The World by Emily L. Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 22, 1866

The World.

By Emily L. Canright

Not the busy, bustling world—not the political world, in which tickets, votes, and candidates, are the all-absorbing theme,—not the fashionable world, in which pride, dress, and deceit, are mixed en masse, and together yclept, society. No, we would forget all these, and now, while the stars,—the bright astral lamps flung out from the windows of heaven, are glistening overhead, the moon is ploughing her way through the upper deep toward the western world, and the wind sweeps on its way, wild and free, whithersoever it listeth,—while these elements of God's creation are spread out before us, we will take one more look at the real world.

Six thousand years have nearly elapsed since God finished his great work, and pronounced it good. Fair and free it floated out from the hand of its Creator, a sample of perfect workmanship. On it went, through the realms of space, circling round and round in its orbit,—no spot marred its perfect beauty. Two lovely beings, made in the image of God, were placed in a beautiful garden, surrounded by all that was pleasing to the eye, or tempting to the taste. To them was committed the government of all the animate objects the world contained. But man, through disobedience to God, fell, and earth, beautiful earth, is cursed for his sake. By sin came death. Its chilling breath falls upon everything, and all things must die. The tall, stately trees, tossed their foliaged branches in mid air, but soon bent to the shaft of time, died and decayed. Flowers of exquisite beauty grew bright for a season, then withered and faded. The animal creation suffered in the general doom, and finally man himself, bent with the weight of sorrow and years, bowed his head to the grim monster, and was laid away in the tomb.

Steadily the world moves on its way; bearing its freight of living, dying, and dead, as generation succeeds generation. Rapidly it was being populated, but God saw that "the wickedness of man was great," that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually; and he repented that he had made man, and so resolved to destroy him from off the face of the earth. But one righteous family remained. They were the objects of God's special care, and to them he revealed his designs. God told Noah that he would bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh, and everything that was in the earth should die; but he should prepare an ark, to float upon the waters, in which he and his family should be safely housed, and with them of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort. Faithfully did Noah perform his task, for one hundred and twenty years he warned the people to flee from the wrath to come. Every stroke of the hammer told them of their impending doom. No heed was given to the timely warning, but they revelled in luxury, and were "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage." But a change came o'er the scene. The windows of heaven were opened, and for forty days the water came down in torrents, until the hills and highest mountains were covered. As the waters increase, the ark is lifted above the earth, and safely it floats on the face of the deep. Every living substance is destroyed. Only Noah and those that were with him in the ark, remained alive. At the end of forty days the storm abated, the rain was restrained, the wind played up on the waters, and the earth became dry as before, and the ark rested on mount Ararat. Then Noah removed from the ark, and all that were with him, and he built an altar before the Lord and offered burnt offerings thereon; and the Lord smelled a sweet savor, and said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; but while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. And the Lord said to Noah, that all flesh should "not be cut off any more by the waters of a flood, neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth," and the bow with all its brilliant hues is placed in the clouds as a memorial of God's everlasting covenant.

But ah! this world of ours never recovered from the effects of the second stroke from the chastening hand of God. Healthful breezes emitted from the tree of life, are wafted no more from Eden's bowers. Life, short before, is much shorter now, and all things since that period have possessed but the faint reflection of their primal beauty. Rapidly we pass down the stream of time, making short pauses by the way to notice a few of the most important events. Generation followed generation in quick succession. Four kingdoms, great in wealth and strength, universal in power, viz., Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, have risen and passed away. We will pause at the last mentioned kingdom to notice one of the most important events connected with the world's history,—the advent of the Son of God. The star of religion wended its way through the dark night of ignorance, vice and oppression, shedding a mild ray of light upon the few humble ones of earth, that walked with God, and reached its zenith at the event here mentioned. All that came before, looked forward to it; all that have followed after, looked back upon it. God's love for man was great, his law unchangeable. Man, through disobedience, brought himself under the penalty of that law, and "thou shalt surely die" is his sentence, pronounced by the just Judge. Jesus beholding the lost condition of guilty man, offers his life as a ransom for man. God accepted the offering. He left the courts of Heaven, and all the glory of his Father, passed by the ranks of angels, and took upon himself the seed of Abraham; became a man, that he might feel for man's infirmities. He was born in a stable, cradled in a manger, grew up a child of poverty, and a subject of persecution, and became indeed "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Nothing that could be done for man, did he leave undone. He commenced his work by breaking the power that Satan held over the suffering. He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, caused the lame to walk, and raised the dead to life. His earnest, self-denying life, was a pattern for all who should follow him. Finally his labors on earth were finished. He suffered an ignominious death upon the cross, was buried, and the third day rose again, and for forty days, remained with his apostles, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; and while he was yet speaking to them, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. "And while they were steadfastly gazing toward heaven as he went up, two men stood by them in white apparel, which said, This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Since the above, eternity's clock has ticked off eighteen hundred and sixty-six years. All things are marked with the finger of time and change. Generation after generation has passed from the scene of action; cities have risen, flourished, and fallen. Thrones have tottered, and empires crumbled, and still this little world of ours rolls on its way.

The past is briefly told. The future is before us,—the eventful future, "I will come again and receive you unto myself," said Jesus to his followers, and he gave them the signs that should herald his second coming, that they might not be in darkness, that that day should overtake them as a thief. Daily and hourly we see these signs fulfilling, and we know by these, that

"Jesus' coming is now nigh at hand."

Yes, he is coming. A few more spring times, a few more harvests, a little more toil and care, a few more griefs and pains, and Jesus will come to redeem his own. The glad news is carried from house to house, and echoed from hill to hill; all can hear, but few heed. The saints know that the world is doomed. For keeping God's holy law they are persecuted; and retire in little bands to lone places of the earth. Then the vials of God's wrath are poured out upon the earth; but the world heeds not the terrible warning, but ascribing all to some singular phenomena, they revel in luxury, and are, as in the days when Noah entered the ark. Night, calm, placid night, gathers over the world. The people are lulled with the cry of "peace and safety," and they have a feeling of perfect security. The rich man retires to his couch, dreaming of his hoarded treasures; the gay and giddy throng retire, dreaming of the pleasures of the glad to-morrow; the desponding dream of the sorrows that the future has in store for them. But for them, to-morrow will never come. At midnight the sun shines out in all its strength, and the moon stands still; the heavens part as a scroll. Then shall they see the "Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." The earth trembles before him, and every mountain and island are moved out of their places. The righteous dead are called forth, and they together with the redeemed are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they be forever with the Lord.

The earth is desolate; the Lord maketh it empty,—maketh it waste, turneth it upside down. Not a person remains, all are dead, all are equal. "They are gathered together as prisoners are gathered in a pit, and shall be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be visited." "The earth is desolate. Thorns shall come up in her palaces, and brambles in the fortresses thereof. The wild beast of the desert, and the wild beast of the island shall meet; the satyr shall cry to his fellow, and the screech owl shall find for herself a resting place." This is Satan's home for a thousand years. Here he is bound. He can wander over this place as he will, but to this place he is limited.

Quickly we pass over the thousand years to the earth redeemed. The holy city, New Jerusalem, comes down from God out of Heaven. Jesus and the holy angels are its inhabitants. The wicked dead are called forth, they come, the rich and poor, the learned and unlearned, statesmen and warriors, are all brought up together. Satan goes among them, inspiring them with zeal to go up and take the City. Quickly the implements of war are prepared. They gather around the City for battle, and fire comes down from God out of Heaven and devours them. The earth is purified, Satan and his angels perish in the flames, and there is no more sin! The earth is made new. The wilderness and the solitary place is made glad, and the desert blossoms as the rose. It is indeed new,—all its departed glory is restored to it. Here is the home of the saints throughout eternity. "There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." EMILY L. CANRIGHT.