  The scene of the poem changes, being transferred to Paradise. Here a group composed of those who had come to their death by the hands of Saul assemble, privileged by special grace to witness from their celestial station the happy overthrow and conversion of their late persecutor. Sergius applies his interpretation of the occurrence, and Saul finishes his journey on foot, blind, led by the hand into Damascus. SAUL AND JESUS.Without the limits of this earthly sphere, Immeasurable distances beyond The region of the utmost fixÉd 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, 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 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 belovÉd 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 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 "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, 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, 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. 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! 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; 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— 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, 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 '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— 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 wingÉd 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, 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, 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; 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, 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. THE END. Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error. |
|
