The Call of the Hour by C. M. Snow

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · May 9, 1912

The Call of the Hour

By C. M. Snow

Written especially for Young People's day

THis wicked world rolls toward its judgment-day, And God has given to his chosen band A work to do, a message to proclaim, A faithful warning of impending doom. To every soul who owns the claims of Christ, And hopes through him eternal life to gain, The call has come to sound the warning forth, That men may hear and heed and choose and live, And with the smitten Christ, who died for us, Eternal pleasures know at his right hand. And hast thou heard, and hast not heeded yet?

Then turn, in Heaven's name, and take the hand, Nail-pierced for you, that stretches out in love To give you gifts more precious than the wealth Of all earth's millions blended into one. O grasp that hand, and know the blessed joy Of sins forgiven, and the comfort of His all-abounding grace that heals the wounds Of sin, and every sadness mollifies! Thy Saviour waits, and shall he wait in vain? And you who know him, what a work awaits! The conflict of an age is focused here, And Satan's cohorts press on every hand. A cloud of doubt rolls 'round this smitten world To blind and stupefy a fallen race. A thousand noxious dogmas issue forth, And seeds of death are sown with lavish hand. The Christ we love is smitten in the house Of those who call themselves his chosen friends; And they who smite him hurl a poisoned shaft At those for whom he gave his precious blood. The day draws on when he will come again To reckon with a recreant world, and give A just reward to all who honor him. He calls on all, the youth, the middle-aged, And those whose heads have whitened with the snows Of many years,—he calls them, one and all, Who own his kingship and his love supreme, Not to a life with pleasure stupefied And filled with ease and comfort; but a life Of service and of hardship oft,—a life Free-given to a righteous cause in which He laid aside the glories of the blest And suffered 'neath the curse that sin had brought. In that hard strife he gave his all, and you Are called to follow in the path he trod. God calls you all; his standard is up-reared, The muster-roll is free to youth and age. Let none refuse, let none rejected be Who seek to give the message God has given. Speak courage to the faltering, speed the foot That runs the errands of our glorious King. Let glad cooperation be our theme While valiantly we press the battle on Till that glad day when we shall see his face And know the wonders of redeeming grace.

C. M. SNOW.