"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.
Youth is here represented by the "morning," old age by the "evening," showing the necessity there is for all, young and old, to be at work. Each has his place to fill, his work to do, and as we are living in the closing days of the gospel dispensation, how necessary it is that all should be at work "while it is day," remembering that "the night cometh, when no man can work." John 9 : 4. Jesus is soon coming; probation will soon close; the world must be warned; the time to sow is almost past. Oh! where are the sowers? Where are those that have been sowing? "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9 : 62. Where are those that want to work, and no one has hired them? "Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give you." Matt. 24 : 7. Jesus is talking; do you believe him? Will you work for Jesus? He will see that you are paid.
"For we are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." 1 Cor. 3 : 9. "Husbandry," the business of cultivating the earth. Paul here gives us an illustration that all may understand. We all know how the farmer goes to work to raise a crop. He plows the ground, harrows it until all the clods are thoroughly pulverized, sows the seed and covers it so that the fowls will not pick it up, and leaves it to grow. But all this labor would be in vain if God did not give the increase. "Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye in their place? For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him." Isa. 28 : 24-26.
God works by means, and when he has a work to do on the earth among men, he raises up a people to do it; and if they fail he will raise up others to take their places and their crowns. The time for the third message arrived; the Seventh-day Adventists were raised up, and are now carrying the message to the world. The day of its proclamation is far spent, and we know it is to go with a "loud voice."
Now for the work. A husbandman does not sow his seed before the ground is plowed, and if it is cloddy after he has broken it up, he will harrow and roll it, until he gets it thoroughly pulverized and level; then he will sow the seed. The seed to be sown is all ready, in the shape of tracts, pamphlets, books, and papers. The man that sows no grain in seed-time cannot expect to reap in the time of harvest. If he does not prepare his ground, he cannot expect to reap much but weeds; there may be a few sickly stalks, but very little grain. So if we want a plentiful harvest, we must first prepare the ground for the seed. Do this by gentleness. If the man with whom you are conversing breaks up rough and cloddy, smooth him down with love and kindness; get all the anger out of him, and then before leaving hand him a tract on the subject you have had under discussion. Pursue this course in the fear of the Lord, being very careful not to offend, so as to choke the seed already sown, and persevere until you have his mind well seeded with the truths of the message. Then the living preacher can water the seed, and God will give the increase. But we must first have our own hearts broken up and brought into subjection to God's will, getting self entirely out of the way.
"Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labors." 1 Cor. 3 : 8. The devil will be at work, picking up all the seed he can before it gets rooted; and you will see some that will not understand. Others will receive the truth with gladness, but in a short time they will give up and go back to the world; while others will bring forth fruit, some sixty, some an hundred fold. Matt. 13 : 18-23.
"Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters." Isa. 32 : 20. "They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Ps. 126 : 5, 6. Who will sow the seed? —Eld. J. N. Ayers.
North Pacific Camp-Meeting.
By Charles L. Boyd
It is time to be thinking about this meeting. Preparations should be made at an early date as something unforeseen may hinder us in making our arrangements. At the last camp meeting the Conference instructed the committee to find a suitable place as near Portland as possible. A good location has been found, and one which will be unusually convenient to reach from both East and West Portland; and we think this place can be obtained for our use. When this is determined, more will be said about the matter.
Hundreds of persons have been interested in the truth through the SIGNS, and other missionary work, in and about Portland during the past year. A good camp-meeting will be just the place for these to receive further light, and also to bring hundreds more under the influence of this last message of warning. Brethren and sisters, this is not the time to ease up on our oars. The current is too strong. Where we have reached a few in the past, we want to reach thousands in the living present. Do you ask, "What can I do for this meeting more than to attend it myself?" Get as many of your neighbors and your missionary subjects to attend as possible. Pray to God until, like Jacob, you prevail upon the angels of Heaven to come to our encampment.
Parents, bring your unconverted children. Do not leave them at home. God's arm is not shortened, and we want to see if unitedly we cannot prevail on him to open Heaven's windows to pour us out a blessing, and we want many here to receive it. CHAS. L. BOYD, For N. P. Conference Com.
Nebraska.
By A. J. Cudney
We are now preparing to hold a large camp-meeting in southeastern Nebraska, in the latter part of May or first part of June, 1884. We invite all to work and pray for the meeting. We want a large attendance, not only of our own people, but thousands of those not of our faith. Important matters pertaining to all branches of our work must be considered at this meeting. Exact place and date will be given in due time. A. J. CUDNEY.
Women's Rights.
By Charles L. Boyd
DEAR SIGNS: As the question of women's rights is receiving so general attention, a word on one branch of this question may be of interest to some of your readers. The Saviour recognized woman's right to help support the cause of God, and to pour upon her Lord the precious ointment. It was woman's right to be the recipient of the last expressions of the care of Him whose words she had kept, and pondered in her noble heart; to be the first to receive words from a risen Saviour, and the first to embrace an ascended Redeemer.
Although not personally with us now, this same Jesus has said that when he returns, "The King shall say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me." The following quotations from a letter recently received, may be taken as an index to the manner in which some of our missionaries are exercising their rights as women. The writer first speaks of visiting a sick sister living several miles distant, and, because the river was frozen over, she had to walk both ways. I take the liberty to quote as follows:—
"On my way back I called on Sister —. She had not seen a woman's face since she saw mine last, which must be four or five weeks ago. I went through the subject of the sealing with her. She seemed so thankful. She has been quite sick, and so have some of her children. We had a good season of prayer, and she seemed much encouraged. . . . I have received a letter to-day from Mr. —, of —. He says he commenced to keep the Sabbath the 2d of this month [February]. I am so glad. Says by God's grace he hopes to be faithful. God is blessing our efforts. He is one of the first I sent the SIGNS to after coming here. He has been reading about two years. Others may commence keeping the Sabbath yet. They move more slowly when they come out by reading. . . . What an important time we are living in! we must be faithful."
"I went and called on Mrs. —, and had a good visit for an hour and a half. She urged me to stay longer. I am much more hopeful of her. The Lord seems to be working on her mind. I think she will do good. She has a Bible-reading appointed for next Friday evening, to examine the Sabbath question with a number of her friends. She has got some of our tracts to help her. She is a nice woman."
It is one of woman's rights for our sisters to engage in faithful missionary work, and, amidst the fast-increasing perils by which we are surrounded, to unite with the sons of Adam in undoing, as far as possible, the evil brought upon the race by the united action of our first parents. And in view of the promised reward, this right becomes a joyful privilege.
CHAS. L. BOYD.
West Chehalem, Or., Feb. 21, 1884.
CAMP-MEETING COMMITTEE.
By Editor
THE following named brethren are requested to act as a Camp-meeting Committee for the N. P. Conference the present season: Henry Atkins, John C. Hall, J. Kingsbury, J. E. Wilson, John Burden.
A REQUEST.
WILL those men who are willing to spend a few days in preparing the grounds for this important camp-meeting, please notify Eld. Chas. L. Boyd, East Portland, Or., Box 18. Provision will be made for the board of those who labor on the ground. N. P. CONF. COM.
Jessie's Good Day.
By Mrs. McConaughy
"I don't think it has been a 'good day' at all, Jessie Emery," said Cousin Pansy.
"The sunshine has melted the snow, so we can have no fun on our sleds, and the streets are so bad mamma will not let us go out. The snow is so deep it will be wet and muddy for a week, most likely; and here we are all shut up in the house. I think it is just miserable."
Pansy had not been a bit of a "heart ease" to anybody that day.
"The day has not been long enough for me," said Jessie, brightly, as she threaded a needle to take a few more swift stitches before the light quite faded.
"I can't see what you have done so pleasant?"
"In the first place, I assorted a pile of papers papa gave me to do with just as I pleased. I laid aside those I wished to send away, in a pile by themselves, and then cut wrappers for them and sealed them up. I directed all the parcels, and weighed each on papa's postage scales. Then I put stamps on each, as papa told me I might draw on his desk for all the postage I needed for such a good work."
"I saw you fussing with those old papers, and I was 'most sorry I let you teaze away two of my nice magazines to put with them."173"Oh, you wouldn't be, Pansy, if you could see the poor little fellow they went to. He has not walked for seven years, and is always in pain; sometimes very great. He is ten years old, and can read. The magazines will be such a feast to him. Now, I know you are glad I sent them."
"You must have had a dozen of those packages, Jessie. It would take a lot of money."
"No; I only had nine. I did wish I had a dozen. But then, it makes me happy to think of giving so much pleasure to nine people, for all of these are people who have but few papers. Likely the whole family will read them. Now I think, Pansy, it was a very good morning's work."
"What did you do with the others? I saw you put on your rubbers, and run out somewhere with as big a parcel as a newsboy."
"Those left over ones I assorted again, and took a large bundle across to Becky Maurice. She always wants a large paper to cut a pattern for somebody. She is so obliging; and she likes to keep her shelves as tidy as a pin. She puts on clean papers twice a week, if she can get them. You should have seen how pleased she was with that bundle. She will read them all first, she says."
"Well, I must say it has been 'paper day' with you. What were you doing so long upstairs when I wished you to play a game with me?"
"Just fixing up the closet for mother, putting new papers on the shelves, and arranging boxes. Miss Becky's fine order made me feel a little ashamed."
"Well, I think you have had a happy day of it, just mousing about among old rubbish the whole time. Reading this story book in this easy chair has been too much for me. Most of the time I looked out of the window at the miserable streets, and the miserable people wading through them."
"You may not believe it, Pansy, but the very surest way of being happy yourself is to do something for some one else. It makes you happy at the time, and when you think of it afterward. Now, if you really think it over, I believe you feel better pleased about those two magazines than about anything else you have done to day. Just try my way to-morrow, and see if it does not work well."
"I don't see what I could do."
"Only make your mind up in earnest and you will find ways enough. The trouble will more likely be you'll not know which to do first. It often puzzles me."
It was likely that Jessie saw more than Pansy about some things, because she had learned to see. There is a great difference in people about this, yet any child with a heart for the work can begin to learn right away the blessedness of doing good to others.—Mrs. McConaughy.
Keeping Promises.
"Henry," said Mrs. Allen, as she tied down the cover of his little basket, "here is your dinner, and I want you to do two or three errands for me to-day."
"Yes, ma'am, I will," said Henry, tying on his tippet.
"I want you to go over to Mrs. Mason's this noon, and give her this note which came in my letter yesterday. It is important that she should have it as soon as possible."
"Yes," said Henry; "and, Carrie, you be sure and feed the hens this noon."
"Yes, indeed," said Carrie; "I should think I might remember it by this time."
"Then," continued his mother, "after school is done, you may go into the store and buy a spool of cotton, No. 40, and a pound of tea. We're all out of tea. What number of cotton did I say?"
"No. 40, mother; I'll remember everything if you won't make me say it over so many times."
"And when you are there," said Aunt Mary, "will you do an errand for me? I have written it on a slip of paper, and put it in the purse."
"Yes, ma'am. Oh, mother, can you mend my mittens to-day? They've got great holes in them."
"Great holes! your new mittens?"
"Well, one of them has, at any rate. I guess it's got cut or something," said the little boy, producing a mitten with a large cut across the palm.
"How was this done?" inquired his mother.
"I don't know, without I did it chopping sticks this morning. I found it down amongst the wood, any way."
"Leave them for me to mend," said Aunt Mary. "Your mother has enough to do."
"Can I leave my geography for somebody to cover?" asked Henry.
"Yes," said his mother, "I'll do that. Now run away to school, and come home promptly when it is done."
"Yes;" and away he sped.
"Can one of these boys take a package to Mr. Sawyer's for me?" asked the teacher, at noon.
"I will; I will," answered several. "I will go, sir," said little Henry, pressing forward, and reaching out a hand.
"Thank you," said his teacher; and he gave it to him.
And so it fell out that Henry forgot to go to Mrs. Mason's.
And when school was dismissed he stopped to snow-ball a few minutes, till a neighbor, passing by, drew up his horse, and offered him a ride. Such an offer was not to be refused, and Henry tumbled into the sleigh, quite out of breath, quite unmindful also of his errands at the store. But suddenly, when they were about half-way home, he bethought himself.
"That is too bad!" he exclaimed. "Mother wanted me to get something at the store."
"We'll go back, if you say so," said the man, looking behind him; "but I guess your mother won't mind waiting till morning, will she?"
"No, I guess not," said Henry, ashamed to make any trouble, unwilling also to take any.
"Well, Henry," said his mother, as he came in, "what did Mrs. Mason say?"
"Mrs. Mason! I declare, mother, I never thought of it till this minute! The reason was—oh, the reason was, I had to go on an errand for the teacher, this noon."
"Had to?"
"Why, yes; he asked who would go, and I said I would."
"Didn't any others offer?"
"Yes; but I didn't think as there was anything else to do."
"Didn't think! Oh, Henry, I am very sorry. Did you think to buy us any tea?"
"Why, no, mother; the way of it was, Mr. Hardy came along just as I was going home, and asked me to ride with him, and I jumped right in, and never thought a word about the tea, till we were half way home; and then I didn't want to make him turn round and go back."
"Well, I don't care so much about the tea, because I have found a little in the blue canister, but I should think you might have remembered to go over to Mrs. Mason's. Poor woman! I know she can't sleep nights, she's so anxious. And I suppose plenty of the boys would have been glad to do the errand you did. There's Aunt Mary's errand too, that's forgotten, of course, and here she's been at work half the afternoon over your mittens."
"Thank you, auntie. How nice they look!"
"And I," continued his mother, "have been sewing for you all day, and you come home at night without doing one of the things I spoke about this morning."
"Mother," he answered petulantly, "you have so many errands, I can't remember them all. I never go out of the house but you want something."
"That sounds well," said his mother, severely, "very well, for a little boy that has so much done for him as you have. You deserve to be sent back now, only you wouldn't have time to do your work."
"Carrie, did you feed the hens, as you said you would?" asked Henry, willing to change the subject.
"Yes," said Carrie, "I fed them."
"Wasn't it nice," she said, after he left the room,—"Wasn't it nice that he didn't say this noon? I don't suppose it made much difference to the hens, whether they had their dinner then, or at three o'clock, do you, Aunt Mary?"
"Not so much difference to the hens, as it does to Carrie, whether she keeps her word or not."
"Well, you see, auntie, I forgot."
"Ought you to forget a promise?"
"Why, I can't help it. Mother forgets sometimes. She hasn't covered Henry's geography, as she said she would."
"Hasn't she?" said Aunt Mary. "Well, I will do it now, so that it may be ready for him when he comes in."
"Where have you been, Aunt Mary?" asked Henry, when he came in to his supper.
"Over to Mrs. Mason's, and then to the office."
"Oh, it's too bad for you to take that long walk for me! But you needn't have gone to the office. I'll carry all your letters, auntie."
"No," said auntie, smiling, "I can't let you make any more promises till you keep some of those you have made."
Henry was silent, but after supper, when he sought his aunt's room for some help in his studies, he said to her,—
"I'm real sorry I forgot those needles. Did you want them to-night very much?"
"No; but I want Henry to fulfill his promises."
"Here is the money," said he, opening the purse.
"No; keep it, and remember to-morrow."
"Aunt Mary," he continued, after a pause, "I've got a very poor memory."
"Have you forgotten what I promised you for Saturday?"
"No; I think of it every little while. I kept thinking of it in school last week, and to-day I thought of it too."
"Do you remember any plan for Wednesday?"
"Yes; I'm going to grandpa's in the afternoon, if the sleighing is good."
"And Thursday?"
"Thursday,—no; there isn't anything going on Thursday,—is there?"
"Only you promised to carry some eggs to Mr. Parker."
"There! I never should have thought of it."
"A very poor memory it is, Henry, if it always remembers for itself, and not for others. I am afraid it is a selfish memory."
"How can I help it?"
"When you love others as much as yourself, it will not be so hard. But in the meantime, when you have forgotten a promise, keep it as soon as you remember it, unless it would be wrong to do so. Now, to-night, when you first thought of your mother's errand, you should have gone back to the store."
"Then I should have lost my ride."
"Yes; but it does not hurt a boy so much to lose a ride as to lose his character for faithfulness."
"But mother didn't care much about the tea, she said."
"That made no difference. You had promised, and you did not know it. And then," she continued, "do not be in haste to promise. I should not dare to make half the promises you do."
"But you always keep yours. I mean to try your way, Aunt Mary."
"Do," said she. "It costs something, but it is worth all it costs."—Sel.
The Home Circle.
By Mrs. Norton
THE CARELESS WORD.
A WORD is ringing through my brain—
It was not meant to give me pain;
It had no tone to bid it stay,
When other things had passed away;
It had no meaning more than all
Which in an idle hour do fall;
It was, when first the sound I heard,
A lightly uttered, careless word.
It was the first, the only one
Of those which lips forever gone
Breathed in their love—which had for me
Rebuke of harshness at my glee;
And if those lips were here to say,
"Beloved, let it pass away,"
Ah! then, perchance—but I have heard
The last dear tone—the careless word.
Oh, ye who, meeting, sigh to part,
Whose words are treasures to some heart,
Deal gently, ere the dark days come,
When earth hath but for one a home;
Lest, musing o'er the past, like me,
They feel their hearts wrung bitterly,
And, heeding not what else they heard,
Dwell weeping on a careless word.
—Mrs. Norton.
Lincoln's Advice.—Good for All.
THE following letter was written many years ago by Abraham Lincoln to his half-brother. It is worthy the careful attention of all young men, and in fact of all:—
DEAR JOHNSTON: Your request for $80 I do not think it best to comply with just now. At the various times that I have helped you a little you have said to me, "We can get along very well, now," but in a short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now, this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What the defect is I think I know. You are not lazy, and still you are an idler. I doubt whether, since I saw you, you have done a good whole day's work in any one day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it. This habit of uselessly wasting your time is the whole difficulty, and it is vastly important to you, and still more to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it easier than they can get out after they are in.
You are now in need of some ready money, and what I propose is that you shall go to work, "tooth and nail," for somebody who will give you money for it. Let father and your boys have charge of things at home—prepare for a crop and make the crop—and you go to work for the best money wages, or in discharge of any debt you owe that you can get. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor I now promise you that every dollar you will, between now and the 1st of May, get for your labor, either in money or on your own indebtedness, I will give you one other dollar. By this, if you hire yourself at $10 a month, from me you will get $10 more, making $20 a month for your work. In this I do not mean that you shall go off to St. Louis, or to the lead mines, or to the gold mines in California, but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to home—in Coles County. Now, if you do this you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your place in Heaven for $70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven very cheap, for I am sure you can, with the offer I made you, get the $70 or $80 with four or five months' work. You say if I will furnish you the money you will deed me the land, and, if you don't pay the money back, you will deliver possession. Nonsense! If you cannot now live with land, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice you will find it worth more than eighty times $80 to you. Affectionately, your brother,
A. LINCOLN.
EXPERIENCE AND VIEWS.
By MRS. E. G. WHITE.
THIS volume contains the earliest writings of Mrs. White, first printed in 1851. It contains an account of her early religious experience, and a brief account of the wonderful dealings of God with her. Apart from its intrinsic value, it will be of interest as showing the harmony between the earliest writings of the Seventh-day Adventists and those published at a later date. Its publication is very timely. In paper covers, with Supplement, 25 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
THE HOME OF THE SAVED.
By John Norton Loughborough
By Eld. J. N. Loughborough.
Gives the Bible evidence upon the interesting topic of the earth made new, as the inheritance of the saints. 82 pp. Price, 10 cents. Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
Interesting Facts.
GLASS windows were used for lights in 1180.
Chimneys first put up to houses in 1236.
Tallow candles for lights, 1290.
Spectacles invented by an Italian in 1240.
Paper made from linen, 1302.
Woolen cloth made in England, 1341.
Art of printing from movable type, 1440.
Watches first made in Germany, 1447.
Telescopes invented by Porta and Janson, 1590.
Tea first brought from China to Europe in 1501.
Circulation of blood discovered by Hervey in 1610.
Newspaper first established in 1629.
Pendulum clocks first invented in 1639.
Barometer invented by Torricelli in 1535.
Steam engine invented in 1649.
Bread made with yeast in 1650.
Cotton planted in the United States in 1759.
Fire engine invented in 1685.
Telegraph invented by Morse in 1832.
In Praise of Old Maids
A SENSIBLE writer expresses his opinion of old maids in the following manner: "I am inclined to think that many of the satirical aspersions cast upon old maids tell more to their credit than is generally imagined. Is a young woman remarkably neat in the person, she will certainly be an old maid. Is she perfectly reserved toward the other sex, she has all the squeamishness of an old maid. Is she frugal in her expenses and exact in her domestic concerns, she is cut out for an old maid. If she is kindly humane to the animals about her, nothing can save her from the appellation of an old maid. In short, I have always found that neatness, modesty, economy and humanity are the never-failing characteristics of that terrible creature."
SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL.
By Mrs. E. G. White.
In this book the history of Paul's life, from the time when he "made havoc" of the church until he was "offered up" as its chief representative, is traced in a clear and connected manner.
Paul's allusions to himself in his epistles are connected with the record in the book of Acts in such a manner as to throw great light both on the epistles and the "Acts."
But that which gives the book even greater value than its historical accuracy, is the lessons that are drawn from Paul's words, and the hardships which he endured, and their practical application to our own times.
This is a marked feature of this work, and the instruction given in this way cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. 234 pp. Neatly bound in cloth, 80 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.; Or, REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich.
THE COMING CONFLICT.
By William Henry Littlejohn
OR
THE GREAT ISSUE NOW PENDING IN THIS COUNTRY.
BY ELD. W. H. LITTLEJOHN.
This book contains a complete history of the rise and progress of the National Reform Party, together with an exegesis of the last portion of the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, assigning to the United States its proper place in prophecy.
EMPHATICALLY A BOOK FOR THE TIMES.
434 pages, in muslin covers, and will be mailed to any address, post-paid, for $1.00.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE FORETOLD.
By Uriah Smith
THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.
By Eld. U. Smith.
This is a full exposition of a portion of prophecy which applies to our own Government, showing the position the United States holds in prophecy, and the part it has to act in the closing scenes of time.
THE SUNDAY MOVEMENT,
Which is now attracting such general attention, is thoroughly canvassed, and abundant testimony is given to prove that it is fast coming to be the ALL-IMPORTANT QUESTION in this country. Dealing with our own land and applying to our own time. Of surpassing interest to every American reader. New edition; revised and enlarged. Cloth, 225 pp., 75cts. Paper covers, new edition, condensed, 186 pp., 25cts.