The Easter Gift/The Madonna and Child
 Murillo pinx.R. Graves sculp.
THE MADONNA & CHILD.
FISHER, SON & CO. LONDON, 1834 |
THE MADONNA AND CHILD.
"BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN."
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
"And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
"For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
"For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name."
Luke i. 28, 46-49.
Thrice blessed and thrice beautiful;
Yet come we not to thee;
With those vain prayers which make a creed
Of false idolatry.
We bring no gems to bind thine hair,
No flowers to deck thy shrine;
We light no taper's fragrant blaze,
We ask no aid of thine.
We have no need of pagan rites
To join with christian prayer;
Nor that salvation ask of thee,
'Twas only thine to share.
Thine altars where thy statues stood,
Thy hymns and votive flowers,
Were relics of another age,
Another creed, than ours;
When human was all human faith
And to that faith was given
The likeness of its native earth,
Rather than that of heaven;
When only reason's shadowy ray
Upon the world was thrown,
And every idol's attribute
Had been the maker's own.
Then was the time of gift and vow,
And e'en a purer light
Was long ere it could penetrate
The depths of such a night.
Old superstitions still remained,
And priestcraft next stept in,
To rule by human ignorance,
And work by human sin.
Then was a veil flung over faith,
Then was God's word concealed;
Thank God, for us that veil is rent,
That Book has been revealed.
The votive wreath of early flowers,
The taper and the gem,
Were superstitions vain, we know
God asketh not for them.
We look on the Madonna's face
In thankfulness and love,
But ask no more a mortal's help
To bear our vows above.
The earnest prayer, the humble tear,
The Saviour's blessed name,
These are the Christian's sacrifice,
These are the Christian's claim.