{"id":7517,"date":"2021-10-21T01:05:40","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T01:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/?p=7517"},"modified":"2023-05-17T07:09:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T07:09:08","slug":"a-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/2021\/10\/a-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.\u201d\u2014Genesis 37:12<\/em><\/p>\n

Reader,\u00a0I’ll not take up much time
\nTo apologise, in prose or rhyme;
\nMy dream, such as it is, you see;
\nWhate’er’s amiss belongs to me.
\nNo doubt some men will say, “‘Tis naught,
\nAnd with enthusiasm fraught;”
\nWhile others will it much esteem,
\nAnd nay that I the truth, did dream.
\nPerhaps ’twill find a welcome place,
\nIn such as live on sovereign grace;
\nIf so, then am I quite content,
\nNor shall I count my time ill spent;
\nBut such as live on wit and self,
\nWill hardly have it on their shelf,
\nBut with a cheerful mind attempt
\nTo hold it up to vain contempt.
\nWell, be it so; I rest secure;
\nTheir smiles would not my soul allure,
\nNor will their frowns my heart distress.
\nNor make me dream a moment less.
\nI leave it in Jehovah’s hand,
\nTo sink or swim, to fall or stand;
\nAnd if ’tis with his blessing crown’d,
\nThe glory shall to him redound.
\nOnce, as I slept, I dream’d a dream,
\nAnd though to some it strange may seem,
\nTo me ’twas clear as day;
\nMethought I saw a man in chains,
\nWho seem’d deranged, or rack’d with pains,
\nWhich made me cry, and say\u2014
\n“What wretched mortal’s that, alack!
\nWith such a load upon his back?
\nHow dreadful are his sighs!
\nMy soul’s amazed, anxious to know
\nThe cause of all his grief and woe,
\nAnd what’s his enterprise.”
\nWhile I was musing thus, he spoke,
\nAnd from his soul this language broke:
\n“The wrath, the wrath to come!
\nWhat can I do, where can I flee?
\nMy soul is lost eternally;
\nDamnation is my doom!
\n“I’ve sinn’d with heart, and lip, and tongue,
\nHave mock’d Jehovah in my song,
\nDespised his holy name;
\nHave hated all his righteous ways,
\nIn sin have spent my nights and days,
\nAnd gloried in my shame.
\n“But now I find the Lord is just,
\nAnd by his holy law I’m curst,
\nAnd sentenced to despair;
\nI’ve tried to purify my heart,
\nAnd cause this burden to depart,
\nBut, ah! I sink with fear.
\n“I’ve tried, and tried, and tried again.
\nBut all my efforts prove in vain;
\nMy guilt does more abound;
\nMy soul keeps sinking night and day,
\nNor can I hope to find the way
\nWhere mercy may be found.”
\nNor did he speak like one in jest;
\nDistraction heaved his troubled breast,
\n“I’m lost,” he cried, “I’m lost.”
\nAt length a ray of light broke in,
\nWhich made him cry, “O sin, O sin!
\nLord, save, or die I must.
\n“Lord, save, O save, a rebel base,
\nOr I must sink in deep disgrace,
\nAnd thy just wrath endure;
\nA sinner I, justly condemn’d,
\nWhose carnal hopes are at an end,
\nNow knock at mercy’s door.”
\nI heard him cry with all his strength;
\nA noble person came at length,
\nIn garments white as snow;
\nWhose heart was fill’d with tenderness,
\nAsk’d, with a smile upon his face,
\n“What wilt thou have me do?”
\n“Who art thou, Lord?” the rebel cried;
\n\u201cI\u2019m Jesus, who for sinners died,”
\nThe Saviour soon replied;
\n“I heard thee cry, and came apace,
\nDetermined thee to save by grace,
\nAnd thou shalt be ray bride.”
\n“The blessing is too great for me;
\nI cannot of it worthy be;
\nI’m vile from head to feet;
\nMy sins like mountains on me lie;
\nI feel and know I ought to die;
\nMy guilt’s immensely great.”
\n“I know thou art a sinner base,
\nBut boundless is my power and grace;
\nThy cause I make my own.
\nFor thee I shed my precious blood,
\nAnd for thee as thy Surety stood;
\nThy sins on me were thrown.
\n“The vengeance due to thee I bore,
\nHave fully cancell’d the long score,
\nAnd made an end of sin.
\nI’ve magnified the righteous law,
\nIn me it cannot find a flaw,
\nNor bring thee guilty in.”
\nThus said, the cross appear’d in sight,
\nAt which his burden took its flight,
\nAnd down it roll’d apace;
\nA fountain then stood full in view,
\nAnd Jesus plunged him in it too,
\nAnd wash’d him from disgrace.
\nUpon his hand he put a ring,
\nAdorn’d him like a noble king.
\nWith righteousness divine;
\nEnrich’d him with his heavenly grace;
\nHeal’d all his wounds, and made his face
\nRefill gently to shine.
\nHis guilt was taken from his sight;
\nHis soul was lill’d with endless light;
\nAnd now I heard him sing:
\n“Salvation must be free indeed.
\nSince I from sin and guilt am freed;
\nJesus is just the thing.
\n“He saved me from the lowest hell;
\nMy soul, with holy wonder tell
\nWhat he has done for thee;
\nArise, arise, and bless his name,
\nAnd spread abroad his mighty fame;
\nTell how he set thee free.
\n“Dear Jesus, thou art ever mine,
\nAnd I am ever, ever thine,
\nThe purchase of thy blood;
\nO may I love thee and adore;
\nI’ve all in thee; I want no more;
\nThou art my Lord and God.
\n“My portion is the King of kings;
\nIn him are all my living springs;
\nOf him alone I’ll boast;
\nNor world, nor flesh, nor hell, nor sin,
\nMy heart from Christ my Lord shall win;
\nIn him I’ll ever trust.
\n“There’s nothing on this earthly ball
\nThat can or shall e’er charm my soul,
\nOr shall my mind perplex;
\nIf aught attempt to gain a place
\nWithin the temple of his grace,
\nI’ll break their hateful nocks.\u201d
\n(The pronoun I began to swell,)
\n“I’ll run in spite of earth or hell,
\nNor death nor danger fear;
\nI’ll keep from sin and every thrall
\nNor listen to the stranger’s call,
\nNor fall into her snare.
\n“I’ll watch, I’ll pray, I’ll fight, I’ll win,
\nI’ll overcome the world and sin,
\nNor one shall me excel;
\nYoung men and fathers soon shall see
\nHow fast I grow, and learn of me
\nWhen 1 my victories tell.”
\nHe promised thus, and took his walk;
\nI listen’d hard to hear him talk,
\nAnd watch’d him every step;
\nHe thought himself secure indeed,
\nBut soon, for want of taking heed,
\nHe fell into a trap.
\nDarkness surrounded him in haste,
\nAnd soon he found a dreadful nest
\nOf vipers in the place;
\nEach hissing with infernal spite
\nAgainst the God of pure delight,
\nThe God of truth and grace.
\nSome sturdy rogues at once appear’d;
\nHis soul to death they almost fear’d;
\n“My hope,” said he, “is vain.”
\nWith this one bolder villain cried,
\n“Destroy thyself, whate’er betide,
\nFor God does thee disdain.
\n“If Jesus were thy friend indeed,
\nHe would arise thy cause to plead,
\nAnd pity thy complaint;
\nA vile impostor thou hast been.”\u2014
\nAnd now, the dreadful stench of sin
\nRose up and made him faint.
\nHe struggled hard for life and breath,
\nBut all appear’d to threaten death,
\nAnd horror fill’d his soul:
\nThis evil heart did now disclose
\nTen thousand, twice ten thousand foes,
\nNor could he them control.
\nHis fears prevail\u2019d, his faith gave way,
\nAnd when he durst attempt to pray,
\n“‘Tis sin,” cried they, “’tis sin;
\nJehovah hates to hear thy voice;
\nTo hell he’ll send thee in a trice;
\nThen hold thy impious din.”
\nSo speechless for a while he lay.
\nAnon I thought I heard one say,
\n“In trouble call on me;
\nIn every clay of trouble call,
\nI will deliver thee from thrall,
\nThou shalt my glory see.
\n“My name is God; arise and cry,
\nAnd thou shalt find me ever nigh
\nTo help in time of need.”
\nThe man now cried, as was most fit,
\n“Lord, save me from corruption’s pit;
\nDeliver me with speed!
\n“I feel myself a worm at best;
\nWith power divine I would be blest;
\nLord Jesus, quickly come.”
\nThen Jesus raised him up in haste,
\nAnd that ho might his goodness taste,
\nHe took him to his home.
\nNow as I saw him in my dream,
\n(For still I kept my eye on him)
\nAnd watch’d his entrance there;
\nThe house with radiant splendour shone;
\nOn rock ’twas built with polish’d stone,
\n‘Mid pastures green and fair.
\nCelestial music now I heard;
\nA banquet rich I saw prepared;
\n(For all did open seem;)
\nAnd while the Lord with smiling face,
\nShow’d him the glories of the place;
\nI wish’d myself with him.
\nHere did the rebel bend his knee,
\n\u201cO, Saviour, Saviour, pardon me,
\nA base ungrateful wretch;
\nI’ve sinn’d against my God and Friend;
\nMy pride had well-nigh been my end,
\nIt plunged me in the ditch.”
\nAgainst vain self he now was turn’d ;
\nInstead of crowning it, he mourn’d,
\nAnd thus began to speak:
\n“I feel I cannot stand an hour,
\nUnless upheld by mighty power;
\nI’m helpless, vain, and weak.
\n\u201cLord, keep me from the world and sin,
\nFrom foes without and worse within,
\nFrom devils clothed in white:
\nO make me well my vileness know,
\nAnd keep me very, very low.
\nAnd humble in thy sight.
\n“Bless me with prudence, care, and skill;
\nTeach me to know and do thy will;
\nMy pride and lust subdue;
\nDear Jesus, make me watch and pray;
\nNor let me ever run astray,
\nNor vanity pursue.
\n\u201cO may I in thy grace he strong;
\nUphold me as I walk along;
\nPreserve me night and day!
\nMy standing fast is, Lord, in thee:
\nI’ve tried myself, and plainly see
\nHow soon I fall a prey.
\n\u201cO make me faithful unto death;
\nBless me with wisdom, love, and faith,
\nAnd every needful good;
\nWith heart and soul may I depend
\nOn Jesus, as my God and Friend,
\nAnd feel his cleansing blood.
\n“A pensioner I fain would be.
\nAnd sensibly depend on thee
\nFor life and all beside;
\nDear Jesus, grant me my request:
\nO may I lean upon thy breast,
\nAs thy beloved bride!
\n“Sweet Jesus, what can I have more?
\nIn thee I have a living store;
\nLord, take me to the mount;
\nHelp me to walk round Zion’s hill,
\nAnd mark her walls and bulwarks still,
\nAnd all her towers count.
\n“Unfold the blessings of thy grace,
\nAnd let me often see thy face,
\nAnd hear thy loving voice.
\nDraw me with cords of love, and then
\nMy soul to thee shall swiftly run,
\nAnd in thy name rejoice.
\n“Thou hast redeem’d my soul with blood;
\nI would, dear Lord, thou know’st I would,
\nCast all my cares on thee:
\nLord, keep me in the trying hour,
\nNor let me fall by Satan’s power,
\nBut thy salvation see.
\n“A helpless worm on thee I fall;
\nThou know’st I have no strength at all;
\nO leave me not alone;
\nMy heart deceitful is as hell,
\nNor can I half its baseness tell.
\nNor its rebellion shun.
\n“Compell’d I am to rest in thee,
\nFor, Lord, I daily feel and see
\nNo hand can help but thine;
\nO guide me with thy counsel here;
\nGive me that love that casts out fear,
\nAnd let thy will be mine.
\n“And when I reach the realms of bliss,
\nTo dwell where perfect pleasure is,
\nAnd in thy beauties shine,
\n“With all the blood-bought throng to sing
\nThe honours of my God and King,
\nThe glory shall be thine.”
\n“In me,” the Saviour then replied,
\n“In me alone thou art justified;
\nIn me thou art complete;
\nI am the Lord, thy righteousness;
\nA fulness of immortal grace
\nDwells in me, thee to treat.
\n“Behold the feast my love has made;
\nHere’s milk and honey, wine and bread,
\nWith fatted calf and lamb;
\nHere’s all a hungry soul can need,
\nAnd from all charges it is freed,
\nAnd ever shall remain.
\n“Eat, O beloved, take thy fill;
\nTis free for thee; whoever will
\nMay here have free access;
\nBehold, with wonder and delight,
\nMy house is open day and night;
\nThe banquet is of grace.
\nIf aught should say thou art not fit,
\nThou art too vile with me to sit,
\nAnd feast on such repast;
\nRemember, I have made thee free;
\nThy worthiness is all in me;
\nThen hold thy title fast.
\n“If fruitful thou would’st wish to be,
\nBy love and faith abide in me;
\nI am the living vine;
\nThe branch that does not in me grow,
\nNo clusters of good works can show,
\nNo fruits of love divine.
\n“‘Tis thine to live by faith in me,
\nAnd though thou canst not always see
\nWhat I design to do,
\nAgainst hope to believe in hope,
\nNor unto carnal reason stoop,
\nBecomes my favour’d few.
\n“Lean on me as thy staff and stay,
\nIn health or sickness, night or day,
\nNor trust to self an hour.
\nI am thy strength and safety too,
\nAnd I will surely bring thee through,
\nBy my almighty power.
\n“Watch thou against, the Babel\u2014I’s,
\nOr thou wilt soon to thy surprise
\nIn some fresh net be caught;
\nBe constant at my throne of grace,
\nAnd I will help thee in distress,
\nBut will for help be sought.
\n“Thy foes are very great indeed;
\nSatan, with his infernal breed,
\nAnd the old man of sin,
\nEach will attempt thee to devour,
\nAnd watch for some unguarded hour,
\nTo bring thee guilty in.
\n“Yet, fear not thou, though but a worm,
\nI am thy refuge from the storm,
\nThy shelter and defence;
\nI am thy shield and buckler bright,
\nAnd thou shalt put thy foes to Might,
\nTheir fiery darts I’ll quench.
\n“Let truth thy only girdle be;
\nStand to thy post, nor dare to flee:
\nOn sovereign grace rely;
\nNor men, nor devils, world, nor sin,
\nNor powers without, nor powers within,
\nShall ever thee destroy.
\n“With courage, then, meet every foe;
\nThe victory’s thine, find thou shalt know
\nSalvation is complete.
\nI am thy Captain, Head, and King,
\nAnd I will thee to glory bring,
\nAnd all thy foes defeat.
\n“Only believe, and rest on me,
\nAnd thou shalt my salvation see
\nIn every new distress.
\nI’ll work in thee to will and do,
\nAnd I’ll have all the glory too,
\nFor mine is all the grace.”
\n“Dear Jesus, keep me near thy side,
\nNor let me stray, whate’er betide,
\nNor after strangers run;
\nHelp me thy goodness to proclaim
\nAnd I will tell the blind and lame
\nWhat thou for me hast done.
\n“Come, sinners, in the Lord confide;
\nBehold his bleeding hands and side;
\nHe stands with open arms.
\nThe vilest wretch who trusts in him,
\nHe’ll save from Satan, wrath, and sin,
\nAnd guard him from all harms.
\n“Ye need not stay your hearts to mend,
\nNor think your works with, his to blend;
\nYour money he’ll disdain;
\nA perfect Saviour is the Lord;
\nRely upon his gracious word,
\nAnd you shall heaven obtain.
\n“No fleshly works can pave a way
\nTo mansions of eternal day,
\nNor God’s rich favour gain:
\nFor be their number more or less,
\nAll that are saved are saved by grace,
\nThrough faith in Jesus’ name.
\n“And if by grace, how vain to try
\nImmortal happiness to buy,
\nWith works of righteousness!
\nYe mourners! haste to Jesus’ feet,
\nAnd there you’ll find all things complete,
\nJust suited to your case.
\n“That Christ is all, my soul knows well,
\nand therefore must his wonders tell;
\nHis mercy still I prove;
\nFor I’m a sinner vile and base,
\nYet I ‘m a sinner saved by grace,
\nThrough faith that works by love.”
\nThus were his lofty looks brought down;
\nJesus (not self) must wear the crown;
\n(Great I’s are sure to fall;)
\nFor whoso on the Lord depends,
\nShall find his counsel ever stands;
\nHe’ll save thorn when they call.
\nStill keeping him within my sight,
\nI saw him now, with great delight,
\nThe narrow way pursue:
\nIn measure, wean’d from self and sin,
\nBy faith he walk’d, by faith he ran,
\nAnd kept the prize in view.
\nBy faith he entered into rest,
\nSweetly reclined on Jesus’ breast,
\nHis portion and delight;
\nAnd sometimes he by faith did stand.
\nWhile Jesus, with his mighty hand,
\nDid wonders in his sight.
\nBy faith he proved the Gospel true,
\nAnd had a soul-transporting view
\nOf Zion’s King and Head;
\nDrank of the streams of life divine,
\nPluck’d grapes from Christ, the living vine,
\nAnd sat beneath his shade.
\nBy faith he trod the desert through;
\nA road that’s travell’d but by few,
\nThough thousands of it prate;
\nNor wit, nor reason can it find,
\nScholastic knowledge, twice refined,
\nCan never reach the gate.
\nBut now his faith was sharply tried;
\nBold Infidelus on the side
\nOf Satan and his train,
\nInflamed with hell, a war declared,
\nAnd straight for action all prepared;
\nAnd thus the fray began.
\nTen thousand, savage beasts of prey,
\nClosely pursued him by the way,
\nAnd roar’d with hellish spite!
\nA numerous host, a hellish crew,
\nTheir fiery darts, like hail-stones, threw
\nOn the left hand and right.
\nHe now seem’d fill’d with great dismay,
\nAs if quite at a loss which way
\nTo go\u2014nay, thought to yield:
\nBut in the Lord’s appointed hour,
\nFaith, strengthen’d by almighty power,
\nLaid hold on Christ, the shield.
\nBy faith he now began to fight,
\nAnd put the hosts of hell to flight;
\nChrist was his safe retreat;
\nHis Captain, Jesus, led the van,
\nAnd faith its eye kept fix’d on him,
\nAnd thus did hell defeat.
\nAnd then by faith he victory sung;
\nFaith raised his voice, unloosed his tongue
\nBrought distant things to view;
\nSuck’d life from Christ, the living Head,
\nAnd lived upon this living bread,
\nAnd proved his promise true.
\nThe fountain of immortal grace
\nPlay’d blessings down, and fill’d the place,
\nAnd caught him by surprise.
\nNow every grace seem’d on the wing,
\nTo spread the fame of Christ, his King,
\nAnd fly beyond the skies.
\nFaith saw the Lamb that did atone,
\nIn glory on his sapphire throne,
\nNo amber half so bright;
\nIn fiery form around him spread,
\nFrom loins to feet, from loins to head,
\nHeaven’s glory and delight.
\nAll raptured with his bright display,
\nHe long’d to leave his clog of clay,
\nAnd in full glory be.
\nInflamed with love and holy fire,
\nHis soul was ardent with desire
\nFrom bondage to be free.
\nSo I awoke, and ’twas a dream;
\nTo me it has a lesson been;
\nMay I in Jesus live!
\nI would depend on Christ alone,
\nFor righteousness I know I’ve none,
\nBut he has one to give.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.\u201d\u2014Genesis 37:12 Reader,\u00a0I’ll not take up much time To apologise, in prose or rhyme; My dream, such as it is, you see; Whate’er’s amiss belongs to me. No doubt some men will say, “‘Tis naught, And with enthusiasm fraught;” While others will it much esteem, And nay that I the truth, did dream. Perhaps ’twill find a welcome place, In such as live on sovereign grace; If so, then am I quite content, Nor shall I count my time ill spent; But such as live on wit and self, Will hardly have it on their shelf, But with a cheerful mind attempt To hold it up to vain contempt. Well, be it so; I rest secure; Their smiles would not my soul allure, Nor will their frowns my heart distress. Nor make me dream a moment less. I leave it in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":14239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[887],"tags":[1220,1197],"class_list":["post-7517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-william-gadsbys-fragments-complete","tag-spiritual-comfort","tag-spiritual-growth"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7517"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15863,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7517\/revisions\/15863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}