Tract and Missionary Department.
By S. N. Haskell
Tract and Missionary Work.
THERE is no one enterprise among us that is better calculated to spread the light of present truth than the tract and missionary enterprise. And those who enter heartily into this work, and continue to walk in the opening providence of God, keeping the grand object in view, will find that God will signally bless their efforts. The more singly the eye can be kept on the work, the more devoted the heart to the enterprise, the more frequent the sacrifices made for its accomplishment, the more we shall enjoy the blessing of God. The filling out of the quarterly reports will prove a great blessing, both to the individuals who make the report and to others. 1. It brings together different experiences, labors performed under different circumstances that are interesting to all, and very instructive to those who are desirous of doing something, but hardly know how or where to take hold. 2. It stimulates others to go and do likewise, thus “provoking unto love and good works.” Heb. 10: 24. “For none of us liveth to himself.” 3. By thus letting our light shine, it has an encouraging effect upon others; it builds up the cause of God, and edifies the church; hence, to take no interest in this part of the work brings discouragement and blight upon those who feel the burden of the work, so far as the influence of such may go. Perhaps some may feel delicate about reporting because they do so little, but it is the many littles that accomplish the work. Were each member of a Tract Society numbering three hundred members to distribute one thirty-two page tract weekly (and this any society can do), it would amount to one hundred and twenty thousand and eight hundred pages per quarter; nearly five hundred thousand pages a year; and yet your individual quarterly report would only show a distribution of thirteen tracts, or four hundred and sixteen pages; and if each member should visit and pray with one family a week, it would amount to over fifteen thousand a year, and a very strong probability is that many of these families would be led to embrace the present truth, and would be stars in the crown of those who were instrumental in their salvation in the kingdom of God. Hence, to report our labor and thus stimulate others to action accomplishes a two-fold work: 1. The direct result of our own individual labor, and 2. The effect it will have upon others. Therefore we say, Let the missionary spirit go on! Help forward the cause of God by fully and heartily co-operating with every movement that tends to the accomplishment of the grand object of the gospel of Jesus Christ: viz., the triumph of his grace and truth, and unity of the faith. S. N. HASKELL.