Scatter- the Tracts by A. S. Hutchins

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 23, 1874

Scatter- the Tracts.

By A. S. Hutchins

“THERE is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Why should not the people of God share in some measure the same joy here on earth when men turn from darkness and error to the light and truth of divine revelation? And why not rejoice if in turning souls to a knowledge of the truth we can suffer with Christ? “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us.”

The religion of the Bible calls for laborers, not idlers. In the parable of the vineyard, in the 20th chapter of Matthew, when the hour of settlement came, the Lord of the vineyard bade the steward “call the laborers and give them their hire.”

Under the preaching of Paul and Silas, at Thessalonica, Jews, and “devout Greeks, a great multitude, and chief women not a few,” received the gospel under a great pressure of opposition and persecution. Yet they were a working people. Says the apostle, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.”

Respecting this church, inspiration bears the following testimony: “From you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not speak anything.” Has not the time come for the remnant church, with a world-wide message, to copy the holy zeal and activity, of this primitive church? The way is fully open for effectual missionary labor. The spirit of entire consecration to God is needful to energize the church, needful to awaken us to the shortness of time, and the importance of the work; then there will be no lack of means, nor laborers to push this great work ahead to every part of the far-ripening harvest field. Eternity only will reveal the good accomplished by sometimes judiciously and prayerfully distributing reading matter on present truth.

In one church in Montcalm Co., in this State, where vigorous missionary efforts were put forth last winter, five have embraced the Bible Sabbath by reading. An old friend of mine in Vermont State, who was a worthy and active deacon of the F. W. Baptist church with which I united some thirty years since, had his attention called to the Sabbath question last winter by reading the REVIEW and tracts on the Sabbath. In a few weeks with a joyful heart he commenced the observance of God’s holy rest-day. He acknowledges with devout gratitude that he has received much instruction since he began to read the REVIEW. He says, “I should not know how to do without it. I feel like obeying my Saviour in all things come life or death. I have come to the point where one spark of truth is worth more than all the error that ever floated upon the tide of public opinion.” With us, this dear brother is looking for immortality when the Saviour comes. Devout men and women, sending out to perishing souls saving truth by scattering tracts, may take courage in the work. A. S. HUTCHINS.

Lapeer, Mich., June, 1874.