Labors in Great Britain and Scandinavia
237
As in the vision she looked upon this scene with intense sorrow, her
accompanying angel said, “Look ye,” and as she looked again, there
were to be seen little jets of light, like stars shining dimly through the
darkness. As she watched them, their light grew brighter, and the num-
ber of lights increased, because each light kindled other lights. These
lights would sometimes come together as if for the encouragement of
one another; and again they would scatter out, each time going farther
and lighting more lights. Thus the work went on until the whole world
was illuminated with their brightness.
In conclusion, she said: “This is a picture of the work you are to
do. ‘Ye are the light of the world.’
Matthew 5:14
. Your work is to
hold up the light to those around you. Hold it firmly. Hold it a little
higher. Light other lights. Do not be discouraged if yours is not a great
light. If it is only a penny taper, hold it up. Let it shine. Do your very
best, and God will bless your efforts.” [
Note—In the official reports
of the progress of the third angel’s message in Great Britain, frequent
acknowledgment has been made from time to time of the influence
that the sale of penny periodicals has had on the development of a
strong constituency in that field of labor. “Publications have been
sent to all parts of the kingdom,” the workers reported in 1888, “and
faithful souls are being aroused to embrace the truth, and scores are
candidly investigating it.” (
The Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook 1888,
130
.) at the 1895 General Conference, it was stated that “the average
weekly sales of Present Truth [the missionary journal published by
Seventh-Day Adventists in Great Britain since 1884] have run from
nine thousand to ten thousand.” “Nothing that has been done in Great
Britain has had such marked effect on the people as the circulation
of this paper.” (BULLETIN, 1895, PAGES 314, 315.) and in 1897
the brethren from Europe were rejoicing in a still larger circulation of
their missionary journal. “The present truth has an average circulation
of thirteen thousand copies weekly,” they declared, “and many are
coming to a knowledge of the truth in reading this medium.”
During the 1909 General Conference, Brother W. C. Sisley, in charge
of the British publishing house, reviewed the results of the past four
years thus:]
“We have sold, during the last four years, exclusive of our considerable
foreign trade, 168,947 books, 6,871,649 periodicals, 23,382 pamphlets,
and 964,163 tracts, at a total retail value of $310,221.57; or a yearly