The Awful Responsibility by J. S. WASHBURN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 18, 1915

The Awful Responsibility

By J. S. WASHBURN

J. S. WASHBURN

SIR JAMES PAGET, late surgeon-extraordinary to Queen Victoria, in one of his addresses to students, uttered the following impressive words:— “We sometimes see the beam of life and death so nearly balanced that it turns this way or that, according to the skill that may be cast into the scale of life. And surely, if we could gather into thought all the issues that are involved in the life or death of any man, the anxiety of ignorance at such a time would be intolerable. All is permitted to depend upon the skill of one. Conceive that one yourself: what would be your remorse if, when in their confusion and distress they look to you, you felt as helpless as themselves; your hand paralyzed by the fear of ignorance, your mind confused in that half knowledge whose glimmerings only show that more skill might save the dying man! Yet this must be the remorse of every one who will neglect the study of his profession, and yet dare to undertake its responsibilities.”

If every physician realized the solemn responsibility laid upon him, surely he would study most earnestly to be successful in his life work, in which are involved the issues of life and death. If the responsibility of this temporal life is so great, what shall we say of the responsibility of the Christian teacher who holds in his hand eternal destinies, who may by a word turn souls toward heaven and eternal life, or may lay a stumblingblock over which souls may stumble into eternal death?

And every Christian, even the most

humble, is indeed a ‘savor of life unto life’ or ‘of death unto death,’ and ‘who is sufficient for these things?’ Not only our own eternal destiny, but the destinies of our friends, and even of our most casual acquaintances, are in our hands. Christ solemnly warns us that for every idle word we shall give account in the day of judgment.

May the solemn, the glorious responsibility be realized and accepted by every one of us, and may we enter into the joy of the Lord in the great day when he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Oh, in that day when the mists of time and earthly imperfection have vanished, and we see clearly the eternal reality, how worthless, how empty, will appear those vain things which fill the minds of men, while the unseen, everlasting reality is utterly neglected or made only secondary! In him who would speak the word of eternal life, the King of eternity must reign alone, absolutely, even to the uttermost.

“The last reserve of earthly dross, Means countless souls’ eternal loss.”

Philadelphia, Pa.