p. 851 | AS YE GO, PREACH

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 19, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 54.

"AS YE GO, PREACH."

A MISSIONARY of the London Society at Madagascar sends to the Chronicle an account of a native young man, who had been a wild lad, but who something more than two years since gave himself to Christ. He was much impressed with the Saviour's command to his disciples to preach, and was convinced that this command ought to be obeyed by all, every day. Though a plain woodcarrier, as soon as his wood was sold he would go about the market, Bible in hand, preaching as long as anyone would listen.

Finding that his trade interfered with his giving as much time to preaching as he would like, he gave it up. One day he told the missionary he had preached seven times, but thought that "so little." Ordinarily he preached from ten to fourteen times. When

asked to go into some of the churches and preach, he declined, saying, "I should get comparatively few to hear me, whereas in the market when I raised my voice and called out, 'Oh, all ye people, God is waiting to be reconciled to you to-day!' four hundred or five hundred people can hear me, and stop to listen."

The Lord has ordained that they who preach the gospel shall live of the gospel. But should they not make a business of it? One sermon a week, smothered in forms, flowers, music, and machinery, seems hardly like the apostolic preaching, of which this poor islander seems to furnish a better illustration.—Selected.