| The Golden Gate of Prayer |
Chapter 10 |
Page 6 |
In one of Browning’s poems is the beautiful story of a boy working at his poor trade and praising God morn, noon, and night. But one whispered in the boy’s ear a word which left in his mind a feeling of discontent with his lowly place and work, and started in his heart a desire for something great and conspicuous. He craved now to praise God in the pope’s great and splendid way in St. Peter’s dome. He left his poor trade and became a priest. Meanwhile Gabriel took up the boy’s tasks and played the craftsman well, praising God in his place. At last Theocrite realized his early dream — he was pope now in St. Peter’s. But Gabriel appeared to him, saying:—
I did not well when I took thee from thy craftsman’s cell and set thee here.
Go back to thy cell and thy poor employ;
Resume the craftsman and the boy.
He seemed to be serving God now in a far grander way than when he was working at his trade in his lowly place. But really he pleased God better in those early days than now, amid splendor and pomp. God had missed the boy’s song all the years — his place had been really vacant since he left it. Only when he went back to his poor employ was he fulfilling the divine plan for his life.
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