By Night When Others Soundly Slept

By Night When Others Soundly Slept

By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest,
My waking eyes were open kept
And so to lie I found it best. 

I sought him whom my Soul did Love,
With tears I sought him earnestly.
He bow'd his ear down from Above.
In vain I did not seek or cry.

My hungry Soul he fill'd with Good;
He in his Bottle put my tears,
My smarting wounds washt in his blood,
And banisht thence my Doubts and fears.  

What to my Saviour shall I give
Who freely hath done this for me?
I'll serve him here whilst I shall live
And Love him to Eternity

~ Anne Bradstreet

 I find this poem rather intriguing. When I saw the title (before I read the poem) I was expecting something like Paul Revere or somebody who is out in the dark streets fending for their life. I also thought it might be about someone who was escaping from something. Technically, I was correct. No, doesn't have to do with Paul Revere, but it is about someone fighting for life - someone escaping from death. This poem is about the narrator struggling to find sleep. They decide to rest and end up seeking out the Lord (Kyle, don't freak out yet). After seeking the Lord, the Lord listens and fills their soul and washes their wounds in His blood. The narrator then concludes that they cannot repay the Lord and thus decided to serve Him while they live and to love him to eternity.

This is a great poem about someone coming to faith in Christ. It shows the struggle in fleeing a previous life and receiving a new one. There is, however, one problem with this poem. That problem is that one cannot seek God. God is not lost and does not need to be found. In fact, it is us who are lost. "I once was lost, but now I'm found." Faith does not come unless the Father draws the sinner to himself. Don't worry everyone, Kyle can take a breath now.