The Scattered Flock by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 14, 1863

The Scattered Flock.

By Editor

THE Scriptures represent the people of God as being scattered when the great Shepherd comes to gather them to himself. It is not God's plan that they should colonize, and hide their light under a bushel; but it is evidently his will that they should be scattered, that they may better be the light of the world, as a city upon a hill. It is regarded as desirable by many Sabbath-keepers to be with those of like faith. Some move at a sacrifice of property in order to be in the midst of a church. This may be best in some instances, while in many it may be a sad mistake. It is best for us to be where the Lord would have us. Should we locate in certain localities, and settle our preachers over a few large congregations of Sabbath-keepers thus gathered together, we should as a people utterly fail to do what the Lord designs to accomplish by us.

Our preachers must constantly enter new fields, and leave believers well organized to form characters as Bible Christians without being held up from week to week by the labors of our ministers. If their numbers be very small, it will be better for them to learn to maintain the worship of God, and stand up alone in the world, as far as ministerial help is concerned, as lambs among wolves, than to move to some locality where they can lean upon some experienced church. Those who do not learn to stand up, and bear their own weight as true Christians, generally sicken and die. There are many who enjoy the benefits of a good church who fail to bear their share of the burdens of the way, and do not properly prize the blessings that surround them. These would make better Christians alone where they would have to work or give up. Where they are, unless they reform, they are sure to give up in the end, and we think their danger of this would not be increased by being alone.

We are indeed a scattered people, and it is as God would have it, that we may better be light-bearers in the midst of the moral darkness of this world. Quite a definite idea is given of the scattered flock in the fact that seven hundred copies of the Review are sent alone to as many different post-offices. And then very many of these silent messengers go out in twos and threes, and so on up to larger packages, to as many more post-offices from Maine to California.

And the Review is the only weekly preaching that these scattered ones enjoy. We pause and reflect upon the vast mission of this sheet, and the importance of the work in which it is engaged. Let contributors, and those who should contribute something toward making up the weekly amount of spiritual food for the scattered flock, also reflect. They have a duty to do. God requires it at their hands. The Review should be like a well-furnished table. It should go out to its scattered readers laden with a choice variety of spiritual food. It should contain sound doctrine, rich experiences, stirring exhortations, and words of comfort to the sad and desponding. The hundreds of lonely ones of the scattered flock must be fed. Each number of the Review should contain short sermons, and the experiences and exhortations in the letter department from scores of warm hearts must constitute a weekly conference-meeting for these isolated ones.

The Review is not what it should be. May God help the Editor to better perform his duty. And may the blessing of Heaven rest upon all who take up their pens to contribute to its columns. Our preachers should write more. When they come in possession of rich thoughts they should put them on paper, and send them to the Review, and not let them fade on their hands. Do they enjoy freedom in preaching, praying, or in meditation upon the glories of the coming kingdom? Does the light of Heaven shine upon their path? Do they see souls coming to Christ? Do they at such times triumph in the mighty God of Jacob? Then let them take up the pen, and, under the full glow of this inspiration, write burning words of holy experience to cheer on the scattered flock.

And, besides our ministers, there are hundreds who can contribute to the intellectual and spiritual interests of the Review. We do not ask any one to copy old articles, or to try to get up a cold, stiff article, made up of old, worn-out, common phrases. These will fill up our paper, tire the reader, and benefit no one. We want some of your thoughts, simply, yet carefully expressed, from your heart and mind, imbued with the Spirit of God. Write freely and frankly, much as you would address a familiar friend. The Review must be rich in Bible doctrine and experience. And may God bless all the means employed to lead on the scattered flock.