Still Onward by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 20, 1907

Still Onward

By E. R. Palmer

THERE is nothing more inspiring than progress, achievement, success. To feel assured that our labor is not in vain in the Lord; to see the cause of truth gaining both in velocity and in momentum; to be conscious of the blessed fact that the faith which worked in the dark for years is now reaping its reward,—how reassuring and blessed the experience is!

The long time of working, hoping, trusting, and believing without seeing satisfactory results, doubtless had its lessons for us which we all needed; but now that the Lord is giving a more abundant harvest, we are glad and greatly rejoice.

From every country on the globe where the third angel's message is being proclaimed, the distribution of our literature is greatly increasing in volume. The printed page is now, as of old, the

sharpest and swiftest sickle in the gospel harvest-field.

Notes from Foreign Lands

The Hamburg Publishing House reports a rapidly increasing work in all languages. In that one printing-office they are publishing the message in fifteen different tongues.

Australasia reports a steadily increasing work. The Signs of the Times Publishing Association of Australia has dropped all commercial work, and yet the denominational work has so increased that they have been unable to supply the demands from the field.

In all the Spanish mission fields the sale of publications is rapidly increasing. Better books, better organization, and a new thirst for something better than the Catholic Church has given them, are the reasons for this revival.

The good word comes to us from Chile that the circulation of the Spanish Signs of the Times has greatly increased since the Valparaiso earthquake, the circulation per issue now being about eighty-five hundred.

At a recent meeting in Central China steps were taken to build a small publishing house, and equip it with the needed facilities. A publishing committee has been appointed from among the workers in China to direct in bringing out the literature.

A small printing plant has recently been established in Singapore, and a paper is being published there in the Malaysian language.

We have just received a copy of “His Glorious Appearing” in Portuguese, printed, bound, and published by our little publishing house in Brazil.

In the United States

Many good things might also be said of the progress of the work here in the United States. Our activities abroad give us vitality at home.

The institutes recently held in our schools in South Lancaster, Mass.; College View, Neb.; Walla Walla, Wash.; Healdsburg, Cal.; Fernando, Cal.; and Keene, Tex., together with many intermediate schools, are reported by the general agents as having been the largest held for many years, and in many cases the largest ever held.

Union College has sent about one hundred students into the canvassing field this spring, and Keene, South Lancaster, Healdsburg, and several others about forty or fifty each.

Permanent Canvassers

Many of our field agents are realizing that they must have a larger force of permanent workers. They rejoice that they can get such a fine number of students from the schools, but these workers can remain in the field only about three months. Besides these we must have a large permanent force, and the field agents are getting right down to business and getting them. And besides their efforts, the Spirit of God is calling many of mature years and experience, and many of the old, successful canvassers, into the field.

In Kansas they had thirty-five good agents in the field before they secured the contingent of eighteen from Union College. We confidently look for some good reports from there this summer.

A New Record

We believe that a new record has been made by a student in Healdsburg College. During the institute he went out

canvassing in the town between classes, and in sixty hours he sold two hundred and sixty dollars' worth of the new health book, “Home and Health,” thus earning a scholarship before the close of the institute. He is now attending camp-meeting, and is doing successful work canvassing between meetings.

The Signs of the Times

The circulation of the Signs has more than doubled during the past month. The list now stands at 43,500. What a good sharp sickle this Special Series is!

The Summary

Our summary has dropped a trifle this month, owing to our not receiving the report from England.

The summaries for the first four months of 1906 and 1907 compare as follows:—

1906 1907 January .......... $21,000 $26,325 February ........ 15,000 26,369 March ........... 18,000 36,253 April ........... 23,700 35,276

Strive for Perfection

Dear fellow workers, the Lord is good to us all, and is giving the success for which we have so earnestly worked and prayed for years. Now let us keep in the light, and be faithful to God and to his work. Let us do our work perfectly with his help, so that it may grow stronger and stronger until it is finished.

Remember the little things as well as the greater ones. Faithfulness means full days, full weeks, and full years of labor. It means the thorough working of our territory, a pure influence before the world, economy in living, honest business methods, and regular, honest reports of work done.

E. R. PALMER, Sec., Gen. Conf. Publishing Dept.