AN ABUNDANT HARVEST by Stephen N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 12, 1880

AN ABUNDANT HARVEST.

By Stephen N. Haskell

THERE is no enterprise in which men can engage with more certainty of success than the missionary work. Such cases as the following are daily coming to light in different parts of the world, through the distribution of the SIGNS and other reading matter:—

About eighteen months since, the paper providentially fell into the hands of a man in Wood county, West Virginia. He became interested, and wrote to the SIGNS office for other publications. His address was placed in the San Francisco V. M. Society to be looked after. Elder M. C. Israel commenced to correspond, and furnished him reading matter. He loaned his papers and books to others, and obtained the addresses of others, which were forwarded to V. M. societies, and the same course pursued with them that was being pursued with him. Himself and others embraced the Sabbath. Quite an interest was worked up. He called, as is usual in such cases, for the living preacher. It resulted in Elder Sanborn's visiting them last fall and then again this summer, and a church of sixteen was raised up some six months since, while the interest has extended to other counties. This brother is now actively engaged in missionary work in Trumbull county, Ohio, where he reports quite an interest. The following is an extract from a letter he wrote to a V. M. society member, July 6:—

“I am doing what I can in the way of missionary work in this county. I have many interested readers, and I trust through God's blessing that a company will be raised up here who will keep his commandments and the faith of Jesus. I had a Disciple minister at my house all day some time ago. Now another one, a stranger to me, sends word that he is coming to visit me. I am informed by the one that brought me word that he says we are right on the immortality question. The Disciples in Wood county seem determined to fight as long as possible. They have had five preachers there to prove that the ten commandments were abolished, and still they are unsatisfied. The last one was Elder Rowe of Ohio. He is editor of the American Christian Review. He stayed with them nine days, did not touch the Sabbath question, charged them forty dollars, and went home. Some were bitterly disappointed.”

The full result of this stray SIGNS which fell into the hands of an honest-hearted man, the Judgment alone will reveal.

S. N. HASKELL.