Earlier text: The Ten Kingdoms in the Dark AgesThe Third Angel's Message.
By J.
WE have shown that from A. D. 1844 onward is the time when the Third Angel's Message must be given to the world. We have shown that the beast and his image, against the worship of which this message warns the world, are the Papacy and the United States Government, when this Government, under the lead of the National Reform party, and by Constitutional Amendment, shall have formed a union of Church and State after the manner of the Papacy. We have shown that the keeping of "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," to which the world is by this message called, is the keeping of the ten commandments in the only way in which they can be kept by the people on this earth, that is, through the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have shown that any attempt to keep the ten commandments, without faith in Christ, is a vain attempt. We have likewise shown by the Scriptures that faith in Christ must be shown by good works, and that these good works are the keeping of the commandments of God, in order to do which we are made new creatures—born again—in Christ Jesus, so that our fruit may be "unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Rom. 6:22. Thus in the Third Angel's Message is embodied the everlasting gospel, the grand purpose of which is to bring men to obedience to the holy law of God. And thus, as we have also shown, is given God's last call of men to obedience to his commandments, through faith in Christ, and this because "the hour of his Judgment is come," and this judgment is to be "by the law" and according to the gospel. Rev. 14:7; Rom. 2:12, 16. Certainly if there ever was a time when the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus should be most urgently insisted upon, that time is now. We stand now in the days of which the Scripture speaks, and the wickedness of which it portrays in a terrible list, the fitness of which can663 be seen by any one who will give attention to the subject. We refer to the Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:1-5, which reads: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." It would seem that this is a complete picture of the very perfection of wickedness, but it is not. For in verse 13 of the same chapter we read of these same ones, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." The list that is here drawn out shows a condition of affairs that is frightfully bad; and instead of there being in it any promise of anything better, there stands the record that it will be "worse and worse." Yet there is a way of escape, and that is given in this word, "From such turn away." Such a torrent of wickedness shall not be allowed to flow except the Lord shall do somewhat. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isa. 59:19. By this quotation which we have made from 2 Tim. 3, it is plain that in the last days, the enemy does come in, in a perfect flood of iniquity, and the standard which the Spirit of the Lord lifts up against him is the Third Angel's Message. And those who from this iniquity turn away, and flee to the standard thus lifted up by the Spirit of the Lord, gain "the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name," and stand upon the glassy sea "having the harps of God." For, "The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord." Isa. 59:20. This coming of the Redeemer follows closely upon the close of the Third Angel's Message, and when he comes it is to take unto himself those who have turned from transgression, to the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Rev. 14:14; 15:2. Again we say that the Third Angel's Message is the standard which the Spirit of the Lord lifts up against the iniquity of the last days. The inscription upon that standard is, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus;" and to that standard, and to it alone, there attaches "victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." We have shown that under the Third Angel's Message there will be a world-wide study of the ten commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus Christ, such as there has not been since John stood on the Isle of Patmos. By this the question is brought to every one, and, reader, we ask you this question. Are you keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? We ask it in view of the word of God by James, that, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10. We ask it in view of the words of Christ, that, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven." Matt. 5:18. And in answering this question all must be guided by the commandments themselves, and not by custom, nor by men's opinions of the commandments. For thus saith the Lord, "It shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." Deut. 6:25. The question on this must be, How has God commanded to do? What does the word of God say? We are to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus in view of the fact that "the hour of his Judgment is come; and also in view of this fact we are commanded to "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14:7. Now the only one of the commandments of God which brings to view "him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" is the fourth commandment, which reads thus:— "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Thus in reading together the First and the Third Angel's Messages, it is evident that the attention of men is by them directed particularly to the keeping of the fourth commandment. For, as the first message commands to worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters; and as the third message directs attention to the commandments of God; and as the fourth commandment is the one and the only one which brings God to view as the one who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and this in the very words of the first message; therefore we say it is evident that in these messages the attention of men is to be directed particularly to the fourth commandment. And they are to be urged to keep the fourth commandment, not independent of all the others, but in addition to all the others, and as well as all the others. For to keep all and yet "offend in one point" vitiates all. In the fourth commandment God has plainly commanded the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord. In this commandment, he has not only told men that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, and commanded them to keep it as such, but he has also given the reason for its existence, and the reason why it should be kept. And yet in spite of all this, the great majority of people, professed Christians as well as others, utterly disregard the Sabbath of the Lord. Although he has commanded to remember it to keep it holy, they neither remember it nor keep it holy. Although he has commanded that in the seventh day, "thou shalt not do any work," they yet go on with their work on that as on any other day. Such conduct is certainly just anything but the keeping of the commandment. It is true that those who profess to be the Lord's people offer for their disobedience the excuse that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week; and that they keep the first day in obedience to the commandment. But if the first day of the week is now the Sabbath, and should be kept as such according to the commandment, then why is not the commandment made to read thus:— Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the first day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Now if that commandment were so printed any where in the world where the Bible is known, everybody would say at once that it was printed wrong. But that is precisely the way that people pretend to keep it. Therefore if to print the commandment so would be wrong, how can the keeping of it so be right? In short, if it would be wrong, as everybody knows that it would be, to print the fourth commandment or any other, even in a single letter different from the way in which God wrote it and as it is printed in the Bible, then the keeping of the commandment in any way different from the way in which God wrote it cannot possibly be right. This is precisely the teaching of Christ on this subject: "Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [the smallest letter] or one tittle [the smallest point of a letter] shall in no wise pass from the law." Then he enforces as the conclusion, this, "Whosoever therefore," for this reason, because not the smallest letter nor the smallest point of a letter shall pass from the law, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven." Matt. 5:18, 19. From the premise which the Saviour lays down,—that one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,—it is evident that his conclusion enforces the doctrine that for men to swerve, even to the extent of one jot or one tittle, from the perfect integrity of a commandment of God, is to break that commandment; and that the keeping of the commandments is to conform to the perfect integrity of the law, in every jot and tittle of every commandment. Reader, God wrote, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." To not keep the seventh day is to break the commandment of God, and the Third Angel's Message now calls for those who will "turn from transgression in Jacob," for those who will keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. To these the Redeemer will come, and give triumphant victory in his glorious Heaven, in the presence of his throne. Isa. 59:20; Rev. 15:2. The Seventh-Day Sabbath Not a Type of the Christian’s Rest. Heb. 4: 4, 9.
By John Harvey Kellogg
WHEN God made the promise to Abraham to give the land to him and to his seed, etc. (Gen 12: 7), he foretold him of the bondage of his seed, and also said that “in the fourth generation they shall come hither again,” and that they should possess the land of “the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Gen. 15: 7-21. After their full term of service in Egypt had expired, God made choice of Moses to go before them, and lead them out of the land of bondage. The Lord commanded Moses and the people with him thus: Go up “unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it. And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.” Ex. 33: 1, 2. But God was wroth with the people for having made the golden calf, and refused to go with them; and Moses supplicated him, saying, “Show me now thy way, that I may know thee.” And the Lord made answer, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Verses 13, 14. When they came near to the river Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh desired their portion on the east side, to which Moses assented on condition that all the men of arms should go over and help subdue the nations on the other side, “until the Lord have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God hath given them beyond Jordan.” Deut. 3: 20. After they had passed over Jordan and come in possession of the land, it is written: “And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers; and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into8 their hand.” Josh. 21: 43, 44. Moses, however, was not permitted to cross Jordan, and the people entered into this rest under the leading of Joshua. The apostle Paul said that “Moses verily was faithful in all his house [house of Israel] as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over his own house [household of faith]; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Heb. 3: 5, 6. In verses 7-11, he quotes Psalm 95: 7-11, as follows: “To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.” When Moses desired to know the way of the Lord, he promised him rest (Ex. 33: 13, 14); but these had not known his ways, and, therefore, could not enter into his rest. He then exhorts his brethren to take heed lest there be in any of them “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;” for if those who fell in the wilderness entered not in because of unbelief, we should fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Faith is the condition of entering into this rest. They could not enter in for want of it; but we who believe enter into the rest of God (Macknight's Trans.), as the promise was left us of entering into his rest since the children of Israel inherited the land of Canaan. This rest is only to be entered into by the faithful, who hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. “He that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works” (Heb. 4: 10); and God's “works were finished from the foundation of the world;” therefore (although the promise of entering therein extends to the future), his rest dates from that period. This is proved by his speaking “in a certain place (Gen. 2: 2) of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” Verse 4. The promise that was left us is spoken of by David (Ps. 95), and if Joshua had given them the rest contemplated in the promise made of God to the fathers, he would not afterwards have spoken of another day. The conclusion is therefore obvious, that “there remaineth a rest to the people of God.” Heb. 11: 32-39; Rom. 4: 13, 14; Heb. 4: 9. This rest must bear the same relation to the land of Canaan that the household of faith does to the house of Israel (Heb. 3: 6), and that Christ does to Joshua, to wit: the antitype to the type. All types are similar in their nature and objects—they are shadows. Heb. 10: 1; Col. 2: 17. There is nothing in the origin or object of the Sabbath to make it an appropriate type of our future rest. Many have supposed that the Scripture under consideration proves it to be typical; but to infer from the apostle's argument in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews, that God instituted a type, or shadow, of the believer's rest in Paradise—observed it himself—then blest and hallowed it, and made it a sign of the sanctification of his people, is certainly stretching an assumption to its utmost limit. Gen. 2: 1-3; Ex. 20: 11; 31: 13, 17; Eze. 20: 12, 20; Isa. 56: 6, 7; 58: 13, 14. The quotation in Heb. 4: 4 proves that the seventh day was God's rest day or Sabbath “from the foundation of the world;” and its observance was enforced before the law was given on Mount Sinai (Ex. 16); therefore it could not be the rest given by Joshua. This, according to Josh. 21: 43, 44; 22: 1, consisted in the peaceable possession of the land, after their enemies had been driven from it, or destroyed from off it, as “the Lord had sworn unto their fathers.” Gen. 15. Of this we cannot enjoy the antitype until “we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear” (Luke 1: 74); which will not be till we stand on the Mount Zion, singing “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Then will the faithful peaceably possess the land promised to Abraham and his seed. Rom. 4: 13, 14. For this rest we hope and pray with “earnest expectation,” “for we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened” (2 Cor. 5: 4); we “which have the first-fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8: 23. Praise be to God, the time is hastening on when those who keep the commandments will enter through the gates into the city, and have right to the tree of life, that grows in the midst of the Paradise of God. And he shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. “Soon shall we be from the wicked released,
Soon shall the weary forever be blest,
Soon shall we lean upon Jesus's breast,
Then there is rest, there is rest.” The Missionary.
By Anna L. Ingels
California Tract and Missionary Society.
THE sixteenth annual session of the California Tract and Missionary Society was held in connection with the camp-meeting at Woodland, Cal., Oct. 6–19, 1886. The first meeting convened Oct. 7, at 5 P. M., the President, Elder S. N. Haskell, in the chair. The reading of the minutes of the last annual session was waived, and the report of labor for the year was read. This branch of the International Society includes the States of California and Nevada. The seven districts into which this territory is divided contain forty-one organized societies; of these the following have been added during the year: Virginia City (Nevada), Crystal Springs, Stockton, Selma, Santa Maria, Duarte, and Santa Barbara. The entire membership of the society at present is 1,072, or 137 more than were enrolled a year ago. The average number of Signs taken in clubs during the year is 2,675 weekly. This is 131 copies more than the average the year previous. Clubs of other periodicals are also taken amounting to 4,001 copies. During the year, 1,904 quarterly reports have been returned and the members thus represented have performed the following amount of work:— No. subscribers obtained, 1,961, more than last year, 102
“ visits made, 26,898, “ “ 952
“ letters written, 11,712, “ “ 4,561
“ periodicals distr'td, 232,897, “ “ 11,238
“ pages distributed, 3,885,616, “ “ 1,098,777 There were also 1,812 Bible-readings held during the year. In no phase of the work has the report of previous years exceeded that of the present, with but one exception, that of the number of subscribers obtained in 1883 and '84, when a special effort was made in securing short-term subscriptions to the Signs. The book sales for the year have amounted to $1,038.35; and tracts to the amount of $571.69 have been sold. This does not include the sales made by agents, or those of ministers and other workers who deal directly with the Office. The Signs of the Times has been donated by the society to 33 public libraries or reading-rooms, the Good Health or Pacific Health Journal to 50, and the Sentinel to 27. The Sentinel has also been furnished to 265 editors of California. There are about 230 tract distributors now in use in the Conference. The number owned and supported by the city missions is 96. Of these 18 are supplied daily, 9 tri-weekly, 20 semi-weekly, 35 weekly, and 14 at longer intervals. The cost of the reading matter placed in these per year is $2,651.64. The remaining 134 distributors are owned by local tract societies and individuals who bear the expense of filling. The annual report of the ship mission shows the number of ship visits to be 1,019; periodicals distributed on shipboard, 11,383, and pages of tracts, pamphlets, and books, 80,492. Of the distributors owned by the city mission, 43 are on board ships, besides 19 Signs files and the same number of Sentinel files. The sales amounted to $126.33. Remarks were made by the President relative to this report. He was gratified to note the advancement in the work. God's blessing has rested upon this Conference in a marked degree. Stirring incidents were related, showing the interest awakened in foreign lands as the result of missionary correspondence. In all parts of the world individuals are receiving the light through this medium, and whole companies are embracing the truth. Our field is the world, and our interests, our prayers, and our means should encircle the globe. Committees were appointed by the chair as follows:—
On Nominations, C. H. Jones, Elder G. D. Ballou, and Elder E. R. Jones.
On Resolutions, Elder N. C. McClure, Elder A. T. Jones, and Anna L. Ingels.
Adjourned to call of the chair. SECOND MEETING, OCTOBER 12, 5 P. M.
Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The Committee on Resolutions made a partial report. The following were presented separately and adopted:— WHEREAS, God has a message in the world to warn it of the rapidly approaching end, and as a means of proclaiming this truth, the Tract and Missionary Society has been organized; therefore, Resolved, That we are grateful to God for his approval of this plan of working for souls, and we deem it a privilege to be connected with his cause; and we pledge ourselves to more faithfully labor in the missionary work than we have in the past, and to report our labors to the society. Resolved, That our ship and city missions are important branches of the Tract and Missionary Society; that we pledge them our sympathy and prayers, and will support them with our means. WHEREAS, In the past it has been difficult to reach all classes in our large towns and cities, but by actual experience it is demonstrated that this can be accomplished by Bible-readings; therefore, Resolved, That we fully indorse the effort in this Conference to establish city missions, and a training school for Bible-workers; and we recommend that the Conference Committee select competent persons who may fit themselves for this work. Resolved, That it is our duty to assist in the maintenance of our Bible-workers in the city missions, and as far as we are able we will furnish provisions, bedding, etc., for the same. To the first resolution Elder Loughborough spoke of the advantage to be gained in reporting our work. It is a source of encouragement to see what is being accomplished. Under the second resolution reports of the ship work were given by Brethren Swayze, McClure, and Hickox. There is a willingness on the part of sea-faring men to read our publications. Rarely do the officers refuse to accept them and frequently they offer to carry packages to other parts of the world to be distributed. In connection with the third and fourth resolutions, Elder McClure gave some statistics of665 the city mission work. This mission was established May 7, and during the 17 weeks that followed, with an average force of seven workers, 2,919 visits were made and 1,180 Bible-readings held. The greatest number of readings held during any one week was 90. As the result of this mission work, 13 have embraced the truth. That more effectual work may be done with less effort, it seems necessary that the mission be removed to a different part of the city. Adjourned to call of the chair. THIRD MEETING, OCTOBER 13, 9 A. M.
Prayer by Elder Loughborough. The following resolutions presented by the committee were adopted:— WHEREAS, The knowledge of the Third Angel's Message must reach all lands; and,
WHEREAS, An experience in canvassing is an important step to carry on this work; therefore, Resolved, That we recommend that our brethren and sisters thus educate themselves by canvassing for "Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation," Vol. 4 "Great Controversy," and "Marvel of Nations." Resolved, That we recommend that every Seventh-day Adventist family subscribe for one or more copies of our periodicals, and not depend on the Tract and Missionary Society, or on borrowing from their neighbors, for their family reading. Resolved, That we consider it the duty of the directors of districts, to devote what time may be necessary to visit the churches and scattered families in their districts, and seek to bring them up in all branches of the work, giving instructions in Bible-readings, and holding the same on different subjects. Resolved, That where faithful labor is performed by the directors, their accounts be handed in to the Auditing Committee. Resolved, That it is and shall remain our fixed purpose to regard Wednesday of each week as a day of special prayer that the blessing of God may rest upon the missionary work and our Tract and Missionary societies. FOURTH MEETING, OCTOBER 17, 5 P. M.
Elder Loughborough read a letter from Elder W. C. White, written from Basel, Switzerland, in reference to the foreign work. The following resolutions were read and adopted:— Resolved, That the foreign brethren among us be encouraged to educate themselves for Bible work, and labor among their countrymen in our towns and cities; and, Resolved, That we request them to secure the addresses of their friends, both in America and foreign lands, to be used by the Tract and Missionary Societies for the furtherance of the work. It was moved by C. H. Jones that District No. 1 be divided, Humboldt, Trinity, and Del Norte Counties, formerly included in No. 1, to be known hereafter as district No. 8; and that San Luis Obispo County be transferred from district No. 4 to No. 6. As rearranged, the districts will stand as follows:—
No. 1—Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, Lake, and Napa Counties.
No. 2—Siskiyou, Modoc, Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, Plumas, Butte, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Yolo, Sacramento, El Dorado, Amador, and Solano Counties.
No. 3—Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Alpine, Mono, and Mariposa Counties.
No. 4—San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey Counties.
No. 5—Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, and Kern Counties.
No. 6—San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.
No. 7—State of Nevada.
No. 8—Humboldt, Trinity, and Del Norte Counties.
This motion was carried. The Nominating Committee presented the following names for officers for the ensuing year:— For President, Elder S. N. Haskell; Vice-President, Elder N. C. McClure; Secretary, Anna L. Ingels; Assistant Secretary, Marian Kleabir; Directors, District No. 1, F. R. Dunlap; No. 2, Elder John Fulton; No. 3, W. N. Glenn; No. 4, S. Thurston; No. 5, W. G. Buckner; No. 6, J. D. Morton; No. 7, S. K. Shannon; No. 8, S. McElhaney. Cash received on membership, $95.55; on donations, $1,206.46; on book sales, $719.95; on Signs, $2,288.57; on other periodicals, $976.24; on City Mission Fund, $1,847.06; on individual accounts, $990.15. Total, $8,123.98.
Cash paid to Signs Office, $5,723.39; to Review Office, $1,919.75; to Good Health publishers, $280.00; to individuals, $109.95; for publications, $36.05; for postage, $40.49; for incidentals, $14.35. Total, $8,123.98. ASSETS.
Due from districts on account, $2,157.54; due from individuals, $458.28; due from city missions, $891.58; Reserve deposit, $3,020.05; Foreign publications, $211.22; Other stock on hand, $203.51; Cash on hand, $74.10. Total, $7,016.28.
LIABILITIES.
Society owes Signs Office, $2,228.87; owes Review Office, $48.28; owes Good Health publishers, $67.92. Total, $2,345.07.
Assets over liabilities, $4,671.21. Adjourned sine die.
ELDER S. N. HASKELL, Pres't.
ANNA L. INGELS, Sec'y. Progress of the Work in Central Europe.
At the time of our last report of the work in the Central European Mission, there was being held in Basel a national fête of the various societies of Swiss athletes. Although the fête was to last but four days, preparation had been going forward on the common just in front of our publishing house, for several weeks. Large buildings were erected, and the grounds were laid out and ornamented with great care. Over two thousand athletes and many thousands of spectators from all parts of the country were expected to be present. For some time we had been discussing the advisability of making special efforts to get the truth before the people of Switzerland at these fêtes, which are numerous and popular here, by having our colporters attend them and see what they could do in the way of selling books, and distributing periodicals. And now that one of these great fêtes was brought to our very door, we felt that the time had come for us to see what could be done by distributing reading matter on such occasions. As this was our first effort of the kind, and as it was in Basel, where our work is permanently located, we felt that an especial effort should be made to give a favorable impression with reference to our reading matter and our work. We could not without large expense obtain permission to sell publications on the ground, but the way seemed to be open for the distribution of our papers. We knew that the people who came to this fête would come for pleasure; that many of them would have no interest in religious reading, and that those who were interested in religious subjects, would not be looking for anything of the kind on such an occasion. Therefore it seemed necessary that there be something connected with the paper which would please them at first sight, and secure their attention. If we could put something in the paper which they would wish to keep and carry home, there was greater probability that they would sometime read the articles on present truth, and that the articles would also be read by others who might be more religiously inclined. It was finally decided to take a photograph of the grounds, and have a photo-engraving made, showing the grounds and the buildings of the fête; this picture, printed on the last page of a special edition of our papers, would surely attract attention. Great pains was taken in the preparation of special editions of Les Signes des Temps and Herold der Wahrheit. Thirteen pages were filled with short, pointed articles on the various points of present truth. Two pages were devoted to temperance, and a most striking diagram was given, comparing the annual expenditure for clothing, food, tobacco and liquors, and mission work. The sixteenth page was occupied by the large picture of the grounds, and a brief address to the public, stating the object of the paper. This address stated that while they were giving so much attention to physical culture, we thought it an appropriate occasion to call their attention to the means of spiritual development, and they were invited to give their candid consideration to the subjects contained in the paper. It was a matter of no little difficulty to get the papers printed in time. The decoration of the ground was not completed so that a photograph could be taken until Thursday noon, and the papers must be printed and distributed on Sunday and Monday. Evening after the Sabbath the picture came. Special permission had been obtained of the city authorities to run our press on Sunday, and quite early in the day our brethren began to distribute the papers. At first the people received them with great indifference, and although they were only offered to those whose appearance was most favorable, there were many who refused. Soon, however, they began to realize what they had received, and although the picture of the ground and buildings was rather a poor representation, it served to thoroughly interest them in the paper. As those who received the papers carried them into the great building where thousands were assembled, and communicated to others where and how they had received the papers, the people gathered in crowds about our brethren, and took the papers from them as fast as they came from the press. Two thousand five hundred of the French papers were distributed, and the whole ten thousand edition of Herold der Wahrheit. Ten thousand more of these could have been used if they could have been printed in time. During the fête and afterward there was not one soiled or torn copy of either paper to be found upon the ground; thus twelve thousand five hundred copies of our sixteen-page papers have gone forth with their burden of truth. We know not how many of these will be read, but we have faith that they will accomplish much good. Already we begin to see some fruits of this effort here in Basel, although in planning the enterprise our thoughts rested upon the benefits to be done those who came from other places. Already we see a marked change in the public sentiment toward our people and our work. Several of the secular papers gave very favorable notices of the papers distributed at the fête, and complimented the enterprise of the establishment which printed them. The most influential newspaper in Basel has very unexpectedly to us given a two-column article, accurately describing our building, giving a correct synopsis of the history of the advent movement, and giving quite a fair statement of our doctrines. One gentleman who had received tracts from Brother Aufrance several years ago, after receiving a paper at the fête,663 became fully convinced that it was his duty to keep the Sabbath, and now meets regularly with us. A young lady was also convinced, and among many difficulties is striving to obey. Before the fête, a stranger in our Sabbath meetings was seldom seen, but now, hardly a Sabbath passes but what there are two or three in attendance. And some of the young men employed in the office who have begun to hold Bible-readings in the city find more openings than they can fill. We believe that there is an important lesson to be learned from this experience, and that in the many fêtes which are being held in different parts of Switzerland, there is one of the best opportunities to disseminate a knowledge of the truth. When printed in large editions of our papers more reading matter can be furnished for a given sum of money, than in any other form, and it is also in the most acceptable form.