For the Finishing of the Work
By E. R. PALMER
A Story of the Providences of God During the Past Eight Months ALMOST daily during the past few months this phrase, “Something has happened,” has been impressed upon us, and has carried conviction and courage to the hearts of our people. We have entered upon a new era in the history of this movement. Mighty agencies, both from above and from beneath, are in conflict, and every day brings new and almost startling changes and developments. As we go through the daily mail and read the letters from officers and people, with orders for large supplies of literature such as we never dreamed of receiving before, we often exclaim, “Something has happened!” The progress of our work is being estimated by new successes and by new sets of figures. Large orders, which at one time brought surprise and joy, are now handled as a matter of fact. We have talked for years of publications some day reaching 100,000 copies per issue. Now we are not surprised at a circulation of a million copies of any of our Extras. The 100,000 mark is left far behind every month. This great change has come about during the brief period of eight months. An Important Personal Question
I have often asked myself this question, which I am trying to answer in the right way, and now pass on to our readers: Is it possible that the loud cry of the third angel’s message will come and go, and we let it pass as commonplace, without recognizing it? There is danger of our becoming so accustomed to the working of God’s mighty hand among us that we fail to recognize its import and its importance. When the great European war broke out, the hearts of men were greatly stirred, and there sprang to the lips of the people, regardless of creed, the question, “What do these things mean?” Instinctively they turned to Seventh-day Adventists—who teach the prophecies—for an answer. The day that war was declared, when on my way home from the office a man of the world stopped me and said, “Mr. Palmer, what do these things mean?” The question, coming from an earnest inquirer, struck me as a vital one, requiring an intelligent, proper answer. I replied as best I could, giving him my conscientious conviction. He said, “I am inclined to believe you are right, and that the prophecies you have been preaching are coming true.” This little circumstance led to our calling a committee of editors the next morning to consider what could be done to answer this question. The result was that the War Extra was published. The outcome has been most encouraging. During the twenty-one days following the announcement of this Extra one million copies were sold. This was the first time in our history that a million copies of any one periodical had been distributed. The circulation of this little sheet has now reached 1,450,000 copies. Our people should remember that this War Extra, prepared by Brethren Wilcox and Spicer, editors of the REVIEW AND HERALD, is as timely as ever. Interest in this terrible, heartbreaking war has not decreased. The whole world is still asking the question, “What do these things mean?” We have a duty to discharge in answering this question. No community within reach of Seventh-day Adventists should be overlooked. The Eastern Question Extra
When in the development of the war it seemed evident that Turkey would become involved, we began to make preparations to answer questions which would naturally arise as to the meaning of that event. We were therefore not taken by surprise on the morning when the daily papers contained the announcement, “TURKEY ENTERS THE WAR.” Within one hour after this announcement appeared, our editors were preparing copy, the artist was selecting illustrations, the Publishing Department of the General Conference was preparing circular letters, and our periodical department was writing the announcements. During the next twenty days after the announcement of this Extra, our orders amounted to 45,000 copies per day. The Washington Post-office Department placed a special mail car on our siding daily for these Extras, so that trains might not be delayed in taking on the heavy mail. Including 500,000 copies circulated by the Southern Publishing Association, we have now distributed 1,550,000 copies of the Eastern Question Extra. It is wonderful how this little sheet is going. Recently we received a single order for 10,000 copies. With the Allies bombarding the defenses of Constantinople by land and sea, with the Turkish government preparing to transfer its capital to Asia Minor, and with the whole world on tiptoe in anticipation of what this may mean, could we place in the hands of the people anything more timely than this little sheet, in which Elder Spicer has presented the Eastern Question, Elder Wilcox has explained God’s message for today, and Brother C. M. Snow has given the meaning of this great world war in the light of approaching Armageddon? It is wonderful how God uses the smallest and weakest means for the beginning of his mighty work. By such means it becomes evident that the glory belongs to God, and not to man. About the first of December, 1914, a lady colporteur wrote a letter to the Review and Herald Office, asking that the subject matter of the two War Extras, with other subject matter, be made up into an illustrated twenty-five-cent book. She promised to take a thousand copies if we would do this. The suggestion placed in simple form what we had been contemplating, but the thought had not been crystallized into action. This letter was immediately placed before our editors, and arrangements were at once made for the preparation of the copy for the book “The World’s Crisis.” In thirty days from the time this suggestion was made, the book was ready for distribution; and during the first three months since its publication was announced, we have sold in the United States 150,000 copies. This is from four to ten times as many copies as we have usually sold in a year of our best-selling books. Orders for this book one day amounted to 8,000 copies. Is it surprising therefore that we keep saying over and over again, “Something has happened”? “Happenings” Are Sometimes God’s Providences
A little incident occurred in securing paper for this book, which indicates how God has managed some features of this work without our human calculation. After printing the first 25,000 edition, we ordered paper for a second edition of 40,000. By some unexplained accident or providence, the order was duplicated by the paper mill, and stock was shipped to us for 80,000 copies. We immediately notified the mill that the paper was here subject to their order, for we had no use for it. They requested us to store the paper in our stock room, and pay for it whenever we were able to use it. The sale of this book was so unexpectedly large that before the 40,000 edition was completed, it was necessary to go to press with a third edition of 40,000 copies. As it requires thirty days to get paper from the mills, we could not have supplied these books on time had not our previous order for paper been duplicated so as to give us the extra supply. It has seemed evident from the time such a book was proposed by the lady colporteur that the hand of God has been over its publication and circulation; for not only has the Lord helped us in the publication of this book, but he has also gone out with our people, old and young, and has helped to sell it with great success. With grateful hearts we recognize God’s leadership in the publication of his truth, and feel assured that we have entered upon that time spoken of by the prophet when he “saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.”