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The Publishing Ministry
foresight to discern the necessity of laying out means in facilities to
multiply books and tracts, plans to bring back the means invested so as
to produce other publications, have been neglected. The power of the
press, with all its advantages, is in their hands; and they can use it to
the very best account, or they can be half asleep and through inaction
lose the advantages which they might gain. By judicious calculation
they can extend the light in the sale of books and pamphlets. They can
send them into thousands of families that now sit in the darkness of
error.
Other publishers have regular systems of introducing into the mar-
ket books of no vital interest. “The children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light.” Golden opportunities occur
almost daily where the silent messengers of truth might be introduced
into families and to individuals; but no advantage is taken of these
opportunities by the indolent, thoughtless ones. Living preachers are
few. There is only one where there should be a hundred. Many are
making a great mistake in not putting their talents to use in seeking
to save the souls of their fellow men. Hundreds of men should be
engaged in carrying the light all through our cities, villages, and towns.
The public mind must be agitated. God says: Let light be sent out into
all parts of the field. He designs that men shall be channels of light,
bearing it to those who are in darkness.—
Testimonies for the Church
4:389
.
God’s Means of Exalting Man—God has given man a part to act
in accomplishing the salvation of his fellow men. He can work in
connection with Christ by doing acts of mercy and beneficence. But
he cannot redeem them, not being able to satisfy the claims of insulted
justice. This the Son of God alone can do, by laying aside His honor
and glory, clothing His divinity with humanity, and coming to earth to
humiliate Himself and shed His blood in behalf of the human race.
In commissioning His disciples to go “into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature,” Christ assigned to men the work of
spreading the gospel. But while some go forth to preach, He calls
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upon others to answer to His claims upon them for tithes and offerings
with which to support the ministry and to spread the printed truth all
over the land. This is God’s means of exalting man. It is just the work
which he needs, for it will stir the deepest sympathies of his heart and