The Magnitude of Missions.
By James Sawyer
THE world is the work-field of the Christian. As soon as one becomes a disciple of Christ, he is a missionary. The word missionary means, one sent. When the Spirit of Christ is in a man, he will manifest a disposition to make others better. It will of course, show itself first at home; then the sanctifying influence of his character will be felt abroad. The admonition, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” becomes of paramount importance, because time will soon close. The waymarks of man's earthly pilgrimage mark probation nearly ended, and the consummation of the best of hopes is just before the righteous man. Some effort is being made to evangelize the world. It was published in a newspaper, some time since, that different societies in America had sent out eighty-seven persons among the Japanese to advance the work of missions among them. Not long since was another account, that the English had caused translations of the Bible to be made into fifteen tongues in her East India possessions. Such efforts, without doubt, will soon be turned to the glory of God. It is true that Seventh-day Adventists have not done a large work in carrying the gospel to other tongues; and while, as it appears to them that the gospel in its purity must be given as a witness unto all nations, God will hasten the work by using other instrumentalities than themselves. The very enemies of the Lord will be used to herald his saving truth. They will know no better than to do it. To illustrate: About a year and a half since, there were no papers, journals, or books, among the Swedes, which advocated the second advent of Christ and kindred views of Adventists, but a very few who had knowledge that such a people were at work, announcing the true Sabbath and the sleep of the dead, while now hundreds of papers and tracts are scattered, here and there, from Maine to California, wherever Swedish settlements can be found. This nationality have been greatly aroused by the views as set forth in these tracts and papers. Leading political and religious papers and journals of this people are taking up these views and discussing them among themselves, so that the whole Swedish people on the Western continent will soon know that there is a third angel's message. And since many Swedish papers which are published here are sent to Sweden, these same topics will be agitated there, and the light of the glorious truth cannot be hid till it has reached the limits of Finland. The fire which has been kindled cannot go out till it has lighted the firesides of about 5,000,000 Swedes and about 2,000,000 Finns. But how can Finland be benefited? The Finns were under the jurisdiction of Sweden from the middle of the 12th century until the beginning of the 19th. Sweden gave Finland her religion and her laws. And in some of the churches there now, the preaching is exclusively in the Swedish language. A few weeks since, we met five Finlanders in Ottawa Co., Mich., and four out of five could read, write, and converse in the Swedish language. We can readily see how the work can be carried on in that country. Those who understand the Swede will impart it to those with whom they mingle, who can only speak the Finnish. Finland belongs to Russia now; but there are only about 40,000 of the Finns who belong to the Greek church; the rest are Lutherans. Thus we see that in the space of a few months, such agencies have been set in motion as will stir the minds of millions on the momentous questions which pertain to these last days. And God will speed this work. It is so recorded that he will. Soon the nations will be warned. The proclamation “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations,” will soon be accomplished. We know the conclusion. To the burdened, waiting one, the result is glorious; but it must be a sad reality to that one who is neither watching nor waiting. It will be doubly sad to him who knew his Master's will and did it not—who lost what missionary spirit he once had. The steward will feel bad as his one talent is taken from him and given to his neighbor who has ten talents already. In comparison with the importance of this closing work, friends, money, and honors, sink into insignificance. How is it possible that friends can keep a man from this saving work who has the missionary spirit in him? Estates and wealth will hardly allure him from his Master's vineyard; highest honors will be but a bauble; aye, there is something ahead which outstrips all these in splendor, and onward he presses to gain immortal honors, an eternal inheritance, and the companionship of angels. May the magnitude of this missionary work appear as it never has before.