WHITE FOR THE HARVEST by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 17, 1876

WHITE FOR THE HARVEST.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

“The fields are all ripening, and far and wide, The world now is waiting the harvest tide.”

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4: 35, 36.

When these words were uttered, the Saviour and his disciples were on their way to Galilee from Judea. It was about midday when they arrived at Sychar, a city of Samaria. Sychar, the name of the city, was descriptive of the character of its inhabitants. It signifies earnestness. The Saviour was wearied with his journey, and he sat upon Jacob’s well while his disciples went into the city to buy provisions. In the meantime a Samaritan woman from the city came to draw water. The Saviour asked her for a drink. Now the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. They would not drink out of the same dish with them, or sit at the same table; they would have no communication with them whatever. The woman, therefore

was surprised, and asked, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” In the conversation that followed, our Lord’s testimony found a reception in the heart of this woman. She “left her water-pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”

The disciples returned, and while she was gone they “prayed him, saying, Master, eat.” But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. The Son of man had become so interested in instructing one who would listen to his words that he had lost the sense of weariness and hunger. Personal ease and the wants of nature were lost sight of in the higher pleasure of instructing in the way of life one who had ears to hear. This experience the disciples were wholly unacquainted with. They never had had their interest so absorbed in the work of God as to lose sight of physical and temporal wants. They did not understand his words. Hence they said one to another, “Hath any man brought him aught to eat?” Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

He then exhorted them not to reason, saying, “There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest.” Was not the evidence before them that God had prepared hearts for the reception of his truth? Many already believed because of the testimony of the woman. They flocked from the city, to hear the gracious words of Christ. This was unmistakable evidence that the time of the harvest of souls had come, and worldly considerations should be of secondary importance, and the work of God should be more to them than their meat or drink. The time of the harvest could not be postponed, any more than the harvest of grain can be postponed when the heads assume their golden hue, which tells the husbandman that the time has arrived that the grain should be gathered into the garner.

The Saviour had come; God had prepared hearts to receive him. They were here in the midst of this wicked and profane city, outside of the Jewish people. Thus they had unmistakable evidence that the time had come to proclaim the message of the first advent of our Lord. This work was of more importance than everything else. Now was the time to turn their attention wholly to it; every other consideration was of minor importance.

God makes no mistakes when he prepares the soil of the heart for the reception of the truth. He does it at the right time, and if, at such times, men should refuse to act their part, the stones would cry out. Luke 19. His word would be fulfilled, and as the scribes and Pharisees would not proclaim Christ’s coming, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God perfected praise, by their “crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David.” Matt. 21: 15.

No more convincing proof could be given that the birth of Christ had actually taken place than the fact that God had miraculously led the wise men of the East, by a star, to behold him who was to be King of the Jews. Great was their joy on reaching the land of the prophets; for they believed that then they would be instructed in the particulars concerning the young child Jesus. But the Jews were silent, and until Herod demanded of the Pharisees where the child was to be born, they had no light to impart, and even then they had no faith to believe that this was he.

The solemn warning of the third angel has been heard for a quarter of a century, and God has prepared hearts to receive it in every part of this civilized nation—a nation which, in his providence, he has called to proclaim the truth to every part of the world. The government is of that character that it has attracted all other civilized nations, and even the heathen lands have representatives here. The Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, French, Italians, Germans, Prussians, and many of other nationalities, are to-day represented in the ranks of the third angel’s message of Rev. 14: 9–12. Thus effectual doors are opened, by means of which all parts of the world may be reached by our missionary efforts.

God has also shown that the time of his harvest has come by bringing into the truth Prussians, Austrians, Russians, Spaniards, French, and Germans, in their native lands, and even companies in Africa. To our certain knowledge, many of these have been led to see the light without having any connection with others of like faith. They have had their attention called to this precious truth by reading the Scriptures alone. And even more than this, God has overstepped the bounds of civilized nations, nations which have the Bible, and in a miraculous manner has brought the Chinese to a knowledge of this glorious light, and this, too, within the last quarter of a century. And in our own midst there is scarcely a neighborhood which has not some individuals whose souls are thirsting for something more than the popular religion of the present day imparts. The truth of God fills this want.

With these facts before us, is it not safe for us to conclude that the harvest of the earth is ripe? and does not the providence of God call upon us as never before to enter the harvest field, and gather fruit for eternal life? Shall worldly interests come in between us and the work of God? Is it not time for us to take hold of this work as never before? Ways and means are provided so that all may enter this work, and unite in proclaiming this last message of mercy. God has, in his all-wise providence, brought about improvements, so that with lightning speed the truth may be carried to the remotest parts of the earth. Postage is but a trifle. Packages of tracts can be sent by more than ten thousand believers in this land to their friends of many tongues and peoples, and to every clime. The clear and lucid manner in which the truth is furnished to hand by those whom God has called to the work of writing, and the present arrangements of our missionary operations, will leave all without excuse.

The time has fully come when our hearts should be stirred as never before. The fact that everywhere hearts are prepared to receive this truth is an evidence of where we are in the world’s history and the progress of this work. Some prophecies, such as those relating to the rise and fall of nations, speak of events which may be repeated in the history of different nations. But that prophecy which relates to the warning of this world by the last message of mercy to fallen man will be fulfilled but once. God makes no mistakes. Throughout the world he prepares hearts for its reception but once. And we see that this is the case in our experience as a people relative to the truth in a most remarkable manner. Shall we quietly fold our hands in a time like this? or shall we enter the harvest field? “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”

The fruit to be gathered is not for this life, but for eternal life. We gather here, but it is in the kingdom of glory that the results of our labor will be seen and realized. We here gather the stars that will sparkle like diamonds throughout eternity. Each star will represent some soul saved. There will be no starless crowns there; hence none who have not labored here will enter there. Our best efforts, our best thoughts, our earnest prayers, with tears proceeding from an overflowing soul, full of love for God and his precious cause, would indicate real interest in the truth and work of God.

S. N. HASKELL.