THE THRILLING CRY by W. A. Spicer

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 25, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 52.

THE THRILLING CRY.

By W. A. Spicer

A Season of Prayer and Gifts for Missions.

“In earth’s dark hour God’s Word gives light, Its rays dispel the thickening gloom; The path to glory now is bright— The Bridegroom soon will come. Then lift your voices, saints, and sing Your sweetest strains to Zion’s King— The thrilling cry—we hear it sound, ‘Prepare to meet your Lord.’”

So runs a verse of one of the old Advent melodies. We are singing the old songs over again now, with a new inspiration; for the call comes from heaven to awaken the church to go forth to meet the Bridegroom.

We are to meet Him out on the world’s great highway, holding forth the lighted lamp of truth. When awakened believers press through every land with the thrilling cry, the end will come—He will come whom we love, and come to save.

Believers in the Advent doctrine have been too prone merely to watch the signs of the end and assert with all truthful emphasis the fact that the coming King is at the door; while the work given us to do, as heralds of His coming, has not been taken up as the all-absorbing interest and obligation of the life. Consequently there has been delay. The witness to the coming One has not been borne to every tribe and people.

Now, as clearly as tho by a fresh revelation from heaven, the literal rendering of the closing phrase of Rev. 10:6 has come to Advent believers: “THERE SHALL BE DELAY NO LONGER.” With the whole world open before us, in the name of King Jesus, and by His grace, let us take up the commission, “THE ADVENT MESSAGE TO ALL THE WORLD IN THIS GENERATION!”

It can be done. First of all, God’s power is pledged to the people who will accept the commission. “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” A power and a glory that shall compass earth and sea, and bring the Advent warning to all flesh within the space of one generation, are to be revealed. The time has come for it. In our generation it is to be done.

The world is waiting for the message. Everybody knows that a hand, as plainly revealed as tho it were visible, is holding back the elements of strife; it is the arm of the Lord made bare. Out among the nations there is an undercurrent of intensity that heaps up intensity as the days fly by. The world is ready, on its side, for the great Armageddon. Not all, by any means, will hear the message with the ear of faith. But among men generally there is such a revelation of the truth, from heaven direct, that there is a conviction in the heart of the truth of the Advent warning. I have found it so among Mohammedans and Hindus of the East. Our missionaries everywhere report that the “thrilling cry,” “Prepare to meet your God,” is the cry that arrests attention. The Holy Spirit is preparing every heart in this whole world, I verily believe, to give the final answer soon to the invitation of the message.

Just one thing now is wanting. Believers in the Advent message are to speed through every land as heralds, sounding the cry. It is a simple problem after all—the consecration of all that belongs to the life, and a united seeking of God to know the place and the way of witnessing. Thousands must go to other lands. Thousands more must work and pray and stand by with financial support. But those who go, and those who stay, must throw into this work their every energy.

Our Mission Board is sending out workers. Nearly every week, this past season, some have been sailing. It seems pitiful to send one or a dozen to lands where scores and hundreds are called for, and where thousands would not represent the distribution of effort which obtains in this home-land. But step by step we have been getting a foothold in every continent. Now the cry is to press in and finish the work. No more delay. Pray and give and go, and soon the work will be done.

Will not the readers of the SIGNS unite with us in the special season of prayer for missions, Dec. 21–28, and join also in the special offering for mission work to be made during that time? We need an offering of $100,000 during the week for aggressive work that should be taken up at once. Last year, while in India, I had the pleasure of administering a fund of some thousands, raised by readers of the SIGNS for the relief of famine sufferers and needy ones in that stricken country. It was a splendid offering. But now we have to respond to the constant cry of those who famish for the living bread from heaven, the Word of Life. Very few indeed realize what the need is. But we know. We have what the world needs. It is the Message of salvation, the Gospel of the kingdom. All who would like to take part in the special offering for missions during the closing week of this year, are invited to send their offerings to the Editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal., or to the Mission Board, 267 West Main St., Battle Creek, Mich.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary Mission Board.