Classic Poem

Another year? another year!
Who dare depend on other years!
The judgment of this world is near,
And all its children faint for fears:
Famine, pestilence, and war,
Mixt with praises, prayers, and tears.
Civil strife and social jar,
Spurr'd by pen, and stirr'd by sword,
Herald Him who comes from far,
In Elijah's fiery car,
Our own returning Lord!

Look around: the nations quail!
All the elements of ill
Crowd like locusts on the gale,
And the dark horizon fill:
Wo to earth, and all her seed!
Wo, they run to ruin still! —
He that runneth well may read
Texts of truth the times afford,
How, in earth's extremest need,
Cometh, cometh soon indeed,
Our own redeeming Lord!

Lo, the marvels passing strange
Every teeming hour brings,
Daily turns with sudden change
The kaleidoscope of things;
But the Ruler, just and wise,
Orders all, as King of kings —
Hark! His thunders shake the skies,
Lo! His vials are outpour'd!
Earth in bitter travail lies,
And creation groans and cries
For our expected Lord!

Stand in courage, stand in faith!
Tremble not as others may;
He that conquers hell and death
Is the friend of those who pray:
And in this world's destined wo
He will save his own alway
From the trial's furnace glow;
Till the harvest all is stored,
Rescued from each earthly foe,
And the terrible ones below,
By our avenging Lord!

Yea, come quickly! Saviour, come!
Take us to thy glorious rest;
All thy children yearn for home,
Home, the heaven of thy breast!
Help, with instant gracious aid!
That in just assurance blest,
We may watch — nor feel afraid,
Every warning in thy word,
Signs and tokens all array'd
In proof of that for which we pray'd,
The coming of the Lord!