“HEARKEN TO THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET.”
By T.
“Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.” Jer. 6:17. The Lord has truly set His watchmen. Every one of his prophets and apostles have faithfully sounded the warning. These faithful sentinels appointed by the heavenly Father to record His Word have performed their work with fidelity, because they acted under the influence of the Spirit of God. And every watchman who accepts the work of teaching God’s Word should seek the all-controlling power of that same Spirit by which the Bible was inspired when it was first written. For if they do not do this they will surely be led astray themselves, and hence become the active agents in leading others to ruin. But all will not hear the voice of the Lord; for the text above quoted says: “I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.” Our heavenly Father has made things perfectly plain in His Word. He has proclaimed His truth with forcible clearness. Yet men do not understand it, because they have determined that they “will not hearken.” God’s Word does not come to us in a boisterous way. The divine trumpet of truth is not an instrument of noisy sound. But the words of the divine Book come to us with trumpet clearness, nevertheless, and the notes of a bugler were never more distinct than the utterances of the Master, as they are pressed in upon our hearts and consciences by the mighty working of the Spirit of God. But in the face of all of the Lord’s efforts to make things perfectly plain—right under the clear sound of the great trumpet of truth—we find men saying, “We will not hearken.” When God proclaims His truth, and takes special pains to state it so clearly that even an ignorant barbarian might understand it, and yet men “will not hearken,” what can be done for them? The great powers of Infinite Love are unable to rescue the sinner who will not hear the appeals of the Heaven-sent words of God. An illustration or two may help in more fully seeing the necessity of hearkening to God’s Word. That Word is very clear in saying that “in the last days perilous times shall come;” “and evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:1, 13. But you will find many persons, and among them, too, those who profess to believe the Bible, who “will not hearken” to these plain words. They say that this wicked old world is getting better and better, and that soon it will all be converted. But that is not what the Scriptures say. The statement is clear that the last days shall be filled with peril, and that evil men shall wax worse and worse. And with the murders, and robberies, and embezzlements, and vices of every kind that have become so awfully prevalent, which is right, the Word of God, or the men who say that the world is soon to be converted? Unless you have decided that you “will not hearken,” you can make no mistake upon this point, for the Word is given in ringing clearness. The prophet says: “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Rev. 16:13, 14. Now there could be nothing plainer than this Bible language. There is to be “the battle of the great day of God Almighty.” “The kings of the earth and of the whole world” will be gathered to it. And “the spirits of devils, working miracles,” go forth to do the gathering. Now we heartily commend those who stand for peace and who want peace; for the Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of peace, and one of the desirable fruits of the Spirit of God is peace. And it is the privilege of the Christian, even amid the greatest turbulence of the present evil world, to continually enjoy this peace. So, then, if the individual wants peace in Christ, he can have it any time that he believes and asks for it. But if he is looking for a general disarmament of the nations and a universal peace in this world, he will never find it; for God knew beforehand what would be the actual conditions, and has caused his prophet to tell us the exact truth. Now if we will hearken, we may know the truth and avoid the deceptions of these times. Many seem to see in the proposition of the czar of all the Russias to have a “peace congress,” a strong indication that all the warlike preparations of the nations will be cast aside and the soldier will return to the pursuits of husbandry and manufacture. But here again the Scriptures, if we will hearken, will set us right: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:3. God has distinctly told us of the spirits of devils that would be stirring up the spirit of war in these last days. But some “will not hearken” to the voice of God. And so they are preaching a contrary doctrine, of “peace and safety.” But no one should be led into the snare. God’s Word is plain. God has spoken on the subject. Consider what He says. Do not be among those who say, “We will not hearken.” T.