Blog Move

Please do to my self-hosted webspace for any new posts. Folks used to finding me at crazycalvinist.com will find that unavailable, so please go to crazycalvinist.biz

The Fruit of Bodily Pain

God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your “thorn” uncomplainingly—that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak—is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace. The healing of your sinful person thus goes forward, even though the healing of your mortal body does not.
—J. I. Packer

The Benefits of the Cross

Affliction is able to drown out every earthly voice. . . but the voice of eternity within a man it cannot drown. When by the aid of affliction all irrelevant voices are brought to silence, it can be heard, this voice within.
—Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813–1855)

Not under law, but under grace

As I have said in the past, do you not get tired of hearing that old chestnut thrown around by New Testament Christians?  We are all New Testament Christians, but I would hope that most of us do not disregard, chop off, or separate the old from the New Testament so that they become two distinct things, disconnected one from the other! Yet often, those who roll out the old chestnut of “We are not under law, but under grace,” do just that.  They divorce the two Testaments from each other, as distinct but seprated revelations from God. Yet who can read the Old Testament without seeing Christ’s coming in every passage?  Psalm 22 is one obvious place that comes to mind, along with places like the suffering servant chapters of Isaiah, but the same is true of the entire Old Testament.

What in your experience are people actually saying, who do say “We are not under law but under grace” What are they usually implying? They are implying God has changed from the Old to the New Testament. That the strictness and anger and wrath and severity displayed by God frequently in the Old Testament is no longer relevant in the New Testament.

Has God changed? (Psalm 102:25-28;  Mal 3:6; Ps. 102:27;)

No, he has not changed.  Christ said he did not come to do away with the Law, not one jot or tittle, (Matt 5:18: Luke 16:17) but to fulfill it. In other words, the bloody sacrifies of the cermonial law of the Old Testament would be fulfilled once and for all, by the Lamb of God’s precious blood.

What I normally find in the people who say this, is that though they are professors of religion, they are still in the secret recesses of their heart, objecting to what God says, and they do not want to submit to the bits that displease them, any more than the most open heathen does. They are still rebelling against the teachings of God and His Word.  But, if you say the above of, “we under grace, not under law,”  you have a way of disagreeing with God,  and still sounding “holy” or “righteous” while doing so. It has an air of respectability about it, even authority.

Their thinking also at times will be that in Christ we have a saviour so why worry? We cannot sin too  much, if we are saved, we will still be saved.  It is true that we all have a Saviour from our sins, in Christ, but he is NOT a Saviour of our sins! He wants us to be new creations and do away with sin, and in the simple words he used to choose his disciples,  “Follow me,” and we cannot Follow Him, while saving our sins, or whilst using Him  as a Saviour of our sins. We cannot make him a minster and ally of the devil. To do so is an abominable blasphemy! Yet that is what folks who use that term, “We are not under law but under grace,” are often doing.

These people often depict God as a God of love, and totally leave out, forget or supress that he is just as much a God of wrath and judgement as he ever was.  God’s love has not changed, though Christ added almost another commandment to the Moral Law for his people to follow, by telling us to love one another. It is one of the problems I have with groups of Christians that will seem to enforce the Law without and ahead of love at times, but that is a subject for another day.

We are under grace and not law,true,  in the Covenant of Grace–we are children of the New Covenant. But don’t ever tell me with a straight face,  that, by that, the immutable, infinite, God is inviting us to keep our sins.

What is Calvinism?

I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.
—Charles H. Spurgeon

His opinion wasn’t probably very “private” after he issued that statement in the middle of a public sermon But I do think he said it well.

Pussycat’s Whiskers!

From sympathy-seeking yesterday:

To silly faces today:

To safety and security, today, tomorrow and the end of her days:.

Animals are not that much different to us in some things. Give them what any living breathing creature needs,  we pretty much all respond the same way. A world without love, safety or security, is a harsh, unkind, cruel  world, but since she has come to me, she has thrived.  She’s been a real joy and blessing, to see the change in her despite her health.  She’s so faithful in return, when I’m so alone, the look of love in those eyes, says far more than many another thing could do.  To give her that at 13 years old for the first time in her life, has been a joy and  blessing to me, though I got far more than I bargained for, with her diabetes, but she’s been worth everything its taken.

The disabled and handicapped through the lense of Scripture

The quoted text will be in blockquotes. My own comments in normal text between the blocks of quotes. All quotes unless otherwise stated is from the Handbook of Bible Application From Tyndale House publishers.

The Term Handicapped

HANDICAPPED (Disabled, Impaired, Limited)

How are the handicapped treated in the Bible?

BIBLE READING: Leviticus 21:1-24

KEY BIBLE VERSE: And the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron that any of his descendants from generation to generation who have any bodily defect may not offer the sacrifices to God.” (Leviticus 21:16-17, tlb)

The handicapped were limited in service, but personally accepted. Was God unfairly discriminating against handicapped people when he said they were unqualified to offer sacrifices? Just as God demanded that no imperfect animals be used for sacrifice, he required that no handicapped priests offer sacrifices. This was not meant as an insult; rather, it had to do with the fact that the priest must match as closely as possible the perfect God he served. Of course, such perfection was not fully realized until Jesus Christ came. As Levite’s, the handicapped priests were protected and supported with food from the sacrifices. They were not abandoned, because they still performed many essential services within the tabernacle.

The hardest aspect of my disability and the circumstances surrounding it, can be feeling useless, purposeless, as if I have no value or worth or nothing to give the least regarded. I know that cannot be true. God tells me that. God does not waste his time on anything that has no purpose, with God, everything and everyone has a purpose. But what HAS added to that being a sore that stings at times, is the exact abandonment opposite to the aforementioned that has gone on, both far and near. The truth is for many people, is that they have the riches that leave me so poor, loved ones, people who care for and about them, that they do not need me, and are not likely to notice if I am not around, because they have more than enough riches to not barely notice it. For me, the all but total abandonment that has gone on, in this condition, is the brick that breaks the camels back, as it can be like being shut into a coffin and the lid nailed on. No matter how bad anything is, physically, emotionally, mentally etc, there is never really anyone to go to, for help or comfort, and so I stay there, trying to not sink until the time of extremity passes. Yet, the abandonment that has gone is, as the aforementioned again says, is not Biblical at all. The Law of God is summed up by Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and your neighbour as yourself. WE show we love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, WHEN we love our neighbour as yourself. And yet to find anyone who loves their neighbour near as much as they love themselves is very rare. I have also seen the same thing with others in bigger than average afflictions. People often love themselves very much indeed, and yet have a few crumbs to throw to those they claim they love as themselves while they go to a feast. I think it happens possibly to greater than average afflictions. As when I have seen this, with myself or others, that has always been the case. It wasn’t a small, easy or little affliction, yet friends and loved ones afflictions are just as much a test to those we know and love, as they are to ourselves. Some failed miserably, not just to myself, but to others too, as far as I am concerned. But in loving themselves much more than they love their neighbour, the whole Law is broken all at once.

BIBLE READING: Mark 10:46-52

KEY BIBLE VERSE: And so they reached Jericho. Later, as they left town, a great crowd was following. Now it happened that a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. (Mark 10:46, tlb)

Jesus treated the handicapped with dignity.

Beggars were a common sight in most towns. Because most occupations of that day required physical labor, anyone with a crippling disease or disability was at a severe disadvantage and was usually forced to beg, even though God’s laws commanded care for such needy people (Leviticus 25:35-38). Blindness was considered a curse from God for sin (John 9:2), but Jesus refuted this idea when he reached out to heal the blind.

BIBLE READING: John 9:1-12

KEY BIBLE VERSE: “Master,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?” “Neither,” Jesus answered. “But to demonstrate the power of God.” (John 9:2-3, tlb)

For Jesus, handicaps were opportunities for God to display his power. A common belief in Jewish culture was that calamity or suffering was the result of some great sin. But Christ used this man’s suffering to teach about faith and to glorify God. We live in a fallen world where good behaviour is not always rewarded and bad behaviour not always punished. Therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, Jesus has the power to help us deal with it. When you suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask, “Why did this happen to me?” or “What did I do wrong?” Instead, ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening.

For those in physical extremity, it is a chance for God’s people to show God’s love where in physical sufferng particuarly, love and kindness can seem hidden. When your body is screaming at you night and day, it can be hard to see love in that, all the more when you are left alone with only that.  Unlike other afflictions, you cannot get away or take  a break from your body. If your body is screaming at you, you cannot forget it,  it will not let you do so by the nature of pain. Yet it has been rare find folks loving others as they love themselves. Oh casual acquaintances, have been fine, but deeper, more meaningful relationships, whether far or near, have without fail almost,I have seen how I wasn’t worth their time. And how giving me time, ate into their pleasures often. So it was easier to just forget or ignore me. God does give me strength, and I am thankful to Him for doing so. But God’s people, have failed me mostly, time and again. And none of the above has applied at all. It can be hard to understand those who you have no reason to even suspect are not true Christians, why they would be so indifferent and passive, whether towards myself or anyone else in extreme affliction, when Christ was so different, and gives us very clear instructions how we are to weep with those who weep. And Christ calls us to “follow Me.” It’s been a very confusing trip in trying to discern and discriminate between God’s people, who the Bible says should be a certain way in certain things, even given we are all sinners. Leaving someone to die in agony alone, is not the same as forgetting to mow the lawn or something, and how God can love someone that his people have acted very much like they hate at times, by the above. I’m getting there, and the sting is less. But, if I was seeing this happen to someone else, every fibre of my being would tell me it would never be right or just. But we don’t have to understand why God’s people do as they do. WE just have to make sure that we do as God tells us in our own lives, and accept no matter how hard life is, our lots are from the good hand of God. And that one day, it will all make sense.

If someone is in extreme suffering, that when trying to communicate, when hurting and sobbing on top of that, that they may not say what they intend to say well, (would anyone?) to turn on them putting the worst possible construction on their effort to say it, so that it means completely other, is doing nothing else but thinking evil about people because they are poor, as described in Jam 2:2 upon which verse, John Calvin says:

Let us therefore remember that the respect of persons here condemned is

that by which the rich is so extolled, wrong is done to the poor, which also

he shews clearly by the context and surely ambitions is that honor, and full

of vanity, which is shewn to the rich to the contempt of the poor. Nor is

there a doubt but that ambition reigns and vanity also, when the masks of

this world are alone in high esteem. We must remember this truth, that he

is to be counted among the heirs of God’s kingdom, who disregards the

reprobate and honors those who fear God. ( <191504> Psalm 15:4.)

Here then is the contrary vice condemned, that is, when from respect alone

to riches, anyone honors the wicked, and as it has been said, dishonors the

good. If then thou shouldest read thus, “He sins who respects the rich,”

the sentence would be absurd; but if as follows, “He sins who honors the

rich alone and despises the poor, and treats him with contempt,” it would

be a pious and true doctrine.

1. Have not the faith, etc., with respect of persons. He means that the

respect of persons is inconsistent with the faith of Christ, so that they

cannot be united together, and rightly so; for we are by faith united into

one body, in which Christ holds the primacy. When therefore the pomps

of the world become preeminent so as to cover over what Christ is, it is

evident that faith hath but little vigor., “on account of esteem,” (ex opinione,) I have

followed Erasmus; though the old interpreter cannot be blamed, who has

rendered it “glory,” for the word means both; and it may be fitly applied

to Christ, and that according to the drift of the passage. For so great is the

brightness of Christ, that it easily extinguishes all the glories of the world,

if indeed it irradiates our eyes. It hence follows, that Christ is little

esteemed by us, when the admiration of worldly glory lays hold on us. But

the other exposition is also very suitable, for when the esteem or value of

riches or of honors dazzles our eyes, the truth is suppressed, which ought

alone to prevail. To sit becomingly means to sit honorably.

4. Are ye not then partial in yourselves? or, are ye not condemned in

yourselves. This may be read affirmatively as well as interrogatively, but

the sense would be the same, for he amplifies the fault by this, that they

took delight and indulged themselves in so great a wickedness. If it be read

interrogatively, the meaning is, “Does not your own conscience hold you

convicted, so that you need no other judge?” If the affirmative be

preferred, it is the same as though he had said, “This evil also happens,

that ye think not that ye sin, nor know that your thoughts are so wicked

as they are.” Calvin’s commentaries

The Blank Bible

My blog seems to go through seasons or themes. It is not particuarly because I am choosing to harp about one subject or one aspect,  its generally related to what I am studying on my own. What I am being blessed by particularly in those studies,  and  a habit I have of wanting as a friend some years ago very aptly put, “getting my info out there”  as I believe knowledge and learning should not be kept to ourselves, but is for sharing, and perhaps, just perhaps, now and then, one or two of my readers may find some profit from some of these things too.

A few years ago, when still an unbeliever, yet having had the outward call. Jonathan Edwards I couldn’t bear to even think about. I’m not sure why, except I felt sure that he would be far too difficult for me to read with any real understanding, given the cognitive affects of my illness; and I also think I had been influenced by the wordly pictures or portraits we are giving of men like Jonathan Edwards. As a dour, gloomy indivicual, fanatical about faith and religion,  who had a habit of keeping breaking into offensive sounding religous speech.  How wrong was I!  I think I have fallen a little in love with the character and holiness of Jonathan Edwards, and yet given my aversion to him, just a few short years ago, I never planned it or expected to.

But onto the subject in hand.  The Blank Bible.  Some of you maybe aware of what this is.  The video below explains it pretty much.  But what a thought! What effort to go to! Though Edwards often was short of paper for taking his notes, he would end up writing side ways on a tiny little blank bit because he had nowhere else or no new paper. So maybe for him, this was also addressing some of that problem he found himself with. And how it has been preserved to bless us too.  But,  my subject since the weekend has been off and on, about warning against us getting our beliefs or faith second hand. I am not accusing anyone. But I will say before I had real, living faith, I fell down every pit fall that one could think of in trying to get it,  and I am anxious to try and prevent others who may have false security, or  presumption and on the day of Judgment, God would say, I  never knew you, from falling down the same holes that I did, and maybe not even being aware of it themself.  I didn’t have the luxury of false security, I always knew deep down,  but,  it’s still true that I fell down every pitfall I have read about as possible,  so I know how easy it is to do. Hence my latest harping.  Not to accuse anyone, but merely to provoke people to really and truly examine themselves, and be sure they be in the faith and not under some grand delusion, which experience has told me is all too easy for us to do.

Do you read with a pen or pencil in your hand?  If you are reading Calvin’s teachings or some other reformer or puritan, do you take notes about their thoughts?   When it comes to practicing doing this with the Scriptures,  this is where this trait we can train ourselves too, can be endless in its rewards and paybacks. Because whatever we write down in our notes, or our own “blank Bibles”   are our own thoughts, straight from the Scriptures itself.  We know that what we have written, is what is in our hearts, not what John Calvin teaches us or following his thoughts blindly.   This is one way I believe that we can stretch ourselves and grow in knowledge, godly knowledge, and from the source Itself, by learning increase in grace. BEeause if it comes from our hearts, and not from the thought of John Calvin, then it should not be too hard for us to seek to apply these things in our daily lives. Whatever any of us believe, are what we are, and it also affects all our actions and thoughts. It is our own method of strengthening our faith by a better first hand knowledge of Scripture and it’s teachings; to really know  God,  to enjoy Christ and  delight in what we see for ourselves about him, and that flows from the pen in our hand  while we have nothing but our Bible in our laps.

I feel sure that this would give many of us a huge advantage to what we currently have. I have started doing this myself, and  I know that what I write down as I pour through the scriptures are my own thoughts, feelings, notions.   I would like to have that all too besotted delight in God that Edwards had ultimately. I love Edwards, because he was so holy.  Maybe because I see this as the power straight from God to overcome and triumph in my afflictive state, but its also something, that to a greater degree than currently exists, many of us could do with  independantly of being in an afflictive state. The church would flourish I believe, if Christians actually knew the Scriptures better than many do. Knew more of God better than many do. And delighted in God, more than many of us do.

Below is  a short video from the Jonathan Edwards Centre at Yale university on discovery of this manuscript of Edwards. And  This is a link to the Shepherds Scrapbook, who a few years ago, gave his own instructions for making ones own blank Bible in today’s world.  I actually simply use a pad and pen, and then type it up immediately afterwards. My disability if left too long, would make my notes  illegible to even me if they were not fresh in my mind. But you will have to find a method that works for you.  And those of you who do, May God bless you for it!

An aside note on my love of Edwards, and advocating reading some of his works, is unless there is very good reason not to, don’t get the paraphrase versions of Edwards works. The “modern English” or whatever. They apparently lose much in the translation, and are poor imitations. I have cognitive deficits with my illness, let alone my body screaming at me in pain is a great distraction to reading with absorption, or the half a dozen other ways my concentration or brain is affected, and it’s true I will still forget much of what I read, but Edwards is perfectly understandable to me, even so. And I believe he would be to most regular people, unless perhaps they were to have literacy problems.

Turn music off on console below to watch video.

The Blank Bible

My blog seems to go through seasons or themes. It is not particuarly because I am choosing to harp about one subject or one aspect,  its generally related to what I am studying on my own. What I am being blessed by particularly in those studies,  and  a habit I have of wanting as a friend some years ago very aptly put, “getting my info out there”  as I believe knowledge and learning should not be kept to ourselves, but is for sharing, and perhaps, just perhaps, now and then, one or two of my readers may find some profit from some of these things too.

A few years ago, when still an unbeliever, yet having had the outward call. Jonathan Edwards I couldn’t bear to even think about. I’m not sure why, except I felt sure that he would be far too difficult for me to read with any real understanding, given the cognitive affects of my illness; and I also think I had been influenced by the wordly pictures or portraits we are giving of men like Jonathan Edwards. As a dour, gloomy indivicual, fanatical about faith and religion,  who had a habit of keeping breaking into offensive sounding religous speech.  How wrong was I!  I think I have fallen a little in love with the character and holiness of Jonathan Edwards, and yet given my aversion to him, just a few short years ago, I never planned it or expected to.

But onto the subject in hand.  The Blank Bible.  Some of you maybe aware of what this is.  The video below explains it pretty much.  But what a thought! What effort to go to! Though Edwards often was short of paper for taking his notes, he would end up writing side ways on a tiny little blank bit because he had nowhere else or no new paper. So maybe for him, this was also addressing some of that problem he found himself with. And how it has been preserved to bless us too.  But,  my subject since the weekend has been off and on, about warning against us getting our beliefs or faith second hand. I am not accusing anyone. But I will say before I had real, living faith, I fell down every pit fall that one could think of in trying to get it,  and I am anxious to try and prevent others who may have false security, or  presumption and on the day of Judgment, God would say, I  never knew you, from falling down the same holes that I did, and maybe not even being aware of it themself.  I didn’t have the luxury of false security, I always knew deep down,  but,  it’s still true that I fell down every pitfall I have read about as possible,  so I know how easy it is to do. Hence my latest harping.  Not to accuse anyone, but merely to provoke people to really and truly examine themselves, and be sure they be in the faith and not under some grand delusion, which experience has told me is all too easy for us to do.

Do you read with a pen or pencil in your hand?  If you are reading Calvin’s teachings or some other reformer or puritan, do you take notes about their thoughts?   When it comes to practicing doing this with the Scriptures,  this is where this trait we can train ourselves too, can be endless in its rewards and paybacks. Because whatever we write down in our notes, or our own “blank Bibles”   are our own thoughts, straight from the Scriptures itself.  We know that what we have written, is what is in our hearts, not what John Calvin teaches us or following his thoughts blindly.   This is one way I believe that we can stretch ourselves and grow in knowledge, godly knowledge, and from the source Itself, by learning increase in grace. BEeause if it comes from our hearts, and not from the thought of John Calvin, then it should not be too hard for us to seek to apply these things in our daily lives. Whatever any of us believe, are what we are, and it also affects all our actions and thoughts. It is our own method of strengthening our faith by a better first hand knowledge of Scripture and it’s teachings; to really know  God,  to enjoy Christ and  delight in what we see for ourselves about him, and that flows from the pen in our hand  while we have nothing but our Bible in our laps.

I feel sure that this would give many of us a huge advantage to what we currently have. I have started doing this myself, and  I know that what I write down as I pour through the scriptures are my own thoughts, feelings, notions.   I would like to have that all too besotted delight in God that Edwards had ultimately. I love Edwards, because he was so holy.  Maybe because I see this as the power straight from God to overcome and triumph in my afflictive state, but its also something, that to a greater degree than currently exists, many of us could do with  independantly of being in an afflictive state. The church would flourish I believe, if Christians actually knew the Scriptures better than many do. Knew more of God better than many do. And delighted in God, more than many of us do.

Below is  a short video from the Jonathan Edwards Centre at Yale university on discovery of this manuscript of Edwards. And  This is a link to the Shepherds Scrapbook, who a few years ago, gave his own instructions for making ones own blank Bible in today’s world.  I actually simply use a pad and pen, and then type it up immediately afterwards. My disability if left too long, would make my notes  illegible to even me if they were not fresh in my mind. But you will have to find a method that works for you.  And those of you who do, May God bless you for it!

An aside note on my love of Edwards, and advocating reading some of his works, is unless there is very good reason not to, don’t get the paraphrase versions of Edwards works. The “modern English” or whatever. They apparently lose much in the translation, and are poor imitations. I have cognitive deficits with my illness, let alone my body screaming at me in pain is a great distraction to reading with absorption, or the half a dozen other ways my concentration or brain is affected, and it’s true I will still forget much of what I read, but Edwards is perfectly understandable to me, even so. And I believe he would be to most regular people, unless perhaps they were to have literacy problems.

Turn music off on console below to watch video.

Renwick’s Visit to Peden’s death bed–Part II

Continued from:
He told how:

He lifted up the standard where Cargill laid it down,
Where Cameron left it, as he rose to wear the martyrs crown.
To the hungering souls in Scotland he had broke the bread of life,
And shunned all innovations and all bitter roots of strife;
But chief of all, his aim had been to guard with faithful hand
The Gospel’s native purity, and the Covenants of the land.
Because he could not dance in step with the piping of the times,
And dreaded all compliances as heaven-defying crimes,
Those that his brethren should have been, did all affection quench,
Nay, cut him from theire fellowshi8p even as a rotten branch.

While thus he told how best-loved friends were severed from his side,
Tears of deep agony gushed forth, and mournfully he cried:
‘Woe’s me that I in Meshech am a sourjourner so long!
That I in taberacles dwell to Kedar that belong!
My sould with him that hateth peace hath long a dweller been;
I am for peace, but when I speak, for battle they are keen!’
And he spoke with him most cheeringly, with reverent, tender love,
And he prayed as they alone can pray whose heart’s home is above!
He prayed that in His own good time, the Lord would grant release,
And let his servant, worn with age and toil, depart in peace;
That all his works and sufferings, with acceptance might be crowned,
And the fruit, in ages yet to come, might gloriously abound.

‘Tis time we part, not far from hence the slayer hath a den,
And I know the night-shades gather thick, around old Blaxeden.’
‘Rough is the path before thee, planted thick with thorns and briars,
And a spirit meek and fearless, and a wary step requires,
And they feet are soft and tender yet; but keep a constant eye,
Unto Thy Master’s will, and thou shalt quit the stage with joy;
While they who walk with stately step, and bend their necks in pride,
Shall soil their garments, and be fain their squalid looks to hide.

‘Who trust in self, are forth at sea in a frail and broken ship;
Who build their church upon the breath of a Princes or courtiers lip,
Are building on the shifting sand, and on the fleeing cloud;
And stand they may, so long as they are tools to serve the proud.
Trust thou for ever in the Lord! for everlasting strength
Is in His arm, and He shall rise to plead they cause at length;’
And he drew him nearer, and he plced his hand upon his head,
And, with a pause of inward prayer, thse solemn words he said:-
‘God be they sun and shield! Farewell! And when we meet again,
It will not be as now, my son, in peril and in pain!’
And slowly Renwick left the bed– his finger raised above!-
The old man’s eye still following him, with look and tears of love.
–James Dodd’s