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Title: Edom
Author: John Castillo [
More Titles by Castillo]
(Isaiah lxiii. 1.)
O ye muses, assist me to sing,
Of the things which by faith I have seen;
Of the love of my Saviour and King,
While wandering on earth I have been.
That Him I so little have loved,
For this I have reason to mourn;
And for talents and time mis-improved,
In the days of my youth that are gone.
For neglect of the records divine,
Which so often did sound in mine ear;
My affections they did not incline,
I neglected like others to hear.
Like sheep did we all go astray,
And left the fair pastures serene;
Did wander from him far away,
Where terror and darkness were seen.
There in ambush our enemies lay,
As we roam’d o’er those desolate plains;
We became their unfortunate prey,
And were bound in affliction and chains.
We long in that sad plight did lie,
Nor had courage nor strength to look up;
Yet we oft cast a languishing eye,
To the hills from whence cometh our hope.
And there came one from Edom afar,
To whom the sad signal we gave;
He looked like a champion of war,
He was bloody—yet mighty to save!
And as swift to our rescue He came,
We related to Him all our grief,
He said that heaven heard us complain,
And ’twas He that had brought us relief.
“Who art thou?” then we fearfully said,
“Why so red in thy glorious array?
Like one who is sorely dismayed,
Through the burden and heat of the day?”
“I have come from the Father of lights,
That you in His glory may shine;
Whose throne is on high o’er all heights,
And the work of redemption is mine.
In His courts the great question was ask’d,
Who would rescue lost man from the grave?
I, my love and omnipotence task’d,
That the ruined and lost I might save!
Then stern Justice demanded his due,
And I looked for help but found none;
So my life I have laid down for you,
And have trodden the wine press alone.
“Look on me,” He said with a smile,
“’Twas for you I was bruised as ye see;
There was none for this wonderful toil,
And the burden fell all upon me!”
Then He lifted us up from the ground,
And He broke our tyrannical chain;
While His blood stream’d afresh from each wound,
And whoever it touch’d was made clean!
“The ransom, though mighty, is paid,
Therefore open your hearts to receive;
You need be no longer afraid
If you truly repent and believe!”
While sweet comfort thus flow’d from his tongue,
His visage though marr’d grew more fair;
With swift wings and angelical song,
He ascended on high in the air!
A bright cloud took Him out of our sight,
And our eyes could behold him no more;
He arose to the regions of light,
And left us to believe and adore!
[The end]
John Castillo's poem: Edom
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