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WAS 1 Jesus chaste? or did He | |
| Give any lessons of chastity? | |
| The Morning blush`d fiery red: | |
| Mary was found in adulterous bed; | |
| Earth groan’d beneath, and Heaven above | 5 |
| Trembled at discovery of Love | |
| Jesus was sitting in Moses’ chair. | |
| They brought the trembling woman there. | |
| Moses commands she be ston’d to death. | |
| What was the sound of Jesus’ breath? | 10 |
| He laid His hand on Moses’ law; | |
| The ancient Heavens, in silent awe, | |
| Writ with curses from pole to pole, | |
| All away began to roll. | |
| The Earth trembling and naked lay | 15 |
| In secret bed of mortal clay; | |
| On Sinai felt the Hand Divine | |
| Pulling back the bloody shrine; | |
| And she heard the breath of God, | |
| As she heard by Eden’s flood: | 20 |
| ‘Good and Evil are no more! | |
| Sinai’s trumpets cease to roar! | |
| Cease, finger of God, to write! | |
| The Heavens are not clean in Thy sight. | |
| Thou art good, and Thou alone; | 25 |
| Nor may the sinner cast one stone. | |
| To be good only, is to be | |
| A God or else a Pharisee. | |
| Thou Angel of the Presence Divine, | |
| That didst create this Body of Mine, | 30 |
| Wherefore hast thou writ these laws | |
| And created Hell’s dark jaws? | |
| My Presence I will take from thee: | |
| A cold leper thou shalt be. | |
| Tho’ thou wast so pure and bright | 35 |
| That Heaven was impure in thy sight, | |
| Tho’ thy oath turn’d Heaven pale, | |
| Tho’ thy covenant built Hell’s jail, | |
| Tho’ thou didst all to chaos roll | |
| With the Serpent for its soul, | 40 |
| Still the breath Divine does move, | |
| And the breath Divine is Love. | |
| Mary, fear not! Let me see | |
| The seven devils that torment thee. | |
| Hide not from My sight thy sin, | 45 |
| That forgiveness thou may’st win. | |
| Has no man condemn`d thee?’ | |
| ‘No man, Lord.’ ‘Then what is he | |
| Who shall accuse thee? Come ye forth, | |
| Fallen fiends of heavenly birth, | 50 |
| That have forgot your ancient love, | |
| And driven away my trembling Dove. | |
| You shall bow before her feet; | |
| You shall lick the dust for meat; | |
| And tho’ you cannot love, but hate, | 55 |
| Shall be beggars at Love’s gate. | |
| What was thy love? Let Me see it; | |
| Was it love or dark deceit?’ | |
| ‘Love too long from me has fled; | |
| ’Twas dark deceit, to earn my bread; | 60 |
| ’Twas covet, or ’twas custom, or | |
| Some trifle not worth caring for; | |
| That they may call a shame and sin | |
| Love’s temple that God dwelleth in, | |
| And hide in secret hidden shrine | 65 |
| The naked Human Form Divine, | |
| And render that a lawless thing | |
| On which the Soul expands its wing. | |
| But this, O Lord, this was my sin, | |
| When first I let these devils in, | 70 |
| In dark pretence to chastity | |
| Blaspheming Love, blaspheming Thee, | |
| Thence rose secret adulteries, | |
| And thence did covet also rise. | |
| My sin Thou hast forgiven me; | 75 |
| Canst Thou forgive my blasphemy? | |
| Canst Thou return to this dark hell, | |
| And in my burning bosom dwell? | |
| And canst Thou die that I may live? | |
| And canst Thou pity and forgive?’ | 80 |
| Then roll’d the shadowy Man away | |
| From the limbs of Jesus, to make them His prey, | |
| An ever devouring appetite, | |
| Glittering with festering venoms bright; | |
| Crying ‘Crucify this cause of distress, | 85 |
| Who don’t keep the secrets of holiness, | |
| The mental powers by diseases we bind; | |
| But He heals the deaf, the dumb, and the blind. | |
| Whom God has afflicted for secret ends, | |
| He comforts and heals and calls them friends.’ | 90 |
| But, when Jesus was crucified, | |
| Then was perfected His galling pride. | |
| In three nights He devour’d His prey, | |
| And still He devours the body of clay; | |
| For dust and clay is the Serpent’s meat, | 95 |
| Which never was made for Man to eat. | |
