p. 32 | THE WORK IN ENGLAND by J. N. Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 20, 1881

THE WORK IN ENGLAND.

By J. N. Loughborough

IT is now about one month since my last report. We are exceedingly busy posting papers, and corresponding with persons in various parts of the kingdom. What has already resulted from this kind of labor leads us to hope for still greater results, as we design to extend the effort with a larger number of SIGNS. The people read these papers, then pass them on to their friends in other parts of the country. Last week we heard from one place where the SIGNS was read by an interested party before a large public audience.

Within the last month we have received many letters from those who had received one or more copies of the SIGNS second or third hand, and wrote to this depository inquiring for the terms of subscription. Of these some have already paid their yearly subscription, and others propose to do so with the new year.

From the many letters received, I have room to quote only a few expressions of interest. One person writes: "A short time ago one of your papers called the SIGNS OF THE TIMES was put into my hands. I read it with deep interest, and am sure it has done me good. If it contains as good matter as the one I read, No. 39, Oct. 21, 1880, though an old number, I have nothing to say against it, but shall be pleased to take it weekly at the beginning of the new year. Please let me know the price. The editors of the paper ought to be congratulated on their well-merited weekly issue."

Another says: "A friend of mine showed me a paper, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, which very much interested me. He informed me that if I wrote you, you would send me one. I should feel obliged if you would do so, and if you let me know the terms of subscription, and if I like it as well as I think I shall from a short glance over its contents, I will forward the amount."

Another writes: "I have been somewhat puzzled to know how you found my name. . . . It is a fact that the question of the proper observance of the Sabbath has often arisen in my mind ever since I could read the Bible; and since I have been married the matter has been discussed by my wife and myself occasionally, and as a consequence your SIGNS OF THE TIMES has proved very interesting to us both. . . . After Christmas I hope to send you a half year's subscription for the paper, and otherwise take a more interested part in the movement."

Still another, who is a captain on one of the coast freight steamers, who before reading the SIGNS was a profane man, speaks for himself. He says: "I can never forget your kindness and good advice to me, nor the mercies the Lord has shown to me. I have got rid of my old habits of smoking, drinking, and swearing. Thank the Lord. I have a happier home now. My little children are very much pleased with the Instructor. I pray to the Lord night and morning. I hope he will open the way so that my wife and five children can be near you to attend Sabbath-school and the meetings. I think the Lord will yet open up the way for me to obey all his commandments."

We believe the movement of our people, in America, to send us one thousand additional SIGNS per week for our mission work is in the order of the Lord. Meanwhile we are collecting and preparing lists of names that we may be ready to enter more vigorously upon this work when the papers reach us.

I wish to call attention again to Bro. Jones' "Chart of Days" which I mentioned in both the REVIEW and SIGNS under date of Sept. 16. Only thirty-six persons have as yet responded to that call up to this time. A copy of this chart ought to be in the hands of every one of our ministers and colporters. What a grand thing, too, to have it in a conspicuous place in our meeting room with our other maps and charts, as it is so complete a settler of the question of days of the week. I am confident our people have not realized the real value of it, and the help it would be to them, or I should, ere this, have received orders for ten times more than I have.

The chart is a single sheet 22x30 inches, and with a very little labor can be mounted on cloth, and carried by our ministers with their other charts and maps. This chart is accompanied with a covered copy of Sabbath Memorial containing a full explanation of the chart.

I repeat what I previously said, its great value is that it shows so completely at a glance two things. 1. That all these eighty-one nations count the days of the week alike. 2. That more than a score of them, although paying no religious regard to the seventh day, yet in their language they call the day "the Sabbath."

The languages represented upon the chart are the leading ones of Europe, Asia, and the intelligent parts of Africa. That part representing the Semetic or Asiatic, and African languages, represents years of hard study on the part of Bro. Jones. The same may be said of that part prepared by His Imperial Highness Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte; although Catholic in faith he has given a precious boon to the literary world in permitting the publication of this his list of the days of European nations. By investing the small sum of fifteen cents we may secure a copy of this chart, and thereby, in a small degree, show to these intellectual laborers that we appreciate their valuable addition to Christian literature.

I will state again, any who wish the "Chart of Days," with explanations, please write your name and address to REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich., enclosing fifteen cents in stamps, and as fast as the names are received here, I will forward the charts.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.