The Brazilian Government legalizes and protects lotteries in all parts of the country, and the purchase and sale of lottery-tickets is one of the chief subjects of popular interest. The cities of Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, seem to be a paradise for lottery-ticket sellers and newsboys. These run through the streets, making a great clamor, and hover at the regular starting and stopping-places of the street cars, full of enthusiastic business enterprise.
It is time now to flood these cities, and in fact the whole country, with papers and literature containing the Gospel, pure and simple. To this end we are laboring. This people have not had the privileges and educational advantages that the people of many other countries have been blessed with; but they are not to be excluded from the privileges of the Gospel and of salvation on that account. There is no respect of persons with God, and the call is still ringing in our ears, “Come over and help us.”
It is true enough that persecution and mob violence are still in vogue there; but the Gospel work is onward, and many people are waiting for the message of peace.
I do not think there is any other country where there have been as many outbreaks and so much violence used against this advent message, during the same length of time, as in Brazil, and I believe there is no other country where the message has made greater progress during the same length of time.
Paul, speaking of the persecutions in his day, said, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel.” It has been the same in Brazil.
There have been at least eight outbreaks of violence by the people in Brazil against the message since we began work there seven years ago, and in some cases the laborers were seriously dealt with and imprisoned. But in every case the spread of the Gospel and the conversion of souls have been the results. To the Lord be all the praise.
Missionary Traveling.
In many places the people receive the message with gladness. The call to believers everywhere is to “look on the fields [the world]; for they are white already to harvest.” “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.”
This is the prayer which we are instructed to pray, and we should remember that prayer does not take the place of duty. It is our duty to pray, and it is our duty to do as well as to pray. When the Lord calls, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” it is not for us to say, “Here is Brother Brown; send him;” but ring it out loud and clear, “Here am I; send me.”
It is frequently the case that many questions come up right at this juncture. Some ask if it is cold, and some ask if it is hot; while others would prefer a medium climate. Some would like to know if it is sickly or healthy, and if they can ride a wheel there.
We do not find Abraham asking any such questions. When God called, he responded. The apostles were not very inquisitive as to their fields of labor. No; it was enough for them to know that they were called, and they went forth like men, regardless of the circumstances and the consequences.
