The Chastening.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3251, 28 August 1917, Page 7

The Chastening.

It was a dream. Methought I saw the purple heavens sunder And God, the Great High Judge, stand forth in all His glory. liehind Him, leashed like fierce bloodhounds anxious for their prey, The wrathful elements of the Tempest—Lightning, Thunder— And the Fiery Furies of the Final Day, Stood impotent and harmless. Above the Master's head there hung the Shadow of the Cross, The blood-stained symbol of Man's unbelief, Mute witness now of Christ's atoning sacrifice for those Who knew Him not, and scorned to learn the sweetness of His love. And as I looked, all wonder at the sight, The Angel Host drew nigh, the Furies vanished, And the awful Cross fell and was gone, and in its place There shone the golden halo of the Saviour's crown. Apart he stood, (lazing from out the portal of Eternal Life upon the World below, As might a sculptor gaze upon the tiny creature of his craft. Slowly he raised His hand, Which scarce had reached the level of his brow F/re from the unknown mysteries of space there came to Hint A messenger.

Then spake the Christ, the Father and the .Fudge: "Go, son, and from the festive banquet board of State Bring hither one Whom Britain owns her noblest, truest type; Bring hither one who best doth represent her power, her virtue, And all the purest attributes of her imperial life." Swift took the Messenger his earthward night, Fleet as the Hashing darts of heaven's fiery Hamc Sha|te their fantastic courses in the starry heights, he came, And with like swiftness winged him back again.

Again before my 'wildcred eyes The wondrous sce.ic was changed, the portal widened, and within There seemed to me a Court, the like of which no mortal eyes have seen It was the Hall of Justice and the Home of Truth, The great abiding place of Godly equity, Within whose holy walls no perjured soul could speak—and live. Only one King could grace so great a throne; Xo other one could shameless sit in judgment on the world But Him who for the World Lad died. Before Him knelt in lowly reverence a Queen, Bowing her crowned head in meek subjection to her Sovereign's will. Softly she spoke, yet in her softest notes there thrilled The note of Empire's mighty power: "My Master sent for me, and I could but obey; before Thee, King ot

Kings, The Queen of Empire needs must play a subject's part And playing it, no greater honour seeks; Britannia kneels and waits her King's command."

Then Jesus spake: "Great Britain owns mc Lord. Her King, anointed in my name, Doth l)id the people praise me;

let- statesmen base their mandates on my word; Her judges pattern justice tu my creed; And all her people, high an I lowly bom, to me Their praises and their supplications raise. Vet would 1 know from Thee, who art the symbol and the sign Of all her j;reatness,

The measure of the depth of lier sincerity. How much is real, how much hypocrisy? How much the outcome of the nation's grateful heart; And how much but the mocking counterpart of Truth — Foul Falsehood false apparelled— To cloak the hungry passion of an Empire's lust?"

Ilritannia rose and answered, Speaking as some good mother jealous of her child, Conscious of weakness,

Vet most fondly blind to all the follies of that weakness born: "O God, Thou knowest more than I can tell, Vet would I for my children speak: They are but mortal, they do serve Thee well, And' in their greatness they are truly meek. What haw- they done, and wherefore have they done so? Let all the world the answer loud acclaim, Let all the pages of their history show — The Gospel torch has l>cen their battle flame."

* « # "Thou pleadest well," the Master said, "and I would hear- thee out, Knowing that of thy heart thou speakest love and loyalty, As well Incomes a Slotlicr-Q'.ieen of Earth and child of God. Vet are thou frail, and blind, and uniwrceiving, Forgetting that to chastise is to chasten, to love to labour 'Cainst the sins of those thou lovest. Hold now thy speech— Thy chilueii hither come to testify against thee."

And still 1 dreamed, .AH ravished by the love and sorrow of that kingly face. And as I dreamed the pierced hand was placed upon a pallid brow. Whence came that figure? Whence that awful type of s.jualid misery And deadly sin? Hut there it stood, beside the Master's side, Fashioned in similitude of human shape—a Woman: Flesh of Britannia's flesh, bone of Britannia's bone, Yet O so shrivelled, shrunk, and sadly sinful. The woman laughed, a hungry, hideous laugh, and with her bony lingers Pushed from oil her burning brow, the Saviour's pitying hand. Drink, debauchery, disease, and death—and alter death Fternal hopelessness! No need for speech, with vision so intense: Britannia saw and shuddered. Again the pierced hand was raised, The woman vanished, and in her stead there stood the form Of gaunt and ghastly Poverty. Wan, white and withered by the pangs of want, the Pauper stood And gazed upon Ins Queen, and, gazing, cried with pride-wrung heart, "Your children hunger while you feast!''

Britannia heard and trembled. Once more the pierced band uplifts And where the Pauper stood there lies » broken man—a Savage, A fallen giant made foul for filthy gain.

Keep in his drunken degradation he apes the satire of the keenest wit, And flaunts before Britannia's shrinking gaze Beer and a Bible, a bottle and a book!

The Master towered in His righteous wrath—"Behold!" he cried, "the penalty of Sin!" And in a trice, Ere soul could cry to soul,

The Empire writhed beneath the blood-red scourge of wai Death stalked abroad, insatiable and cruel, And scarce a home but yielded some dear son To sate the blood-lust of the Prussian Beast. A thousand thousand gaping graves were filled; Black clouds of Sorrow blotted out the sun, Men looked at men, askance with fear and dread, While millions, hungry, daily crieo for bread. Yet still the scourge, Cleansing where ere it fell, Whipped men and devils to their last account, Ami lashed the Empire to a sense of shame. The world in agony for mercy cried, Its idols tottered to their lasting doom. And men stood naked in the sight of God. Stripped of false pride, and purified by fire, Humbled, enriched, ennobled, and made clean, Humanity at last its Great Confession made, And by repentant sacrifice attoned its sins. TITKX came the glorious dawn of Peace!

Britannia stood abashed. "KnoHfth," slio cried, "in s'.ai .e I own my mii, Confess my error, and prostrate my pride:

But God, my God, my Saviour and my All, listen in pity To Thy daughter's prayer: From Fast to West, from day to year, Fvi! there is for that is human born: The licsf of men the heritage must hear Of sin and sorrow and Thy righteous scorn— The black bequest of Adam's primal fall. .Judge rio< (he Empire l>y the mil's sin \;ui in T'.y mercy -ave Thy children a! ." Then Jesus spake again: \nl iii the sweet companion ;>f his voice, Si soft and tender, yet so nobly firm, Theie ranu auain the Message of the Cross; "(in. labour on: Mj f-'ather bids xc.it uqi. Britannia'* work is there Where leeking slum and wretched want mock be..vet? v.iul jeer ;:t hell And there, where high on the altars of (he race (here sits. All heartless and unthinking, The tinselled id< ' Self. Strive strenuously for good, Where now but evil is, thai i:i (iic end, AH conquered and all < oiiqr.ering, Biitannia's brotherhood shali bless humanity ami In :>our God." J. BAM..