TIME AND ITS STORY by Geo. E. Price

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 19, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 54.

TIME AND ITS STORY.

By Geo. E. Price

(Continued.)

V. THE COMING OF THE DAY-STAR.

WHEN man had death incurred through law transgressed, God promised as a remedy for this To send his Son to earth, who would appear As of the sons of men. He taught the race To sacrifice the tender young of sheep, And thus to keep forever in their minds That all were doomed to death, unless our God, In love to fallen man, would send his Son, Who, doing all the law of God required, Would thus live pure before a holy God, And then, by death unmerited, would give, To all partaking of his works by faith, Eternal life with endless blessings rich. By faith the men of God in olden time Wrought righteousness, and lived before the Lord In converse sweet; amazing grace was shown By angels with a message fresh from God. These knew full well that they were doomed to die If someone did not suffer in their stead, And thus a stronger faith was asked of them Than us, who see that such an One has died. And yet he laid these holy men to rest That they without us should not perfect be, And one there lived of whom the Almighty saw That he would teach his children ways of truth, And who has promised that his seed should be A mighty nation loved and blessed by God, And out of these should come the only hope Of holy people since the time of sin. This people grew, but often they forgot The law of God, and walked not in his ways, And so he often poured his wrath on them. Their foes possessed their land, their city fair, And yet, from lips that had but wailing known Through bondage sore and exile's cruel lot, They asked the happy songs of sunny home. But now, that still his people might have hope, He gave bright gleams of glory yet to come To all who should be faithful to their God. And, as the years went by, he made more clear The time, and place, and manner of the rise Of that great Day-star of their future joys. These things were made so plain that all who would Might know, and so they did, his coming nigh. The Jewish nation knew the time was near, And all were looking for some great event, When Christ appeared as of the sons of men, With more than common lot of grief and care. His lowly birth repelled the high of rank; His poverty, the men of worldly goods; And all, because he taught instead of ruled, Adjudged him false. His pure and holy life Repelled a nation steeped in guilt and crime, Though outward keeping many forms and laws. Satan had sown his seeds of error wide, And taught all men to look for King, not Priest, To fill the promise given in the past. They saw not that they all were doomed to die Did not Messias suffer in their stead; The darkness comprehended not the light That shone within its midst, and which illumed The past and present with its glorious rays, And brightened up a future rich with hope. Yet why do not the people of our day Give heed to that which, with instruction fraught, Was written for our profit? Not by rules alone But by example God has taught the race. That which our foe hath done he will do more, If like results from similar causes flow; Yea, cunning taught in his deceiving work, By long experience, he more truly knows How to ensnare the world with pleasing lies. So when Christ's kingly coming now draws near, He is at work again with hellish zeal, And spreads a false conception of his reign. Men's hearts have long ago begun to fail For fear of something coming on the earth; An anxious hush abroad the land is heard That tells of something near, they know not what. The wide diffusion of the increased lore Accumulated through the ages past, Gives much of polish to the world to-day; But knowledge may prove either good or ill, And here, with every way of virtue known, A thousand ways to vice are opened wide. Christ said that there would come a fearful time, Preceding his own advent in the clouds, When thoughts of men would only evil be, When day and night would be filled up with crime, As when in Sodom's streets the cry waxed loud, And, heard by God, drew down consuming flames. But still we hear a myriad voices say, "The world is rolling on; the days draw nigh When all will know the Lord and holy be." This is the thought they gather from the air, That vibrates with alarm of something near; Ah, yes indeed, they hear it in the air, But it was whispered there by Satan's breath (To be continued.)