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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, November 12, 1867

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 22

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HOW LONG!

By Sol.

“Behold I make all things now.” Rev. xxi, 5.
Still do they linger—these slow-treading ages, How long must we still bear their cold delay? Streak after streak the glowing dawn presages; And yet it breaks not—the expected day!
Each passing year with prophet lip has spoken, “Prepare your praises, Earth awake and sing!” But yet yon dome of blue remains unbroken; No tidings yet of the descending King!
Darkness, still darkness;—nearer and yet nearer The lightning gleams, the sea’s scorched billows moan; And the sere leaf of earth is growing serer;— Creation droops and leaves a bitter groan.
O storm and earthquake,—wind and warning thunder, Your hour is coming;—one wild outburst more. One other day of war, and wreck, and plunder, And then—your desolating reign is o’er.
These plains are not your battle-fields forever; The glassy deep was never made for you; These mountains were not made for you to shiver; These buds were not for your rude hand to strew!
Flee! and give back to earth its verdant gladness, The unsoiled freshness of its balmy dew! Take hence your sackcloth with its gloomy sadness, And let the wrinkled skies their youth renew!
Give back that day of days—the seventh, and fairest,— When, like a gem new-set, earth flung afar Her glory,—of creation’s gems the rarest,— Sparkling in beauty to each kindred star!
Come back! thou holy love—so rudely banished, When evil came, and hate, and fear, and wrong! Return thou joyous light,—so quickly vanished— Revive, thou life that death has quenched so long!
Re-fix—re-knit the chain so harshly broken, That bound our lower orb to your bright heavens;— Hang out on high the long-desired token— The sign of earth renewed and man forgiven!
Withdraw the vail that has for ages hidden That world of brightness from our lower sphere! Renew the fellowship so long forbidden!— O God! Thyself take up thy dwelling here!—Sol.