It was not fashioned by man. 1. It is great in its _power._ In a
still night you may hear a brazen trumpet two or three miles away;
but this is so mighty that it is not only heard from heaven to earth,
but it is to arrest the attention of all nations. Men with physical
hearing all gone catch the first strain of it. Men buried half a
century in crimes have heard it. 2. It is great in its _sweetness._
3. It is a trumpet of _alarm._ It puts us on our guard against the
foes who are advancing to destroy us. 4. It is a trumpet of
_recruit._ It summons us to join the standard of the Son of God.
5. It is a trumpet of _retreat._ It warns us against the
fool-heartiness of entering into temptation. 6. It is a trumpet of
_victory._ It tells of victories achieved, and of others still more
glorious yet to be won. 7. It is a trumpet of _awakening._
As chaplain I was a little while in the army. Early every morning we
were awakened by a trumpet sounding the réveille. At that sound all
the troops arose from the tents, hastened to their places in the
line, and answered the roll-call. That done, they went to their
morning rations. We who are the soldiers of Christ cannot always be
marching and fighting. The evening will come. The shadows will
gather, and we must go to the white tents of the grave. There we
shall sleep soundly. But the night will pass along, and the first
thing we shall hear will be the trumpet-call sounding the réveille of
the resurrection; and we shall come up and fall into the long line of
light, the trophies of Christian conflict gleaming in the unsetting
sun. The roll shall be called, and we shall answer to our names; and
then we shall go to the morning repast of heaven (1 Cor.
xv. 52-55).--_De Witt Talmage, D.D.: Christian World Pulpit,_ i. 410.