What Doest Thou? by C. M. Willis

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 30, 1865

What Doest Thou?

By C. M. Willis

WHAT doest thou here, Elijah? Thus God of his servant inquired, The servant whom he had chosen, And by his own Spirit inspired. And he answered him, Lord, I've been jealous For thee and thy holy cause; For Israel hast slain thy prophets, And broken thy holy laws.

And God said, Go stand on the mountain— And there came like an angry fiend, A wild and terrible tempest; But God was not in the wind. And there followed a mighty earthquake, It shook the mountains and trees, And then came a raging fire, But the Lord was in none of these.

But the elements sink into silence, And nature can once more rejoice, A small voice is heard in the stillness, And God was himself in the voice. And he ever comes thus to believers, When the heart by fierce tempests is stirred, Abroad or at home, if we listen, His Spirit in whispers is heard.

What doest thou here unbeliever? A stranger to God and his grace, Depending for justification On self and self-righteousness. Thou hast broken his holy covenant, And trampled upon his laws; And God will speak in the whirlwind, If you heed not the still small voice.

What doest thou here, lone pilgrim, Mid the storm's and tempest's roar? Thy enemies gather around thee, And thick clouds of blackness lower; Oh trust in a loving Saviour, Deliverance seek from above; He will speak to thy foes in the tempest, But to thee in whispers of love.

What doest thou here, poor mourner, Away from the foot of the cross? Come lay on the altar thy treasure, And count earthly gains but as dross; 'Tis not amid folly or splendors, The soul can look up and rejoice— He comes not in earth's vain allurements, He comes in the still small voice.

Then the heavenly visitant cherish, And treasure each precious word; Though it scarcely is heard mid earth's turmoils, It is still the dear voice of our Lord. Then when the dread question is asked us— Probationer, what doest thou? We may say, For thy coming we've waited, With rapture we welcome thee now.

C. M. WILLIS.

Charlotte, Mich.