Men and Things by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 14, 1871

Men and Things.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

JOHN WESLEY'S INDUSTRY.

WHITEHEAD, in his Life of Wesley, says of him:—

“The industry of Mr. Wesley was almost incredible. From four o’clock in the morning till eight at night, his time was employed in reading, writing, preaching, meeting the people, visiting the sick, or traveling. Before the infirmities of age came upon him, he usually traveled on horseback, and would sometimes ride thirty, forty, or fifty, miles a day, and preach two, three, or sometimes four, times. He had a constant correspondence with some persons in the different societies all over the three kingdoms, and with the preachers in every part, and would answer his letters with great punctuality. He knew the state of the societies in general, and of many individuals in each of them. He read most publications that were deemed valuable if they related to religious or natural philosophy, and often made extracts from them. If we consider the whole of his labors, and compare them with what most men of industry have done, we may say that he has lived two or three lives.”

Brethren, I feel ashamed of myself. I feel condemned for my indolence and lack of industry in God's holy work. How many minutes, hours, and days, I have let slip away without improving them to the utmost! I must work harder. Ministering brethren, are we clear before God in this thing? Time flies, and we must catch it on the wing, or it is lost. Many of us from year to year report little or no success. What is the matter? It is nothing but a lack of energy and industry. It is idleness.

HEAPS OF TEACHERS.

PAUL mentions it as one of the signs of the last days that there should be heaps of false religious teachers. 2 Tim. 4: 1–4. There will be a great abundance of them, so many that they will crowd each other, and they cannot all readily find employment. Has this come to pass? Look around almost anywhere and you will see it abundantly fulfilled. They swarm by hundreds in all the cities. Every little village has from one to ten or a dozen. In the country you will find one on almost every four corners. Let a revival start up in any country school-house, and there will so many “ministers” attend it that they can not all speak once a week. Indeed there are heaps of them everywhere. Look at the following from the Christian Union:—

“The Congregationalist says of the New England ministers of its denomination, who are without a stated charge, that the Boston office where temporary Sunday engagements are effected, ‘finds the supply of clergymen every Saturday in the year, on an average, about twice as great as the demand.’ Indeed ‘it is not unfrequently the case that ministers who would be glad to preach, who know how to preach well, and who need the pay to meet their current expenses, find themselves without a pulpit.’”

This is only a sample of what we find all over the land. The chief point is, they “need the pay.” Micah 3:11. In the days of Elijah, the prophets of Baal were four hundred and fifty men, while Elijah alone stood in all the nation to preach God's commandments. 1 Kings 18:17, 18, 22. In the days of Jesus there were multitudes of priests, scribes, and Pharisees; but the laborers were few. Let us not be discouraged if it is so in our day.

STICK TO THE POINT.

If you ever succeed as a speaker, you must learn to have some prominent point before the minds of your hearers, and then stick closely to it, and make every argument hit that point. Scattering arguments never convince any one. Preachers of the present truth need to learn this as much as any one thing. The following words are worthy of careful thought:—

“It was the conviction of my friend that what is most desired in a lawyer is a certain cool judgment, which holds on to the main point in a given case, and allows no side issues to warp the mind from its anchored position. I have often heard him say, ‘In the end, the lawyer who, having hit the nail on the head, keeps driving it in until it is countersunk in the conviction of both judge and jury, is the leader who succeeds best at the bar of justice. I always select for my students such young men as have this quality, and I almost invariably find it lodged in minds that are inclined to stick to the point.’”

Get the point clear in your own mind, then hit it from every side.

WHAT IS THE TROUBLE?

My brother, why are your prayers so dry, so irksome, so little affecting? Why are your testimonies so weak and powerless? Is it because you have not talent, ability? This is the way the devil would have us deceive ourselves. It is false. The fact is, we lack Christ in us, the love of God shed abroad in our hearts. Let us get where the fire is burning, where the Spirit of God is moving among our brethren, and how soon we feel different! Our hearts are full to overflowing, and our mouths are opened. Oh! for more of the life and power of godliness.

D. M. CANRIGHT.