Your ShelfYour Projects

WHO WILL BUY?

8%

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, March 4, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 10

Read the full edition

WHO WILL BUY?

By Mrs. L. D. A. Stuffle

BY MRS. L. D. A. STUFFLE.
Upon a towering mount, whose hoary peak Was vailed and hidden by a misty cloud, Methought the arch-destroyer calmly stood In all his awful grandeur, bold and proud; While at his feet, upon the plains below, The eager multitude surged to and fro.
“Who’ll buy of me?” in thunder tones he cries; “Come rich and poor, the monarch and the slave; I ask no payment but the HUMAN SOUL! A poor return, and yet ’tis all I crave. I offer all prosperity, and ease, And worldly joys. Who’ll sell his soul for these?”
“And here is fame! Ye eager millions, come! Who longs to buy himself a glorious name? This is a bauble of exceeding worth; Come, buy of me! Who’ll sell his soul for fame?” And, as the busy throng caught up the cry, Ten thousand eager voices answered, “I!”
“And here is wealth, in all its bright array! Houses and lands, the cheapest ever sold; Rubies and gems, in glittering splendor gay; Wealth, WEALTH for sale! Who’ll give his soul for gold?” Methought like roaring tempest came the cry, From vain, ambitious mortals, “We will buy!”
“Who’ll sell his soul?” And now the artful fiend, With honeyed words and soft, alluring smile, Portrays in dazzling colors, rich and bright, The drunkard’s reckless life of sin and guile. With fiendish, subtle glance, he whispers, “Come! Who’ll pay the price?—who’ll sell his soul for rum?”
And then methought I saw a motley throng,— The foolish youth, the man with silver hair, The high and low, the feeble and the strong, The rich and poor, the young and old were there; And as they trod the flowery path of vice, I heard them murmur, “We will pay the price!”
Again I looked, and saw a little band, Poor, and forsaken by the giddy throng; They clung in weakness to their Shepherd’s hand, And sung his praises as they marched along. In vain the tempter, with allurements gay, Strove to entice them from the narrow way.
“Your path is rough, and mine is broad and fair; I offer gold, and fame, and riches, free! Yea, all this beauteous world I freely give, If ye will but fall down and worship me. I offer all a life of joy and ease; Say, will you not exchange the soul for these?”
“Nay, we are not our own!” I heard them say; “We may not tread the flowery path of vice. For us our blessed Saviour came to die; Our souls are his—his blood hath paid the price. Away! thou treacherous fiend of darkness, flee! We will not sell our birthright unto thee.”
Vernon, Mich.