The Wrong Signal | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1866

The Wrong Signal.

"What has happened?" said Mr. Hamilton to his son, who entered the room in haste, and with the air of one who had some interesting news to communicate.

"A freight-train has run off the track, and killed a man," said Joseph.

"How did that happen?" said Mr. H.

"The watchman gave the wrong signal. The engineer said, that if he had given the right signal the accident would not have occurred."

Making a wrong signal costs a man his life. There is another sense in which wrong signals sometimes occasion the loss of life,—of life spiritual. The preacher who fails to declare the way of salvation as it is laid down in God's Word; who teaches that all men shall be saved; or who teaches that men may secure their salvation by their own works,—gives the wrong signal. In consequence, men take the wrong track, and go on to perdition.

The private Christian, whose reputable standing in the church and in society gives influence to his example, pursues a course of conduct utterly inconsistent with the injunction, "Be not conformed to this world." The young Christian is led to practice a similar course: by degrees, he looses his spirtuality, and becomes one of those who have a name to live, but are dead. The holding-out of the wrong signal led to the disaster.

A professing Christian exposes himself to temptation. He has power to resist the temptation, and escapes unharmed. One of less power is led to follow his example, and falls into sin. To him, his predecessor had given the signal that there was no danger there. He gave the wrong signal.

We are constantly giving signals to our fellow-men—signals which will direct their course in their journey to eternity. How careful should we be, at all times, to avoid giving the wrong signal!