OUR WORK IN FOREIGN LANDS.
By George I. Butler
THE reports recently published in the REVIEW from Norway and Italy are soul-inspiring. What can cheer the heart of those who really love the present truth so much as to see it going to the ends of the earth? For long, weary years we have been preaching that this truth must go to “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings;” that it must be proclaimed with a “loud voice.” Who can fail to see the beginning of the fulfillment of these predictions? Already Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and even distant Egypt, are receiving the light of present truth by means of our tracts, books, and papers, or by the labors of the living preacher, and that quite extensively. In other countries besides these, in a less degree, souls are responding to the claims of precious truth and God’s holy law, and are themselves becoming avenues of light to others and fellow-helpers in this holy work. Missionary establishments are being planted firmly, periodicals in various tongues are already being published, others soon will be, and the attention of the reading world is being attracted to this novel doctrine. Well-tried and faithful men have charge of these missions, to act a leading part, and thoroughly instruct the later recruits to the cause of truth. This fact alone should give our people confidence in the success of the missionary work. Who among us that has a spark of spiritual life can read the recent reports from our beloved Bro. Matteson in distant Norway, and the appeal of Bro. and Sr. White in behalf of his mission, without his soul being stirred with deep emotions? Who can read of what is being done in dark and benighted Italy, in the very “kingdom of the beast,” without the same feelings? What momentous results are likely to come from the publication of our papers and tracts in the languages of those great nations, Germany and France,—the French, the polite language of every court in Europe, the German, the native tongue of the kingdom which is probably the strongest of any in the world, a kingdom whose subjects are scattered to the ends of the earth. Who can consider the possible and probable effects of the mission to England that our dear Bro. Loughborough is now establishing, without the deepest interest? England is the heart of that great empire “upon which the sun never sets.” It sends out its pulsations to Canada, the West Indies, the islands of the Pacific, China, the Indian empire, and South Africa, and its ships go to the “ends of the earth.” In all these countries where colonies of English-speaking people live, they look to the mother island with affection, and are more ready to receive instruction through and from her than from any other source. When this mission is fully started, thousands of our publications will go out in these various directions. Souls will be reached in every part of the world. The missions we have now started are the nuclei around which will gather the principal means for the enlightenment of the world with the rays of present truth. The Scandinavian nations and races will receive light through the mission to Denmark and Norway. The German, French, and Italian nations can perhaps be as well reached through liberal Switzerland as from any other source. The English-speaking races outside of the United States will naturally draw from Old England their spiritual instruction. And what an important part of the world these include—the most important and influential nations existing in our world. Other agencies will no doubt arise, and other movements be made; but these will be the principal ones, and others will most likely draw from them. No doubt Russia and the Asiatic nations will receive light and truth through their own languages, but these will never be so important as those mentioned. Thus the great cause seems to be taking shape to accomplish that which is predicted of it. By such means the earth will be “lightened with the glory” of God’s message,77when the Lord shall pour upon his people his Holy Spirit. As an individual, looking back five or six years to the time when appeals were being made in behalf of our school at Battle Creek as a means by which to educate persons for these missionary fields, I can only exclaim, “What hath God wrought!” Whether that instrumentality has accomplished all it might in this direction, we will not say. But the foreign work has been growing in importance yearly till the outlines of a mighty work are now clearly seen. Then we had not a single missionary laboring in the old world. The perplexities connected with learning those languages and publishing in them were all untried. Experience in bearing burdens new and strange was all to be obtained. The sorrows and privations connected with such a mission were all unknown. The habits and customs of a foreign society were as yet new and strange. All these experiences are important steps hardly thought of by the superficial reader, but full of value as well as pain to those who pass through them. Adoniram Judson in his mission to Burmah did not get a score of believers in half as many years, but thousands afterward embraced the gospel in consequence of those early labors so apparently fruitless. So with every great movement for God and humanity. The first steps seem slow and weak, and accomplish apparently little. Many a reformer, like Huss and Wickliffe, has been as faithful as Luther, and has sowed seed which afterward showed a luxuriant growth. Though their labor seemed to amount to but little, it was all necessary to the great result. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, who “spake as never man spake,” and did mighty works never seen by mortal eyes before, left comparatively few disciples at his death; but in the fullness of time the seed which he had sown, watered by the Spirit of God, sprung up, and thousands were converted in a day. In our own day the great antislavery movement was a feeble plant. Its early teachers were despised and hooted at. Its leaders were rotten-egged, their presses were thrown into the river, and in some cases their lives were taken. They were few and far between. But they kept at their work,—sowed their seed. The more their enemies worked to put them down, the faster their cause progressed; and in less than a lifetime slavery was gone. We are now in the sowing time. The seeds of truth are being scattered. These foreign missions are establishing themselves in the most important parts of the world, under the direction of God’s own tried servants, men of judgment, experience, and ability. Here we see “the beginning of the end.” About four years have passed since our first missionary set foot in Europe, and what progress we already see. The unbelief of our people must be terrible if they cannot see the hand of God in all this. Here is a work for us to sustain by our influence and means. May God bless with his richest, choicest blessings our dear brethren who have left all the dearest ties on earth to proclaim in a land of strangers the truth of God for these times. May he help us as a people to see the bearing of these things, and do what we can to sustain his servants who have them in charge. The Lord has not called us out to perish, but his truth will triumph gloriously, and if we are faithful we shall triumph with it. Let us cheer up, brethren, all along the line. The Lord is coming soon. The prophecies concerning the extent of our work are in process of fulfillment. Let us do what we can to help forward the cause of truth.