THE PATTERN IN THE MOUNT.
By Fannie Bolton
THE man of God went to the mount of God,
Veiled in mystery of clouds. He trod
The mountain paths till, lo! there blazed
Glory unseen by mortal eyes. Amazed
He looked upon the wondrous scene. He saw
The Majesty of Heaven uplifted high. Awe
Hushed his soul. There he beheld great things,—
Angels with faces veiled in shadowing wings,
Worshiping low with great celestial awe
Before the throne, the ark, the fiery law,
That sent great meanings to his heart, and fell
Like terrible light that seemed unbearable
With infinite might. Patterns to him were shown
Of God's high tabernacle, and from the throne
A voice fell, full of sweetness, "See that thou
Make all things like the pattern shown thee now."
Then lo! before him passed the lamps of gold,
The ark, the altar, and the curtain's fold,
Broidered with angels' forms, the tabled bread,
From which all Israel's tribes were to be fed;
The lamb of sacrifice, the incense mist,
And the high throne that shone like amethyst
In the most holy, and the great high priest,
With Israel's tribes ensembled on his breast;
And then, O wondrous vision! in death and loss,
Afar he saw the Lamb on Calvary's cross.
There type met antitype. In Christ he saw
The glorious righteousness of Heaven's high law,
In him man's substitute and surety,
In him his merit and his purity,
In him the bread of life, the incense rare,
That makes acceptable a mortal's prayer;
In him the light, in him the great High Priest,
Bearing humanity upon his breast.
In him the life, the truth, the living fount,—
This was the Pattern shown him in the mount. And once with Jesus, stood the beloved three,
His followers, and saw his majesty
In the transfiguration mount, and there
Moses and Elias stood with Christ, the fair;
And a great glory shone unutterable.
"Let's make three tabernacles in which may dwell
Our Lord, and Moses, and Elias here."
Then suddenly, o'erwhelmed with awful fear,
They stood, the glory fled, in darkness lonely;
But when they looked again, saw Jesus only.
O glorious one! of life and light the fount;
He was the Pattern shown them in the mount. And are these only privileged to be
Beholders of high Heaven's Majesty?
May we not pray, as Moses long ago,
"O Lord, reveal thy glory to me now"?
Is he a partial God, respecting more
Those who have lived and loved him long before?
Nay; e'en to-day the vision is for man.
Nay; e'en to-day the great redemption's plan
Opens its glory to our wondering souls,
And Heaven's light in marvelous pageant rolls.
Faith walks the mount, and from the glorious cloud
Hears that great voice, the trumpets long and loud,
Sees depths of glory, thrills again with awe
To note the mighty meanings of the law,
And the great Pattern of the high and holy
Illumes for hearts that contrite are and lowly. But when such views of Heaven and Christ are thine,
'Tis but to make thee more like the divine.
When thou hast tasted of the heavenly gift
'Tis to go forth some other heart to lift,
To carry living water from the Fount,
To reveal the Pattern shown thee in the mount,
That men may look upon thee and divine
What makes thy life with unwonted glory shine.