It will be seen that in this supplement special efforts are made to increase the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. It should be distinctly understood that the SIGNS is our pioneer paper, and the object of increasing its circulation is twofold, embracing two important considerations:—
First, it is to place the light and knowledge of the truth before those who are now in darkness.
Second, it is to educate our brethren and sisters in the missionary work,—to get them to feel more interest in the cause at large than they have hitherto done.
While this spirit is taken into families, and they carry it out in a practical manner, remailing the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, opening a correspondence, and talking about letters received, and6seeking God at the same time for his blessing to attend the efforts, it will be found to develop in families and individuals more of a missionary spirit, that will not only lead some to go forth and labor in this country, but who will find their way to foreign fields.
There is not, therefore, a family of Seventh-day Adventists who love the truth of God, but should engage in this work. Some can go out and canvas from house to house and secure subscriptions, and others can remail the papers and send them to their friends. Our sisters should enter heartily into this work. It is a phase of the work that seems to come directly home to them. They may not have time to leave their homes, but they can take time to pray, to remail the papers, and to write some good Christian letters to individuals,—letters which will breathe the Spirit of Christ.
Such letters cannot fail to do good. We have evidences of this continually. But while this work is going on, it should not be forgotten that the Review and Herald is our church paper, and that it, too, belongs in every family circle. It is not so well adapted to do missionary work with as the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, especially with those wholly unacquainted with our work. But it would seem that no family of Seventh-day Adventists can live and prosper without a knowledge of the progress of our work, which is found in the Review and Herald. We advise the brethren, therefore, in every place to take this paper. It comes from week to week laden with meat in due season, and with information concerning the progress of the cause.
And so it is with each of our periodicals. Each has a field of its own. It may be said that we cannot read so many papers. Is it not time for us to begin to make special preparations for the second coming of Christ, to take more time to think of heaven, and to pray? We shall never lose in doing this.
May God bless our brethren, bless the SIGNS, bless the Review, and every one of our periodicals; and may these be the means of a growth in grace among our people, and a preparation for the soon coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.