A CLARION CALL | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 4, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 49.

A CLARION CALL.

ONE of the greatest addresses ever delivered by Maltbie Babcock,—that before the Ecumenical Missionary Conference in New York,—is printed in the volume containing the report of that meeting. It was then pronounced one of the most impressive addresses of that great gathering, which it fitly brought to a close. A few of its most striking passages follow:—

“Where would Paul be to-day if he were here with us? He would be in the thin red line in the foreign field, at the forefront of the battle, where it meets the great black, broad line. He was ever a fighter. Paul did not say it that way, but in effect he said: ‘It is my ambition to fight where no one else has ever drawn a sword; let me be the first runner to go ahead with the news of life. Let me build where no one else has built.’”

“Because Christian opportunity is a claim, it is inescapable. If Jesus is much to me, I am logically bound to feel the compulsion of that love, sweeping into line every man who needs what Jesus can do. Intensity and extensity are wrapped up together. Intense devotion to Jesus Christ means extensive sympathies. If a light is bright, it will shine a long way. Only a precious ointment can fill a whole house with its fragrance, but an exceedingly precious ointment will do so. If Jesus Christ is everything to me, I know He can be everything to any man, and as much as in me lies I will take Christ to the last man. And because I know it, I have the woe resting upon me if I will not do all that is in me to let the last man who does not know Jesus Christ divide with me. There is no escape from this logic. If I love Jesus Christ—which means if I am loyal to Him—never let clouds disturb the stars; never let feelings run away with conviction. If I love Jesus Christ—which means if I keep His commandments—I am in touch with everybody to the end of the earth who needs Him, and I can not take a washbowl and wash my hands and say that you must excuse me in this matter. Jesus Christ said, ‘Ye are My witnesses,’ beginning at Jerusalem. That is New York city. I believe in city missions, of course. So does every foreign missionary. Christ said, ‘Ye are to be My witnesses in all Judea,’ and that is home missions; ‘and in Samaria.’ What is that? That is the particular tribe or nation that you do not like. ‘In Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.’ And that takes in the last man. See Jesus, before He goes to His Father’s side, with His hand outstretched and pointing to the uttermost part of the earth. Let the church never forget that gesture. To the uttermost part of the earth! I tell you, fellow-Christians, your love has a broken wing if it can not fly across the ocean.”

“God took the Jewish candle out of the candlestick because it would not be the light of the world, and the nation went into darkness. It was for the same reason that the church went into the Dark Ages. It turned its candle into a dark lantern, and said, ‘As long as I may see the light, I do not care who is in the dark.’ Fellow-Christians, can we doubt our Master’s will? Ye are the light of your families! I hope so. ‘Ye are the light of the world!’ You are to shine so that the last man shall have some sight of your candle. Ye are the salt of the church?—No; ‘ye are the salt of the earth.’ Go put your light in the darkness; go rub your salt into decay. That is what we are for. Go where darkness and decay are worst. When Jesus said, ‘Love your neighbor,’ He meant the man who needs you. O, the wonderful story of the good Samaritan! The man in need is your neighbor. And who is your nearest neighbor?—Your neediest neighbor. It may be some child-widow in India is your nearest neighbor. It may be some famine-stricken laborer in India, some groping soul in Africa, is your nearest neighbor, because just now in the interest of God’s kingdom he needs you more than your Sabbath-school class needs you. It may be, I do not know.”

“Every one of us Christians will go some day . . . before Jesus Christ our Master, as a servant to give an account of our fidelity, of how we use our tools, our talents. And what is our chief trust, what our most invaluable talent?—It is our personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am to give an account before my Master for what I did in this world, with what I knew about Him. Do not doubt it. ‘What shall I do with Jesus, that is called Christ?’ Ask, rather, ‘What am I doing now with Jesus that is called Christ?’”—The Congregationalist.