THE accompanying picture presents to us a part of the army of missionary colporteurs of the Ohio Conference. This picture was taken at the Ohio camp-meeting, which was held, August 18-28, at Hamilton. Only about two thirds of the entire number of colporteurs were in attendance at this meeting; thus we see that Ohio has a strong force of missionaries going forth from house to house carrying the last message of warning that God will give to this sin-cursed earth.
For July the Ohio colporteurs sold $4,610.95 worth of books. The same month the sales for the Columbia Union Conference amounted to over $15,000. We are told by the spirit of prophecy that, to a large degree, through the publishing work is to be accomplished the work of that other angel who comes down from heaven having great power, and whose glory lightens the earth. This angel, we understand, is the angel of the loud cry. It does begin to look as if we are in the beginning of the loud cry, when we see so many giving up worldly pursuits and enlisting under the banner of Prince Immanuel to carry his message in the printed page to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Many are giving themselves to the Lord for service, while others are going on in their worldly pursuits, wrapping their talents in a napkin and burying them in the earth. Only a few weeks ago one of our colporteurs who, for weeks, had been averaging $1.27 an hour, became "weary in well-doing" and secured a position where the Lord's cause was robbed of his talent. Satan knows what the Lord has told us through the spirit of prophecy about the publishing work being a great factor in the finishing of the work, and he is doing all in his power to hinder its progress.
Three children of the accompanying group, while working with their parents selling Signs of the Times in one of the large cities of the East, were seized by the authorities and would have been taken from the parents only that the Spirit of God did a mighty work upon the hearts of one of the officers, as the mother related to this man how God had healed them, and they had dedicated their lives to him and this work. Only recently several public speakers, one of them a Seventh-day Adventist minister, have been prevented from continuing their lectures, and that in free America. We know that soon all anti-Catholic literature will be excluded from the mails, as Rome is doing all she can to this end. We have been told that the work that is not done in times of peace and prosperity will have to be done under the most trying and difficult circumstances. Truly the enemy of truth is closing in on every hand, so let us consecrate ourselves "this day unto the Lord" for service for the finishing of the work. Read "A Reformatory Movement," in "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. IX, page 126.
I. D. RICHARDSON,
General Agent Columbia Union Conference.
