Joseph Hart
(1712-1768)
1If there arises among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, about which he spoke unto thee, saying, “Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them”; 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proves you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him. — Deuteronomy 13:1-4 KJV
No prophet, or dreamer of dreams
No master of plausible speech,
To live like an angel who seems,
Or like an apostle to preach;
No tempter, without or within,
No spirit, though ever so bright,
That comes crying out against sin,
And looks like an angel of light,
Though reason, though fitness he urge,
Or plead with the words of a friend,
Or wonders of argument forge,
Or deep revelations pretend;
Should meet with a moment’s regard,
But rather be boldly withstood,
If anything, easy or hard,
He teach, save the Lamb and His blood.
Remember, O Christian, with heed,
When sunk under sentence of death,
How first thou from bondage wast freed—
Say, was it by works, or by faith?
On Christ thy affections then fixed,
What conjugal truth didst thou vow?
With Him was there anything mixed?
Then what wouldst thou mix with Him now?
If close to Thy Lord thou wouldst cleave
Depend on His promise alone;
His righteousness wouldst thou receive?
Then learn to renounce all thy own.
The faith of a Christian, indeed,
Is more than mere notion or whim;
United to Jesus, his Head,
He draws life and virtue from Him.
Deceived by the father of lies,
Blind guides cry, “Lo, here!” and, “Lo, there!”
By these our Redeemer us tries,
And warns us of such to beware.
Poor comfort to mourners they give
Who set us to labor in vain;
And strive, with a “Do this and live,”
To drive us to Egypt again.
But what says our Shepherd divine?
(For His blessed word we should keep.)
“This flock has My Father made Mine;
I lay down My life for My sheep.
’Tis life everlasting I give,
My blood was the price My sheep cost;
Not one that on Me shall believe
Shall ever be finally lost.”
This God is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend,
Whose love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end!
’Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home;1
We’ll praise Him for all that is past,
And trust Him for all that’s to come.
- This third couplet in the last stanza is quoted by Percy Gutteridge in Our Great Savior God. ↩