To Nations, Tongues, and People.
By S. N. Haskell
It once required a great stretch of faith to believe this work would find its way to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and lead thousands of persons of different nationalities to embrace the Sabbath of the Lord and kindred truths. And had this work been of men, long ere this it would have come to naught. From time to time, during the past twenty years, we have seen individuals become disaffected with this work, renounce the truth, turn from it, and predict its downfall. And yet this work has been steadily gaining ground. Plans of operation have had to be enlarged to broader and more extensive ones. Our ideas of this work were altogether too small at first, more especially in the manner of its operations. For the first few years, it apparently moved slowly; but its rapid strides within the last four or five years, have so far exceeded our most sanguine expectations that we have ceased to wonder at its development and progress. Take the publishing department in connection with the missionary enterprise to illustrate. It is only four years since the first Conference Tract and Missionary Society among S. D. Adventists was organized. This was in the New England Conference. Then it was all an experiment. We had everything to learn. But it proved, by the blessing of God, a success. Its influence reached other Conferences, until the last Conference this side the Rocky Mountains, Missouri and Kansas, was organized the present season, adopting the same system. During the spring and summer of 1873, it was adopted in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Vermont; but Ohio, New York, and Maine, had adopted the system the year previous. The annual report of these Conferences, at the Michigan Camp-meeting at Battle Creek, are marvelous indeed as respects the amount of labor done. Seven out of the ten Conferences thus organized, collectively report as follows: Between three and four millions of pages of reading matter distributed, mostly given away; thousands of volumes placed in libraries; nearly ten thousand families visited and prayed with. Only think of it—ten thousand prayers offered for particular families and individuals in connection with personal labor, and 1500 subscribers obtained for our periodicals. Allowing 10,000 of this number to be for the Review on trial for six months, twenty-six numbers, we have 260,000 visits of our denominational paper, to say nothing of the 60,000 visits of the Reformer and Instructor. We call this a work of no small magnitude, especially when we realize that this effort is made wholly among those who are not believers in present truth. Some of those who have received the Review on trial have embraced present truth, and have sent the paper to scores of their friends. If we allow five readers to each copy of the paper sent, then seventy-five thousand new readers of our valuable periodicals are gained in six months.
We go further. The amount of money raised by the Tract Societies for this home missionary work is not less than $15,000. This is truly wonderful. But the question may be asked, How many have embraced the truth as the result of this labor? This we cannot tell. The Judgment alone will reveal the result. The seed must first be sown before it can spring up and bear fruit. But reports have shown that every Conference has living witnesses of the utility of this labor. The French, the Swedes, the Danes, in this country and other nations, to our certain knowledge, in connection with missionaries sent out by American people, have been the happy recipients of the third angel’s message within the past year.
These facts, showing the amount of labor performed, are based upon the reports of the members, which have been returned; and when we inquire into the number who report, it is still more astonishing. The number of our communicants at the present time, according to statistics, is about 7000. The proportion of this number that belongs to the Tract Society does not exceed 3300, and not more than 1800 of these have reported; so that the above amount of labor has been performed No; we know it is not. But it is that which has been reported only. Single orders exceeding $1100 worth of publications, amounting to more than 880,000 pages, have been filled, and sent to the various Conference Tract Societies. And at the present time, the brethren and sisters in every Conference seem to have good courage to press on in the work. What can we say to this unless it be, “See what the Lord has wrought”? This work is outside of our ministerial labor. Ten new cotton churches have been started, and are running successfully this season, west of Michigan. And I do not think I have attended a single camp-meeting this season where there have not been calls for our publications in German, French, Swedish, Danish, &c. Only twenty-five years ago last June, the first paper, which is now known as the Review and Herald, was issued, and a carpet-bag contained the entire edition. Now six periodicals are issued from the Office of the S. D. A. Publishing House located at Battle Creek—one weekly and five monthlies; one on the subject of health, one in Danish, one in Swedish, one youth’s paper, and one missionary paper; there is also another paper already started on the Pacific Coast, and another in contemplation on the Atlantic Coast. People of other tongues, who have embraced present truth, are counted by hundreds. A denominational school has been established, where young men and women can obtain a few months’ discipline on those points on which they especially need help, and also be taught how to study to the greatest advantage while engaged in their labors. A Biblical Institute, where lectures will be given to young men entering the ministry, is also in contemplation. About 150 scholars are in attendance at the denominational school, and we expect that its numbers will swell to hundreds the coming winter. If means are asked for to prosecute the work upon a larger scale, there is a hearty response from all parts of the field. One thing is now needed above everything else—it is hearts consecrated to this work; lives devoted to the cause of Christ; men and women who have the same love for souls as Mr. Judson, and the three Mrs. Judsons, who sealed their devotion to the cause of Christ with their lives. Some of this spirit has been manifested by the pioneers of this cause, and in a few instances to a more limited extent since. Whenever it is manifested, God has acknowledged it by pouring out his Spirit, and precious souls have been led to embrace the truth. God, by his providence, has shown, and is showing, his willingness to bless every effort that is put forth in the Spirit of Christ for the advancement of this work. New enterprises from time to time are entered upon, all of which are permeating the public mind and thus preparing the way for this work to reach the honest-hearted in every dark corner of the globe. The cry for publications in different tongues is coming in from every civilized nation of the earth. For years has Switzerland extended her arms and pleaded for help. Finally, we have been able to send one missionary to Switzerland. Men and women from other denominations, including missionaries in this and other nations have embraced the present truth, and earnestly appealed to us for help. They ask for publications. They say, Give us light. We are not forcing ourselves upon the people. But from every quarter we hear the same earnest pleadings, Send us the light which God has so mercifully committed to those who have received the knowledge of present truth. Our soul is stirred while we write. We think of individuals and small companies who have embraced the present truth in Territories and other nations where the living preacher, upon present truth, has never gone, and they have pleaded month after month, and year after year, for help, until, finally, weary and exhausted, they have become discouraged and in some instances their light has gone out. Can we not learn by these providences that the work is far in advance of us? that hearts are being prepared throughout the world for the reception of the truth? Some are embracing it. Then they turn to us for help, and we are so backward that we cannot see when light comes. Says the apostle, “I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.” The Lord had committed to him the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, and it was that he might impart it to others. Bonds and afflictions awaited him wherever he went. But for this he cared not. “I am ready not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus;” were the words of Paul when the prophet had revealed to him that he would be bound if he went to Jerusalem. But how different now the circumstances. Within twenty-five years we have seen a cause rise from poverty and a very small beginning, gradually increase in strength and power, until its sacred rays are welcomed by individuals all over the world. No persecution to impede its progress; no embarrassment on account of finances; and a publishing house with a hundred thousand dollars capital. Does it require any effort to believe this work will triumph? To the doubting, if there are such, we say, “If weak thy faith, why choose the harder side?” The Spirit of God has spoken and testified that we are not doing one-twentieth of what we might. Shall we not consecrate ourselves anew to this work, and seek for that active faith that will lead us to sacrifice our worldly interests and let the greatest desire of our hearts be for the providence of God to open the door of usefulness, or rather give us hearts to work in the way already opened? We need to be baptized with the same spirit of consecration that actuated our pioneers in this cause. Then we shall follow a little nearer to the opening providence of God, and be better prepared to walk as God shall lead the way, and to co-operate with his Spirit as it is leading out in the third angel’s message.