Cry Aloud! by G. W. A.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 27, 1872

Cry Aloud!

By G. W. A.

The following sensible thoughts, under this head, are from a recent number of the Sunday-School Times. They have the right ring. The writer is Alexander Clark. Let the trumpet give “a certain sound!” G. W. A.

Suppose a town on fire: would it not be ridiculous for a man who knew it, leisurely and coldly to announce the fact? Imagine a neighbor, at such a time, measuring his words thus: “I say, friends, let me tell you a thing or two. The indications are clear to my mind, from the smoke and cinders in the air, from the heat and roar of the hour, as well as for other reasons which I might state, that this town is on fire. My conviction is that danger increases, and I would suggest some action in reference to the matter. Indeed, I would recommend that you go at your earliest convenience and quench the flames.”

If a man were to bring tidings so, we should call him a fool. His careful speech would belie the tidings of his tongue. Nature prompts another manner of communicating such news: It is unstudied, anxious, pulsing, leaping language, throbbing into ringing outcry, “Fire! Fire! FIRE! Help! Water! Ladders! Buckets! Run for buckets! Quick, for ladders! Ho! ho! FIRE! F-I-R-E!”

The sweeping flames do not allow tedious talk. The blaze licks up all lingering and lurking phrases. None but the short, round, compact, bounding and resounding words can announce a fire.

Sinners are in peril of fire. The flames are kindled and spreading. Souls are housed in inflammable tenements. The wind fans the increasing conflagration every moment, higher and broader. The crisis is full come for action. There is no salvation but in flight, in battle with the overtaking blaze, in sturdy application of the waters from the gospel reservoir. The Bible contains the only extinguisher of the fire, the words of truth and grace. The preacher is a trifler who proclaims the situation in a cold and formal manner. Monotony is mockery. Sing-song is absurd and criminal. The word of life and salvation must ring out in good earnest, rise from the heart, leap from the lips, rouse the people! Every syllable must tell. No tone can be wasted in apologies or compliments. The sinner is asleep, and the sleeper must be awakened. Make the gospel message ring and thrill, and startle dull, dead souls, till they cry out for rescue in Jesus.

But some of the church’s snorers will shuffle over, and call such preaching sensational! Anything that arrests attention, stirs the people, fills the church, starts the deep inquiry after Jesus Christ, is called excitement, fanaticism, or something worse! But until the people can be both attracted and edified, the church will languish, and souls will perish more and more.

Apply the foregoing to the present truth for these last days. This is the day of alarm and of crying aloud, as the prophet declares; for the day of the Lord is at hand. Joel 2. All nature is sounding the alarm, the nations are sounding it, the scoffers of the last days are sounding it. Shall we come behind in our part of the work? No, “Blow the trumpet; sound an alarm: Let the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh; for it is nigh at hand.”