FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619   620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   629   630   631   632   633   634  
635   636   637   638   639   640   641   642   643   644   645   646   647   648   649   650   651   652   653   654   655   656   657   658   659   >>   >|  
ion, This flag of truce with Satan and with Sin! I fling it in his face! I trample it Under my feet! It is his cunning craft, The masterpiece of his diplomacy, To cry and plead for boundless toleration. But toleration is the first-born child Of all abominations and deceits. There is no room in Christ's triumphant army For tolerationists. And if an Angel Preach any other gospel unto you Than that ye have received, God's malediction Descend upon him! Let him be accursed! [Exit. UPSALL. Now, go thy ways, John Norton, go thy ways, Thou Orthodox Evangelist, as men call thee! But even now there cometh out of England, Like an o'ertaking and accusing conscience, An outraged man, to call thee to account For the unrighteous murder of his son! [Exit. SCENE V. -- The Wilderness. Enter EDITH. EDITH. How beautiful are these autumnal woods! The wilderness doth blossom like the rose, And change into a garden of the Lord! How silent everywhere! Alone and lost Here in the forest, there comes over me An inward awfulness. I recall the words Of the Apostle Paul: "In journeyings often, Often in perils in the wilderness, In weariness, in painfulness, in watchings, In hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness;" And I forget my weariness and pain, My watchings, and my hunger and my thirst. The Lord hath said that He will seek his flock In cloudy and dark days, and they shall dwell Securely in the wilderness, and sleep Safe in the woods! Whichever way I turn, I come back with my face towards the town. Dimly I see it, and the sea beyond it. O cruel town! I know what waits me there, And yet I must go back; for ever louder I hear the inward calling of the Spirit, And must obey the voice. O woods that wear Your golden crown of martyrdom, blood-stained, From you I learn a lesson of submission, And am obedient even unto death, If God so wills it. [Exit. JOHN ENDICOTT (within). Edith! Edith! Edith! He enters. It is in vain! I call, she answers not; I follow, but I find no trace of her! Blood! blood! The leaves above me and around me Are red with blood! The pathways of the forest, The clouds that canopy the setting sun And even the little river in the meadows Are stained with it! Where'er I look, I see it! Away, thou horrible vision! Leave me! leave me! Alas! you winding stream, that gropes its way Through
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619   620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   629   630   631   632   633   634  
635   636   637   638   639   640   641   642   643   644   645   646   647   648   649   650   651   652   653   654   655   656   657   658   659   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
wilderness
 

weariness

 

stained

 

forest

 

watchings

 

thirst

 
hunger
 

toleration

 

louder

 

martyrdom


golden
 

Spirit

 

calling

 
Securely
 
cloudy
 
trample
 

Whichever

 
meadows
 

setting

 

pathways


clouds

 

canopy

 

stream

 

winding

 

gropes

 
Through
 

horrible

 
vision
 

ENDICOTT

 

submission


obedient

 

enters

 

leaves

 

answers

 
follow
 

lesson

 
nakedness
 

abominations

 

cometh

 

deceits


Orthodox

 

Evangelist

 

England

 
account
 

unrighteous

 
outraged
 
ertaking
 

accusing

 
conscience
 
Norton