p. 157 | DISTRIBUTING TRACTS by C. P. Haskell

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, March 4, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 10

DISTRIBUTING TRACTS.

By C. P. Haskell

BY C. P. HASKELL.

By request, I write a few words upon this subject, drawn from my own experience in the missionary field.

I find that those who have been most judicious, and whose labors have been attended with the greatest results, are those who have become somewhat interested in the wants and objections of the person they are visiting, and who then simply supply those wants, by giving out reading matter right to the point, instead of burdening the person with a great pile of tracts, enough to discourage even one who was interested. This, I say, is sometimes the case; but I think this course should be avoided for various reasons. In the first place, in nine cases out of ten the person will say, “I haven't time to read all this, I don't believe it any way.” And he lays it all aside, never reading any of it; when if he had had simply one or two tracts on some particular subject on which they had conversed, he would have paid more attention to them.

As an illustration, suppose I converse with a person on the Sabbath question. Finding him interested sufficiently to investigate, I give him a tract treating on the perpetuity of the law, and the obligation of the fourth commandment. Of course I do not know fully what his objections are; but if I think them to be concerning “lost time,” then I give him one on this subject, calculating just to meet his present objection; and in this way go on from point to point until he has no objections left. Just so with any other point of our faith.

Some are desirous of sending in a good report, which is commendable; but not for that alone should reading matter be loaned (the most desirable way of distributing tracts), but to bring the light of “present truth” before those who are unacquainted with it, that they may escape the things coming upon the earth.

I do not wish to discourage any in this work, but simply to suggest, being desirous of seeing the greatest amount of fruit from the seed sown. “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.” The fields are already ripe for the harvest, therefore work while the day lasts; for “the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Furnas Co., Neb.