SAUL AND JESUS.

Without the limits of this earthly sphere,

Immeasurable distances beyond

The region of the utmost fixed stars,

Nay, high above all height, transcending space,

Transcending time, subsists a different world,

Invisible, inapprehensible

To whatsoever power of human sense,

All unimaginable even — so far

Removed from aught that ever we on earth

Have seen, or heard, or felt, or known, or guessed.

Believed in only, and not otherwise

Than to the vision of meek Faith revealed

( Though indefeasible inheritance

Reserved for her fruition after death ),

Yet is that world unknown substantial more

Than all this solid-seeming universe

Of matter round about us that assaults

Our senses daily with its imminence,

Its impact, as if nothing else were real!

But till the destined moment, we must deem,

Much more, must speak, of that transcendent world,

And of our human brethren there insphered,

In figure borrowed of our mortal state.

While those things nigh Damascus so befell,

And now the night was almost waned to morn,

Its different morning in that different world

Dawned to the saints forever summering there

In bliss and glory with their glorious Lord.

Morning in the celestial Paradise

Is not as morning here, new-springing day

Crescent the same out of eclipsing night:

No night is there, and therefore no vicissitude

Of dark and bright to separate the days.

Yet condescends our Father to their frame,

Still finite though immortal, still in need

Of changes to diversify their state,

And punctuate into periods the smooth lapse,

Else cloying with prolonged beatitude,

Of that eternal dateless life serene

Lived by the happy souls in Paradise;

Our Father condescends and gives them days

And days, with difference of each from each,

That they may reckon up and date their bliss;

No night is there, but without night a morn.

Morning in Paradise is perfect light

Ineffably more fair become to-day

Than yesterday, forever, through more fair

Disclosure, dawn on dawn, eternally

Made of the glory of the face of Him

In whom to His beloved God still shines.

Morn such had risen once more in Paradise,

When there a group elect together drawn,

Wearing a brow of expectation each,

Stood on a flowery hill enringed around

To be almost an island with a loop

Of river, the river of life, that lucent flowed

Mirroring ranks of trees along its banks

Ruddy or gold in gleams of fruitage seen

Glimpsing against the rich green of their leaves —

Here stood a chosen group who waited now

Tidings a messenger to come should bring.

These were those all who lately on the earth

Had suffered death for Jesus’ sake through Saul —

All saving Stephen; he, at point of dawn

That morning, had been summoned by his Lord

To bear from Him some embassy of grace.

The man born blind was there whom Jesus healed

To double seeing, seeing of the soul,

As of the body, and whom not the threat

Of stripes, of stones, and not the blandishment

Of gentle words from lips with power of death

Could bribe to live at cost of least unfaith

Toward his Light-giver and Redeemer Lord —

He, and a little company besides,

Women with men, who like him lightly recked

Of loss but for a moment then and there

Compared with that far more exceeding weight

Of glory now, in over-recompense,

Forever and forever sealed their own.

This little group, beyond their happy wont

Beatified with hope that heavenly morn,

Soon greet one coming whose irradiate brow

Bespeaks him fresh from audience with the King;

Stephen it was, whose earthly-shining face

Was shadow to the brightness now it wore.

The martyr to his fellow-martyrs brought

Glad tidings; they were all that day to see

Break forth in power the glory of the Lord.

“Saul,” Stephen said, “still breathes his threatening out

And slaughter aimed against the church of Christ;

He journeys to Damascus in this mind.

But the Lord Christ will meet him in the way

And overthrow him with resistless light.

Ours is to tarry on this pleasant hill

Of prospect, and, hence gazing, all behold,

Tasting a sweet revenge of Paradise,

To see our prayers fulfilled, in Saul become

From persecutor brother well-beloved,

And builder from destroyer of the church.”

So these there sat them down upon the mount.

Here, gaze turned ever earthward, they in talk

Of earthly things that still were dear to them

Consumed the happy heavenly hours, until,

To those their native Syrian climes, drew nigh

Noontide; then, in a new theophany,

The transit of a shadow!— seldom seen

There where was neither sun, nor moon, nor star,

But all was equal universal light —

Came sudden notice to their eyes to watch

The Messianic dread procession forth,

Christ in the majesty of solitude,

Swifter than meteor's fall, from Paradise.

HE, purposed not to slay, only cast down

Saul from the top of his presumptuous pride,

And break him from his disobedient will,

Would not in His essential glory meet

His creature, lest he be abolished quite,

But dimmed Himself with splendor which, more bright

Than the supreme effulgence of the sun

At mid-day in a crystal firmament,

Fixed, but more vivid than the fleeting flash

Of lightning when its beam burns most intense,

Was splendor yet of ray less luminous

Than the accustomed radiance of His face,

And showed as cloud against that shining sky.

For, in that unimaginable world

Of perfect, purged from sin and sin's defect,

The senses of the blest inhabitants,

Their organs and their faculties, are all

Inured to bear with ease, with pleasure bear,

Continuance and intensity of light

That mortal frames like ours would quite consume.

Those there from light need neither change nor rest,

Their proper substance is illuminate,

And their bliss is to bathe themselves in light,

And light, more light, drunk in at every pore

From the bright omnipresence of the Lord,

Revealed each day brighter forevermore,

Makes their eternal life eternal joy.

But on this day select of many days,

The happy people all of Paradise

Saw Jesus as a darkness of less light,

A glancing shadow, pass from out their sphere —

The most unweeting whither or why He went;

But those knew who kept vigil on the mount.

These had their sense for sight and sound that day

Exalted to seraphic keen and clear

Beyond the glorious wont of Paradise;

While a circumfluous ether interfused

For their behoof between where thus they stood

And where they earthward looked, a subtile air,

A discontinuous element rare like space,

Was now such vehicle, so voluble,

For lightest appulse to both eye and ear

Supernal, thrice sevenfold refined, as made

Seem nigh things seen or heard, however far.

Fixed to behold and hearken thus at ease,

They saw afar two pilgrim companies,

Where, near Damascus, these a shady tuft

Of grove or thicket, in the arid waste

Of burning sand, at noontide hour had found,

For rest and coolness ere their goal they gained.

Those pilgrims just in act, as seemed, to start

Anew upon the way for their last stage

Of going, one, well recognized for Saul —

Remounted not from halt, but some few steps

Leading his horse with bridle-rein remiss

Along his destined path — comrade beside,

Was by this comrade asked, as in discourse

After suspense renewed: “How was it, then,

Through what offence, that he deserved his death?

Since atheist not, and not idolater,

Nor yet of those Samaritan heretics,

Wherein did Stephen fail of loyalty?”

“Traitor was he,” said Saul, “to our chief hope,

He taught that Jesus Nazarene was Christ;

Nay, that impostor, he, blaspheming, made

Coequal partner of the eternal throne

And solitary majesty of God;

Worst of idolatry such blasphemy!

Jesus of Nazareth anathema!”

Almost, at this, a shudder of horror ran

Chill through the spiritual pure corporeal frames

Wherein were housed those blessed essences,

Hearing from earth such words in Paradise!

They then considered at what cost were bought

Perpetual consciousness of things terrene!

Watched they meanwhile that cloud of glory go

Darkened wherein the Lord of light was hid.

Incredibly though swift its far descent,

Yet answerably swift their vision was,

As swift likewise the motion of their mind;

And so they plainly saw how, by degrees,

What shadow was, in the celestial sphere,

Became a growing brightness as it went,

Until, within the bounds of sunshine come,

That mild beclouded glory, still unchanged,

Paled with its bright the brilliance of the sun.

Hardly those watchers dare keep looking, pierced

With a redeemed fine sympathy for Saul,

And marvelling, “Such light can he bear and live?”

To Saul himself no interval there seemed;

Instant, with his anathema, down smote

That awful light on him, and straight to earth

Prostrate as dead he fell, yet heard a Voice,

Awful not less, speak twice his name, “Saul, Saul,”

And, “Wherefore dost thou persecute Me?” ask.

Then further these deep searching words to him:

“Hard findst it thou to kick against the pricks!”

“Who art Thou, Lord?” came trembling forth from Saul,

Whereby their brother yet alive those knew.

“Jesus I am, Jesus of Nazareth,

The crucified, whom thou dost persecute,”

They heard Messiah say, and thrilled with joy

Of gratitude to feel afresh that He

Suffered when any suffered for His sake,

And bled in wounds that made His brethren bleed,

Joining Himself to them, by fellowship

Of passion, they in Him and He in them,

The living members with the living Head

Mysteriously incorporate in one.

Thus a sweet thrill of grateful love to Him,

Their Saviour, trembled in those heavenly breasts,

While in suspense of balanced hope and fear —

The fear but such as made the hope more bliss —

They waited what their brother next would say.

But in the prostrate man, at such reply,

Felt from amidst that imminent light descend,

“I Jesus am whom thou dost persecute,”

Thought following thought, a fleet succession, flew

The boundless blank astonishment was brief

Which, as with wing world-wide of hurricane,

Shadowy, his mind bewildering overswept.

‘ Such power of splendor his, the Nazarene's!

Jesus had launched that thunderbolt of light!

The Lord of Glory then the crucified!’

The momentary hurricane was past,

But passing it had overturned the world.

Saul vividly saw Stephen as that day

He shone Shekinah in the temple court

Effulgent with a milder light like this;

‘ And this was that which Stephen prophesied!

How madly had he kicked against the pricks!’

Next, Stephen martyr stood before his eyes

Uplifting holy hands to heaven in prayer,

On poise for that translation to his Lord

Wherein his, Saul's, the murderer's part had been!

And Rachel flashed in vision on his mind,

Pathetically beautiful, once more,

As on that moonlit eve at Bethany!

The sisters there, and Lazarus — with Ruth

Exalted in her mother-majesty!

Hirani, then, in his simplicity

Perplexed before the Sanhedrim, but borne

In ecstasy above them far away,

Thence looking down upon them all, a light

Fair on his forehead like the light of stars;

All these things in his past, with many more —

Instant, at sudden summons of his mind,

To swear against him his own blasphemy —

Shot through Saul's spirit, as the lightning leaps,

Rapid, one leap, from end to end of heaven.

‘ This dreadful splendor was not vengeance all,

It had not slain him, he was thinking still!

A grace was in the glory, oh, how fair!’

The features of a Face began to dawn

Upon him in the darkness of that light;

As the sun shineth in his strength, it shone,

An awful Meekness mild with Majesty!

The outward light light to his soul became —

A light of knowledge of the glory of God

To Saul, seen in the face of Jesus Christ!

‘ It would be freedom to serve such a Lord!’

The passion of rebellion all was gone,

A passion of obedience in its place;

The will that hated had dissolved away,

And will no more was left, but only love.

This love which was obedience spoke and asked,

“Lord Jesus, what wilt thou have me to do?”

The Brightness of the Father's Glory said:

“Rise thou, and stand upon thy feet, for I

Have to this end appeared to thee, to make

Thee minister and witness both of what

This day thou hast beheld and of those things

Wherein I after will appear to thee,

Delivering thee from Jewish enemies

And from the Gentiles unto whom I now

Send thee, their eyes to unseal and them to turn

From darkness unto light, and from the power

Of Satan unto God, that they of sins

Forgiveness may receive, and heirs become

Among those sanctified through faith in Me.”

Saul heard, and in his heart of hearts obeyed;

And his whole life thenceforth obedience was —

Whereof the greater song remains to sing,

If so be God vouchsafe such grace to me.

But Jesus to His servant further said,

“Hence now into Damascus city go;

There fully shall be shown thee all thy way.”

A way indeed stain-traced in blood and tears,

As Saul foresaw to Rachel; but in tears

And blood his own thereafter to the end,

Even to the end of that apostleship.

Yet glorious end! Already then afar

Will kindle the dark earth with many a ray,

Never to be extinguished, of heaven's light

Caught from the torch that this world-wandering man,

This flying angel fledged with winged feet

Tireless, this heart of love unquenchable,

Has borne abroad, when, now the good fight fought,

Finished his course, the faith full kept, he, last,

With aged eagle eyes strained forward, sees

The crown of righteousness laid up for him

Which Christ, the Righteous Judge, will give him then,

Give him in that forever-imminent Day —

Nor him alone, as his vicarious soul

Swells to remember, but all them likewise

Who shall have loved the appearing of the Lord.

The transit of a thought athwart the brain —

What computation for such speed in flight!

What reckoning of the number of the thoughts

That in an individual instant will

Chase one another through a human mind

In never-sundered continuity

Of change! The measureless diameters

Of being that a mortal man may cross

From one pulse to another of the blood!

How, in the twinkling of an eye, become

The spirit its own polar opposite!

Between his Lord's reply, “I Jesus am,”

And his own further question instant asked,

“Lord Jesus, what wilt Thou have me to do?”

That prostrate proud young Hebrew penitent

The utmost stretch of longitude traversed

That can divide two different selves in man —

He from rebellious to obedient passed,

Blasphemer was adoring worshipper,

The Pharisee was Christian, Saul was Paul.

At witness of the wondrous change, the joy,

The grateful joy, within those friendly minds

Above who saw it, borne to ecstasy

Of gladness, was triumphal, and broke forth

In singing such as heard in Paradise:

“Glory to God, and to our Saviour Lord,

For one more captive to the heavenly thrall;

For one more human soul to heaven reclaimed

From hell, and star set in Christ's diadem!

For one more witness, an apostle new,

Like angel flying through mid-heaven, to fly

And wing the Gospel wide throughout the world!

Thanks to thee, Christ, for that his name is SAUL!”

Heard was this quiring song afar, and heaven

Her other joy suspended at the sound:

And every echoing hill of Paradise,

Each grove, each grotto, every fountain-side,

With every bank of river, every glen,

And every bowery, flowery wide champaign

Where angels bask in bliss, took up the strain

And rang it swelling to the highest heaven;

While harpers harped it to their harps, and palms

Were rhythmic waved in music to the eye,

And the trees clapped their hands, and God was pleased.

So they in Paradise, who saw and heard

Truly; Saul's fellow-pilgrims nigh at hand

Vacantly wondered, who, though they the light

Beheld, and heard the voice speak, missed the sense.

Sergius, recovered from his first surprise

And terror, mused within himself, and found,

Remembering words from Saul against the gods,

Easy solution of the mystery;

‘ Pan roared at him from out the copse-wood nigh,

With wholesome punishment of fear infused

Avenging his despised divinity;

While lord Apollo twanged his silver bow

And shot at him a shaft of blinding light;

The gods of right are wroth to be reviled!’

Saul from the ground arose a sightless man;

The glory that not slew had blinded him.

His steed he would not mount again to ride,

But chose, humbly, and guided by the hand,

Footing to go among his followers.

Who, that blithe morning, as the morning blithe,

Forth for Damascus from Jerusalem

Rode breathing threat and slaughter quenchless sworn

Against the church of Jesus Nazarene,

Entered the city walking, led and blind,

Bondslave thenceforth to the One Worthy Name.