The　light　everlasting

Unto　the　blind　is　not；　but　is　born　of　the　eye　that　has　vision。

Neither　in　bread　nor　in　wine；　but　in　the　heart　that　is　hallowed

Lieth　forgiveness　enshrined；　the　intention　alone　of　amendment

Fruits　of　the　earth　ennobles　to　heavenly　things；　and　removes

all

Sin　and　the　guer