ENGLAND.—MISSIONARY WORK.
By J. N. Loughborough
Our missionary meeting at Southampton, on Sunday evening, May 2d, was one of special interest. After the opening exercises considerable time was spent in reading interesting letters received by members (one having received thirty-two,) during the two previous weeks in response to papers sent. In several cases entire strangers have volunteered to sell, by the week, papers we may be pleased to send them.
To show the nature of most of the letters received, we give below a few of the many:— J. G. from Maidenhead writes: "I cannot thank you enough for the kindness you have shown towards me. I have had a considerable number of tracts sent to me, but they have all failed to be so interesting as those you sent. I am most happy to say they have led me to strive to live more Christ-like than ever I have done before. I have loaned three of those tracts to a fellow-believer. I should feel glad if you would send me a few more tracts." J. H. O. writes from London: Dear friends; "I thank you very much for the SIGNS OF THE TIMES which you so regularly send me, and from which a deal of Scriptural information can be gathered. I distribute your paper as soon as I have read it, with the hope of doing good." E. W. writes from Corfe: "Very many thanks for the tracts and SIGNS OF THE TIMES received this morning which I hope to read with profit. I see on the last page of your tracts a book entitled 'Thoughts on Baptism.' If you will kindly forward it to me I will return the price in stamps. I do so delight in reading and studying the tracts you have so kindly sent me. I do feel so thankful to God that you have been led to send them to me; it is He I know that leads all his children. What a blessed thought to know if we are faithful to the end we shall be his sons and daughters in glory. I often find that by a careful reading of the tract the second time, with prayer, I learn much that otherwise I should not." R. M. of Normanton says, "I have thoroughly perused the tracts you so kindly sent me comparing them with the Scriptures, and I must say they have greatly improved my mind. I never had such a clear view of the Scriptures before. I like your tracts very much indeed. I never had any like them before; I shall be glad of some more. After I have read them I give them away. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES also came safe to hand which I like very much. I can never repay you for the instruction it has given me." J. A. from Derby writes: "I am much obliged to you for the two copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. I am much interested in the account of the immortality of the soul and would like a book treating upon the subject. There is much in the papers that I like to read." F. P. writes from London: I thank you very kindly for the tracts and the book that you sent me. I read the book and liked it very much indeed. I go out with tracts and an invitation bill before meetings, but if we had single leaflets they would not cost so much; and sometimes when we give the tracts having three or four pages they do not get read, whereas they might read a single leaf." Dr. J. L. W. London, writes: "Dear Sir; I have been much pleased with the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, and I find them highly appreciated by my dispensary patients. If you will kindly send them to me regularly I shall be glad to pay for them." E. S. Near Derby, writes: "The book you forwarded me, 'Man's Nature and Destiny' I find to be very good, and to contain a deal of very useful information for which I am much obliged. Of the five shillings and five pence to my credit take four shillings for the book and send me one tract, Second Advent, 18, Is Man Immortal? 12, Sinner's Fate, and 6, Thoughts for the Candid. I send you four names of those who will be interested to read the SIGNS." J. C. writes from Yorkshire: "I have received the papers you sent me and have sold thirteen. I have found three persons who will take in the papers by the week; please send them with mine. If I find more to take it I will let you know. I will send you all the money soon." H. T., Wolverhampton, writes: "I am obliged to you for the loan of the book 'Christian Experience.' I am delighted with it, and suffice it to say that it carries out ideas which I have had for a very long time. My faith is getting stronger with regards to the Sabbath question and I have had strong thoughts of taking determined steps to keep it. I trust faith in God will determine what course I am to take.
"The Advent doctrine must be true since God has caused it to grow up amid such trouble as Bro. and sister White have passed through, nothing but the cause of God could have battled successfully with such adverse circumstances." E. N., near Bishops Waltham, writes; "With thanks I now beg to acknowledge the receipt of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, and the tracts. Allow me to state that the subject with Scriptural arguments in support of the observance of the seventh-day as Sabbath is quite a new matter of deep study and consideration to me. Many of the tracts I should like to peruse. May we all be ready, waiting, looking till the Lord comes." The above are samples of the letters. We are very thankful to our friends in America for the copies of the SIGNS sent for this branch of the work. We are posting them to all parts of the kingdom. What is received here as subscription or sales of SIGNS is used in postage to forward the papers to other names, and so the truth is slowly, but surely gaining ground.
*J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.