The Ancient Banner | Page 2

would pour
A larger
measure of his light below;
And as he chose unlearned fishermen

To spread his gospel when first introduced,
So now he passed mere
human learning by,
And chose an instrument, comparable
To the
small stone the youthful David used,
To smite the champion who
defied the Lord.
Apart from human dwellings, in a green
Rich
pasturage of England, sat a youth,
Who seemed a shepherd, for
around him there
A flock was feeding, and the sportive lambs

Gambolled amid the herbage. But his face
Bore evidence of sadness.
On his knee
The sacred book lay open, upon which
The youth
looked long and earnestly, and then,
Closing the book, gazed upward,
in deep thought
This was the instrument by whom the Lord


Designed to spread a clearer light below
And fuller reformation. He
appeared,
Like ancient Samuel, to be set apart
For the Lord's
service from his very birth.
Even in early childhood, he refrained

From youthful follies, and his mind was turned
To things of highest
moment. He was filled
With awful feelings, by the wickedness
He
saw around him. As he grew in years,
Horror of sin grew stronger;
and his mind
Became so clothed with sadness, and so full
Of
soul-felt longings, for the healing streams
Of heavenly consolation,
that he left
His earthly kindred, seeking quietude
In solitary places,
where he read
The book of inspiration, and in prayer,
Sought
heavenly counsel.
In this deep-proving season he was told,
Of
priests, whose reputation had spread wide
For sanctity and wisdom;
and from these
He sought for consolation,--but in vain.
One of
these ministers became enraged,
Because the youth had inadvertently

Misstepped within his garden; and a priest
Of greater reputation,
counselled him
To use tobacco, and sing holy psalms!
And the
inquirer found a third to be
But as an empty, hollow cask at best.

Finding no help in man, the youthful Fox,
Turned to a higher and a
holier source,
For light and knowledge. In his Saviour's school,
He
sat a scholar, and was clearly shown
The deep corruption, that had
overspread
Professing Christendom. And one by one,
The doctrines
of the Gospel, were unveiled,
To the attentive student,--doctrines,
which,
Though clearly written on the sacred page,
Had long been
hidden, by the rubbish man's
Perversions and inventions heaped
thereon.
He saw that colleges, could not confer,

A saving
knowledge of the way of Truth,
Nor qualify a minister to preach

The everlasting Gospel; but that Christ,
Is the true Teacher, and that
he alone
Has power to call, anoint, and qualify,
And send a Gospel
minister to preach
Glad tidings of salvation. He was shown,
No
outward building, made of wood and stone
Could be a holy
place,--and that the Church--
The only true and living Church--must
be
A holy people gathered to the Lord,
And to his teaching. He was
clearly taught,
The nature of baptism, by which souls
Are purified

and fitted for this Church;
That this was not, by being dipped into,

Or sprinkled with clear water, but it was
The one baptism of the Holy
Ghost.
He saw the Supper was no outward food,
Made and
administered by human hands,--
But the Lord's Table was within the
heart;
Where in communion with him, holy bread
Was blessed and
broken, and the heavenly wine,
Which cheers the fainting spirit,
handed forth.
The Saviour showed him that all outward wars,
Are
now forbidden,--that the warfare here,
Is to be waged within. Its
weapons too,
Though mighty, even to the pulling down,
Of the
strong holds of Satan, are yet all
The Spirit's weapons. He was shown,
that oaths
Judicial or profane, are banished from
The Christian
dispensation, which commands,
"Swear not at all." He saw the
compliments,--
Hat honour, and lip service of the world,
Sprang
from pride's evil root, and were opposed
To the pure spirit of Christ's
holy law.
And by His inward Light, was clearly seen
The perfect
purity of heart and life
For which that Saviour calls, who never asked,

Things unattainable.
These truths and others, being thus revealed,

Fox was prepared and qualified to preach,
The unveiled Gospel, to
the sons of men.
Clothed with divine authority, he went
Abroad
through Britain, and proclaimed that Light,
Which Christ's
illuminating Spirit sheds,
In the dark heart of man. Some heard of this,

Who seemed prepared and waiting, to receive
His Gospel message,
and were turned to Him,
Whose Holy Spirit sealed it on their hearts.

And not a few of these, were called upon,
To take the message, and
themselves declare
The way of Truth to others. But the Priests,

Carnal professors, and some magistrates,
Heard of the inward light,
and purity,

With indignation, and they seized upon,
And thrust the
Preacher within prison walls.
Not once alone, but often was he found,

Amid the very dregs of wickedness--
With robbers, and with
blood-stained criminals,
Locked up in loathsome jails. And when
abroad
Upon his Master's service, he was still
Reviled and buffeted,
and spit upon.
But none of these things moved him, for within
He
felt that soul-sustaining evidence,
Which bore his spirit high above

the waves,
Of bitter persecution.
But now the time approached, for
his release
From suffering and from labour. He had spent,
Long
years in travel for the cause of Truth,--
Not all in Britain,--for he
preached its light,
And power in Holland,--the West Indian isles,

And North America. Far through the wild,
And trackless wilderness,
this faithful man,
Carried his Master's message; he lived,
To see
Truth's banner fearlessly displayed
Upon both continents.