Daily Old Testament: Isaiah 58 and New Testament Inspired Words of James Nayler - Nayler Sonnet 7 by K. Boulding

Isaiah 58 – The prophet must tell of the people’s faults. If you do not respect the days of fasting, but do business all day, you cannot expect to please the Lord. If you do these things and only do them superficially, you cannot please the Lord.

What the Lord wants is for you “to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free . . .share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor . . .clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin” (58:6-7). “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of Yahweh behind you” (58:8).

If you live this way, the Lord “will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry” (58:11) The Sabbath is key here – the rules governing it must be respected. You must not pursue you own interests or feel your own desires on the Sabbath.

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thought to any other. If it be betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned; it takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life. It is conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor doth it murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth but through sufferings; for with the world's joy it is murdered. I found it alone, being forsaken. I have fellowship therein with them who lived in dens and desolate places of the earth, who through death obtained this resurrection and eternal holy life.

Thou wast with me when I fled from the face of mine enemies: then didst Thou warn me in the night: Thou carriedst me in Thy power into the hiding-place Thou hadst prepared for me: there Thou coveredst me with Thy Hand that in time Thou mightst bring me forth a rock before all the world. When I was weak Thou stayedst me with Thy Hand, that in Thy time Thou mightst present me to the world in Thy strength in which I stand, and cannot be moved. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Let this be written for those that come after. Praise the Lord.

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thought to any other. If it be betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned; it takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life. It is conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor doth it murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth but through sufferings; for with the world's joy it is murdered. I found it alone, being forsaken. I have fellowship therein with them who lived in dens and desolate places of the earth, who through death obtained this resurrection and eternal holy life.

Thou wast with me when I fled from the face of mine enemies: then didst Thou warn me in the night: Thou carriedst me in Thy power into the hiding-place Thou hadst prepared for me: there Thou coveredst me with Thy Hand that in time Thou mightst bring me forth a rock before all the world. When I was weak Thou stayedst me with Thy Hand, that in Thy time Thou mightst present me to the world in Thy strength in which I stand, and cannot be moved. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Let this be written for those that come after. Praise the Lord.

Kenneth Boulding’s Nayler Sonnets:

7. And to weary out all exaltation and cruelty

What patience must we cherish to outwear

The sleepless hosts of hell who lie in wait

Against our slightest weakness, early late

With perseverance more than we can bear.

How can we wait the many a weary year

Before the rock of pride, and cruel hat

Into a fruitful earth disintegrate

Under the tears of love and near despair?

Who then can blame us if we lose our trust

In love’s slow ways, and hastily rush to blast

The rock to pieces---but to find at last

When smoke has cleared, not earth, but barren dust.
Only by endless rain the soil is given,

And endless patience is the way of heaven.