God’s hand is plainly preparing every agency for the speedy proclamation of the message of the advent to the ends of the earth. His providence, like a pillar of fire, points the shining way into every dark land to-day. Note how, since the rise of this advent message, the Bible has been put into tongue after tongue, and the agencies for its distribution multiplied. The secretary of the American Bible Society, reviewing the last fifty years, says:—
A BIBLE WOMAN AND HINDOO HEARERS.
“The great British and Foreign Bible Society in 1853 issued only 1,168,794 volumes of Scriptures. Its issues last year were 5,067,421. The American Society fifty years ago issued 815,399 volumes. Its figures for 1902 (the returns for 1903 are not at this writing made up) are 1,723,791. This takes no account of the immense editions of individual publishers in Europe, England, and America, which have increased, I should say, at least tenfold in this period. Few persons realize the wonderful annual output of Bibles at the present time.”
“The Bible is known to people in whose language it was not translated fifty years ago. Chinese dialects, the speech of African tribes, the language of the South Sea Islanders, have, during this time, been invaded, and the invasion is still in progress. This is making the book a familiar book where in the middle of the nineteenth century it was unknown.”
Servants of God have devoted years of earnest toil in the dark corners of the earth to the preparation of translations. Many a life has been laid down on this altar of service during the fifty years. The process is yet going on in the regions still beyond. But in all the leading languages of earth—over four hundred of them—men now hear the wonderful works of God in their own tongue. It is the gift of tongues for the latter-day Pentecost. What an inspiration this record should furnish to us to send teachers of the special message the Word has for this time into all these fields.
