The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-08-30 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE AND TRIUMPH.  There is .a warfare man is doomed to wage 'Gainst direful foes,—a multitudinous host, Malignant, subtle, fierce, implacable, 'Gainst odds, how fearful ! principalities, And heaven-born powers, in number numberless, And in their nature, and the scale of being, Far, far above the earth-born creature, man : And he, their chief, all but omnipotent, And seems übiquitous,—roaming the earth Invisible, on murderous deeds intent, Like to a lion greedy of his prey, Or like a ravening wolf, that darkly prowls With stealtly pace, or leaps into the fold, Or tiger fell, that sports with agony, Cruel as death, insatiate as the grave, In whom all fiendish hell-born passions rage, But most revenge and hate, the twin-born brood Of mad despair, and deathless as their sire. Yet man, tho' fallen (and therefore weak and frail) Fallen, like his foes too, from his first estate, And with innumerous evils compassed round, And inbred foes as numerous,—traitors foul,— Fall'n, yet renewed with more than mortal strength, An earthen vessel filled with power divine,— A mortal strengthened with the strength of God,— He fights the goodly fight of faith, till death, Comes off victorious, more than conqueror O'er all his enemies,—then lays aside His helmet, shield, and spear (his warfare o'er) His borrowed panoply of heavenly proof, And, wearied out with conflict, sighs for rest, Whilst Death, a kind and friendly servitor, With gentle hand strips off his mortal weeds, That be may sleep in peace a little while, In Hades' dark domain, until the dawn Of that blest day, when, at the trumpet's sound, Whose blast shall wake the dead, he shall awake And rise again, renewed with god-like strength, And put on robes of immortality, And on his head a pure celestial crown, A royal diadem ; the victor's prize ; And hail the prophet's glorious boast fulfilled, " 0 grave I where is thy victory? 0 death ! Where is thv sting?" and be henceforth, for aye, A king and priest of God.—the high compeer Of holy angels, if not more exalt, As heir of God, joint-heir with Christ, his Lord, To share his glorious reign,—his mundane reign Of righteousness, and peace, and joy, and love : When God, Immanuel, shall dwell with man, And man with God,—the blest inhabitant Of that fair city, new Jerusalem, Doomed to descend from God,—from heaven to earth, To earth renewed, and paradise restored,— A kingdom incorruptible and pure, That fadeth not away,—blest heritage ! Prepared before the world's foundation was, Won from the foul usurper's tyrant thrall By Him, ordained to bruise the serpent's head, The woman's seed, Messiah, David's son, And David's Lord ; and who, on David's throne, Shall reign the King of kings, and Lord of lords, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The Prince of Peace, whose blest millennial reign Shall be the foretaste, earnest, pledge, and seal, Of man's eternal heritage,—the dawn That ushers in the Everlasting age Of heavenly joy, and beatific bliss ; When (all his enemies subdued) the Son Shall render up the kingdom unto God, That God the Father may be all in all. Douglas, May 14, 1842.  G. H. W.  A