Spring and Autumn by Abby Mussey

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 21, 1865

Spring and Autumn.

By Abby Mussey

A FEW months ago were heard the lovely birds singing their beautiful songs at the return of Spring. The warm rays of the sun had melted away the snow of the dreary Winter, and the green grass began to show itself upon the hills, and low in the valleys the forest began to show a lovely hue of green, and soon its branches were covered o'er with spreading foliage; and all things seemed to be smiling at the return of Spring.

Soon the lovely flowers are seen, and their rich fragrance fills the air around us. The farmer plants and sows his seed, and watches to see the fruit of his labor.

The Autumn comes at last. October is here with its cold frosts that nip the verdure from the trees and vines, and oh! how changed is the face of nature. The forest's foliage is struck with death. Its red, yellow, and brown complexion tells us it is dying. Soon the

Autumnal breezes will blow through the forests, shaking the branches and robbing them of their once lovely green but now dead and dying leaves, laying them low upon the ground to moulder back to the earth from whence they sprang.

Such is man. He appeareth for a little moment, and then passeth away. "His breath goeth forth; he returneth to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." The lovely flowers are all faded away: they bloomed for a moment, but have now ceased their loveliness and beauty. Such is youth: he cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down, and borne away to the silent tomb, and friends are left to mourn. Yea, how many sad hearts have been made, and tears have fallen for the loved dead since the singing of the Spring birds a few months ago. Such is this mortal life, and such this sin-cursed earth since God's holy law was broken, and the tree of life shut away from man. Thus sin entered into the world and death by sin.

A curse is on the ground, A poison in the air; Oh, well may we long to be free, And for a world where all is fair.

And we have the promise of a fairer clime than this; for the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost; and upon that promise we build our hopes; upon this rock we plant our feet, and stand secure. "I will come again," says Jesus. "Amen," the weeping bride replies. "Behold I come quickly, saith the Amen." "Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus," responds the Church. Let "thy kingdom come, and thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven:" for this we daily pray.

Oh! the glorious restitution. And with it comes the resurrection and the tree of life; the restituted earth, and the royal diadem; the crown of life, with life eternal. The curse is gone; the earth is green; the trees put forth their leaves to wither no more; the flowers blossom to fade no more; and man lives to die no more.

"The city comes! Life's river runs! Oh! speed the day! for this we pray. The morning cometh, oh! see it hasteth, Oh! come, my Saviour, come away."

ABBY MUSSEY, in Voice of the West.