By Phoebe Palmer

Division 2 -- Notes by the Way

Chapter 11

O'er life's rough ocean wave
Fast was I going,
By threat'ning tempests driven, and billow tost,
And surges deep of wo
My soul o'erflowing!
O, all seem'd lost without thee -- lost, all lost.

My star of earthly bliss
Set in deep sorrow --One glimpse
from thee had all its lustre cost,
And not one gleam of light
Could it e'er borrow,
For in thy lucent beams it all was lost -- all lost.

At another time, about a year subsequent to the period just alluded to, the Lord again greatly comforted her soul during the night season. She had again, as on the former occasion, been for a long time wrestling earnestly with God, till nature had become wearied; when, on falling asleep, she dreamed she was standing without. The canopy of a beautiful midnight sky was spread out above her; the firmament was cloudless, and the full moon was silently walking the heavens. A stillness, that seemed hallowed to something unusual, reigned, but her eye was intently fixed, and her mind all absorbed by the attraction of a bright star. Presently it began to enlarge its circle, wider and yet wider, when (as she continued to keep her eye fixed on the point where it first began to rest) the form of the infant Savior was presented, and these words were proclaimed, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And his name shall be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE." In the mean time, while these words were being proclaimed, the circle rapidly widened, until the whole heavens had become encircled in one glow of glory.

The happy experience of succeeding years, when, by keeping her eye steadily fixed upon the Day-star from on high, her spiritual horizon had become enlightened, and, as she had continued to gaze, had rapidly taken in yet wider and still wider circles of glory, until the whole firmament of her soul had become radiant with its blissful beams, assured her that this communication was intended to convey a greater infinitude of meaning than her feeble capacities comprehended at the time.

It was not until she had received Jesus as her full Savior, and her spiritual heavens had been lighted up by the revelation of Christ to her soul as the Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, that she was enabled to have anything like proper perceptions of the infinite condescension of God in this communication. It was then she exultantly sung -

My faith hath caught the gaze,
I now behold thee;
And now let tempests wing their chilling frost,
Thy mildly-melting ray
Beams sweetly o'er me --
But without thee I am lost -- in darkness lost

O, yes, thou hast arisen
In beauteous splendor,
Thy radiance pure still rests my path across,
And homage at thy shrine
I'll ever render,
Till in thy light I'm lost -- for ever lost.

Though this was in a measure blest soul, at the time when given, and tended to assure her heart more confidently of the gracious designs of Infinite Love toward her, yet the impression soon passed away, and she relapsed into her former habits of reasoning and unbelief.