IF CHRIST should come in "fifty-eight,”
Would you go with Him through heaven's gate?
O parents, brothers, kindred too,
Is Christ the Lord still naught to you?
He who His glory laid aside,
For sinners came, and for us died;
Who God's great love—His hatred too—
Revealed to all, to me, to you:
Love that would not His own Son spare
That we with Him might glory share;
Strong hatred! yes, but not of man,
No! but of sin that him must ban
From God, from peace, from heav'n above,
From His blest home of matchless love.
Yes! thus it was and e'er is true
That Jesus died for me, for you,
Was crucified on Calv'ry's cross,
Sin's judgment bore at such a cost
For us who ev'ry one aside
Has turned from Him, the Crucified,
Without the willingness to bow
Before that Lord and Savior now
In this, the day of God's rich grace
That gives lost man in heav'n a place
Before Christ's coming shuts the door
And mercy's voice sounds forth no more;
Then wrath instead of peace shall fall
On all who disobeyed His call.
Do we His overtures still scorn,
Tread our own way to judgment morn?
When all the fearful and profane,
The Christ-rejectors and the vain,
The liars, murd'rers and the proud,
With terror filled, without a shroud
To hide their naked souls from God,
(Whose judgment Christ once met with blood,)
Stand speechless in His holy sight,
Their works, their thoughts, all brought to light—
Is there no hope? The Lamb's own book
Of life is brought; in vain they look
To find their names inscribed therein;—
God's Son they once refused!—This sin
Cannot be pardoned. They must go
To outer darkness, endless woe,
The lake of fire, the second death,
And not to God who gave them breath.
O parents, brothers, kindred too,
Will this dread end, say, o'ertake you?
God's name is LOVE; repent just now;
Before His Christ, believing, bow;
Receive HIM whose own blood has brought
Salvation! Can you count it naught? (J. H. S.)