Book and Tract Department.
By Editor
Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. EDITED BY ELD. JAMES WHITE. THE present is a favorable opportunity to circulate our publications. In farming communities in particular, the people have time to read, especially in the long evenings of the season. This is an important consideration. Again, the winter is the time of general religious interest, when those seriously inclined are more easily impressed than at any other. The time to work is when work may be done to advantage. So the farmer decides; and this is also the judgment of the mechanic. All business men adopt the maxim, “Strike while the iron is hot.” Then why should not Christians be as wise in their generation, in their work, as worldly men are in theirs. Now, friends, is the time to strike. There are wonderful commotions, and singular revolutions, going on in the religious world, and God is preparing the people to hear the word, and to read the truth. As a people we should keep pace with the opening providence of God, and do to-day the work which Heaven designs to be done to-day. To let the present favorable season for evening visits, affectionate talks relative to the truth, and a judicious circulation of our publications, pass, perhaps to be forever lost, would be a sad mistake. Activity, brethren and sisters, activity is demanded of you, by the opening field of successful labor before you. We are doing all we can to prepare and publish large editions of the most valuable works, which will be furnished at extremely low prices. God helping us, we shall soon have through the press a large edition of a pamphlet of about 200 pages, embracing, briefly stated, Reasons of our Faith and Hope. This is designed to be sold to our people, at lowest prices, for them to circulate gratuitously to those who are not ready to purchase. A proportion will also be furnished to our active ministers, for them to give where they cannot sell, and the portion thus given from the Office will be charged to the book fund. This is also our plan for the circulation of all our standard works which have a wide circulation. We have just ordered $4000 worth of book paper, and mean, with the help of God, to push the work of spreading the light of truth. Brethren and sisters, you are invited to assist in this work. And yet there is room to cast in of your abundance into the book fund, and to purchase books for circulation. Now is a favorable time for you to work. And may the Lord help you. Where are our preachers on this subject? There are the best of reasons in the world why they should set the example, and many of them be represented in the book fund report with their hundreds, their fifties, and their twenty-fives. Some of them have been increasing their property quite rapidly by the liberalities of the church, and these are the last men to keep back in this matter. Let all come up to the good work.