98 Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists
is very precious, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in
white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,
but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
Every Christian will have a missionary spirit. To bear fruit is to
work as Christ worked, to love souls as he has loved us. The very first
impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour: and
just as soon as a person is converted to the truth, he feels an earnest
desire that those in darkness should see the precious light shining from
God’s word.
We are grateful that a few in Copenhagen have accepted the truth
of God. Missionaries are needed to spread the light of truth in these
great cities, and the children of God—those whom he calls the light of
the world—ought to be doing all they can in this direction. You will
meet with discouragements, you will have opposition. The enemy will
whisper, What can these few poor people do in this great city? But if
you walk in the light, you can every one be light-bearers to the world.
Do not seek to accomplish some great work, and neglect the little
opportunities close at hand. We can do very much by exemplifying the
truth in our daily life. The influence which we may thus exert cannot be
easily withstood. Men may combat and defy our logic; they may resist
our appeals; but a life of holy purpose, of disinterested love in their
behalf, is an argument in favor of the truth that they cannot gainsay.
Far more can be accomplished by humble, devoted, virtuous lives than
can be effected by preaching when a godly example is lacking. You
can labor to build up the church, to encourage your brethren, and to
make the social meetings interesting; and you can let your prayers go
[182]
out, like sharp sickles, with the laborers into the harvest field. Each
should have a personal interest, a burden of soul, to watch and pray
for the success of the work.
You can also in meekness call the attention of others to the precious
truths of God’s word. Young men should be instructed that they may
labor in these cities. They may never be able to present the truth from
the desk, but they could go from house to house, and point the people
to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. The dust
and rubbish of error have buried the precious jewels of truth; but the
Lord’s workers can uncover these treasures, so that many will look
upon them with delight and awe.