Reports from the Field by Adolphus Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 12, 1872

Reports from the Field.

By Adolphus Smith

THE reports that come in from all parts of the wide harvest field, as they appear in the REVIEW, are cheering in the highest degree.

A general awakening in the churches connected with our Conference, is manifest. Preachers and people seem endowed with a spirit of earnest, persevering effort, for the salvation of souls. In an advance ratio to this encouraging feature, the Macedonian cry from all parts of the country is at once a solemn and affecting appeal to the church, to be no longer recreant to her obvious duty. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.”

But prayer upon this point, as upon any other, should be accompanied with works that will fully attest its sincerity.

One of the most obvious duties growing out of this principle, as connected with the subject before us, is that of promptly contributing of our means, in harmony with the Heaven-approved system of benevolence among us, for the support of the ministry. Upon this point, much more might be written, but I leave the subject to those whose pens are less circumscribed than mine.

In the general Tract Society, with its auxiliary branches, the hand of the Lord is manifest, fitting the church to carry the message under the guidance of the mighty angel whose glory is to lighten the earth.

Thus briefly noting points of interest among ourselves, that move our hearts to rejoice in the evidently speedy outpouring of the latter rain, and the appearing of our Lord in the clouds of heaven, we turn our attention to the political world, and witness rapidly ripening principles, that we know must culminate in a point no less near at hand, a gigantic faction arising from the ashes of the consuming papal See, and, by attrition, absorbing corrupt Protestantism, produce a speedy formation of the image to the beast, against the worship of which the third angel’s message is increasing its volume of solemn warning.

The fulfillment of our Lord’s prophetic declaration, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the seas and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth,” is too manifest on every hand to need elucidation here.

Nahum’s chariots, with their flaming torches, on every hand, proclaim, in tones that shake the earth, the day of His preparation, whose right is universal dominion here, as an event at hand. Not only in America, and throughout Europe, but in the land of the Pharaohs, the country of the Veda, and in the distant isles of Japan, is heard the unearthly screech of the locomotive, as it dashes forward with impetuous speed, drawing in its train a freight of precious human souls, or, it may be, carrying the bread of life to perishing millions. The very sea that parted its waves for escaping Israel, now bears upon its bosom many of the most important steam vessels of the commercial nations.

The magnetic telegraph, by which the most remote points on the earth’s surface can hold strange converse, speaking our mother tongue, affords facilities for communication, which apparently cannot be surpassed in this mortal state. A telegram to Japan, and reply in ten minutes, is said to be a possible feat.

Thus, we see that the facilities for carrying the message to every quarter of the earth in a very brief space of time, are nearly perfected, and what a half century ago would have required years to accomplish, can now be crowded into a few days, or weeks.

A contemplation of these facts compels the glad conviction that the period of the happy release of God’s faithful people is near at hand, and calls upon them to lift up their heads and rejoice.

Soon, their bodies now mortal, and clad in the badges of our transgression, shall put on immortality, and, clothed in the vestments of light, shall meet our descending Lord in the air, and with the millions of the redeemed of all ages and nations, escorted by myriads of angels, discoursing the richest melody of Heaven, they will ascend to the city above, whose walls are resplendent with the glory of God.

O reader, shall it be your happy lot, and mine, to be there, to join in the symphonies of Heaven, to cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and cry, “Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb?”

ADOLPHUS SMITH.