Cry Aloud, Spare Not by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 10, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 15.

"Cry Aloud, Spare Not."

By Editor

THE thoughtful and observing among all denominations confess that the standard of genuine piety, of personal consecration to the cause of Christ, is not high in the Christian churches. Pride, fashion, and the love of the world rule almost supreme over the majority of professors of religion. Often the money raised to carry on the work of the church is raised by the most questionable methods,—by means which are calculated at once to destroy the spirituality of the members, and to cause the world to lose its respect for the church and the religion which it professes. The church festivals, indigestible late suppers, immodest and rude plays, games of chance or gambling, all these have a demoralizing influence, and the result is as plainly seen as it is easily told.

It is difficult to tell whether the love of sensations in the ministry is the cause or the result of this state of things. But one thing is certain: sensationalism in the pulpit is subversive of reverence and piety in the pews. It is said by the sensational preacher that it is necessary to resort to such methods to attract the people. It may be so with that class of ministers, as, in general, if they are not sensational they are nothing. There is no preacher well-known to the world who is more free from such methods than Mr. Moody, and he has no difficulty in getting a hearing. He is eminently a plain, matter-of-fact man, full of intense earnestness in his work, and having strong faith in the power of the truth of God. The great difficulty is, there is so little faith in the Bible; so many methods are being adopted to evade its plainest teachings and precepts, that it is found necessary to resort to new and unheard-of means to retain the interest of the people.

What is the duty of the faithful watchman under these circumstances? We know that it would be conducive to personal ease to shut our eyes to such a state of things, and suffer the standard of Christianity to sink lower and lower. And we know that it is impossible to utter a warning or a rebuke, without incurring the censure of some who think that charity consists in speaking smooth things, and in lulling the feelings rather than arousing the conscience.

But, we are assured that they are truly religious, praying people. Granted, and what then? Does piety atone for errors in faith and practice? The Saviour did not respect profession, and piety, and praying, in his day. He taught his followers to judge by the fruits—not the pretense.

There is a prophecy which exactly meets this point, and we claim that it applies to this age of the world. The prophecy of Isaiah, from chapter 53 onward, is a consecutive prophecy, beginning with the passion of the Saviour, following down the triumphs of the gospel, the calling of the Gentiles, the apostasy, the recovery, the judgment, and the new heavens and earth. In chapter 58 the condition of the church, and the means of her rise are pointed out. Let us consider some of her characteristics: "They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, . . . they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching unto God."

Surely, this is a pious people, a godly people, every one will say. They seek God daily, and delight in his knowledge and in his service. Not a word can be said against such a people.

But God sees not as man sees. Much piety is not always a proof of much godliness. Now let us read the two verses entire from which the above sentences are taken:—

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; that take delight in approaching to God." Isa. 58 : 1, 2.

The text says they seek God "as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God." But they are not such in reality. Then follows some instructions in righteousness, and this in turn is followed with a notice of the ordinance of God which they have forsaken: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways," &c.

God has a Sabbath, a holy day, which he made holy and blessed because it was his Sabbath—his rest from all his work which he created and made. He says they shall delight themselves in the Lord, and secure his blessing here and hereafter, if they will turn away their feet from it, no longer trample it down, and call it a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable. To do this the preachers and people of this age must have a genuine conversion. Now they stigmatize it, and are untiring in heaping upon it every term of reproach. "The old Jewish Sabbath—a yoke of bondage," are the best titles they can afford it, though they well know that Jehovah blessed it when he made the heavens and the earth; that he claimed it as his own. How far is their conduct from that which the Lord approves! "Call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable." But one day in the week can claim such honor as this, namely, the seventh day. It is sad to see so strong a disposition in professed Christians to throw contempt upon that which God has honored, and to exalt that of which "the Lord hath not spoken."

But so it is. And at such a time as this the Lord has made our duty clear. He has given his people a message—"the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," Rev. 14 : 12; and in regard to those who make void his commandments by tradition, he has given the explicit order: "Cry aloud, spare not, show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

Paul asked some of his brethren if he had become their enemy because he told them the truth. It is no evidence of enmity to tell the people the truth, even though it touches their own short-comings, and so crosses their feelings. But it often happens that he who speaks the truth is counted as an enemy, not only to those to whom it is spoken, but to the suffering truth which he endeavors to vindicate. So Elijah was accused of troubling Israel, while he alone of all their prophets was trying to save them from the trouble which had been brought upon them by departing from the commandments of God. And so in the last days; they who have the form of godliness and deny the power thereof, shall turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables, and "they will not endure sound doctrine," nor those who defend it. 2 Tim. 3 and 4.

We often feel the force of David's exclamation: "It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law." Ps. 119 : 126. When the law of God is made void, dishonored; when the fear of God is taught by the precept of men, Isa. 29 : 13, 14, then we are called upon to "cry aloud, spare not;" to show the people of God their transgressions, and lead them, if possible, to take their feet from his holy ordinance, and honor him in his own institutions.