NEW FIELDS by James White

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 6, 1859

NEW FIELDS.

By James White

THE harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Luke x, 2.

These words of our Lord may be applied with force to the present time. The harvest is great. Our message is designed to go everywhere. "If any man worship the beast," &c. The field of labor is vast, and the work great. The fields are already white. Spiritualism, with its infidelity, its nonsense and hellish blight, has swept over the land, and has carried away its thousands, but has left the more sober, candid, thinking classes, with an increased hungering and thirsting for the word of life. Popular revivals have blazed abroad, and for a time held the attention of the people, inspiring hope that the glorious time had commenced with the churches; but most of those professing conversion so soon falling away, time has proved the work as a whole spurious, and hope for better times for the churches is fast dying, and the real condition of fallen Babylon is becoming more apparent to the candid and discerning.

Church festivals, fairs, pic-nics, donation-parties, exhibitions and theatrical performances to raise money for church purposes, have greatly increased since the revivals of 1858. These things exist in the greatest contrast with the religion taught by Christ and the apostles, which is preparing thousands to renounce the popular religion of the day, and embrace Bible truth and Bible religion.

Yesterday we visited Agricultural hall where we have advertised to speak three times the 25th. The Congregationalist church had an exhibition in this hall last week, termed, "The Old Folks' Concert." One might guess from what was left in the hall that it was an impious affair. There was an imitation painting of an old fire-place, a spinning-wheel, oldest style chairs, an old basket knife-case, old waiters, &c. &c. There was a large gathering, much pious fun, $180 raised for the benefit of the church!!

Such exhibitions of impiety show the real state of mind of the popular religionists of our day. They are in these things tearing from themselves the pious garb with which they have been covered, and are being seen in their true character.

The fields are white. The time has come for laborers to enter them untrammeled by worldly cares. The word of life should be everywhere boldly proclaimed. The Lord of the harvest will take care of the results, if his servants do their duty. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Joel ii, 1. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Isa. lviii, 1.

Have we not some preachers among us who might do much good if they would enter new fields with a ready mind to labor faithfully, and suffer privations and hardships? It is easier and more pleasant for those on whom the "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel," rests rather lightly, and who love an easy life, to visit from place to place among the brethren, and preach to a few on the Sabbath, than to break new ground and take that anxiety and spirit of labor on them necessary to accomplish anything. The scattered brethren, owing to their lonely state, are glad to see them, and entertain them cordially; time passes pleasantly, means is handed out to help them to the next place; but what is accomplished? A pleasant visit. Are not the churches benefited by such labor? Not at all. In almost every place where they have the labors of those who are evidently out of their place, who have health and strength to enter new fields, but remain on the same old ground, we find the brethren in a low, scattered, discouraged state.

Again, this entering "into other men's labors," or "other men's line of things made ready to our hands," Paul was not guilty of. He says, "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation." Rom. xv, 20.

Our venerable Bro. Bates was the first in this cause, and knows all the hardships and discouragements of its early existence. His labors were greatly blessed in New England, and he was the first to enter the great West. His numerous friends in the East would be extremely gratified to enjoy his labors and visits, and sustain him liberally. And there would appear the greatest propriety in his enjoying the fruits of his former labors, in his advanced years. But he is continually breaking new ground, laboring incessantly, preaching from five to ten times a week, and receiving a limited support. Last winter about fifty came out on the Sabbath under his labors. God sees all this, and a faithful record is kept in heaven. Says Jesus, "And, behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Thank God for that—"AS HIS WORK SHALL BE."

Brethren in New England have erred. The Lord has been calling preachers West, and they should have followed them with their prayers, and their means as much as if they were laboring on New England ground. There has been too much of a disposition to make things go at some rate, hence conferences and tent-meetings have been held with little preaching help, and these efforts have done but little except to discourage, and the old ground has been gone over and over. If the means thus spent in New England to little or no profit, could be sent to help western missionaries, it would accomplish much with God's blessing, and the donors would receive a reward. We have been surprised and grieved to learn how some have run from place to place on the cars, encouraging a fanatical spirit in burning daguerreotypes, &c., worse than wasting their Lord's money, and leaving the brethren in distraction. Ours is the sad task of laboring to help them out. These things are cruel. Talk to them of helping western missionaries, and they have little or nothing to spare after liberally paying off those who helped them into trouble. Brn. Hutchins and Sperry are feeble in strength, hardly able to endure the labor of new fields. They should be nourished tenderly. Their manner of traveling by private carriage is economical and healthful. But we would suggest that it might be better for them and the church to attend church trials less, and labor in new fields more. Western brethren see so much to do, that they cannot spare the time to attend to church difficulties. In fact they have discovered a remedy for church difficulties. It is this: Dwell upon the great principles of truth, and holy living, mind their own business, instead of descending to the particulars of, and meddling with, other folks' matters.

Those who are just starting out to preach are the very last to occupy the old ground. They should enter new fields with an experienced brother. Here their gifts can grow, if they keep humble, and thus they can prepare to go out alone. Let those who are doing nothing enter new fields, and demonstrate to their brethren that God has called them, by raising up not only one here and there, but churches here and there, in a healthy, growing state. We solemnly protest against supporting men on the old ground, doing little or nothing, and neglecting brethren, and letting them suffer, who are raising up churches, breaking into new fields, with poverty and destitution all around them, and sometimes thankful for "Johnny-cake and string-beans."

Bro. Smith—you and the printers may be tired of this hasty penciling, and some of your readers may be displeased with such plain talk; but we are fully aroused to existing wrongs, and have just begun to free our mind. We shall give all a chance on this tour to hand in means for missionaries to enter new fields. We hope they will be ready. J. W.

Topsham, Me.