Tract and Missionary Society Reporting Encouragement
By H. A. St. John
Reader, are you a member of the T. & M. Society? Come, let us reason together. Do you say you have done but little or nothing? that you have not ability to labor in this cause? that you have nothing to report? Now sit with me, while we consider some of the things embraced in this report. 1. “Number of families visited.” Can you not visit one person, or family, in three months to talk with them about Jesus—his soon coming, and the necessary preparation for it? or in some way to do them good? and if this is all you do, then put a figure 1 in here, put your name at the bottom, and hand in your report at the proper time. 2. “Number of letters written.” Can you write? Can you not think of some lonely one that you may encourage with a letter? of some dear soul, wandering, that you may enlighten and admonish? Can’t you write one letter, just one missionary letter in three months? If so, report. 3. “For memberships.” Can you not find at least one good brother, or sister, nor a member of our society, that you can persuade to join by paying $1.00? If so, report. 4. “By donations.” Can you not add a little to the treasury yourself? Can you not induce somebody to donate something to the best of all causes? Children and youth often spend money for candies, peanuts, toys, &c., that is generally worse than lost. Can you not gather some of this means into the treasury of the Lord? If so, report. 5. “From book sales.” Can you not sell one of our excellent books, so well written, so neatly printed, so full of precious, all-important truth, and, withal, so reasonable in price? Can you not sell one in three months? If you can, report. 6. “Subscribers for Review. Invaluable paper! You love it. Can you not get one subscriber in three months? If you can, report. 7. “Subscribers for Instructor.” Now what shall I say? Such an excellent paper! So well adapted for the youth; and it is only twenty-five cents for the first year. Who cannot get one subscriber in three months? If you can, report. 8. “Subscribers for Reformer.” So cheap, so practical, so valuable! Can you not get one subscriber in three months? If you can, report. 9. “No. of Reviews, Instructors, and Reformers given away.” Now do you say, “I can’t?” Can’t give away back numbers of these excellent periodicals? No, you will not say this; you will do something here. Then report. 10. “Tracts and pamphlets loaned and given away.” Now do you plead inability? Oh, do not! Do you say now, “I see there is something, that even the weakest may do?” Then report. 11. Subscribers for Signs of the Times. Having noticed some of the ways to work for the Lord, mentioned in “Report of Labor,” we beg leave to supplement a little. Ten thousand subscribers for Signs of the Times (at $1.50 per year) are just now called for, east of the Rocky Mountains, perhaps every member of the T. & M. Society should obtain three of this number. Can you obtain one? two? THREE? If so, report. 12. Distribute the Health Almanac. Sell for five cents, give it away when you think it may do good. Can you not distribute from one to fifty copies? If so, report. 13. Report. Now I come to the last duty of every member at the close of each quarter. It is to report. With the assistance of the blank, which is the subject of this article, there need be no failure on the part of the weakest and most inefficient. And upon this, simple as it may appear, depends the success of the T. & M. Society. Now, reader, after this interview, shall we not go forth, mutually stimulated to watch, pray, and labor?