THE following letter from Brother Washington Morse, of Ontario, is so full of courage and good suggestions that it will be interesting to all. It was addressed to the Watchman. In connection with this letter, Brother Morse sent his second order for three hundred copies of the special Watchman entitled, “The End of the World in this Generation.”
He says, “I think I can sell thousands of these papers. Never before under the proclamation of the third angel’s message have I witnessed the special blessing of God in my soul, and his power manifested upon the people, as in selling these papers. It seems like the summer of 1844 when we were giving the midnight cry. I feel some of that sweet, melting, subduing spirit that characterized the first angel’s message.
“We have reached the time when the angel of Rev. 18:1 has come down with great power to give power to the third angel’s message as did the midnight cry to the first message. I wish to say to my brethren and sisters everywhere, if you want to feel some of the power of this message in your soul, take the printed page and go to work to help spread these glorious truths. Search and find out what is taught in what you are selling. Christ said many times, ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ Shall we let them hear? O, my dear brother, now is the time to work for the perishing multitudes! soon our probation will end.”
The special Watchman is stirring up interest in the closing message, and doing much toward hastening the triumph of this cause. If you are interested in this work, write to the Southern Publishing Association, Twenty-fourth Ave., N., Nashville, Tenn., for papers or for further information.
Brethren in the Ministry
By C. H. Bates
I wish to say a few words to my brethren in the ministry in regard to the special Signs of the Times, beginning May 1. I shall first give a little of my own personal experience with the Signs during the past nine years. In 1898, in connection with my other duties, I began spending a little time in taking subscriptions for the Signs of the Times, and I found it one of the best means that we have for getting into the homes and making appointments for Bible studies. I have spent an hour or two in this way as I could spare the time, and have taken not far from six hundred subscriptions, all for six months or one year, and while thus engaged have made all my appointments for Bible readings, by the means of which many have accepted the truth.
Now what I wish to say is this: The circulation of the Signs should be at least ten times what it is at present, and17could be if each one of us would buckle on the armor and push with all our might for the next six months or one year.
First, let us take as many subscriptions as possible in the community where we live. Second, let us interest our young people in the sale of the paper; many of them with a little encouragement could take a club of twenty-five or fifty. Third, let us encourage the church with which we are connected to take as large a club as possible, to be placed in reading-racks, in hospitals and other public places. On account of the special six months' series beginning May 1, we should begin the work without delay.
C. H. BATES.
Tobago, West Indies
By T. L. M. SPENCER
FEBRUARY 5 I returned home from the union conference at Jamaica. I found my family well, and the believers of good courage in the work. The next Sabbath I visited the company at Glamorgan, thirteen miles distant, on the eastern side of the island. The membership of the Sabbath-school is increasing, and there are many interested ones in that district. During my absence the oldest Sabbath-keeper there died.
On the morning of February 14 I left home for Roseborough, eighteen miles away. When I had gone about thirteen miles on the journey, it began to rain. I stopped at the home of a friend, where I dried my clothes, and resumed my journey at 1 P. M. In the evening I held a meeting. The large congregation listened attentively while I spoke on the signs of Christ’s second coming. At the conclusion of the service I was able to sell several copies of the Caribbean Watchman. I intend to start a special effort here soon. The next morning I started for Scarborough on my circuitous journey over hills and across rivers on horseback, reaching home very weary.
On Sabbath, the twenty-third of February, quarterly meeting was held at Scarborough. The attendance was good, and we enjoyed a time of great refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Four persons went forward in the ordinance of baptism, and eight were added to the church.
There are calls from many parts of the island for the teaching of the truth, and I am kept very busy giving Bible studies and visiting. The Family Bible Teacher is distributed in many districts. It requires great perseverance and patience to labor here, for the people are wedded to the traditions of their fathers. But thank God, the light of present truth is breaking upon many hearts. We need a church building, and do hope this necessity will soon be met. We require some outside aid, as the people are poor and unable to do much.
T. L. M. SPENCER.
Report of the Work Among the Jews
By Frederick C. Gilbert
We are glad to state that since our last report to the Review concerning the work among the Jews, the blessing of the Lord has been attending us, and we have had many things to encourage us, despite the many difficulties and perplexities. We have wished a great many times that our dear people could spend a few days among these people in practical Christian work. Then they could better understand why the work is so difficult, and why there are so many things about it that are of such a discouraging nature.
To the Jew everything that is not Jewish or Mohammedan is Christian. All drunkards, gamblers, profane people, and all who claim in any way to believe the Bible are Christians. The reason for this is apparent, when we remember that during the last eighteen hundred years all the sorrows, persecutions, and miseries that have come to the Jews in their wanderings have been done in the name of Christ and Christianity.
Many of the persecutions in Russia are planned by the priests of the church, and ofttimes the mobs are led by the priest holding a crucifix in his hand. When the Jews are massacred, these mobs chant some kind of hymn, giving thanks to God that more of these wicked people who crucified the Saviour are put out of the world.
A short time ago while calling at the home of a Jewish family, the woman of the house told me that the Jews ought not to believe in a God. I asked her how she could make such a statement. She said, “You would, too, if you could have seen what I have. I have seen them take women and men and children, and hurl them to the ground from three and four stories high. Then the mobs would exult that God got such a victory.”
When our workers go to the homes of the people to visit them and to help them, nearly always they are shy of the workers. “What do you want?” is one of the first questions they ask. When the worker says he has come to help them, and to do them good, they can scarcely believe it, and it takes a long while to convince many of them that we are really trying to help them. Often when they have received benefit, they will inquire, “What are you? What do you believe?” When they are told that we are Christians, they can scarcely believe it. Ofttimes they will say, “You are no kind of Christian. That is not the way the Christians do in Russia.”
But despite all the bitter opposition and the many perplexities, we can see the wall of prejudice breaking down. We can see that many of the Jews who have been so bitter in the past are feeling more friendly toward us, and many are coming to believe that we really are their friends.
There have been quite a number who have come to us and confessed that they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. There are many who today in their hearts believe the truth, but the next thing is for them to take their stand. It is so hard! A number have come to me and said, “What an awful thing it is to think of the terrible persecution one must encounter to believe in Jesus!” They feel it is so hard to be ostracized, persecuted, cast out, and lose position and friends to be a follower of the meek and lowly Nazarene. But we tell them that is the only way the Lord has of giving us eternal life, and we must be willing to take the stand and obey.
We are finding many open doors among them in the different branches of the work, and the influence of the work is being felt at quite a distance. Some time ago we went a number of miles to give out literature in a Jewish colony. While engaged in conversation with some young men, a man across the street wanted to know what was going on. The person to whom I was speaking replied, “It is some of the people from Staniford Street Mission.” The other day while riding on the train, I was in conversation with two Jews. One of them I had met a number of times, but the other I had never seen before. Finally he wanted to know what I was doing, and I replied that I was connected with the mission in Boston. He asked, “The one on Staniford Street?” I said, “Yes. Do you know anything about it?” He replied, “O, yes!”
We have felt much burdened for the work, and it has been a great problem to know what to do in order to reach them with the gospel. Some will come to the mission, but not many. Sometimes the same ones will continue to come for a while, and then are not seen there again for a long time. We have been circulating a great deal of literature among them, and have tried many ways to bring the truth to their attention.
We felt that we ought to do all we could, so we undertook to have outdoor meetings, and to enter into the very strongholds of Judaism, right into the heart of the ghettos. It seemed like a dangerous proposition, but we felt that we must take the gospel to them. We have had a number of such meetings, and as a result hundreds of Jews have heard the truth. The accompanying illustrations will give the reader some idea of an outdoor meeting, but one needs to see it in order to appreciate what it means. Sometimes they begin to yell, and keep it up for five minutes. They will mob the speaker, and once or twice the writer has had narrow escapes, but thank the Lord, the angels of God have preserved us thus far.
We feel that these people have long been neglected, and they have erroneous views of the gospel. They must be enlightened; they must know the Lord Jesus. So by the grace of God we are endeavoring to carry it to them, and we feel sure every reader will want to do his part in carrying it to the Jews also. You, my brother and my sister, owe it to the Jew to give him the truth. Through him to you has come everything you have of this precious message, including the Saviour himself. You are a debtor; you ought to give him, then, that which he once had, but now has lost, and which is so precious to you. In the next article we will tell you how you can do this in your vicinity. There are Jews everywhere, and they all must hear this truth.
We shall be glad to send a sample copy of the paper that is being published in the interests of this work among the Jews to any one who desires it. The price of the paper is only twenty-five cents a year. We hope you will all pray for this work, that the Lord may give us grace and strength to do his will, and that we may see many of these people in the kingdom at last.
F. C. GILBERT.
107 Staniford St., Boston, Mass.
A STREET MEETING IN THE JEWISH SECTION OF BOSTON
Hayti
By Henry Williams
CAPE HAYTIEN.—I am certain that the brethren and sisters will be glad to learn that Brother E. Fawer, the French worker whom the European-French field so kindly and quickly supplied, arrived February 4. I introduced him to the principal officers of the customs, and they expressed much satisfaction to know that he had come to labor as a missionary in this country.
Brother M. N. Isaac returned last evening, after having spent sixteen days at Port au Prince, on his return from Jamaica. On his way to the West Indian Union Conference, he also stopped some days at Jérémie and Cayes. In the three18towns he preached the truth. This resulted in their praying him to return and continue the good work. At Jérémie, in a published complimentary letter, Brother Isaac was asked if his denomination would not station him there. It will be noticed that the name “Seventh-day Adventist” in Hayti is no longer something of a local nature. The term is gaining widespread familiarity in the republic. And now the manifest conviction among Haytians is that there is some permanency in the organization and its work. HENRY WILLIAMS.
A Church Elders’ Convention
By Arthur G. Daniells
A FEW weeks ago I saw an announcement of a church elders’ convention to be held in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. A church elders’ convention! I had attended educational conventions for teachers, medical conventions for doctors and nurses, Sabbath-school conventions for Sabbath-school workers, etc., but had never been to a convention for church elders. The suggestion was a happy one to me, and I sought and obtained from Elder Fitzgerald, president of the conference, an invitation to attend the convention.
We met at the Northumberland church, February 28, and remained together three days. The elders of all the churches in the conference except five were present. We had a good time together studying the problems with which church elders have to deal. Although we were in meeting nearly all the time, we found that the time was altogether too limited for the large, interesting, and exceedingly profitable work before us. This made it necessary to give some of the subjects only a brief and hasty study. The ground covered was about as follows: Gospel Order and Organization, including the church and the conference and all their departments; Duties of Church Officers, including clerks and treasurers; Duties of Members to the Church and Its Officers; How to Conduct Church Ordinances; How to Co-operate with the Conference in the General Work; How to Help the Young People of the Church.
The most of these questions were of profound interest to these church elders. They had never before had the privilege of meeting together for the sole purpose of studying them and exchanging the experiences they had had in dealing with them. All things considered, I do not know that I have attended a more important and helpful convention. And as I saw how eager these men were to get the information they needed to discharge properly their sacred responsibilities, and how clear-headed and practical they were in their reasoning, I became fully convinced that church elders’ conventions ought to be held in all our conferences. It must be confessed that we have neglected our church officers. We have held conventions for the benefit of ministers, Bible workers, canvassers, teachers, Sabbath-school workers, etc., but what have we done for our church elders, deacons, clerks, and treasurers? These persons are bearing the most sacred and important responsibilities in our cause to-day. Their work is constant, and often very perplexing. Many times they are obliged to deal with the most delicate and far-reaching problems. They certainly need the best work preparation for their work that can be given them.
I appeal to all our conferences in behalf of our church officers. Will it not be possible to arrange for a series of helpful church officers’ meetings in connection with the camp-meetings the coming summer? And where this is not done, should not conventions for these officers be held early next winter? Brethren, think of this. Remember that the strength and efficiency of your church officers will mark the real strength of your conference.
The church elders’ convention of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference was a good and profitable meeting, which I would like to see repeated in all our conferences. A. G. DANIELLS.
North Brazil Mission
By F. W. Spies
On Sabbath, December 29,—the last Sabbath in the old year,—a number of brethren from the Rio de Janeiro church crossed the bay to Nichteroy. After uniting with the brethren of Nichteroy in a baptismal sermon, all repaired to the beach of Icaraby, in order to bury two dear souls with their Lord beneath the blue waves of the Atlantic. There being no convenient place within reach for the candidates to change their clothing, a small tent had been pitched for the purpose.
We have for some time been holding meetings in Nichteroy. At first the attendance was fair; but as the testing truth was presented which compelled people to decide either for or against it, we were made sad by seeing many turn their backs upon it, and, as in the Saviour’s day, walk no more with us. Some of the seed also seemed to have fallen on stony ground; for a few who were moved to begin the observance of the Sabbath, later on ceased its observance. We still hope that some of these may yet decide to walk in the light they have received. Two other souls have requested baptism in Nichteroy, and will probably soon be baptized, while some others are keeping the Sabbath.
Catholics who once get interested in the Bible, and are unprejudiced, see the claims of the fourth commandment more easily than many Protestants.
January 5—the first Sabbath of the new year—we celebrated the ordinances of the Lord’s house, in the Rio de Janeiro church, on which occasion those baptized, and also another sister from Nichteroy, who had formerly been a Baptist, were taken into the church. There are some in Rio also who are expecting to be baptized soon.
The meeting at the time of the ordinances was a blessed season, and the Lord revealed to some, during our study of the Scriptures, that we should not judge our brethren, but strive for unity, and, instead of criticizing, do all in our power to bring the light to others. This Sabbath was a season of blessing, and the second one—our missionary Sabbath—likewise.
We here pass through about the same experiences as all others in other parts of the world. Satan tempts and tries to weaken the Lord’s people; but the Lord, by his Spirit, gives the victory to all who earnestly seek for it. We can say the work is onward. Calls are coming for the living preacher from a number of places. But where are the workers to fill them? Until now I have been alone in this vast field. May the Lord send reapers into this harvest.
F. W. SPIES.
Philippine Mission
By J. L. McELHANY
ARCHBISHOP GREGORIO AGLIPAY is the head of the Filipino Independent Catholic Church. This movement came into existence in October of 1902, in the following manner: Aglipay, a Filipino about forty-five years of age, an Ilocano by birth, was educated in a Catholic seminary for the priesthood of that church. He was consecrated priest about 1890. He was above the average in ability, and made rapid advancement. Through some question of irregularity in church order, he fell into disfavor with the church officials, and was excommunicated. This was about the time of the beginning of American occupation. Doubtless the charge against him was unjust, but being a Filipino, he could not secure justice from his friar superiors. For a time he was vicar-general of the insurrection government under Aguinaldo, but in 1899 he took the oath of allegiance.
In August of 1901, in a private interview with several Protestant workers, he sought to enlist their co-operation in a movement against the Church of Rome and in the setting up of an independent church in the Philippines. In October of 1902 he called together some of his followers and adopted a constitution for his movement, and was at this time elected “archbishop.” The next Sunday he celebrated mass in Tondo, Manila, in the street before thousands of people. This was a crisis to a priest-ridden, friar-dominated people. Aglipay’s followers multiplied with leaps and bounds.
While Pastor E. H. Gates was visiting us a short time ago, we visited the “archbishop,” and were very kindly and courteously received. He impressed us as being frank, and free from cant and priestly bigotry. He told us something of what he had accomplished. He encourages his people to read the Bible, and has distributed over two hundred thousand Scripture portions among them.
We told him who and what we were, and gave him a number of Spanish tracts and papers (he does not speak English), which he seemed glad to receive. We also promised to present him19with some of our Spanish books when we receive a supply. Last week I called upon him again and placed in his hands the books, “Patriarchs and Prophets” and “Christ Our Saviour.” On the occasion of our first visit, he stated that he desired to study the teachings of other churches; therefore he seemed really glad to receive these books. He asked me if I had any more copies of our Spanish paper. I had two copies in my pocket that I intended to give him, and as I handed them to him, he said he liked the paper very much. I have ordered the paper sent to him for a year, so he will have the monthly visits of this messenger of truth.
Last evening he called on us, and we spent a pleasant hour together. Our conversation turned to the subject of true knowledge and God’s great lesson book in nature. At this point I showed him “Christ’s Object Lessons.” He expressed the deepest interest in the book, and eagerly inquired if we had a copy in Spanish. I was sorry to say, No, to which he replied, “Que lastima!” (What a pity). He then asked if he might take the book anyway, for he thought that with the aid of his secretary and a dictionary he would be able to translate some of it. He was also very glad to receive a Spanish “Steps to Christ.”
What a blessing to the third angel’s message our literature is! It multiplies our points of contact a thousandfold. Brethren, we ask you to pray for the work in this dark field, with its eight million people. Pray that the seed sown with this man may not be lost. He has a great influence and a large following. The needs of this field are many. We want to be continually baptized with the Holy Spirit for service. We need consecrated workers to help reach these millions. We need English and Spanish literature. We need your prayers and sympathetic interest.
J. L. McELHANY.
Alabama and Its Needs
By Day Conklin
WHAT is needed in the State of Alabama is a number of Seventh-day Adventist families filled with a love of the truth, true as the needle to the pole, to settle in different parts of the State as self-supporting missionaries, living out the truth before the people, holding Bible readings, and doing various kinds of missionary work, visiting the sick, etc. There is a good opportunity here now to secure cheap homes. Land is cheap, and is good at the price; there is a plenty of good soft water, timber, and fruit; and there is no healthier place in the world than right here in the vicinity of Borden Springs and Oaklevel—no malaria nor mosquitoes.
The writer would like to correspond with any Seventh-day Adventist desiring to come to Alabama to live the message and work for its advancement. Address me at Borden Springs, Ala., R. F. D. 1.
DAY CONKLIN.
Report of Work and Wanderings
By Stephen N. Haskell
The past sixteen months my wife and I have been laboring in California. We conducted a Bible training-school in San Bernardino for five months, during which time we also held a series of tent-meetings. In August we went to Oakland and held daily Bible studies in connection with the tent-meeting following the camp-meeting. Although these Bible classes were held at eight o’clock each morning, and some of the interested ones lived at a distance from the camp, yet the brethren and sisters attended regularly, and many began distributing literature in the city.
About the middle of October we closed our Bible school in Oakland, and opened one in the Laguna Street church in San Francisco. The brethren and sisters took hold in earnest, and the Lord witnessed to the work by giving them a desire to labor for souls.
After the conference held at San Jose, we again returned to Oakland and conducted a Bible school in a house owned by the Oakland church, holding three Bible classes daily. We never had a more interesting class; it was composed of the working element of the Oakland church. While working in Oakland and San Francisco, we spent a few Sabbaths and Sundays with some of the churches in the neighboring towns.
From August to March, while laboring in Oakland and San Francisco, the Lord helped us to distribute considerable literature through the work of the brethren and sisters attending our Bible classes. Twenty-two hundred copies of “Seer of Patmos,” two hundred and fifty of “Story of Daniel,” eleven thousand of the special Bible Training-School, and about three hundred small books were sold by those attending our Bible classes, and by the churches we visited. We felt very thankful for so large a distribution of literature in these large cities, and trust the faithful ones who helped to scatter it broadcast will see fruit from this labor in the kingdom.
Our Bible school in Oakland closed the twelfth of March, and we started for the East the next day. On our way through southern California, we spent three days at the San Fernando Academy. It was our first visit to this school, and we were much pleased with the missionary spirit manifested by both teachers and students. There was an air of simplicity about the school and its management that corresponds with the message we have to give to the world. So much formality and worldliness has crept into many of our churches connected with our institutions that it seems like old times to meet with a congregation once more that kneels with the minister when he bows in prayer at the desk.
There is a fine class of young people at San Fernando, and the faculty are striving to train them to be workers in the cause of God. I should judge there are about sixty who expect to go forth as canvassers the coming summer.
The day before we arrived was “field day,” and a large number of the students had gone out into the neighboring country and cities to canvass for books, having been in training several weeks. They were divided into four companies, working for four different books, and were a happy company of young people the next morning. During chapel exercises, Professor Lucas and Brother Horsman called for reports, and all the forenoon was spent in an old-fashioned missionary meeting, relating how the Lord had gone out before them and prospered them in their work. With many, it was the first attempt at canvassing. The value of the combined orders for the four books was over two hundred dollars for the day’s work. The faculty are hoping that a large corps of canvassers will go out from this school the coming summer.
There was one interesting feature brought out by the success of the work on “field day.” The division that sold more books than the three others put together was the class that had not been trained so much upon the theory of canvassing as upon the Scripture truths dwelt upon in the book they were selling. They had had Bible studies every day for more than two months in that portion of the Bible which was treated on in the book. When they went out, their minds were filled with the truths of the Bible, and their hearts with an earnest desire that others should know what God had said. This gave a power to their canvassing work that no amount of drill in theory of canvassing alone could give. We are convinced that if all our canvassers were educated in this manner, a far larger harvest of souls would follow their work.
We are in the loud cry of the message, and for years we have looked forward to this time as being the time when publications containing the truth would fall like the leaves of autumn, and our publishing houses would have their time all occupied, running night and day, in publishing the truth. This time will surely come. Our publishing houses will be taxed to their utmost in furnishing publications on present truth. But it never will be until our people, rank and file, rise up to scatter these publications, and place them in the hands of others. Thousands of people will be engaged in visiting from house to house, both in the city and in the country, as Bible workers, canvassers, and colporteurs, when ministers are not allowed to preach as they now are; and among the people of God on earth, as among the angels of heaven, there will be a hurrying to and fro to scatter the rays of light in every dark corner of the earth.
From San Fernando we came to Loma Linda, “Hill Beautiful,” and remained over the Sabbath. The sanitarium seemed in a prosperous condition; they have just completed their new bathrooms, which add greatly to the efficiency of the institution. From the sanitarium and school, workers are going out into the adjoining cities, giving health lectures, and conducting cooking schools in the homes of the people. They are well received, and find many open doors, and the workers have been invited to speak on health in the public schools.
We have certainly reached the time when all we have to do in any direction is to put forth the effort, in harmony with God’s plan, and God and holy angels come to our help.
S. N. HASKELL.
West Africa
By D. C. Babcock
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE.—The meetings in the tent have now been in progress three weeks. At no time have the congregations been less than six hundred.
Sunday night, January 27, the Sabbath was presented to fully fifteen hundred people. It was well received. It is difficult at this writing to tell what will be the results of the effort. There are four or five who have expressed themselves freely, saying that they expect to keep the Sabbath. In our Sabbath meeting there were very earnest testimonies borne in favor of God's holy day.
Among those who spoke was a sergeant in the army. His testimony was a touching one. At our meeting last night he came to me, and asked that our earnest petitions be presented before God in his behalf, that the Lord will especially work upon the heart of the commanding officer to release him from duty on God's day. He expects to present his case before the commander today. There are several interesting cases, and we are earnestly seeking God that wisdom may be granted that no mistakes be made.
Already opposition is manifest. United evangelistic services were announced, in which all denominations except Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists were to take part. Large posters were put up all over the city. They failed to decrease our congregation in the least. Every night during20their effort the tent was crowded to its utmost, and there were hundreds outside.
There is work for six persons, and only Mrs. Babcock and myself to carry it on. We earnestly appeal to our Mission Board to turn the tide of workers, for a short time at least, toward West Africa. We can not bear up long under the present pressure. There is a call for our literature. Brother Randall, who recently accepted the Sabbath, is doing well selling our publications. Another brother, who has been a shopkeeper, has closed his shop, and this morning started out with books to sell.
D. C. BABCOCK.
“Ministry of Healing”
By E. R. Palmer
IN response to many requests and suggestions from the field, the officers of the Relief Bureau have conferred with the officers of the General Conference and have secured more favorable terms for the handling of “Ministry of Healing.” The revised plan, which went into effect April 1, 1907, is as follows:—
1. “Ministry of Healing” will in future be furnished by publishing houses and their branches to the State tract societies at 55 cents a copy, freight prepaid.
2. Publishing houses will collect this selling price from State tract societies according to their established arrangement on other accounts.
3. Tract societies will furnish these books to the people at $1.50 a copy, postpaid, and will collect for the same according to their usual custom, or as may be satisfactorily arranged in their territory.
4. State tract societies will receive five cents a copy for handling the business, and will turn over ninety cents a copy for sanitarium work, either to the union conference treasury, the State conference treasury, or direct to the sanitarium being benefited, according to the arrangements and wishes of the union conference.
5. State tract societies will prepay postage on such books as must be sent by post, and will charge this expense up to the “Ministry of Healing” fund already mentioned, of which they are custodians.
6. Wherever it seems desirable to either the union conference or State conference officers having any enterprise in charge to have the books handled in any given territory by the sanitarium receiving the benefits from sales in that territory, the publishing houses will furnish “Ministry of Healing” directly to the sanitariums in such cases at fifty-five cents a copy, and the sanitarium will distribute the books and handle its own expenses and funds.
7. Any conference, tract society, or sanitarium having a section of this relief work in charge can obtain “Ministry of Healing” from the publishing houses at fifty cents a copy by ordering five hundred copies in one shipment, paying two hundred and fifty dollars, cash with the order, for the same.
The above plan will not affect any features of the work with the “Ministry of Healing” not mentioned among these items. The division of territory will remain the same. The same institutions will be benefited by the sale of the books, the union conferences will still have charge of the work and decide how the funds shall be appropriated and handled within its territory. It has been our object in making this arrangement to simplify the work and make it a greater source of revenue for the sanitariums.
We trust that our union and State conference presidents and sanitarium managers will take up the work upon this new basis with renewed interest and make it a gratifying success.
E. R. PALMER,
Sec. Relief Bureau.
Badge for “Signs” Workers
By C. H. Jones
In response to the earnest requests from some of our agents, we have prepared a neat little silk badge to be worn by those engaged in selling the Signs of the Times on the street or from house to house.
This badge serves a double purpose—first, as an introduction to the people, and second, showing that the person wearing it is authorized by the publishers to take subscriptions.
These badges will be furnished free to all taking a club of fifty or more copies weekly, and can be had for the asking.
Some of our agents are taking as many as three hundred copies of the Signs weekly, and report excellent success in selling them. Some sell them on the street and from house to house, while others have regular customers to whom they deliver the papers weekly. The secretary of one of our conferences writes as follows:—
“At a recent meeting of the conference committee it was voted to employ several persons in the paper work, the conference furnishing as many as three hundred to each individual a week. We hope this will create an interest and a desire on the part of many individuals to become permanent workers, and also that it may be the means of bringing the light of present truth to the hearts of many who are in darkness. The times are intensely interesting from the standpoint of the message which the Signs bears, and we certainly have but little time left to finish the gospel work and prepare for the coming of the Lord. We desire to unite with you in every line of work that will be to the advancement of the message.”
Other conferences are employing agents in the same way, and we hope to see a large number engaged in this good work before the close of the year. Now is a favorable time to begin, as on May 1 the first number of the Gospel Series of twenty-six special numbers will appear, and there will be something intensely interesting in each issue.
All persons who are taking fifty copies or more of the Signs of the Times weekly are requested to notify the publishers if they desire one of the badges already referred to. Address Signs of the Times, Mountain View, Cal.
