To the Unbeliever by A. Z. H.

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 16, 1876

To the Unbeliever.

By A. Z. H.

EARTH, sea and air, and flower and sky, Proclaim God's loving hand on high; And gorgeous sunsets, mountains, trees, His hand is seen in fashioning these. And shall his one great work—poor man— Be left to doubt his God-like plan, While Nature's own great heart is rent, To yield him praise, in vast extent? Why, even birds, and ants, and bees, Speak forth his praise among the trees. The lightning's flash, the rainbow clear, All, all proclaim that God is near!

Pause, unbelieving friend, oh pause! And fight no more against God's laws, Lest, while you falsely build on sand, You find no place where you may stand; For Jesus truly soon will come, And take his ransomed people home; And at his brightness, you will call To rocks and mountains then to fall, And hide you from the face of One Whose glory far out-shines the sun. Too late! too late! the wicked slain— Within the earth will silence reign— And darkness great, and wondrous deep, Enfold the wicked dead who sleep.

A thousand years of light and love, A thousand years with Christ above; Now once again has come the time, When light once more, on earth shall shine. Behold! A city wondrous fair, Shall cleave through space, and sun, and air, With burnished gold her streets shall shine, (The saints of God will whisper, “Mine!”) While every glistening gate of pearl, Its brightness flings to darkened world.

In thunder tones, the trumpet calls, The earth now opens up her walls; The wicked dead at once arise, And view, with eager, longing eyes, This wondrous city of the sky, And wondering still, to her draw nigh.

Now Satan, loosed from out his prison, Will tempt the wicked who have risen; And they will hear him loudly cry,— While through the earth he'll swiftly fly:— “Forward to victory! and to light! We'll take that glorious city!—fight!” And swift they form in ranks of war, For quick the word is heard afar, And millions fly, in eager haste To lay this lovely city waste.

But God now speaks in trumpet tone, His voice is heard from zone to zone: “Let Satan fall! let sinners die! Then cleanse the earth and purify; Henceforth my saints shall dwell at ease, And all their wrongs shall be appeased.” He speaks the word—the fires fall— Earth soon becomes a burning pall, And fires flash from pole to pole. Ah! unbeliever, where's your soul! Now will you still consent to stand Among that God-forsaken band? Who, still defiant to the last, Within the burning flames are cast, Therein to writhe and moan and sigh, And know ’tis vain to “mercy!” cry. Oh! if you would not meet this fate, Believe—obey, before too late!

A. Z. H.