| W. Garrett Horder, comp. The Poets’ Bible: New Testament. 1895. | | | | “When the Day of Pentecost Was Fully Come” | | Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821–1891) |
| | | AS yet it had not come, | |
| The eager soul was dumb, | |
| Hot thoughts oppressed; | |
| They could not yet pour out | |
| Joy’s free, exulting shout, | 5 |
| Must wait and rest. | |
| |
| Long hours of strange suspense, | |
| The strain of hope intense, | |
| So passed the days; | |
| Wild dreams their fancies fill, | 10 |
| High thoughts their spirits thrill, | |
| Unspoken praise. | |
| |
| By day the Temple’s throng, | |
| The Levites’ surging Song, | |
| The chanted Psalm; | 15 |
| At eve the upper room, | |
| Bread broken in the gloom, | |
| The converse calm. | |
| |
| They question when the hour | |
| Would bring the Spirit’s power | 20 |
| And all be plain; | |
| When, through the opened sky, | |
| Day’s dawning should be nigh, | |
| Their loss be gain. | |
| |
| At last the moment came, | 25 |
| The cloven tongues of flame | |
| Disparting fell; | |
| The rushing, mighty wind, | |
| Thrilling through sense and mind, | |
| And all was well. | 30 |
| |
| Then silent lips, unsealed, | |
| The soul’s deep thoughts revealed, | |
| In full strong speech; | |
| The stammering tongue spake plain, | |
| And thoughts once wild and vain | 35 |
| Were clear to teach. | |
| |
| Bursting with thunder crash, | |
| Blazing with lightning flash, | |
| The Spirit came; | |
| Dread whirl of tempest blast, | 40 |
| Rapture that might not last, | |
| The tongues of flame. | |
| |
| Transports of passion high, | |
| Wild burst of ecstasy, | |
| Till then unknown; | 45 |
| Songs such as Angels pour, | |
| When they their Lord adore | |
| Around the Throne. | |
| |
| Strange speech of every land, | |
| That none might understand, | 50 |
| And few divine; | |
| So they from opened lips | |
| Poured joy’s apocalypse, | |
| Drunk, not with wine. | |
| |
| So gave they witness then | 55 |
| To all the sons of men, | |
| From East and West; | |
| That now in every tongue | |
| God’s great praise should be sung, | |
| His name be blest. | 60 |
| |
| Clear token so they gave | |
| To all men, free or slave, | |
| That they might share | |
| The Spirit’s power to raise | |
| Cold hearts to heights of praise, | 65 |
| Full glow of prayer. | | | | |
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