This Week's Paper by James White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Dec 28, 1876

This Week's Paper.

By James White

This week's SIGNS will reach its readers not far from New Years. We congratulate our patrons on their happiness on receiving so valuable a New Year's salutation. We are gratified with the reading matter, and general make up of this week's paper. We print several thousands of extra copies to send out to canvassers, and to supply new subscribers. From this time the SIGNS will be issued weekly.

Calling the Disciples, on the first page, from the pen of Mrs. White, is a delightful subject for those who love to dwell upon the scenes of the first advent, and the establishment of the Christian church. It is a happy thought that Jesus was the most perfect educator the world ever knew, so that illiterate fishermen, under his teaching and refining influence, became men of commanding influence, so as to move thousands to repentance by a single sermon. All may read this article with profit.

In another column we call attention to the subject of Redemption on the second page. Papers upon the subject of the Way of Life from Paradise Lost to Paradise Restored will be given in this form, and on this page of each number of the current volume. They will be written with care, and when they have passed through the SIGNS they will be printed in numerous tracts, and in several pamphlets, and finally compose a volume. Canvassers who club the SIGNS with the Way of Life engraving should make the fact known that these articles, which will appear in the several numbers of the SIGNS for 1877, will be a complete exposition of the great subject illustrated by the picture.

Our third page, Elihu on the Sabbath, is a re-print of a tract which fell into our hands as early as 1853, without date, bearing simply the signature of Elihu. Since that time not less than 125,000 copies have been published and circulated. And such has been its acceptance by the friends of the Sabbath of the Bible that the S. D. A. Publishing Associations are now issuing and circulating about 25,000 copies per year. It is worthy of a careful reading.

The true merits of the articles on the editorial pages, four and five, by several writers, will be understood by a careful perusal, which we think they deserve. The progress of the cause in the East, under the caption, The Churches, is always read by those who love the welfare of those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

And may God bless the touching and instructive story of Grandmother's Room to the good of every home circle where it may be read. And next comes in the valuable selections under Good Health, and choice paragraphs of Religious and Secular News, and on the last page are some cheering reports of the progress of the cause on this coast, to make up our excellent paper for this week. God bless the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. J. W.

It is finally decided to put the price of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES for one year, postage paid, at $2.00 a year to all regular subscribers who pay for the paper themselves. When furnished by the Missionary Society, or by individuals to send to their friends, the price will be $1.50 a year.

There are many applications from poor brethren for the SIGNS free. Every church should see that their worthy poor have the paper at full price.

A portion of the debt upon the SIGNS has been created by sending volumes one and two, postage paid, to hundreds of persons who have paid nothing. We have evidence, however, that much good has been done by the free distribution of the SIGNS. We call for donations to meet this debt, and to send the SIGNS to the worthy poor outside of the church.

It is a question with many of our friends who admire the Health Almanac, and regard it an important health publication, whether it can be sold to their neighbors and friends. A brother in this city sold sixty-three at full price in two hours, Dec. 26, and a sister, almost a stranger in the city, sold nineteen copies in a few hours.