TIME AND ITS STORY by Geo. E. Price

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 12, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 53.

TIME AND ITS STORY.

By Geo. E. Price

I.

'Twas the last night, the last before His death, And, loving His disciples to the end, His heart with pity yearned, to leave them here Surrounded by a world of sin and woe. "My little children, yet a little while Can I be here among you." Oh, how sore Was every heart string made at what He spoke! Yet blessed promise came to soothe their pain: "I go to make homes ready for you all Within My Father's house. And if I go, I will return again and you receive, That ye may still be with Me, and may share The glory that I left to come to earth." Oh, blest assurance to the waiting church, The one bright star that lights this earth's dark gloom! Eternal joys will make amends for all That we may suffer here for Jesus' sake. Yet promise thus indefinite alone Has not been given to his waiting ones, So weary with the wicked ways of sin, And Satan's troubling arts upon their souls, Who pant for country free from sin and woe, Beneath the reign of Christ, their glorious King. There had been given to the three most loved A panoramic view of things to come, Showing to them as well as scenes could do His power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Yet one narrating this in after time Has said that prophecy more plain than this Is given that his people may take heed As to a light that guides us through the gloom. Ah, yes, more plain, and yet the world goes on Unconscious that the hour is now at hand!

II.

The wind goes wailing through the forest trees, And makes the bosoms heave of all that hear, It sounds so like the voice of one unseen. Its mourning cry will almost make the tears Start from the eyes; and each voice of nature Swells in the song, as over all is hung The veil of midnight. In the western sky Already, only four more hours to shine, Appears the moon among the fleecy clouds That scud across its face and oft obscure Its friendly rays completely. Then the wind Seems still louder to howl, as if it strove To force the dimming vapor swiftly past, And let the light shine down upon the earth To startle some poor villain at his crime. All down the ages since the moon first shone Upon the earth, and lit its beauties up, Ere man began earth's energies to bend To his own will, to our own time, when all Seems made to gratify his needs or lusts, This scene has common been upon the earth. Yet when had it such meaning as to us? Oh, what a history has our old, old world! What progress, what decay, and how this brings A contrast of this age with those before! The same old moon that watched the Pharaohs die, The same that saw Birs-Nimrod's pile arise! How long will this continue? What the end And destiny of all we see around? Will there be e'er a change? Ah, who can see The mighty engine roll along the track, Its one great eye and many lesser lights Forcing the deep, dark shadows from its track, Shaking the earth beneath its mighty tread, In one uniting all the lands of earth,— A truly good example of the age,— Nor think of those that Nahum has foretold Would run with flaming torches in that day, And running jostle one against the next As onward like the lightning's flash they speed?

III.

But signs prophetic ne'er had power to rouse A slumbering world, though given with trumpet voice That shook the earth and loud proclaimed the end Of all things as impending at the doors. Yea, all we see around us only proves That if, through hardened hearts and unbelief, The message given in God's holy word Is spurned, rejected, and accounted false, So would it be though God should raise the dead, Who, with a tocsin voice, would warn the world.

IV.

In ages past the only hope that cheered The saints who sought relief from earthly woe, Was that of reigning with their Saviour King. Our Lord's apostles thought so much of this That all their writings teem with promises Of future glory, only ushered in By Christ's appearing in the clouds above, And taking quick and dead away with him. But when that wicked one began to work, And foul the record of God's dealings with And will to man, this hope was blotted out, And in its stead was made the specious plea That when man dies he goes to bliss or woe.

(To be continued.)