p. 19 | Sowing Beside All Waters by E. M. Graham

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 7, 1914

Sowing Beside All Waters

By E. M. Graham

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Eccl. 11:6.

Periodicals may be used in as many ways as tracts. A supply of them should be kept in the home, that they may be given to the tradesmen who call, and to others who visit the home.

They should be distributed in hospitals, poorhouses, benevolent asylums, and other public institutions. The inmates of such places usually have time to read, and are glad to receive our papers. Many of them are longing for something different from what they have, and are ready to be helped.

Prisons should be regularly supplied with our periodicals as far as is allowed. Prisoners have souls to be saved, and many have found the Lord in prison who never sought him outside of it.

In all these places the foreigners should be remembered. Periodicals in all the leading languages may be obtained from the tract society offices. Many of these people are very grateful for any thoughtful attention that is paid to their needs, and this prepares their hearts to receive the truth.

When traveling by train or by boat, periodicals may be carried to hand to fellow travelers. People read much on the trains, and are usually glad to accept papers, especially if attention is called to some interesting article in them. Papers thus given will often open the way for a personal talk on the articles in them, and on other points of truth.

Reading racks should be put in places of public resort, such as railroad stations, waiting rooms of various sorts, where permission may be obtained to place them. They should be filled regularly. It is a sad sight to see one of these racks standing empty week after week, missing many opportunities of enlightening souls.

All reading rooms and public libraries that will accept our periodicals should be regularly supplied with copies of all of them. In some towns there are libraries and reading rooms for foreigners. Care should be taken to supply these with periodicals in the languages represented in them.

Periodicals may be handed out anywhere where the public is. A few may be laid on the seats in public parks; they may be left on the seats of street cars, or handed to the people in them. They may be left in restaurants and cafés, on the counters of stores, in the rest rooms in the large general stores, and many other places.

Remember it is the wide sowing of good seed that prepares the way for a bountiful harvest.

E. M. GRAHAM.