高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain-第19章

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　　Then　John　saw　the　river；　and　the　multitude　was　there。　And　now　they　had　undergone　achange；　their　robes　were　ragged；　and　stained　with　the　road　they　had　traveled；　and　stained　withunholy　blood；　the　robes　of　some　barely　covered　their　nakedness；　and　some　indeed　were　naked。
　　And　some　stumbled　on　the　smooth　stones　at　the　river’s　edge；　for　they　were　blind；　and　somecrawled　with　a　terrible　wailing；　for　they　were　lame；　some　did　not　cease　to　pluck　at　their　flesh；which　was　rotten　with　running　sores。　All　struggled　to　get　to　the　river；　in　a　dreadful　hardness　ofheart：　the　strong　struck　down　the　weak；　the　ragged　spat　on　the　naked；　the　naked　cursed　the　blind；the　blind　crawled　over　the　lame。　And　someone　cried：　‘Sinner；　do　you　love　my　Lord？’
　　Then　John　saw　the　Lord—for　a　moment　only；　and　the　darkness；　for　a　moment　only；　wasfilled　with　a　light　he　could　not　bear。　Then；　in　a　moment；　he　was　set　free；　his　tears　sprang　as　from　afountain；　his　heart；　like　a　fountain　of　waters；　burst。　Then　he　cried：　‘Oh；　blessed　Jesus！　Oh；　LordJesus！　Take　me　through！’
　　Of　tears　there　was；　yes；　a　very　fountain—springing　from　a　depth　never　sounded　before；from　depths　John　had　not　known　were　in　him。　And　he　wanted　to　rise　up；　singing；　singing　in　thatgreat　morning；　the　morning　of　his　new　life。　Ah；　how　his　tears　ran　down；　how　they　blessed　his　soul！
　　—as　he　felt　himself；　out　of　the　darkness；　and　the　fire；　and　the　terrors　of　death；　rising　upward　tomeet　the　saints　‘Oh；　yes！’　cried　the　voice　of　Elisha。　‘Bless　our　God　for　ever！’
　　And　a　sweetness　filled　John　as　he　heard　this　voice；　and　heard　the　sound　of　singing：　thesinging　was　for　him。　For　his　drifting　soul　was　anchored　in　the　love　of　God；　in　the　rock　that　enduredfor　ever。　The　light　and　the　darkness　had　kissed　each　other；　and　were　married　now；　for　ever；　in　thelife　and　the　vision　of　John’s　soul。
　　I；　John；　saw　a　city；　way　in　the　middle　of　the　air；Waiting；　waiting；　waiting　up　there。
　　He　opened　his　eyes　on　the　morning；　and　found　them；　in　the　light　of　the　morning；　rejoicingfor　him。　The　trembling　he　had　known　in　darkness　had　been　the　echo　of　their　joyful　feet—thesefeet；　bloodstained　for　ever；　and　washed　in　many　rivers—they　moved　on　the　bloody　road　for　ever；with　no　continuing　city；　but　seeking　one　to　e：　a　city　out　of　time；　not　made　with　hands；　buteternal　in　the　heavens。　No　power　could　hold　this　army　back；　no　water　disperse　them；　no　fireconsume　them。　One　day　they　would　pel　the　earth　to　heave　upward；　and　surrender　the　waitingdead。　They　sang；　where　the　darkness　gathered；　where　the　lion　waited；　where　the　fire　cried；　andwhere　blood　ran　down：
　　My　soul；　don’t　you　be　uneasy！
　　They　wandered　in　the　valley　for　ever；　and　they　smote　the　rock；　for　ever；　and　the　waterssprang；　perpetually；　in　the　perpetual　desert。　They　cried　unto　the　Lord　for　ever；　and　lifted　up　theireyes　for　ever；　they　were　cast　down　for　ever；　and　He　lifted　them　up　for　ever。　No；　the　fire　could　nothurt　them；　and　yes；　the　lion’s　jaws　were　stopped；　the　serpent　was　not　their　master；　the　grave　wasnot　their　resting…place；　the　earth　was　not　their　home。　Job　bore　them　witness；　and　Abraham　wastheir　father；　Moses　had　elected　to　suffer　with　them　rather　that　glory　in　sin　for　a　season。　Shadrach；Meshach；　and　Abednego　had　gone　before　them　into　the　fire；　their　grief　had　been　sung　by　David；and　Jeremiah　had　wept　for　them。　Ezekiel　had　prophesied　upon　them；　these　scattered　bones；　theseslain；　and；　in　the　fullness　of　time；　the　prophet；　John；　had　e　out　of　the　wilderness；　crying　that　thepromise　was　for　them。　They　were　enpassed　with　a　very　cloud　of　witnesses：　Judas；　who　hadbetrayed　the　Lord；　Thomas；　who　had　doubted　Him；　Peter；　who　had　trembled　at　the　crowing　of　acock；　Stephen；　who　had　been　stoned；　Paul；　who　had　been　bound；　the　blind　man　crying　in　the　dustyroad；　the　dead　man　rising　from　the　grave。　And　they　looked　unto　Jesus；　the　author　and　the　finisherof　their　faith；　running　with　patience　the　race　He　had　set　before　them；　they　endured　the　cross；　andthey　despised　the　shame；　and　waited　to　join　Him；　one　day；　in　glory；　at　the　right　hand　of　the　Father。
　　My　soul！　don’t　you　be　uneasy！
　　Jesus　going　to　make　up　my　dying　bed！
　　‘Rise　up；　rise　up；　Brother　Johnny；　and　talk　about　the　Lord’s　deliverance。’
　　　It　was　Elisha　who　had　spoken；　he　stood　just　above　John；　smiling；　and　behind　him　were　thesaints—Praying　Mother　Washington；　and　Sister　McCandless；　and　Sister　Price。　Behind　these；　hesaw　his　mother；　and　his　aunt；　his　father；　for　the　moment；　was　hidden　from　his　view。
　　‘Amen！’　cried　Sister　McCandless；　‘rise　up；　and　praise　the　Lord！’
　　He　tried　to　speak；　and　could　not；　for　the　joy　that　rang　in　him　this　morning。　He　smiled　up　toElisha；　and　his　tears　ran　down；　and　Sister　McCandless　began　to　sing：
　　‘Lord；　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！
　　‘Rise　up；　Johnny；’　said　Elisha；　again。　‘Are　you　saved；　boy？’
　　‘Yes；’　said　John；　‘oh；　yes！’　And　the　words　came　upward；　it　seemed；　of　themselves；　in　thenew　voice　God　had　given　him。　Elisha　stretched　out　his　hand；　and　John　took　the　hand；　and　stood—so　suddenly；　and　so　strangely；　and　with　such　wonder！—once　more　on　his　feet。
　　‘Lord；　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！’
　　Yes；　the　night　had　passed；　the　powers　of　darkness　had　been　beaten　back。　He　moved　amongthe　saints；　he；　John；　who　had　e　home；　who　was　one　of　their　pany　now；　weeping；　he　yetcould　find　no　words　to　speak　of　his　great　gladness；　and　he　scarcely　knew　how　he　moved；　for　hishands　were　new；　and　his　feet　were　new；　and　he　moved　in　a　new　and　Heaven…bright　air。　PrayingMother　Washington　took　him　in　her　arms；　and　kissed　him；　and　their　tears；　his　tears　and　the　tears　ofthe　old；　black　woman；　mingled。
　　‘God　bless　you；　son。　Run　on；　honey；　and　don’t　get　weary！’
　　‘Lord；　I　been　introduced；To　the　Father　and　the　Son；And　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！’
　　Yes；　as　he　moved　among　them；　their　hands　touching；　and　tears　falling；　and　the　music　rising—as　though　he　moved　down　a　great　hall；　full　of　a　splendid　pany—something　began　to　knockin　that　listening；　astonished；　newborn；　and　fragile　heart　of　his；　something　recalling　the　terrors　ofthe　night；　which　were　not　finished；　his　heart　seemed　to　say；　which；　in　this　pany；　were　now　tobegin。　And；　while　his　heart　was　speaking；　he　found　himself　before　his　mother。　Her　face　was　full　oftears；　and　for　a　long　while　they　looked　at　each　other；　saying　nothing。　And　once　again；　he　tried　toread　the　mystery　of　that　face—which；　as　it　had　never　before　been　so　bright　and　pained　with　love；had　never　seemed　before　so　far　from　him；　so　wholly　in　munion　with　a　life　beyond　his　life。　He　wanted　to　fort　her；　but　the　night　had　given　him　no　language；　no　second　sight；　no　power　to　seeinto　the　heart　of　any　other。　He　knew　only—and　now；　looking　at　his　mother；　he　knew　that　he　couldnever　tell　it—that　the　heart　was　a　fearful　place。　She　kissed　him；　and　she　said：　‘I’m　mighty　proud；Johnny。　You　keep　the　faith。　I’m　going　to　be　praying　for　you　till　the　Lord　puts　me　in　my　grave。’
　　Then　he　stood　before　his　father。　In　the　moment　that　he　forced　himself　to　raise　his　eyes　andlook　into　his　father’s　face；　he　felt　in　himself　a　stiffening；　and　a　panic　and　a　blind　rebellion；　and　ahope　for　peace。　The　tears　still　on　his　face；　and　smiling　still；　he　said：　‘Praise　the　Lord。’
　　‘Praise　the　Lord；’　said　his　father。　He　did　not　move　to　touch　him；　did　not　kiss　him；　did　notsmile。　They　stood　before　each　other　in　silence；　while　the　saints　rejoiced；　and　John　struggled　tospeak　the　authoritative；　the　living　word　that　would　conquer　the　great　division　between　his　fatherand　himself。　But　it　did　not　e；　the　living　word；　in　the　silence　something　died　in　John；　andsomething　came　alive。　It　came　to　him　that　he　must　testify：　his　tongue　only　could　bear　witness　tothe　wonders　he　had　seen。　And　he　remembered；　suddenly；　the　text　of　a　sermon　he　had　once　heardhis　father　preach。　And　he　opened　his　mouth；　feeling；　as　he　watched　his　father；　the　darkness　roarbehind　him；　and　the　very　earth　beneath　him　seem　to　shake；　yet　he　gave　to　his　father　their　montestimony。　‘I’m　saved；’　he　said；　‘and　I　know　I’m　saved。’　And　then；　as　his　father　did　not　speak；　herepeated　his　father’s　text：　‘My　witness　is　in　Heaven　and　my　record　is　on　high。’
　　‘It　e　from　your　mouth；’　said　his　father　then。　‘I　want　to　see　you　live　it。　It’s　more　than　anotion；’
　　‘I’m　going　to　pray　God；’　said　John—and　his　voice　shook；　whether　with　joy　or　grief　hecould　not　say—‘to　keep　me；　and　make　me　strong　…　to　stand　…　to　stand　against　the　enemy　…　andagainst　everything　and　everybody　…　that　wants　to　cut　down　my　soul。’
　　Then　his　tears　came　down　again；　like　a　wall　between　him　and　his　father。　His　Aunt　Florencecame　and　took　him　in　her　arms。　Her　eyes　were　dry；　and　her　face　was　old　in　the　savage；　morninglight。　But　her　voice；　when　she　spoke；　was　gentler　that　he　had　ever　known　it　to　be　before。
　　‘You　fight　the　good　fight；’　she　said；　‘you　hear？　Don’t　you　get　weary；　and　don’t　you　getscared。　Because　I　know　the　Lord’s　done　laid　His　hands　on　you。’
　　‘Yes；’　he　said；　weeping；　‘yes。　I’m　going　to　serve　the　Lord。’
　　‘Amen！’　cried　Elisha。　‘Bless　our　God！’
　　The　filthy　streets　rang　with　the　early…morning　light　as　they　came　out　of　the　temple。
　　They　were　all　there；　save　young　Ella　Mae；　who　had　departed　while　John　was　still　on　th