Progress of the Third Angel's Message.
By George I. Butler
PERHAPS there never was a movement foretold in prophecy which started so feebly as this. After the great disappointment in 1844, the Adventist name became a term of reproach. The believers were thought to be fanatics, and were generally hated by the religious bodies. They had a heavy burden of obloquy to carry, and, worst of all, they did not know what to make of their disappointment themselves. The great mass of Adventists soon left the old landmarks based upon the prophetic word of God, gave up their old positions on the prophetic periods, and entered upon new time-setting movements. But a very few here and there felt in their hearts that they could not do this. They studied the word of God, prayed most earnestly for light and that God would open up the future before them, and soon light began to dawn upon the sanctuary question, the messages, and the other great themes of present truth. Then their past mistakes were explained, and also their future work; and they entered upon it with the greatest faith and earnestness. As we look back and see how this little handful of pioneers commenced to proclaim this world-wide message, it seems to us that we cannot conceive of a sublimer faith. Here commenced a movement predicted in prophecy, which was to enlighten the earth with its glory, and serve as a warning to the vast multitudes upon the face of the earth, who as yet knew nothing of it. And what were the means and agencies with which to commence such a work? They were as poor as poverty itself. They had no influence. They were looked down upon, not only by the world, but by the great mass of their former Adventist brethren. Some of them were feeble in health. They had no publishing houses, books, or papers, nor any of the agencies which we now have in such abundance. They could only reach here and there an Adventist believer who had some love for the past movement and was still looking for light and truth. They preached here and there, to one in a kitchen or to a few gathered in some barn, and thus commenced the proclamation of this message which was to go "to kings and nations and tongues and peoples." But best of all, God was with them, and gradually the work began to expand. Publications were written, and the printing work began to spread out and attract attention. After the lapse of years, believers began to embrace the truth, and congregations could be found who would listen to the message of warning. There never has been a year since that time but that there has been an increase of numbers. And now what do we see? Instead of this feeble beginning, we see some twenty-eight organized Conferences, covering the principal part of the United States and reaching to large portions of the Old World, and we have missionary operations going on in the most remote parts of the globe. There are more than one thousand Sabbath-keepers in Europe. We have publications issued in the most important civilized countries of the globe, having publishing houses in England, Central Europe, the Scandinavian countries, and Australia, besides those of our own country. We have Sabbath-keepers in Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Roumania, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Sandwich Islands, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America. Publications are being sent to all parts of the globe. We have ship missionaries in New York City, Oakland, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), Portland (Me.), Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, Liverpool, and other parts of the Old World, placing our publications on ships that go to every part of the earth. Tons upon tons of our publications are being sent out every month, and the demand for them is constantly increasing. It is impossible to tell what our numbers really are. Years ago, single copies of the Review and Herald were sent to some thirteen hundred different post-offices, to say nothing of other places where large numbers are sent. The circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, which is our pioneer weekly, has run up as high as twenty-seven thousand the past year, going to almost every part of the globe where the English language is spoken. Other books and periodicals that we publish have reached a very large circulation. We have a large number of books, pamphlets, tracts, etc., on a great variety of subjects pertaining to present truth, which are being largely read. Intelligent persons of all denominations are inquiring into these subjects. We have received notices of our work in many of the leading papers of the country, though of course not always in the most flattering terms. But these things show that the public mind is being stirred, and that the truth is working like leaven here and there in all parts of the world. What a contrast between this time and the commencement of this work! These results have not been accomplished because our message was a pleasant one, and contained popular truths for the mass of the people. On the contrary, the truths of this message have been very unpopular, and nothing but the force of argument and the blessing of the Spirit of God have given it these far-reaching results. Men do not embrace this truth because it will add to their worldly prosperity, or make them more highly thought of, but because it contains truths which their consciences cannot ignore. GEO. I. BUTLER.