“If there arise among you a prophet.” Deut. 13. 1
J. Hart 8s
1
No prophet, or dreamer of dreams,
No master of plausible speech,
To live like an angel who seems,
Or like an apostle to preach;
No tempter, without or within,
No spirit, though ever so bright,
That comes crying out against sin,
And looks like an angel of light;
2
Though reason, though fitness he urge,
Or plead with the words of a friend,
Or wonders of argument forge,
Or deep revelations pretend;
Should meet with a moment’s regard,
But rather be boldly withstood,
If anything, easy or hard,
He teach, save the Lamb and his blood.
3
[Remember, O Christian, with heed,
When sunk under sentence of death,
How first thou from bondage wast freed –
Say, was it by works, or by faith?
On Christ thy affections then fixed,
What conjugal truth didst thou vow?
With him was there anything mixed?
Then what wouldst thou mix with him now?
4
If close to thy Lord thou wouldst cleave,
Depend on his promise alone;
His righteousness wouldst thou receive?
Then learn to renounce all thy own.
The faith of a Christian, indeed,
Is more than mere notion or whim;
United to Jesus, his Head,
He draws life and virtue from him.]
5
[Deceived by the father of lies,
Blind guides cry, Lo, here! and, Lo, there!
By these our Redeemer us tries,
And warns us of such to beware.
Poor comfort to mourners they give
Who set us to labour in vain;
And strive, with a “Do this and live,”
To drive us to Egypt again.]
6
But what says our Shepherd divine?
(For his blessed word we should keep)
“This flock has my Father made mine;
I lay down my life for my sheep;
’Tis life everlasting I give;
My blood was the price my sheep cost;
Not one that on me shall believe
Shall ever be finally lost.”
7
This God is the God we adore
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend;
Whose love is as large as his power,
And neither knows measure nor end.
’Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home:
We’ll praise him for all that is past,
And trust him for all that’s to come.
