The Voice That Said, “Go Back”
By W. A. S.
The Christian colporteur is a pioneer in the gospel service. His work is usually on the frontier line, where the way is being prepared for the harvest of souls that follows the faithful sowing of the seed. Therefore he may lay hold with special fervor upon those promises of the Lord to go before and prepare the way. “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight.” The Lord sends his angels on before; and by faith we may know the presence of the invisible helpers just the same as if they could be apprehended by the sense of sight or hearing. Here is an experience in gospel colporteur work in which the divine guidance and companionship in service were manifest in a special way. It was recently told us by E. A. Hamilton, field missionary of the Western Oregon Conference, and confirmed by the colporteur who had the experience (Brother F. G. Boyd):— The colporteur was canvassing in one of the Oregon valleys, using a horse and carriage. At a certain house where he called, a maid met him at the door and ushered him into a well-furnished parlor. The lady of the house quickly appeared, and the colporteur began the story of the book that he was introducing. As he was half-way through the canvass, a well-dressed man, with walking-stick, came into the room, and, looking over the colporteur’s shoulder, listened as he described the book. “Ah,” the man said, “an Adventist book, an Adventist book.” His tone was depreciatory and hostile, and the colporteur saw at once that the lady lost interest in the work. The man proved to be her minister, and interrupted several times with comments. The worker saw that he had lost the order. Completing the exhibition of the book, he bade the lady good day. As he was being shown out, the maid said, “I am sure Mrs. M wants that book.” The girl seemed impressed that her mistress should have it. “You take it yourself,” the colporteur urged, as he saw her interest. “No; I don’t want it,” she replied, “but I am sure Mrs. M wants that book.” The colporteur went on his way. Half a mile along he took an order for a German copy, and up a branch road took an English order. Coming back, the German came out and ordered a second copy, one in English, for his son. Rejoicing that he was putting the truth into homes, but regretting the failure to get an order from the lady where he had first called, he turned into the main road to pass on. Then there came to him in what seemed an audible voice, “Go back and sell Mrs. M a book.” He looked about, almost startled, the words were so clear; but he could see no one. “I thought,” he said, “that some boys over the hedge must have heard of my failure to sell the book, and were making sport of it, as boys sometimes will.” He drove on a hundred yards, and then a second time he heard the same voice; and as the brother marveled at it, a third time the words came more commandingly clear, “I say, go back and sell Mrs. M a book.” This time the horse almost stopped still. “I felt now it was truly of the Lord,” said the colporteur. “I said, ‘Yes, Lord, I will go.’ I was scarcely conscious of turning the horse around, but he whirled about, and we were off to return to the first house.” Arrived at the place, the colporteur found Mrs. M out in the garden. “I beg pardon, Mrs. M,” he began without preliminaries, “but I know you want the book, and I have called to see which binding I shall order for you.” “I have always been partial to the leather binding,” she replied, “and you may order that for me.” The book proved a blessing indeed in that home, the lady accepting the truths which she found in it. The voice of the great commission in the written Word is still a living voice sufficient for the gospel worker: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” And the worker knows that the angels of God are with him according to the promise, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” It is joy and strength to know it every day. But these special manifestations of the heavenly companionship that are revealed here and there in the service, help us to realize more vividly the reality of the partnership of heavenly beings with human agents in the work of God in the earth.