The Missionary by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 39.

The Missionary.

By Stephen N. Haskell

Encouraging.

SABBATH, July 1, was an encouraging day to the Australian Mission. We met at 10 A. M. for Sabbath-school. In the school there are twelve persons, arranged in four classes. The lessons were recited as usual, some time being spent in discussing certain points that were suggested by the scriptures referred to in the lesson.

We had had a very interesting Bible-reading two nights before at the house of a man who received, months ago, one copy of the SIGNS from one of our brethren in San Francisco. He read but one article, and that was on the punishment of the wicked. This did not meet his mind, and therefore he cast the paper aside. But it left its impression on his mind. The brother who sent it from America of course never heard from the letter that he sent with the paper; but, having the gentleman's address, Brother Israel called on him, and in course of time Bible-readings were held at his house. He became interested, and the truth affected him as it did Andrew when he spent a day with the Saviour. As Andrew became interested for his brother, Simon Peter, and searched him out and brought him to the Saviour, so this individual brought his brother. And as Philip was affected, so was this man's brother affected—he went and brought his cousin. See John 1. There were some religious meetings held, which they attended. The Wednesday night previous there was a discourse given on the Third Angel's Message, and the Sabbath was spoken of in a forcible manner. It was the first that either of them had heard on that subject.

We had entertained the hope that they, or at least the one that had received the SIGNS, might erelong take a stand on the truth of the Sabbath. After we had gone through with our lessons in the Sabbath-school, the brother who had received the paper from America, came in, and told us that himself, brother, and cousin had met the night before, and with the aid of a tract that was handed to them on the night of the meeting, they had investigated the Sabbath question to see what they would do about keeping it. The conclusion they came to was, that it was Bible doctrine, and if they continued to walk in the light, and have the favor of God, they must keep it; consequently they had decided to do so. He further stated that their wives were that forenoon investigating the subject, and would probably decide what they would do; and that if they decided to take the stand with them, they would be at the meeting in the afternoon. The result was that at the hour of three his brother came with the two women, and together we had a season of rejoicing in God.

Thus the heads of two families and an unmarried cousin have decided to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. These are the first-fruits of the Australian Mission. We felt thankful to God for this encouragement. We had no fatted calf to kill, but tears of joy were shed notwithstanding. And we know that our friends in America will rejoice with us. One of these friends was a member of a Lutheran Church, and the other of a Baptist Church. They held positions of trust, and did not take their stand without well weighing the matter, and knowing what it would probably cost them. But they felt that they could not disobey God when the light came to them, even if it cost them friends, position, and all. There are others of whom we have strong hopes that they will soon take their stand with us. Our mission here is attracting the attention of many. The influence of the Bible-readings is beginning to be felt. Our Sabbath-school hereafter will have quite an addition. We hope that our friends in America will not cease to pray that the efforts here will still be blessed of God. We believe they will thus remember us.

The Bible-readings seem to take well with the people. There is no prejudice against them, and they are something new. The remark was made by one who embraced the truth, that he liked the way we did it. Said he, "You let the people read it out of their own Bibles before they know what is coming, and if they believe the Bible, they must obey." There is a power that goes with the truth that affects hearts. The sending of papers to this country by the missionary workers has been a great help to the work here. It gives an excuse to get at the families. There is not as great freedom at first with English people as with Americans; yet when they are once approached, and an acquaintance is formed, there are no warmer-hearted people in the world; and we believe that it will be so in reference to their sustaining the cause with their means. We say to our friends in America, Do not be discouraged in sending papers to this country, or any other place, even if you do not hear favorable reports. It is God's means of getting the truth before thousands. And there are many that will never hear of the truth in any other way. Living preachers will never find their way to all that will be represented in the kingdom of God. We say, therefore, "Work on, and work ever."

While on the island of Tasmania, I found a number that had been reading the SIGNS, who, while I was there, subscribed for it for one year. One gentleman told me, as soon as I introduced myself, that he had received the paper, and then after he had received one letter the paper stopped. This he regretted, for he liked the paper very much, and he should have sent his subscription if he had known how much to send. Here there are many who know nothing about dollars and cents; they never hear them mentioned. It is all pounds, shillings, and pence with them. Another person, who is a merchant, told me that he had received the paper from America, and he could not think how it could be that any person so far off was sending it to him. And while that was being pondered over in his mind, he received a letter from a little girl, who wrote that she was but thirteen years old, and had sent him the paper. This only increased his surprise. When I explained to him our plan of working, and how he probably came to receive the paper, he became deeply interested, and said that such efforts should receive the co-operation of every Christian. He not only subscribed for the paper, but proposed to act as agent to obtain subscribers for us. We also found another gentleman who had received the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and had paid his subscription for the papers that he had received, sending it to America, requesting that no more papers be sent him, as he did not agree with what he supposed they taught on the destiny of the wicked. We spent about four hours in conversation with him and in reading the Scriptures. He finally acknowledged that we must be correct in our position, as the Scriptures teach their final destruction. He also became much interested in other points of truth. There are many other interesting cases that might be mentioned, showing the influence of the missionary work.

The example of the children in the missionary work will have an influence that the Judgment alone will reveal. Said our Saviour, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." While the custom of the world is as it is, there is no one thing that will have a more favorable effect on certain minds than to learn that children are engaged in the missionary work. The effect that it has on the children themselves is still more beneficial. While the mind is young and tender, if it be educated to feel an interest in the salvation of souls, it is an education that is worth more than everything else in this world. It moulds the mind, and forms a character which God will accept in the day of Judgment. When every other kind of education may fail, the knowledge of God, and a love for those for whom Christ died, will bear fruit, and practically exist through eternity. Those who are thus educating their children will realize its value when all earthly interests have failed. The Judgment is just before us, and we cannot afford to have our children cut down in the seven last plagues. For their souls' sake, and for our interest in them, we should seek to turn their minds in a channel that will lead them to think, and to feel the importance of the work that brought Christ from glory to this world to die. This will connect them with Heaven. It will bind them to the great white throne. Their interests will be there. As a little boy once said to me when he brought me some money for the missionary cause, "I want that you should buy tracts with this, so that I can see some souls saved in Heaven through my help when I get there." He had been taught to believe that if he co-operated with the Saviour in the salvation of souls, he would see them in the kingdom of God, and would know that his sacrifices had contributed to their salvation.

We say to all, Do not be discouraged in the missionary work; the great reckoning day is just before us, and then God will reward every man as his works shall be. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love." May the Lord especially bless all those who feel an interest in the missionary work. Our feelings while here are especially drawn out after those that feel an interest in the mission in the Australian colonies. Not because souls here are any more precious than anywhere else, but because there is a field here that has been so long neglected in the past, and because it is a field that has such fair prospects of good being accomplished, if the proper efforts are put forth soon. The Lord is certainly with his truth, and is preparing hearts for its reception everywhere. It becomes us to act well our part in this great work, and do that which we do soon, for the night cometh when no man can work. We are of good courage in the Lord.