Doing the Work Before Our Eyes by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Aug 21, 1913

Doing the Work Before Our Eyes

By William Ambrose Spicer

It is good to go among our people in the conferences, this camp-meeting season, and see what the Lord is doing for those that seek him. Everywhere one finds testimony to the fact that the Lord is doing things out of the ordinary to hasten on the work and to bring truth-seeking souls into the light. His word is fulfilling, and joy fills the hearts of those who are sharing in the soul-winning work of these earnest times.

More and more we see it,—a quick work,—the fruitage springing up quickly from a book sold or through the tract or periodical placed with prayerful faith and a longing to help. The use of the simple means within everybody's reach prevails by the blessing of the Lord, and the time calls for everybody to be doing something on the right hand and on the left.

What the Lord spoke by the prophets long ago concerning his closing work in the earth is in process of fulfilment before our eyes.

The prophet John, in vision of this work, heard the judgment-hour message being given "with a loud voice" in all the world. Rev. 14:7. It was but sixty-four years ago that our first paper came from the press—the little sheet Present Truth, issued by James White at Middletown, Conn., July, 1849. That seemed a loud voice to the little company of believers then. Heartily they thanked God for this means of hastening the work forward; and with prayers and tears of joy they dedicated that first paper to God, and sent it forth bearing the message of the prophecy. But at that stage we could hardly say that the message was going "with a loud voice." The voice of the message was to swell into heavier volume to meet the prophecy.

Now the printing-presses are running in all parts of the world day and night, printing this advent message. Some time ago, in another land, I stood in the doorway of a pressroom, where six or eight presses were running off publications in various languages. In one of our publishing houses in America, it would not have seemed so striking a view; but in that land over the sea it was a soul-stirring thing to listen to the whirr and the rattle of the machinery, and to see the newly printed pages falling by the thousand from the delivery frames of the presses. "Like the leaves of autumn," I thought, true enough.

And now, wherever one may attend publishing meetings in the conference gatherings and camp-meetings, we find the workers in this department everywhere sounding the cry of "$2,000,000 worth of publications in 1913." The prospects are that the distribution will reach it. This is only the aim for the current year, by no means the limit to be satisfied with. It is achieved by the efforts of a few, comparatively. When all are as active as the few, far greater publicity will be given to the message by scattering the publications; and this always means the development of a spirit of inquiry that will call for personal interviews and public preaching.

And this is not a work limited to one region or country. The message is going "with a loud voice" on every continent, just as the prophet described it long ago. Happy is the believer whose voice is blending fully with and helping to swell the volume of this loud cry of the third angel's message, which is to sound out yet more mightily as the work closes. W. A. S.