James Challen Judson and the Revisers (1865)

FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.

DEVOTED TO PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY.

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VOL. 36.] BETHANY, W. V., MAY, 1865. [NO. V.
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J U D S O N   A N D   T H E   R E V I S E R S.
BY JAMES CHALLEN.

    It is no idle task to give the Word
Pure, as from Him who spoke it first and sent
It to the world; the labor of one's life
Is summoned to the work, and worthy of
The best we have; the garnered fruit of years
Of toil and labor is laid upon the
Altar; the offering is approved by him
Who well deserves the best we can bestow.
They need a portion of that spirit which
Fell on Judson--Burmah's apostle! when
Through years of toil and suffering, alone
And friendless, without one heart of all he knew
Who understood his task or could assist
Him in it.
    'Mid sultry suns, and weariness and want,
Through pestilence and famine, pain and woe,
And with a martyr's courage, still he toiled
On through the huge volume, word by word, and
Verse by verse, till the last jot and tittle
Of his mighty work was finished; and
Then he bowed his knees, with hands uplifted
To the heavens, holding the precious leaves
That bore the last "Amen" of him of Patmos,
Bedewed with grateful tears, and gave them to
The Savior: O man beloved! Ally
Of prophets, and all burdened souls who work
For God and for our race, I weep for joy
To think thy task is done: that prayer of thine
With grateful offering, 'neath the shady
Woods of Burmah, woke sympathy in heaven
Which finds an echo in all earnest hearts.
Glad was thy soul that day, as the meek dove
That bore the olive from the new made earth,--
Pledge of its future peace and blessedness.
It was the brightest day of all his weary
Life; the sweetest hour, unmixed with worldly
Hopes and fears, that ever came to Judson.
As a tired child, he lay his beating heart
Anear his Savior's, and was refreshed;--
For so he giveth his beloved sleep."

      DAVENPORT, Iowa.

[The Millennial Harbinger (May 1865): 232.]

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

      James Challen's "Judson and the Revisers" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 36, No. 5, May 1865. The electronic version of the poem has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1865), p. 232.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the poem. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 232:    ferrs, [ fears

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 22 June 1998.
Updated 2 July 2003.

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