Some one, not something, who in the critical hour of life shall do for him
What no mere man shall,
And stand confessed as the God of salvation. (ll. 1322-1325.)
Clearly to the speaker, in spite of the objectionable character of the surroundings, they secure a “comfort”—
Which an empire gained, were a loss without. (ll. 1308-1309.)
Thus the choice is made in face of defects seemingly at first hopelessly repellant. And in leaving the soliloquist of Christmas Eve amidst the Zion Chapel congregation, our conviction touching the future is based upon grounds amply justifiable; that he may in spiritual development outgrow the limits he has for the present assigned himself. Since, despite the influences of prejudice and of bigotry yet remaining, he has already proved capable of seeking a position whence, in his own words, direct reference is made to Him “Who head and heart alike discerns.” From such a position, progress, expansion, as the law of life becomes, not only possible, but inevitable, since the soul’s outlook is at once freed from limitations by the transference of contemplation
From the gift ... to the giver,
And from the cistern to the river,
And from the finite to infinity,
And from man’s dust to God’s divinity. (ll. 1012-1015.)
Such deductions as to the intention of this poem are at least fully in accordance with those suggestions of theories which we have so far gathered from a consideration of other of Browning’s works.