Chapter 50—Being Heard, but Not by Shouting
Wearing Out of the Vocal Organs—From the light I have had,
the ministry is a sacred and exalted office, and those who accept this
position should have Christ in their hearts and manifest an earnest
desire to represent Him worthily before the people in all their acts, in
their dress, in their speaking, and even in their manner of speaking.
They should speak with reverence.
Some destroy the solemn impression they may have made upon
the people, by raising their voices to a very high pitch and hallooing
and screaming out the truth. When presented in this manner, truth
loses much of its sweetness, its force, and solemnity. But if the voice
is toned right, if it has solemnity, and is so modulated as to be even
pathetic, it will produce a much better impression.
This was the tone in which Christ taught His disciples. He im-
pressed them with solemnity; He spoke in a pathetic manner. But this
loud hallooing—what does it do? It does not give the people any more
exalted views of the truth and does not impress them any more deeply.
It only causes a disagreeable sensation to the hearers and wears out
the vocal organs of the speaker. The tones of the voice have much to
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do in affecting the hearts of those that hear.
Many who might be useful men are using up their vital force and
destroying their lungs and vocal organs by their manner of speaking.
Some ministers have acquired a habit of hurriedly rattling off what they
have to say as though they had a lesson to repeat and were hastening
through it as fast as possible. This is not the best manner of speaking.
By using proper care, every minister can educate himself to speak
distinctly and impressively, not to hurriedly crowd the words together
without taking time to breathe. He should speak in a moderate manner,
that the people may get the ideas fixed in their minds as he passes
along. But when the matter is rushed through so rapidly, the people
cannot get the points in their minds, and they do not have time to
receive the impression that it is important for them to have; nor is there
time for the truth to affect them as it otherwise would.
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