The Missionary by J. N. Loughborough

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 14, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 39.

The Missionary.

By J. N. Loughborough

CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE ADDRESS, 1889.

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: Again we are permitted to assemble for our annual encampment upon this ground. Here we come to spend a few days in seeking God together, learning more perfectly his truth, and our duty and relation to the same. May the God of all grace grant a rich measure of his Spirit to be with us, inspiring in our hearts true and devout gratitude for the mercies of the past, and guiding us in our deliberations for the future. May we be enabled so to conduct and arrange our various Conference organizations that the right men shall be put in the right places, and we all go forth doing the right thing at the right time, thus gathering sheaves to the heavenly Master's garner; and, as true soldiers of the cross of Christ, in his strength, may we "be strong, and do exploits." How rapid is the flight of time. It seems but a few short weeks since we "broke camp" upon this ground, but it is a year.

Another year is added to the record of our lives. What is the report it bears in the secret place of God? Have we improved our opportunities to labor for ourselves and others? or has there been a neglect to do, by God's grace, what might have been done? Happy is it for those who have had wisdom to discern God-given opportunities for doing good; who have been faithful in improving the privilege of work for the Master, thus acquiring experience and strength for new and future emergencies.

Seventh-day Adventists have not been advocates of the theory that the keeping of our souls should be placed in the hands of the ministers, and of our bodies to the doctors, while we should give ourselves to the work of making money; but rather that it is incumbent upon each individual believer in the truth to do all in his power to become an efficient worker,—sowing the precious seeds of truth, using the talent God has given us in that manner, that at his coming our Lord may receive his own, with usury.

We are met with the solemn fact that, in almost every department of this cause, there is a lack of laborers fitted by experience to bear the responsibilities and burdens of the work. How shall this want be supplied except by calling to exercise their gifts those who have some natural ability, thus giving them a training that shall fit them to bear burdens? I fear there are many among us who might have been developed ere this as efficient workers who have given themselves so exclusively to secular pursuits that they have, to a great extent, lost from their minds the force and luster of the truth. To such the words of the apostle might be applied: "When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

"And shall we meet the Master so, Bearing our withered leaves; Our Saviour looks for precious fruit; Stand we before him sad and mute, Waiting the word he breathes, Nothing but leaves! nothing but leaves!"

The last year has witnessed the death of more adults from our ranks than any previous year of the existence of our Conference. Of those who have died over one-third were with us in our last annual meeting. How many that are with us to-day may thus close their life-record before another year rolls around, we know not. It is too much to expect that we will all meet again after our separation from this camp-meeting. May this thought of the uncertainty of life lead us to that carefulness expressed by the psalmist when he pleads with the Lord, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." This we suppose to mean, Teach us so to meet the privileges, opportunities, and duties of each day as though it might be our last day, ever having a realizing sense that our lives flee away "like a shadow that continueth not."

This is the eighteenth session of the California State Conference, but the twenty-second general gathering of our people in the State. Our cause on the coast has just entered upon its majority, it being twenty-one years the thirteenth day of last August since the tent was first pitched in Petaluma, Sonoma County, Cal., for the presentation in this State of what we call present truth. From that time to the present there has been a gradual growth in the work, not only in California, but all up and down the coast. There were not at that time ten Sabbath keepers from British Columbia to the Mexico line; now there are between four and five thousand believers. The Lord has truly and wonderfully blessed and prospered the work, not only of directly presenting the truth by the means of the ministry, but our schools that have been established have been an efficient help in the work. From the Healdsburg College laborers have already gone forth, not only in our own State, but to the missions in various parts of the world. So also have our publishing house and health institution been the means of gaining access to thousands of minds. Especially has the Pacific Press, by means of its publications, been a means of spreading the reading matter all over the world, by this means opening the way for the living laborers.

The last year has been an eventful one in the history of our cause in this nation. For many years Seventh-day Adventists have been expecting, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Revelation 13, that the time would come when religionists, in these United States, would seek to have their tenets enforced upon the people by law. While for the last few years, we have seen a tendency in that direction, during this year the matter has seemed to approach a crisis, in that there has been presented before the Congress of the nation those measures known as the "Sunday-Rest bill," and the "Joint Resolution" calling for such an amendment of the Constitution of the United States as will require that "the principles of the Christian religion" shall be "taught in the public schools." The agitation of these subjects pro and con. has furnished us such an opportunity as we have never had before for setting the truth concerning these matters in their true light, before senators, judges, lawyers, and the public in general.

In our own State the effort made to secure a re-enactment of the Sunday law, and the consequent agitation of the subject in the last fall election, gave our people a golden opportunity to work, and they rallied nobly, raising the sum of $337.57, with which they circulated gratuitously 30,000 copies of a special edition of the Sentinel, thereby placing the true animus of this question before the minds of hundreds who never before had been called upon to look at these things in just the light they are treated by the Sentinel.

When the Blair bills were pending action before the Congressional committee our people again rallied to obtain signatures to the remonstrance against the proposed Constitutional Amendment and Sunday-Rest bill. In many parts of the Conference whole districts were systematically canvassed. The result of this effort was the obtaining of 44,155 signatures. During the months of July and August, just preceding Mr. Crafts' visit to this State, and while he was occupying the public, pleading in favor of the enforcement of Sunday by statutory enactments, our people again came forward, and raised $486.13 for the free distribution of the Sentinel extra. Of the extra there were circulated in the various places to be visited by Mr. Crafts, and at other points, 34,000 copies. In some places this has been followed by a canvass for the Sentinel, "Civil Government and Religion," and the "Sunday Law" pamphlet. We hope that this canvass may be pushed still further by our people. Let none be disheartened by the apathy of the masses upon this subject. It is continual agitation that will keep the subject before the people, and, when they see what measures are adopted by these Sunday-law advocates to carry their plans, it may be, after a time, that these readers will see that it is a question demanding their careful and candid examination; then it is that we shall see more than just now the result of persevering efforts to get the truth of these things before the people.

During the winter months of the last year many of our larger churches in the State, such as Oakland, Healdsburg, Fresno, and Woodland, as well as others, were blessed with a glorious revival of the work of God in their midst. There was an earnest seeking to put away sins, such as was never witnessed among us before. As our people opened their hearts the Saviour verified his promise and came in. This revival wave affected, to a greater or less extent, our people all through the State. Not only were our church members greatly revived, but others took their stand to go with us in the Lord's service.

For a part of the summer season we have had seven tents in the field. We cannot report as good results as we might wish in all of these places, but at some points there was a marked interest, with good results, so that we may say, on the whole, considering the various circumstances we have had to contend against, the tent effort has been quite successful.

The Bible-reading work has met with good success, and the mission school which has been conducted in Oakland this summer has afforded better opportunities for those who have availed themselves of its privileges than any previous term of the school. There have been several new features introduced in the instruction which have not been in vogue in the school before. The summer term of the city mission has been a rare chance for the workers. Of the school and its workings I presume Brother McClure will give us more definite information than I can take time to present to you this morning. I will simply state further that I am informed that 102 have taken their stand for the truth the past year as the direct apparent results of the labors in the city mission work.

What we call the amateur canvassing work has received some attention in this Conference since the April meeting, and has shown good results where it has been entered upon. Already some have been led by this means to give themselves to the canvassing work, who first started out simply with the idea of doing a little work in the immediate vicinity of their homes. We trust there will be considerable attention given to this subject during the time of this camp-meeting. I presume those conducting the canvassing work will give due attention to this branch; and we trust our people will do all they can to avail themselves of this instruction. Even if you do not design to make canvassing a business, you may be able to use now and then a leisure day in amateur canvassing, for some of the smaller works, in the vicinity of your

homes. We hope to see an increase of the force of amateur canvassers the coming season.

The ship work in the ports of Oakland and San Francisco has met with considerable success. There are many ships visiting these points to take away the surplus grain to foreign ports; we have opportunity on these ships to send reading matter to various parts of the world. We have been quite successful in selling publications on ship board, about $75 worth being thus disposed of during the last quarter, and we are confident that these sales will be increased in the future, as the one now in charge of the work is getting the run of the ships so as to be able to do much more efficient work in the future. There are many steamships visiting the ports of San Francisco; on these steamers we have either distributors or files of papers, or paper holders. In these are placed our periodicals, which are eagerly read. We recognize the hand of God in this branch, in that the managers of these vessels have granted us all the privileges we have asked. We trust our people will remember the ship mission in their sympathies and prayers.

We notice an increase of tithes in this Conference over that received any previous year. Last year the receipts were $31,237.83; the amount of tithes received into the Conference treasury this year, from September 1, 1888, to September 1, 1889, is as follows:— For the quarter ending January 1, 1889...$11,428.46 For the quarter ending April 1, 1889... 9,610.39 For the quarter ending July 1, 1889... 8,058.80 For the quarter ending September 1, 1889.. 5,734.81 Making a total of $54,823.36 This increase of tithes is not all due to increase of numbers, and certainly it cannot be attributed to any easier times, for it has really been closer times for money than last year. It must therefore be due to two causes: First, that our people are paying a more conscientious tithe, and second, that many have been moved to look up and pay their past unpaid tithes, and are making restitution in this respect. We trust that all our people will be moved to a realizing sense of the claims that God has put upon us, and then we shall no longer "rob God," but the rather "bring all the tithes into the store-house," that he may on his part fulfill the precious promise to us that he will open the windows of heaven, and pour us out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. It is not that we selfishly work for this blessing that we ask our people to pay a faithful tithe; but the cause of God needs the means, that the work may be extended into the regions beyond, where we are contemplating efforts to push on the work, and the people on their part need that blessing to make their labors more efficient in his cause.

Our list of laborers is constantly increasing, and of course there is constantly a greater demand for means to carry on the work, and we are glad that it is so. Our list of laborers on the Conference pay-roll last year was eighty; this year it is eighty-five. A number of our laborers have gone with the message to other parts of the world, or our list of those to settle with would be still greater than it is. We do not regret that God in his providence has privileged this Conference with furnishing workers to other fields. May it please the Lord that still others be fitted up for responsible stations, and may the Lord send them forth to the work, is our prayer.

With the increase of laborers there is a corresponding increase of membership. July 1, 1888, when this Conference made its annual report to the General Conference, there was reported as the number of Sabbath keepers within the bounds of the Conference 2,000. Our Conference secretary informs me that he reported July 1, 1889, as the number of church members in this Conference 2,143. He further states that counting the seventh-day keepers not yet organized into churches it is safe to compute the number at 2,500. Probably as many, if not more, of these have been brought to the knowledge of the truth by the efforts of home mission workers and Bible-readers as by the direct efforts of our ministers.

I made reference to the fact that many of our people were searching out and paying up their back tithe, and this calls to mind another subject. The prophet Malachi not only says that the people of God have robbed him in tithes, but that they have robbed him in offerings. I have recently been looking over the unpaid pledges that have been made to different enterprises by our people; I find them to be altogether too numerous. Some of these pledges date so far back that, in some instances, the parties, when their attention was called to their pledges, had forgotten that they ever made such a pledge. Of course when the original pledge papers were shown to them in their own handwriting, they have acknowledged the pledge. In speaking of unpaid pledges I am not now referring to pledges that have been made on the condition of the disposition of some certain piece of property, but to these pledges made to be paid to some certain object in a certain period of time.

What we call pledges the Lord in his word has denominated vows; and he has spoken of it as a very serious matter to vow and then not pay. He says: "Pay thy vows unto the Lord your God." Ps. 76:11. Again: "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed." "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" Eccl. 5:4, 6. I trust none will regard these solemn pledges they have made to different enterprises of God's cause in the light that one sister did who had made a pledge to pay a certain sum to our college during the following year. When the year expired she said, "I have not been able to raise that money this year and so I suppose I am released." She then made a pledge of another like sum to another enterprise; this she said she thought she could redeem during the year. But, alas! she was about two years paying this pledge. And when that was done she informed us that she did not believe in making pledges. The original pledge she never paid. It is a query whether a person has a right to redeem one pledge by making another, and again, whether pledges to the Lord's cause ever die out.

It will be a good opportunity while our people are here upon the ground, to ask the Tract and Missionary secretary how their account stands on unpaid pledges. The Lord has promised great things to those who faithfully pay their tithes and vows.

While we are calling your attention to matters relating to our home finances I hope none will forget to put fully into practice the resolution passed by our Conference last year, which reads:— Resolved, That we heartily adopt the recommendation of the General Conference on the subject of the support of foreign missions, and willingly pledge ourselves to carry into practice the recommendation to lay aside each week, as God has prospered us, means to be devoted to the work of foreign missions. How well each of you have carried out this resolution is known to yourselves. I would recommend that our State Missionary Society see that all our people upon this camp-ground are supplied with a copy of the little tract prepared by the General Conference treating upon the subject of the support of the foreign missions, and that, after this, they canvass the camp, and see that all are supplied with the missionary boxes.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. (Concluded next week.)