We often read in the REVIEW appeals like the following: “Brethren, pray for us;” “Pray for the good work in this place;” “Brethren and sisters, we need your prayers.” Now we believe these dear servants of God mean just what they say. They know that without God’s help they can accomplish nothing; and they have faith to believe that the prayers of God’s people will avail much in their behalf; therefore they are not ashamed to ask for them. They are greatly rejoiced and strengthened when they feel that earnest prayer is being offered for them. Let us, then, be alive to this duty and sacred privilege.
Many can be workers, but few can be preachers. All are not eloquent; all are not gifted. Some have no means at their control; many of us can do little else than pray. Then let us pray that the preacher may be so filled with the spirit of the message, and declare with such force and power the solemn truths committed to him, that his words may pierce like a sword, and the truth burn its way to the heart, convincing and converting those who will give heed.
Perhaps the preacher takes the desk, worn and weary; he feels that many eyes are upon him, that many will listen with eagerness for the words he shall speak. A silent prayer ascends to God for help at that hour. He begins almost with a sigh; but his strength revives, words flow freely, the power of God rests upon him; and now at the close that vast audience seems chained, hearts are stirred to their depths. There is something in that sermon back of the speaker. He is conscious of it too. The prayer of faith has availed in his behalf. It may be from the many, or it may be from the quiet listener in the corner, who never forgets to pray for the minister.
Said a dear sister whose work on earth has long since closed, “I can never look upon one of God’s chosen ones standing before the people to dispense the bread of life without breathing an earnest prayer in his behalf.” Dear brethren and sisters, we all know how precious the thought that One is interceding in Heaven for us; let us then ever remember to intercede with Christ in behalf of the messengers; and may God raise up many others who shall go forth well able to proclaim the last message of mercy. M. E. McKee.
THE OLD MAN IN THE STYLISH CHURCH.
By J. H. Yates
WELL, wife, I’ve been to church to-day—been to a stylish one,—
And seein’ you can’t go from home, I’ll tell you what was done;
You would have been surprised to see what I saw there to-day;
The sisters were fixed up so fine they hardly bowed to pray.
I had on these coarse clothes of mine—not much the worse for wear—
But, then, they knew I wasn’t one they call a millionaire;
So they led the old man to a seat away back by the door;
’Twas bookless and uncushioned, a reserved seat for the poor.
Pretty soon, in came a stranger with gold ring and clothing fine;
They led him to a cushioned seat far in advance of mine;
I thought that wasn’t exactly right to seat him up so near,
When he was young, and I was old, and very hard to hear.
But, then, there’s no accountin’ for what some people do;
The finest clothing now-a-days, oft gets the finest pew;
But when we reach the blessed home, all undefiled by sin,
We’ll see wealth beggin’ at the gate while poverty goes in.
I couldn’t hear the sermon, I sat so far away,
So, through the hours of service, I could only “watch and pray;”
Watch the doin’s of the Christians sitting near me, ’round about;
Pray that God would make them pure within as they were pure without.
I doubt not there were wealthy sires in that religious fold.
Who went up from their dwellings like the Pharisee of old;
Then returned home from their worship with a head uplifted high,
To spurn the hungry from their door with naught to satisfy.
Out, out! with such professions; they are doin’ more to-day
To stop the weary sinner from the gospel’s shinin’ way
Than all the books of infidels, than all that has been tried
Since Christ was born in Bethlehem—since Christ was crucified.
How simple are the works of God, and yet how very grand—
The shells in ocean caverns—the flowers on the land—
He gilds the clouds of evenin’ with the gold-light from His throne,
Not for the rich man only; not for the poor alone.
Then why should man look down on man, because of lack of gold?
Why seat him in the poorest pew because his clothes are old?
A heart with noble motives—a heart that God has blest—
May be beatin’ Heaven’s music ’neath that faded coat and vest.
I’m old—I may be childish—but I love simplicity;
I love to see it shinin’ in a Christian’s piety;
Jesus told us in His sermons, in Judea’s mountains wild,
He that wants to go to Heaven must be like a little child.
Our heads are growin’ gray, dear wife—our hearts are beatin’ slow—
In a little while the Master will call for us to go;
When we reach the pearly gateways, and look in with joyful eyes,
We’ll see no stylish worship in the temple of the skies.
—J. H. Yates.
QUARTERLY MEETINGS IN KANSAS.
By J. Lamont
On the separation of our State from Missouri, the policy of supplying ministerial help at the quarterly meetings of each church in the State was adopted, and has been carried out with good results. Yet a great deal more may be accomplished if the churches will do their part of the work. This has been abundantly proven, some churches having taken right hold of the work, while others have not done so. The different results show what and where the lack is. 1. Attendance. 2. Disposition to work when there.
Instead of trying to manufacture excuses for not being present at the first part of the meeting, the last or some other part of it, our brethren would be more profitably employed in earnestly laboring to overcome such real hindrances as may exist. Interested outsiders, seeing so little interest manifested in the truth by its own adherents, easily lose the interest they had in the matter.
As to the disposition to work during the meeting, S. D. Adventists should never attend such a meeting simply to be preached to; but having first invited all their friends and neighbors to attend the meeting, they should work earnestly for their conversion to God and his truth. Talk to and with them. If it is a better way, urge them to walk in it. They expect this from you. When the sermon has brought some precious souls very near the kingdom of God, must they wait and stay out, like the poor impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, having no one to help them in? “A word spoken in due season, how good is it!” yet so often withheld!
Brethren, put away this foolish, and almost wicked, timidity. Let each one determine to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Soldiers are not afraid, at least they ought not to be so. J. LAMONT.
Osage City, Dec. 12.
OUR DAILY BUTTER.
We remember a little boy, and a bright, pleasant lad he was, who, when his mother wished him to pray for his “daily bread,” declined on the plea, that “he was sure to get that anyhow, but he would pray for his daily butter.” And so he did, and got it too; and years after, we saw him. Whether he had prayed all this time for his daily butter we do not know, but he looked as if he had lived on nothing else; fat, fat, covered him up and weighed him down; the eyes, once bright and intelligent, were almost hidden by rolls of fat. All his aspirations for the future, all his desires for improvement, were quite greased out of existence. We see a great many not satisfied with daily bread, but grasping and straining for luxuries; they want fine houses and clothes, equipages and dainty food. And striving for these things, they forget that the most lasting good is not the most palpable to the sense. They lose the joy over noble acts, the exalted pleasure of generous sentiments, and the keen delight of elevated thought. We always felt sorry for the man who ate a dish of violets with cream! He must have been a greasy soul! Yet we pity him; for he was trying to enjoy what other people enjoyed, through the only avenue of pleasure still open to him. Let us be content, then, that our daily butter is spread thin over the dry bread of life, and never strive to make our daily butter our only diet.—Christian at Work.
The Annual Cost of Strong Drink
SEVEN hundred and fifteen millions of dollars are annually spent in the United States in strong drink. This is only the count in money. Who can make the estimate of the loss of manhood and virtue, of saddened homes and degraded lives? It robs the family of its brightest sons; it degrades the occupants of our most coveted positions; it steals some of the most promising members from our churches, and drags even from the pulpit some of the most eloquent preachers. It is found in alliance with almost every other vice; and wherever it obtains a foothold, it is the forerunner of every sort of degradation.
On the Limits of Human Understanding
He that believes only what he can understand has a very short creed.
ARE WE SERVANTS?
“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness.” Matt. 25:30. This was the command concerning that slothful servant who did not improve the talent his Lord gave him. A very significant point in the rendering of that decision is that it was based entirely upon the testimony of the offender himself. In our courts of justice, it is generally necessary to bring witnesses to prove the charges brought against the individual. Sometimes, however, a person, in trying to tell a story that will hide his fault and screen himself from punishment, will so overdo it, or state something so absurd, or so contradict himself, that his own evidence is sufficient to condemn him.
So it was with the wicked servant. Said he, “Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, . . . and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth.” And his Lord said unto him, “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: wherefore, then, gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have received mine own with usury?” Luke 19:22. “Thou oughtest therefore [because thou knewest that I was a hard man] to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” Matt. 25:27.
This servant is called a slothful servant. He was lazy, indolent, idle. He did not appreciate the kindness of his lord in thus giving him something to improve. So sleepy and inactive was he that he did not heed his lord’s command, “Occupy till I come,” but paid so little attention to it that he finally forgot all about it. The thought, that his Lord would one day call upon him for a settlement, came to him so lightly at last as to give him no particular uneasiness, and he settled down at ease, and his talent lay unimproved—buried.
Now don’t you see that, if he had realized that his lord was an austere man, requiring every cent that honestly belonged to him, if he had really thought that his lord was a sharper, he would have been diligent in the use of that talent, that “pound,” so that he might have a reasonable sum to pay his lord for the use of it on his return? Of course he would.
Well, his lord comes. He is called. Now he realizes his situation, and for the first time for a long period, he is awake. He knows he is wrong, and he gets up that excuse; and his reason is of all reasons the one which, had it existed, would have prompted him to use that talent. His lord sees his quibbling, and sees that he has given a false reason, to hide the true one,—slothfulness. An excuse to harmonize with his actions would have been like this: Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a real easy, good fellow, and I knew thou wouldst not care, seeing that my talent was but small; so I didn’t trouble myself about it. So he was judged by his own words.
Reader, what talent has your Lord given you? Perhaps it is to preach. Do not bury it. Cultivate it, expand it. Perhaps it is to write good books, or good articles for the paper. If so, do not neglect any means that are at your command to fit you to write well. It may be you have a talent for conversing. Let your conversation be in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour. See Phil. 3:20. Let it be as becometh the gospel of Christ. Phil. 1:27. So order it that you may be a good missionary everywhere and every day.
Have you a talent for making money? God gave you that talent, and he will require of you the right use of it. He did not give it to you that you might surround yourself with needless things, with luxuries and extravagancies. He has a cause which he commands you to sustain. He has commanded no man to go into the world to preach His gospel without support. While one has a talent to preach, and another to accumulate property, both are commanded to improve their talents; and when the one preaches, he makes the other his debtor, and it becomes his duty to minister unto the wants of the preacher out of his purse and out of his store-house. “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” Rom. 15:26, 27.
These poor saints who had been ministering spiritual things, were those who were scattered abroad at the time of a great persecution (Acts 8:1), and who all went out preaching (Acts 11:19), perhaps as our missionaries go out, only they had no tracts. At first they preached to the Jews only, but afterwards to the Gentiles, as is seen by Acts 11:20 and Rom. 15:26, 27; and Paul says the Gentiles were pleased to give of their means to them, and also that the Gentiles were their debtors, and that it was their duty to minister to those preachers of their carnal things.
God has given you the light of present truth, and he not only wants it to save you, but he has commanded you to pass it along. “Ye are the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” That is what your Saviour says. How are you going to let your light shine? You can’t preach, you are no writer, you are not apt in conversation. Should you try either one of these, you would not succeed in shedding much light. But you can make money. God has placed much property in your hands. The light that you have may all be printed, and what is wanted is the money to do it and to send the precious sheets out into the world, where many a soul groping in the darkness may be made glad as he hails the dawning of a ray of light thus borne to him.
Much of the light of present truth must be carried abroad in this way. Here is where your talent may be improved; and when the Lord’s means thus intrusted, or lent, to you are used for the advancement of his cause, when he thus receives his “own with usury,” he will increase your possessions (Matt. 25:23); when the tithes are all brought into the store-house he will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, so great that there shall not be room to receive it. Mal. 3:10.
Many have talents in several directions; and while the talent for making money may be most prominent in an individual, he may, while improving that, improve all his other talents. Let him cast a good influence by his daily life and honesty. Let him speak to his neighbor. Let him write to his friend. Let him hold up every light he has.
All of us can be missionaries in some way. If you have not the time nor talent to scatter tracts and secure a larger circulation of those periodicals that are laden with words of light, give of your means for some one else to do it. “See that no man take thy crown.” Just now is an especially favorable time for work in this direction.
The Lord is soon coming to reckon with his servants. Let us awake before he comes. If we hide our talent, be it ever so small, the Lord will take no excuse. “Cast him out into outer darkness” will be the dread sentence.
But if we improve our talent, if we return unto the Lord the increase of his gifts to us, how joyfully shall we hear the approving voice of Jesus when he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant, . . . I will make thee ruler over many things”! Have we been a faithful ruler over a few acres with a nice cottage here? A possession upon the new earth with a mansion in the New Jerusalem shall be ours. How glad we shall be that we have transferred our possessions, that we have laid up our treasures in Heaven! Come, let’s be faithful servants.
THE GREAT CYCLONE IN BENGAL.
By Uriah Smith
“If the disasters which have overtaken the unfortunate inhabitants of Bengal, India, had occurred in ancient times, we should now possess traditions of punishments inflicted by an offended deity, beside which the legends of the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Egyptian plagues, would be altogether inconsiderable. The population of the province is now as numerous as that of the United States. Through the failure of the rice crop in 1868, owing to protracted droughts, a famine occurred which killed off the people by the hundred thousand, and the deaths would undoubtedly have reached millions had not the British government exerted itself to send immense quantities of food among the starving cultivators of the land. Now comes one of the most terrible hurricanes ever experienced in that land of typhoons and fierce storms; and official reports tell us that over 25,000 people have fallen victims to the three great storm waves which have submerged the country for over 3,000 square miles.”
“The cyclone which occurred on October 31 last, arose in the Bay of Bengal, and took a northward course, wrecking several large vessels which lay in its track. It just missed Calcutta, but struck Chittagong, which lies in the most northeasterly corner of the bay, stranding every vessel in the harbor and nearly destroying the town. Meanwhile the storm waves submerged the great islands of Hattiah, Sundeep, and Dakkin, lying in one of the mouths of the Ganges, covered several smaller islands, and then flowed over the land for five or six miles toward the interior.”
“It appears that the immense waves were projected with astonishing velocity. Up to 11 o’clock on the night of October 31, Calcutta dispatches reporting the storm said that no especial danger was anticipated, but before midnight the waters had overrun the land to the depth of twenty feet.”
“An examination of the map shows that the islands mentioned are situated near an estuary of the River Megna, and they owe their origin to the deposition of soil washed down by the Ganges. They constitute part of the Sunderbunds, as the low, marshy land thus produced is called from its being covered with the ‘sunder’ tree; and the district is not only the hottest, but probably the most unhealthy, portion of British India. Malaria reigns everywhere, and the forests and jungles abound with tigers and other ferocious beasts. The English government for some time past has labored to reclaim the islands, and has offered strong inducements to settlers to cultivate the ground, which is rich and extremely fertile. These efforts have resulted in the clearing of a large portion of the territory, and the raising thereon of valuable crops of cotton, rice, sugar cane, mulberry trees for silkworm food, and timber; while the population of Dakkin, the largest island, of about 800 miles in extent, has increased to 240,000, and that of Hattiah and Sundeep together numbers some 100,000 inhabitants.”
“Of course the devastation in this district has been complete. The country is dead flat; and the people, when the wave burst upon them, had no place of safety but in the tree tops. And there such as were able found their way, sharing their refuges with the wild beasts, birds, and serpents. Houses by the thousand were utterly swept out of existence, and the only relics of human habitations afterwards found, were cast up on the Chittagong shore, ten miles distant.”
“The Calcutta Government Gazette says that ‘wherever the storm wave passed, it is believed that not a third of the population survived. The islands have barely one-fourth of their former inhabitants.’ All the cattle were destroyed, and the stench of the decomposing remains has already generated an outbreak of cholera which it is feared, will prove general. The British government is taking steps to relieve the distress which prevails.”
Any one who can read the foregoing account of one of the most marvelous disturbances ever exhibited in nature, and not be reminded of the Saviour’s words in Luke 21:25, shows that he has either never read the prophecy, or that he is unable to mark the signs of the times. “The sea and the waves roaring,” was to be one of the marked features of the last days; and if three great storm waves, submerging 3,000 square miles of land, and destroying 250,000 lives, does not furnish at least one item of the fulfillment, then what terrible visitation would be needed to meet the prophecy? To the honest seeker for truth the evidence is clear enough that nature is beginning to exhibit in a marked degree, those preliminary convulsions, which indicate the near approach of the final catastrophe. U. S.
WHAT CAN I DO?
By S. N. Haskell
After calling the attention of the people to the relation we individually sustain to the cause of God, the question is often asked, “What can I do? I am willing to do anything to advance present truth, providing I know what to do, and how to do it.”
The most useful persons in society and in the church are those that can adapt themselves to the necessities of those around them. There are many who might be of great help to the cause of truth were it not for certain traits of character which are non-conformable to circumstances, to others, and to the work itself. Like Ephraim, they “mix themselves among the people,” but are a cake unturned. They are good Christians if circumstances never change, and the cause can be molded after their peculiar ideas. Yet these persons can be overcomers, providing those possessing such traits would study the nature of the work, and adapt themselves to it.
Our churches everywhere greatly need help, and especially is it so here in Michigan, and unless this help can be furnished, there are hundreds who will sooner or later give up the Sabbath. In most of our churches, there are individuals who feel the importance of this, and the necessity that something should be done. Would such unite their influence, and do what they could, they would in a short time greatly improve the condition of things. I find scores in our churches who do not take one of our periodicals. They have no faith in the health reform, do not believe at all in spiritual gifts, can see no possible reason why the SIGNS OF THE TIMES should be published; and some who take the REVIEW AND HERALD would not want the REFORMER any way.
Now I have nothing to say about the neglect of the minister who brought these people out, and left them without their realizing the importance of these things, and securing their subscription for these periodicals, which, no doubt, is the first cause of this state of things; but I wish to speak a word to those connected with these churches, who realize the importance of these truths and the necessity of taking our periodicals.
Here is a field in your own church where missionary work can be done among its members. Visit each other, not to discourse the nonsense of the day, but to talk over the truths relating to the present time, their progress, their reaching other nations, the signs of the times, etc., etc. Always pray together before separating. Take with you the REVIEW, the SIGNS, the REFORMER, and if the family has children, the INSTRUCTOR. Read some interesting article. Speak of the benefit of the health reform, and thus get them interested and perhaps obtain their subscription for these periodicals. Do not give it up if you do not accomplish at once all that you wish. Keep at the work until every family in the church is a subscriber for each of these periodicals. Now who will take hold of this work? We appeal to our brethren and sisters in every church who may read these lines. It is for you to know who in your church takes these periodicals and who does not. You should labor in this respect as one who must give an account of himself and the use made of his talents at the bar of God. “We are our brother’s keeper,” and are not to suffer sin upon him. If you see him neglect that which would prove his salvation, and thus go down to ruin, without putting forth an effort to save him, the blood of his soul will be found in the skirts of your garments in the end. Sisters can do much in this direction.
Again, are there not members of your church, who have moved away to a distance, and whose names are upon your church book? Do you know anything about them spiritually? whether they are backsliding from God or not? Are you sending tracts for them to give to others? Are you trying to interest them in obtaining subscribers for our periodicals? No live member in any church should rest until there is a living connection with every member of the body. And that church which is most scattered can be the most useful if its members are alive. Now, my brother or my sister, do not say, “I cannot do anything,” but try in the fear of God to do something. Do you say that you have no influence? If so, what is the reason? Have you grieved others with unguarded words and imprudent acts? If this is the case, consult Matt. 25:22-25, and heed the instruction there given.
There is another wide field for missionary labor for those who cannot leave their homes to canvas for our periodicals, and who would reach out for those outside of our faith. First, subscribe for several copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES for general missionary labor. Read, and loan to your neighbors. Secondly, do up copies of them with a few tracts and send to old acquaintances. Yes, even go further, procure names from others, and send copies of the SIGNS and REFORMER, always writing a line, calling their attention to what you have sent, stating that if they are interested you will send them more. Here is a field where those who are mostly confined to their homes can labor. It will be far more interesting if a few faithful souls can enter this work jointly in a church, and meet together once a week in a missionary meeting, read the letters received, and consult together, always having a season of prayer for divine guidance in your efforts. I do not mention these methods of labor as an untried experiment.
One of our eastern churches was organized about twelve years since. It was composed of ten members, five brethren and their wives. Two sisters talked over the necessity of spending a season of prayer each Wednesday afternoon for God’s blessing to rest on the church. Sister No. 1 had a team. She would ride to the house of sister No. 2, and they would take the third, then would ride to the house where the other two lived. Thus they met week after week, month after month, year after year. Finally, they connected with their prayers a system of corresponding with those who might be laboring under trial of mind and those who were becoming interested in the third angel’s message.197Soon their correspondence extended all over the country. Then came the gathering of names of individuals, and sending tracts and periodicals to them everywhere.
The result has been: 1. A sacred bond of union exists among its members, although scattered from Maine to Minnesota. 2. A working church. Their average weekly attendance has never on Wednesdays been over six, and those are sisters; yet they make use of thirty copies of the SIGNS weekly, and fifteen copies of the REFORMER monthly; and our periodicals through their influence have reached every civilized nation in the world where the language is spoken. 3. They write and receive hundreds of letters quarterly. 4. It was a commencement of what resulted in the N. E. Tract Society. 5. There are Sabbath-keepers in Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and different portions of this country, that are known to be the direct result of this labor, besides some companies in this country, who embraced the Sabbath before they ever saw a Seventh-day Adventist minister. 6. God has prospered that church, which commenced with ten members, until now it numbers seventy-five. Most of them are working members. 7. There has been a gradual ingathering of the children, until but a few of them are outside the church. Most of these sisters were and are still quite feeble, and all have families. What has been accomplished in this instance might be accomplished by churches all over our land, where now they continually complain of leanness, doubt, and darkness. Such means as I have above stated will give strength and courage to thousands of hearts, and a permanent growth of grace.
Every old REVIEW, HEALTH REFORMER, and SIGNS OF THE TIMES, might be thus used, until there would be a thousand avenues, where there is one at the present time, by which the truth would find way to others. May the Lord speed the time when it will be thus.
S. N. HASKELL.
TAKE NOTICE.
By S. N. Haskell
TAKE notice of what? The remarks of Eld. James White on last page of REVIEW No. 24, present volume, under the heading, Way of Life.
The officers of the various Tract Societies will take especial notice of this and govern themselves accordingly. There should be canvassers in every district. In a circular to agents, which every director should have, more particulars are given. Every director in a State like Michigan should have not less than fifty copies of Way of Life, with the other premiums offered. Then when any member of the Tract Society takes the Way of Life or other premiums, that church of which the individual is a member is charged according to suggestion in article referred to. The librarian of each church will receive the pay for the subscriber obtained with the premium, and forward the name to the director who will do the business, unless there is a special arrangement made with the individual and director. Every director, district secretary, librarian, and, in fact, every Tract Society officer, should preserve a copy of that notice for reference, that there be no confusion in the work.
In small Conferences like N. E. where the business can be done with the general secretary, it is not so necessary for each director to have such quantities of premiums on hand.
These liberal offers are not made for canvassers to go among our brethren with the REFORMER and SIGNS with the premium, but for our brethren and sisters themselves to take these periodicals and go outside of our people to do this work. Shall we not have at least five thousand of our brethren and sisters that will do something, obtain at least one name for the SIGNS and REFORMER with the premium, and at least five hundred who will go out and devote their time to it.
I have received letters stating that some of our sisters in other Conferences are earning from one dollar to one and a half per day canvassing for the periodicals with the premiums. A nice little sum for these hard times. A short time more, and it may be that political difficulties will abridge our liberties. Who will work while the day lasts, and have it said “she hath done what she could”? S. N. HASKELL.
Our Apportionment.
By A. S. Hutchins
I am not to speak of the apportionment of a quantity of undivided property for the benefit of you and myself, dear brethren and sisters, yet I look forward in sweet anticipation to the time when the saints shall receive a reward according to their deeds.
At the recent general meeting held at Battle Creek, in the discussion of a more general circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and the HEALTH REFORMER, the committee apportioned to our State as you have all seen, as our number of subscribers to obtain for each one of these valuable works, 334.
Now when I consider our financial circumstances, and that our entire church membership falls short of this number, I am confident we must take hold of this work in earnest if we accomplish it. Shall we do it?
In the SIGNS OF THE TIMES of Nov. 30, 1876, Bro. White, in speaking of the circulation of 20,000 copies of that paper in our own country, asks, “Shall we have it?” and then expresses his unshaken confidence in the Tract and Missionary Society, by saying, “This Society will give an affirmative answer in acting their part in this great and good work.” Will the Green Mountain State act her part here?
If so, the question may be asked, What would be a just apportionment for each of our six districts? I should think, after reflection on the matter, that the following figures would indicate something near an equality. Dist. No. 1, 100; No. 2, 80; No. 3, 50; No. 4, 50; No. 5, 32; No. 6, 22.
Now my dear brethren, if we go to work and do the very best we can in this matter and fail to reach our quota, we shall have the consolation that we have done what we could. Every brother and sister should have the reading of the SIGNS and the REFORMER. And we should have a copy of each with us to show our neighbors and friends, and induce them to sign if we can. To new subscribers outside of our faith, the SIGNS is offered for $1.50 per year, and the REFORMER for 75cts. As a brother said about selling Health Almanacs, “We don’t know what can be done in this direction till we try it.”
We could do much more in our Conference if the men who should be in the field as canvassers were there. We have talent in this direction, but it is not brought into use. It is a matter of gratitude that several of our young friends from this State are in our College at Battle Creek, and to learn that more leave us in time to attend the next term. When Willie Wales left last spring for the College we lost a good canvasser. It was a cold, rough day last winter when he found time to drive out some miles to sell almanacs. Returning in five hours he had sold all he had, 47 in number. But his work is done and he rests in hope. May Heaven’s blessing rest upon those soon to leave us.
Other young men should be bending their steps toward Battle Creek to fit themselves for greater usefulness. And everywhere should we wake up, brethren, to the work of the Lord. We have the last message of mercy. “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly.” Awake, O church of God, awake! A. S. HUTCHINS.
WHAT WE WISH TO ACCOMPLISH IN NEW YORK.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
At our meeting in Rome, there were present the State Conference committee, most all our ministers, most of the directors and many of our leading brethren. Here we freely discussed the condition of things in this State and the wants of the cause here. It was decided by all that the most important thing to be done for the present was to accomplish, if possible, a revival of the work among our older brethren in the churches. Hence this will be the work to which we shall bend all our efforts this winter. Bro. Hall, S. B. Whitney, and myself, start in here together for this work.
We design to visit the churches in order, just as rapidly as we can, and still accomplish what is needed. As far as practicable, we shall follow the plan of my labors in Michigan last winter. We have some over thirty churches in New York. We wish to visit all these within the next sixteen weeks. I hope to remain in the State at least as late as the first of May. This will give us about four months labor.
Of course, we can only hold Sabbath meetings with about one-half of our churches, and others must be visited during the week. It is now winter, and a good time for meetings. Work is not pressing, and there is no reason why we cannot have just as large a turnout of brethren and sisters on Tuesday and Wednesday as upon Sabbath and Sunday. This must be done, or as all can see, we cannot visit some of the churches at all. We shall take the most important churches as centers, where we wish to have general gatherings from all around on Sabbath and Sunday. Here a special effort will be made to reach the young, the backslidden, the unconverted, and unbelievers. Hence we urgently request that all the surrounding churches within twenty-five miles of a Sabbath and Sunday meeting, make a special effort to bring all these classes to this meeting. We believe that by the help of God a great work can be done in this State this winter in this direction.
We hope that at different points, important interests will be developed where it will be necessary to carry on a meeting for a couple of weeks or more. If this is the case at any point, either Bro. Whitney or Bro. Hall, or both of them, or some of the other brethren in the State, who will be with us at different points, will take right hold and follow up these interests.
It is now the time of year in which s. s. should be re-organized in all our churches; hence we will give particular attention to this. We request all s. s. treasurers immediately to straighten up their books, collect the back dues and get these things in order. We further request that no church re-organize their s. s. for 1877 till we meet with them. We shall examine the records of every church and ascertain particularly how every member stands and whether the record is kept correctly, so we request the clerks to look over their books and get everything, as far as possible, straightened up beforehand. Absent members should be written to, so that at the time of our meeting we shall know how they stand. We design to celebrate the ordinances in every church. Let the elder, deacon or leader in the church make full preparations for this beforehand. Unorganized bodies will be organized, deacons and elders elected and ordained. This especial work we shall look after particularly, as I understand that it is very much needed in this State. There are scores of scattered believers in the State who have not united with any church. This should not be so. We recommend all these to unite with us somewhere. Every family of Sabbath-keepers should have the REVIEW, the REFORMER and INSTRUCTOR. We shall look after this also. We hope our brethren will lay by $3.50 for that purpose. We shall also have a full supply of all our late books, Bibles, Concordances, &c. Many other things will come up which we will mention from time to time.
In short we do earnestly hope to see a thorough revival of the work of God in this State this winter. To accomplish this will require, not only much hard work, but a good deal of faith in God. We appeal to our people to take hold with us, to do all they can to help us. We expect large things. The ministers have all solemnly promised to wake up thoroughly and lift in these matters. But we will write more definitely about these things hereafter. Probably we shall hold our first general meeting at Roosevelt, N. Y. D. M. CANRIGHT.