This small tract of 24 pages, neatly printed, is considered excellent for new readers. They are of proper size for enclosing in envelopes. We believe that one of these, an Arp Tract, enclosed in a Missionary Envelope, would be a good means of reaching many of your friends. Those who think the plan a good one and desire to avail themselves of it, can do so.
It is proposed to issue these tracts quarterly. They will vary in the number of pages. To conform to the requirements of the Postal Laws, a price must be fixed on these and subscriptions received,—same as with TOWER. We have fixed the price at 10 cents per year, which would cover the cost, including postage. If we can get them out in large quantities, we will be able to produce them cheaper, and the more issued the more good results we may hope for. We therefore propose a large discount on quantities, thus—
25 copies—quarterly for 1 year
(100 tracts) for .............$ 1.00
50 copies—quarterly for 1 year
(200 tracts) for.............."
1.75
100 copies—etc. (400 tracts)....."
3.00
500 copies—"
(2000 tracts)....." 13.50
1000 copies—"
(4000 tracts)....." 25.00
3000 copies—" (12000 tracts)....." 68.00
The topics selected for these will be chiefly selections from TOWER matter, specially suitable for general, promiscuous use. The cost of 1000 copies, quarterly, for a year, would be no more than some of you used to pay for pew-rent,—to have your understandings darkened by misrepresentations of God's character and plan. It is for you to consider, whether you can not better use that sum hereafter in preaching the Old Theology of the Bible, to your former fellow-sectarians and others. This number of tracts distributed quarterly at mills, shops, among clerks in stores, printers, editors, reporters, school teachers, at offices of lawyers and physicians, and at church doors, by yourself, or others employed by you, could scarcely fail to accomplish some good, in opening the eyes of some who would thank you for it eternally, as God's agent and light-bearer.
Perhaps you used to give a like sum toward Home Missions, and as much more toward Foreign Missions—$75 per year toward religious teaching. It is for you to consider that under this plan this $68 would enable you to preach 3000 sermons quarterly, to your own and neighboring townsmen.
You used to think that one-tenth of your earnings or profits should be used in the Lord's service; now you see, that that tithing system was the law to the Jews only, and that we are not under the Law, but under grace. As followers of Christ, we covenanted to give not merely one-tenth of our profits, but all that we have and are and shall be,—time, money, influence, all and forever—to the Lord and his service. It is for each to consider whether or not the Lord's favor toward us, in opening our eyes and delivering us from the bondage of fear and error, has drawn our hearts closer to him and made us anxious to spend and be spent more and more to honor him; or whether the removal of the chains of error's bondage and fear of future torment, has made us harder and more selfish. We may be assured that if the truth produces a hardening effect on us, it would not only prove us unworthy of the high-calling to joint-heirship, but [R1109 : page 8] unworthy of life on any plane. Pharaoh is an example of those whose hearts harden instead of melt, under the influence of God's mercy.
Consider, too, that what you now do and spend, is in part at least to offset that formerly spent; to counteract former errors and misrepresentations of God's character with the clearer light now shining. Some of us who were for years very zealous in the spread of error, before the truth reached us, and who like Paul verily thought thereby to do God service, might almost despair of ever offsetting it with the truth, but for the fact that the money and energy we then spent accomplished little, compared with what even the same amount of each would accomplish now, in the service of the truth, in this harvest time and with the facilities our Lord has now put into our hands.
Consider that "the time is short:" that where we used to give one dollar, or a hundred, or a thousand, we now have the privilege of showing the Lord our appreciation of the truth by using five times as much, both of time and money; the results of which are beyond comparison.
Can we preach the good tidings in a better way than in circulating DAWN VOL. I., and these tracts? If some can afford to pay for the tracts, but cannot attend to having them circulated (and all should be able to do this also, unless invalids), there may be other brethren and sisters who would be glad to distribute more tracts than they can purchase, and we will find such agents for you, if you desire.
But we are not urging this work, but merely asking you to consider the matter and act according to your own judgment. Here is an opportunity for extensive harvest work; and the time between the quarterly issues is ample for thorough distribution.