THE LAST APOSTASY

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 16, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 36.

THE LAST APOSTASY.

THE WEDDING OF CHURCH AND STATE—AN ALLEGORY.

It was a fair day in the world; for one who had been a beggar, forlorn, disconsolate, had been befriended by the Prince of heaven. The princes of earth had passed her by as she sat mourning and uncomely. With scorn they had left her by the way to die; but this Prince was the Son of Love. Her very mourning won him. Her need drew all his heart as charms draw others. He had looked with compassion into her eyes, faded with tears; into her heart, sick with sin; and though her beauty had consumed through bitter nights of sorrow, he had smiled, and said, "She shall be fair through my comeliness which I will put upon her." She languished with a dread disease which nothing could avail to heal but his life-blood, and from his heart, from cruel wounds, he poured it forth. She was refreshed, revivified, and in a fragrant fountain he had opened for her, her filth was cleansed away.

He brought her robes of regal glory, and clothed her. He placed his jewels on her neck and brow; he put his royal beauty in her face. He gave her love; betrothed her as a virgin to himself.

Long she had lived a life of shame, and now ere he could take her to his bosom, his Father had decreed that she must be tried, proved, and wholly sanctified. True, love had changed her heart, washed it and made it white, but in her blood still ran a tide of inclination to be subdued by her own will, combined with his rich power, to prove her loyalty to her betrothed. He set her in a palace, gave her power, and then withdrew his personal presence from her; but every day she found his tokens near her, and evidences that his love was warm. Now came rare flowers from gardens royal, now rich fruits, now robes and jewels, now messages of love and sweetness, and sometimes, as she sat thinking of him, around her flowed the fragrance of his presence, and myrrh and frankincense and spikenard made rich perfume.

The maiden had no other thought than of his coming to claim her as his bride. But the Prince had an enemy in the land who once had been a favorite at his courts; foul envy had defiled his innocence, and he had fallen in sight of Heaven and earth, and she, whom the Prince of Love had rescued, had one time been his victim.

This fallen prince, disguised, came to her palace, not as one whom she had cause to hate, not as a foul deceiver, but as true and loyal. He had known the way of court, and with smooth phrase, as one superior, he talked with her, praising her beauty with insinuous art, praising her power as worthy of more place, regretting that she must within a palace so narrow be confined, when courts and companies had need of her, and would delight in her fair, pleasant looks.

At first the maid rejected his foul praise. "My beauty is my Prince's," she replied, "and he shall place it where it pleases him. And though confined, renown of it hath filled the world, and many come to look on him in me, and love him for reflection of his grace. My power, that, too, is his. I want no larger scope than he may give; for heaven and earth are mine through him. I have commission from him, fair as love and long as time. To me 'tis given to herald his message to his subjects here, to bind the broken-hearted, to relieve the oppressed, to teach all men of my fair Prince, who comes erelong to free them from their enemy. Are not all men made happier since he gave this power to me his handmaid? Ah! good prince, you are his friend, and know the enemy feels my Prince's power through me. I feel his stir and wrath in all the land, lest my Prince shall o'erturn his usurped power. Nay; I have power enough. I'm set to be a light, to teach all men how they may be restored as I have been, how they may render service sweet with love to him who first loved them."

But as with specious art the tempter plied, presenting this and that in lights half false, and as she saw not Him who watched with care, from day to day, she listened, and delayed. And as he who hesitates is lost, so she; for last a fine suggestion filed its way, and like a drop of poison in her blood, it touched to life the tide of other days. She realized a moment where she stood, and yet she dallied, and stooped down at last to take upon her neck temptation's yoke, and lose love's liberty.

"She could have lovers, why wait on alone? She could hold scepters, why remain for one long promised and withheld?" Such thoughts came to her soul. Now was the tempter's hour. She sought not for her Prince. She sent no message to the palace gate that the tempter might be banished. True, ambassadors went ever to and fro. Now sad they grieved to tell her Prince, what he already knew, and yet she must be proved.

One day the dark prince came,—in fact so often now, she felt not lost that her own Prince came not. His tokens she neglected, yea, e'en shunned. The dark prince brought not poor and lowly to her palace gate; but all the honorable of earth. The princely and the royal were her friends. She glorified herself and lived deliciously. She said, "I sit a queen, and see no sorrow."

To-day a royal retinue was at the door, for the dark prince had come to give her formal escort to the highest earthly dignitary and power. He'd won an invitation, somewhat reluctant, true, from the State hall, and would give her formal introduction to Lord Caesar. The dark prince always spoke of him to her with highest praise; and said, at last, that day, "I hope to see Lord Caesar and you some day consorted. He is great and strong, and could protect your frailty with his might, and set you high as you deserve to be. You've won your subjects from the poor and low, but once his bride, you'd be the whole world's queen. He makes the laws of the nation, and is, too, as you yourself, a delegated power of God, to execute the will of God on earth."

"Yes," said the lady, "I well know Lord Caesar, for once I met him in the days of yore. I know his power and work, and yet I've been commanded for a mission vastly higher than his. He only is to deal with laws in civil rights, to dictate man's behavior to his fellow-man and to society. As a protector to these social rights he lives, and what am I to him?"

"Yes," said the prince, "and yet you aid his work; for do you not uphold the higher law of man's relation to his God, and does not your work lead to betterment of that society he governs?"

"True," said the lady, "yet our work's not one. My Prince hath said to render Caesar's due, and render also unto God his due. Now all that's his is but the conduct of man's acts to man. He must protect the outer life, the outer store, the outer chastity, honor, home; but hath he aught to do with framing law for thought? He wields the sword of civil government; but I must preach the great remedial news, that those who have transgressed the moral government, by thought, or word, or deed, may be forgiven, and made the loyal sons and citizens of heaven. 'Tis mine to draw but not compel men's hearts to that great government whose law so broad takes cognizance of even the very thoughts and intents of the heart."

"And yet, look round you, lady; see men's crime. See how the world sweeps on to ruin dire. See how your power alone to do men good is weakening day by day. You've tried your theory to the uttermost. I hold that you and he must co-operate to remedy the evil. Are not your churches empty? How can you preach your news? See how the rabble holds your worship-days. See how monopolies swing on the poor to seven days' work each week. Society will go to shreds indeed, if this is not disturbed. Your words are good and fine; but where's their power? Nay, all that needs to make your sway complete, is Caesar's sword to put them into force. Then you may sit a queen indeed. Come, join your fortunes with this noble man."

As the prince talked, the lady yielded all in her own soul, she thrust the arguments of truth and right aside, aye, stabbing her convictions to the heart. Pride rose. Ambition filled her soul with dreams of power, with dreams of wealth and honor. Would not the world bow down in reverence at her state?

"And have you talked with this Lord Caesar?" she asked, "and does he favor such a union? If I remember, he was once opposed to such alliance."

Then the dark prince smiled. "Yes, I have talked with him, and yet you've both reluctant seemed. Strange, for you were made for one another. He's harder to be won than you, perchance, to this bright scheme of mine; and yet I apprehend no trouble now, since you come to him as a guest of his to woo his favor."

"I woo!" exclaimed the lady. "O good prince, 'twere sadly out of place for me to woo. That is his right, but it is not for me. I scorn to persuade a reluctant lover, sir."

Then once again the dark prince counseled her, soothing her indignation with rare wiles; telling her how her wooing need not be a thing unveiled, but all so subtly guised that none need know she sought his heart at all.

Once she'd have scorned such evil arts, but now the dark prince held a spell of power o'er her she could not break, and carried her a captive to his will.

It was the time of entrance to the hall. And up the stairs were carpets for her feet, and page and servant waited at her call, and all with great magnificence was done. Was it not sweet to have such homage? to find the world before her in a moment? And if she won, she'd soon be queen of all.

(To be continued.)