"Hundreds of young men should have been preparing to act a part in the work of scattering the seeds of truth beside all waters. We want men who will push the triumphs of the cross; men who will persevere under discouragements and privations; who will have the zeal and resolution and faith that are indispensable in the missionary field. 5T 391.1"
"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."
The EGW passage speaks of scattering the seeds of truth, which is a direct parallel to the sowing imagery in Ecclesiastes 11:6. Both passages emphasize the importance of consistent and persistent effort in spreading the message, regardless of immediate results.
Our churches are called upon to take hold of this work with far greater earnestness than has yet been manifested. Every church should make special provision for the training of its missionaries, thus aiding the fulfillment of the great command: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” My brethren, we have erred and sinned in attempting too little. There should be more laborers in the foreign missionary field. There are among us those who, without the toil and delay of learning a foreign language, might qualify themselves to proclaim the truth to other nations. In the primitive church, missionaries were miraculously endowed with a knowledge of the languages in which they were called to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. And if God was willing thus to help His servants then, can we doubt that His blessing will rest upon our efforts to qualify those who naturally possess a knowledge of foreign tongues, and who with proper encouragement would bear to thei…
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
The EGW passage directly quotes and references Matthew 28:19, the Great Commission, making it an explicit allusion. The context further reinforces the connection by discussing the need for missionaries to fulfill this command.
"Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."
The EGW passage discusses the need for more laborers in the missionary field, echoing the sentiment in Luke 10:2 where Jesus states that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Both passages highlight the urgency of sending more workers into the field.
"Not one of our missionaries has secured the co-operation of every available talent. Much time has thus been lost. We rejoice in the good work which has been done in foreign lands; but had different plans of labor been adopted, tenfold, yes, twentyfold, more might have been accomplished; an acceptable offering would have been presented to Jesus in many souls rescued from the bondage of error. 5T 391.3"
"Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury."
The EGW passage discusses the underutilization of talents in missionary work and the potential for greater accomplishments, which thematically aligns with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The verse cited is part of that parable, where the unprofitable servant is rebuked for not investing his talent to gain interest. Both passages emphasize the importance of maximizing one's abilities for God's work.