Fesruary 1, 1910 THE 23d, will be the first day of the Jewish Passover week.—Lev. 23, We refer our readers to the Sixth Volume of the Scripture Studies, Chapter XI, entitled “The Passover of the New Creation.” There we have endeavored to set forth this subject in detail. We hope that all of God’s dear people who trust in the merit of the precious blood of Christ for justification will celebrate this Memorial of the great Sacrifice of our WATCH TOWER (67-68) Lord. And let us not forget that it also memorializes the consecration to death of all the members of the Body of Christ. “Tf we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.” “If we he dead with him, we shall also reign with him.” “This cup is the New ‘Testament in my blood.” ‘Drink ye all of it.” —Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Mark 10:38. Vou. XXXI BROOKLYN, N. Y., FEBRUARY 15, 1910 No. 4 19099--REPORTS FROM THE SOCIETY’S FOREIGN BRANCHES—1909 The brethren in charge of the foreign branches made their reports in due season, but we were unavoidably prevented from printing them until now. We are sure that they will be of deep interest to all WarcH Tower readers. We have nothing in a concrete form to present respecting developments in Africa and India. However, matters in those lands are progressing as satisfactorily as could be expected. Of course, opposition is encountered everywhere, but not from the worldly. As it was the Scrihes and Pharisees who opposed the Gospel message eighteen centuries ago, so similar classes oppose the Gospel of the kingdom now. As then the rulers were “grieved that he taught the people,” so 1t is now. There seems to be little objection to the various forms of error, Christian Science, Higher Criticism, Evolution, ete., hut the moment the Truth is presented anger and opposition are aroused. This seems to prove our theory that the adversary himself is exciting and driving our deluded opponents to envy, malice, hatred, strife, slander, evil-speaking and insinuations, which are his methods. Would that all of God's consecrated people could realize this! What a change it would speedily effeet—even those blinded by error would then be saved from being used as Satan’s tools! The reading of the reports following will certainly prove a great. encouragement to all who love the Lord and who delight to note the prosperity of the truth. Of course, to those that walk no longer with us the effect will be the reverse. Things once despised they now love; things which they once loved they now despise, The reports show that the sifting work is in progress all over the harvest field. This is just what we should expect. While our hearts ache for the dear friends who have left us, the fact that they so speedily lose not only the truth, but its spirit of love, reconciles us the more quickly to the situation and shows us that their condition of heart, which we did not suspect, but of which the Lord well knew, must have been behind their rejection hy him and the taking from them the light of present truth. The evidences from every quarter are that. many more are coming into the truth than are leaving it. And apparently those now coming in have been under the Lord’s supervising care and in another department of the School of Christ for some time. Now as their eyes are open to the harvest message they feed upon it rapaciously. So suecessfully do they assimilate the truth that sometimes a sixmonths’ heginner may he able to correct even a leader who has heen in the truth for ten or twenty vears, but who has neglected reading. We cannot too strongly urge the fact that our vessels are leaky and require frequent spirit renewings. We are glad to note from letters received that the number of those reading twelve pages of the “Dawn-Studies” each day is increasing. We believe this to he one of the very hest methods of Bible study—putting on the whole armor of God, fortifying heart and head. We learned with pleasure that during our absence, on New Year’s Day. nearly all the members of the Bethel family resolved to follow this method and so to accomplish the reading of the entire six volumes of “Scriptural Studies” during the Year 1910. REPORT OF BRITISH BRANCH Dear Broturr Russe :— T have pleasure in sending once again the British yearly report of hooks sold and work accomplished in this part of the harvest field. The year has not been specially notahle in any of the various features of the harvesting, but you will see that the general activities have been kept up and the results betoken increase of interest. You will know that trade in these countries has not been very brisk, and vou would partially expect, if not a decrease in the sale of Srupres, not any notable increase. We have indeed to report a slight decrease in the circulation of the cloth-hound Vol. I, but there has been a considerable increase in the output of the cheaper issue, Our total, as shown on sheet No. 1, is 46,926 Srupres and Dawns and other hooks, amounting in all to 61.225 books and booklets. The Tract work has gone on well. If our brethren find it hard to sell hooks they find it easy to give ont tracts. These have been circulated to the extent of 2,369,000. at the rate of nearly 50,000 per week. The newer form—the PEopLes PuULpit ~—is very popular both with the brethren and with those who look for our tracts; and the No, 3, ‘Where Are the Dead?” has brought forth many inquiries. People will read a paper when they will not read a tract. Then the small inset picture of yourself on the first page has done good by letting people see we are not associated with “Dowieism,” which many have believed was the case. The inquiries and the results show that there are many waiting to hear some satisfying news of the love of God: and regularly we are getting evidences of the blessing which the Srupres are bringing to the people. It has been a surprise to me that there has not been a large increase in the sales of these books, for surely in this country the Lord must have many who fear him. I believe there is a large number of the class who have been associated with religious work, an intelligent middle-class, who have as yet hardly been touched with the books, and J cannot but think many of these will come to the Lord through the Harvest work. There seems no chance of newspaper work here in the meantime, but surely the heavy tract work must to some extent correspond with the newspaper work of the States. I regret that there is as yet no further information to send you about a central meeting hall for London, No doubt we could have a choice of several places if we were in for buying property; but we are waiting upon the Lord, as I know you are. The British friends look forward with eagerness to your return, desiring it as soon as it can be arranged. The year has brought us trials, sorrows, disappointments, but the joy of harvest is surely ours, and the many evidences of the Father’s favor have been especially sweet. The work goes on, and the prospects are good at present. We want to use all our opportunities for witnessing to the truth and to the kingdom before the end comes. In humbleness of mind we pray the Lord to keep us and to keep all his own. and we pray especially for you, dear brother, that in the multitude of vour labors you may be kept. With much love from the household and from all the brethren, T am Your brother and fellow-servant, J. HEMERY. Summary of the Work Number of Dawns and STUDIES (in various bindings) 46,926 Number of booklets and other hooks................ 14,300 Tracts Distributed Various tracts (including 304,000 No. 80 of last year vol. matter)... 0... ee ne eee 836,000 PFOPLES Purpir No. 3........ 0.00000 cee eee 1,533.000 Total number of tract pages........... 0.2.5 cease 40,669,800 11,735 Letters and cards sent out.......... . 10,405 REPORT OF AUSTRALASIA: Dear BrorueR RUSSELL: — We are pleased to send along herewith the usual Annual Statement; we could have hoped to have a hetter account to render. but under the circumstances we are thankful that it is what it is through the faithful efforts of the colporteurs and zealous and earnest friends. You will notice that we wind up the vear as has always been the case since the Branch started. with an increased debt to Brooklyn. This increase shows a little more than usual on account of including the amount of fares of Brother and Sister Henninges back to Buffalo. We should have liked to see Australasia somewhat more, if not entirely, self-supporting. and possibly many of the friends have not realized their privilege of co-operation in this way. There remains little of Australasia that has not been colporteured, only a few isolated places; hut we trust that a second going over the territory will prove even better in results as to the finding of “wheat,” and just as easy for the colporteurs to make their way. We are glad that the Lord has put it in the hearts of our Brother and Sister Richardson to stay in these parts notwithstanding that it has meant so much of self-sacrifice for them to do so; and we hope that others may come forward in this the eleventh hour to enter the jovs of the Harvest work. We have now five other laborers in this privileged serv BRANCH [4563]
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