p. 5 | A WARNING CRY by Chas. W. Waddell

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 19, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 47.

A WARNING CRY.

By Chas. W. Waddell

“SON of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning.” The call to be a watchman to the house of Israel is a very important one, and is coupled with grave responsibility. The watchmen are to look after the welfare of the people, and warn them of danger.

If you were going into a community where stealing was the prevailing sin, you would be alert trying to teach the people its sinfulness. The same in regard to Sabbath-breaking or any other particular sin. Altho as a child of God you would speak against all forms of evil, yet the most particular sins would be the great burden of your heart.

The world to-day presents before the worker for God a great missionary field. I do not mean the millions of heathen in distant lands, altho they stand in perishing need of the Christ life, but I mean that in our own land of boasted light and liberty there is a great need of workers who are filled with the Spirit of the Master, and will warn the people against one of the prevailing sins of the age—licentiousness, unchastity. We dare not deny that this sin, reaching out its terrible feelers like those of the dreaded devil-fish, is casting its baleful influence over every walk of life, and dragging many a noble man and woman down to a living death.

In the face of existing facts it is useless to deny that it is the prevailing sin of this generation; yet to-day it is slighted alike by the pulpit and by the press.

Go where you will, in every city, in every village, and you will find that this grim monster has been there, has entered the once happy home, and has taken perhaps, the idol of a mother's heart. Many of these mothers can look back over the past, and see where they failed to stamp upon the mind of the daughter the great value of a strictly moral character. We send our children to school to enable them to fight the battle of life successfully, on a business plan; but far too many of us neglect to prepare their young minds to fight the battles and resist the temptations of life on a moral plan. When I see these things, when I see parents allowing their children privileges that are sure to lead them into strong temptation, I do not wonder that the dreaded sin of immorality abounds on every hand. And I am led to ask myself, Will we refuse to heed these important lessons until they are forced upon us by a bitter experience?

Many men who realize that they are called of God to the important work of the ministry do not realize that they have a duty to perform as regards this question; and, as I travel from city to city talking on this important theme, I find those who have never handled it from the platform, and I can not understand it. Has the great God abandoned the fallen sisters of the street? Has He ceased to work through human agencies for the bringing back, for the uplifting of those who most need His help?—Nay, verily! He has heard the cry of many of these women, and altho that cry is unheeded by the professed churches, He will raise up those who are not ashamed to do the important work.

If permitted by the editor, I will endeavor to point out some of the dangers along this line, and also will try to impress upon the hearts of the fathers and mothers of this country the value of a proper understanding of this great question in early life.

Waukesha, Wis. CHAS. W. WADDELL.