THE RESTITUTION by N. W. Vincent

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 23, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 12.

THE RESTITUTION.

By N. W. Vincent

The thousand years ended, the city of gold Will descend from our God, what a joy to behold! In it Christ with bright thousands will come to restore The dominion created for Adam before.

The saints all enamored with Jesus’ just ways, Fill the city with music, with songs to his praise; Church fair as the moon, and clear as the sun, Dread as armies with banners when victory’s won!

The city foursquare, with twelve gates open wide, Is three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side; Bright world, jasper-walled, with the beauty of God Coming down out of Heaven to man’s first abode.

Far below, the old earth like a dark speck is found, Where the wicked lie dead, the devil still bound. Then Christ, the blest Potentate, speaks once again, And straightway the earth is all peopled with men.

Among them are giants once drowned in the flood, The mighty in war, men of lust and of blood; Deceived by the devil they fancy that now They can take the loved city on Olivet’s brow.

By millions they rally, the vilest command, So like goats they are gathered at Jesus’ left hand; Then a throne great and white appears to their view With earth’s Judge thereupon, the Faithful and True.

What grief, oh! what agony rends every heart When He who so loved them commands them, Depart! No mother’s affection so tender had been, Yet against their own souls they have chosen to sin.

Earth’s waters as pitch, and as brimstone the sod, Fire from Heaven devours the foes of our God; It consumes the world’s dross, melts the earth with its heat, So the Father puts all things beneath his Son’s feet.

But true to his word, to his faithfulness true, God restores his creation, and makes all things new; The earth and the heavens made new shall remain, Wherein He whose blood bought them forever shall reign.

There Christ, angels, and saints, shall jubilee keep; For God’s love fills that world as the waters the deep, And the glorified nations with rapture untold, Will walk in the light of the city of gold.

In our Eden each month and each Sabbath we’ll meet To bow in sweet praise at the once pierced feet; To drink of life’s waters, to eat of life’s tree, And sing of God’s mercy in Jesus so free.

N. W. VINCENT.