ON the shores of Lake Geneva, half way between Lausanne and the city of Calvin, an important missionary council has just been holding session for two entire weeks. It was the biennial meeting of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Committee.
About fifty small tents and two circular tents were pitched on the romantic grounds of the Latin Union Sanitarium and School for evangelists. Emblematic of the beauty and grandeur of the work to be considered, were Lake Geneva with its everchanging colors and the majestic summits of the Alps with Mount Blanc's silvery mass in the center.
The motto of the council was: "The Gospel to all the world in this generation," with this other one as the secret and all-powerful motive power: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
No clearer evidence could be given of the earnestness with which this assembly of missionaries considered their God-given task than to mention the countries represented and the fields reported from. About twenty workers, among them twelve members of the General Conference Committee, had crossed the ocean to represent all the parts of North America. Eighty more workers, among whom four were also members of the General Conference Committee, represented Europe and the Orient.
Three members of the General Conference Committee, residents of America, were just back from world-wide tours of inspection to visit far-off fields. W. W. Prescott, editor-in-chief of the Review and Herald and professor at the Washington Missionary College, had been to Japan, Korea, and China. G. B. Thompson, chairman of the Sabbath-school Department, had visited India and Burma. And G. A. Irwin, vice-president of the General Conference, had attended the general meetings in Australia and Africa.
The following countries of Europe were represented by the above mentioned workers: England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, all parts of Prussia, Wurtemberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, Bavaria, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and Switzerland.
Every one of these fields was heard from. From every one came cheering evidences of the progress of the work and of the conquering and sanctifying power of the everlasting Gospel in this age of pleasure and infidelity. From Southern Europe, Africa, India, China, and Japan came stirring and pitiful appeals for help to push the triumphs of the Cross and hasten the glorious coming of the King of Kings in order to restore all things.
And now, as the representatives of the largest and strongest constituencies have returned to America, their hearts filled with these appeals, may those who shall hear them be so moved upon by the Spirit of God, that they shall place themselves and all they have on the altar of sacrifice, and thus come up to the help of the Lord in one last, grand missionary campaign over the whole world, "and then shall the end come." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
JEAN VUILLEUMIER.
Statue of Zwingle, the Great Swiss Reformer, at Zurich, Switzerland.
