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Take Courage

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 29, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 30.

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Take Courage

By Nellie M. Palmer

As canvassers, never allow yourselves to become discouraged. Satan does not like to see you in this work, and will do all in his power to make the way as difficult as possible; but keep close to Jesus, your Captain, and he will brighten the path, making the labor sweet. Remember that he has conferred upon you a higher honor than any earthly ruler could give, in calling you to be his representative. Be faithful to the trust that he has committed to you; sow the seed in love, never tiring, and you will soon experience the joy of meeting souls saved as the result of the literature that you have placed in their hands.
The following are extracts gleaned from letters written by canvassers and workers located in different parts of the field:—
“There is but one thing that will hold you to the work when difficulties arise—the love of Christ.”
“One sister, writing of her first week’s work, says: ‘I canvassed three and one-half hours, taking five orders for “Ladies’ Guide,” and had some grand talks with several persons. I came home so full of love and gratitude to my Saviour that I could not keep from telling what a blessed privilege it is to work for him.’”
“I have had a good time the past week,—no trouble to get meals or lodging, no refusals to look at the book, no complaint of hard times. I went into a store and began canvassing a man for “The Coming King.” Soon I had the attention of the whole crowd. Even the clerk and his customer stopped to listen. I took three orders, two of them from preachers.”
“I want to praise the Lord, first, for what he is doing for me; and, second, for what he is doing for the work I represent. I have loved the canvassing work ever since my connection with it, about five years ago, yet that love grows day by day, and I believe that I can truly say that I love it more to-day than ever before; and I want to engage in it until Jesus comes, not only because I love it, but because I believe it to be one of the best ways of spreading the truth, and thus hastening his coming. May the Lord help us to make a ‘long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together’ to advance this important work.”
“Crops are good, and there will be a large demand for help, and wages will be very tempting as harvest draws on. Satan will take advantage of this to coax the canvassers from the field. Let us not allow him to influence us in this way, but let us reason thus: ‘Crops are good, and money is plentiful this year; therefore we must take every possible advantage of it, and get as much reading matter before the people as possible; for we know not how soon there will come a crash in business, and times become harder than we have ever known them.’ As I think of these things, and see such remarkable signs of the nearness of the end, as it seems to me I do see, I can scarcely rest day or night. O that God’s people would look for large blessings at his hand! Self-sacrifice is the thing that wins in God’s cause. It has been so in all ages, and will be so until the work is finished.”
“The time is short; the task is great; the workers are few; fidelity is rare; eternity hastens; angels help; souls perish; Satan rejoices; death triumphs; therefore, O servant of God, ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.’”
“This past week I have been canvassing on one of the best streets of the city. Several times I had determined to canvass this street, but did not have courage enough to go to the houses, so would canvass where the houses were not so large. But Tuesday afternoon, after asking the Lord to go with me, I started out, and at the first house to which I went, the servant invited me in, and I waited in the parlor about ten minutes for the lady to come. After she had looked the book partly through, and even before she knew the price of it, she said that she would take it, and that she wanted it the next day if I could bring it to her. I took four other orders during the afternoon.”
“God reckons all the loyal inhabitants, both in heaven and on earth, as one family, thus connecting us with heaven and heavenly power. The canvassing work is one of these family interests; and no difference how great our interest may be, that of heaven is still greater. The holy watchers from the throne of the Father of the whole family are ever by our side. The younger members of the family are manifesting an interest in this work. This is a most hopeful sign of a revival of the work. Some years ago when so many books were being sold, the work was nearly all done by these younger members, and we hail with joy the time when they shall take hold of it again with all their youthful vigor and enthusiasm. If the younger ones do take hold of it, surely the older ones will not lose their interest. And be sure the interest of the angelic members will never lag. Let us have courage, then, and go steadily forward in this work. If we are beset with trials and apparent defeat, the Father knows it, and we still have the heavenly ones by our side.”
“God has a canvassers’ institute in which all are to receive instruction from him. It is a grand and noble work. If any work is of more importance than another, it is the canvassing work. Yet it is not separate from the other departments of labor, but is in direct sympathy with them, and opens up and prepares the way for other missionary work. God alone knows how soon this ‘everlasting gospel’ might go to the world if all would take hold with a will. There is a call to action. May the love for souls take deep root, and be manifested in corresponding efforts. May every soul now unite in the effort to push the work of God. Step in line, my brother, my sister. God calls you. Have you heard his voice?”
“Satan is constantly leading both the youth and those of mature age to be charmed with worthless stories. Could a share of the books published be consumed, a plague would be stayed that is doing a fearful work in weakening the mind and corrupting the heart. All this trashy reading should be resolutely discarded. We have books containing saving truths. Now is our golden opportunity, and ‘this is the very work the Lord wants his people to do at this time.’”
“This season’s drought following the general drought of last year, has made it very trying on the canvassers in some localities. But in the face of these difficulties nearly all have remained loyal to the work, and the Lord has manifested his appreciation of their faithfulness by showering his blessings upon them. But now copious rains have fallen over a large part of the State, assuring the cotton crop, and brightening prospects generally. We are under renewed obligations to the Giver of these blessings to push the work with greater earnestness, zeal, and perseverance. So just now is a favorable time to enter the canvassing work. I know that many of our people are planning to enter the work some time, but why put it off? Now is the time to be gaining an experience that will fit us for further usefulness in the Lord’s vineyard.”
“I know that canvassing is an important factor in spreading the truth, and I am glad that I am in this work. Although I have encountered circumstances in canvassing that are not the most pleasant I could wish, yet some of the rough edge which appeared to me before and just after I began, I find was simply a production of my imagination. Perhaps there would be more young canvassers in the field if it were not for their exercising this particular power of the mind in that direction to such an extent.”
“The Lord has helped us in our deliveries. We have much for which to be thankful.”
“The Lord is indeed blessing us in our deliveries. The Lutheran minister had told the people not to take the books, and they had agreed among themselves that they would not. However, the Lord has helped us to deliver nearly all thus far. We are having some interesting experiences. How good it is to be able to let the Master work for us, while we stand by and see the victory. I realize that the more we let the Lord do for us, the greater will be our success.”
“The Lord is blessing in his work, and we know that the work done in the name of God is not in vain. The end is surely near. Signs are fast fulfilling around us. May God help us to prove true to our high calling in Christ Jesus.”
“I am glad even when we meet with difficulties; for when we are in trouble, we cry unto God from the bottom of our hearts, and then he can hear.”
“A glance over the few months of this season that are past, shows much of God’s blessing upon the canvassers, notwithstanding the many difficulties that have arisen. A little over two months still remains before the October delivery, and I hope that every loyal worker will remain in the field. We shall meet with difficulties on every hand, but such experiences mean strength and development for future usefulness to those who go forward trusting in God. Gideon’s large army was tried again and again, until only a small portion of those who started remained; but victory depended not upon number, but upon God. So with our work; we may look for success regardless of our number, for the God of heaven is with us. Let us all join in earnest prayer for success in the book work.”
“My little girl, Georgia, aged ten years, has been canvassing for ‘The House We Live In,’ and has taken seven orders in three half-days’ work in the country. She expects to canvass still more, and I trust that she will be an agent.”
May God bless the children, and put into their little hearts a love for this good work. Let us each consecrate our lives more completely than ever before to the service of the Master, that we may have a part in making known to others the truths that he has revealed unto us.
“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” This does not refer to the harvest of wheat, barley, oats, and rye, but to the harvest of souls, which is ‘white already to harvest,’ and ‘he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.’ May God impress us all with the need of consecration to him and his service, that we may go as he leads, regardless of financial loss. ‘Fruit unto life eternal’ is what we are seeking.”
“Our books are doing a great work. Wherever they have been scattered, we find some who are interested in the truth. A few days ago I visited a house where a copy of ‘Daniel and the Revelation’ had been sold. The family had read it, and had loaned it to their neighbors to read. The book was well worn, and had lately been brought back home to be studied more. A number of years ago a copy of ‘Prophecies of Jesus’ was sold in Colorado. It was brought to Kansas, and fell into my hands about five years ago; and as a result, I am to-day rejoicing in the truth.
“Now do you think that those who scattered those pages of truth will have their reward? They certainly will. They may not as yet have seen any results from their work, but they will rejoice when we reach the other shore. So, dear workers, ‘Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’”
“Do you ever feel discouraged? If so, then remember that the Lord still lives, that he loves you, and that this precious truth will soon triumph. Be of good courage!”
“Let us make a strong effort, a pull all together as it were, to spread the printed page like the leaves of autumn. The truth will soon triumph, and how sweet to know that we have had a part in it!”
“Our warfare thus far has been very successful. People wherever we go are hungry to hear the precious truth concerning the second coming of our Lord. We are kindly received, and listened to with great eagerness. In not a few instances have we seen those to whom we were talking, wipe tears from their eyes. O what a great privilege we have of knowing and teaching such grand truths! Let us put forth all our energies for the advancement of this noble cause.”
“I am of good courage in the Lord’s work. I rejoice to know that the work will soon close.”
“Canvassing is the work the Lord called me to do, and I desire to remain in it until the work is finished.”
The following interesting report is from Brother Carscallan, who is canvassing in Ireland:—
“I take pleasure in writing to you from my new field, in which I have labored a little over a week. We stayed three weeks in London, attending the European General Conference, where we heard of the needs of the Eastern world. Then Brother Hartford and I were sent to Belfast, where we expect to stay for a year or two. The brethren here said that we could not sell large quantities of books, but we knew that God could, so we started to work with ‘Home Hand Book,’ and he has abundantly blessed. “We have found this to be a dark and needy field, but we enjoy our work, and hope that others will be impressed to ‘come over, and help us.’ This country is different from America in many ways and we have things to meet that are not known there, but there is one difference, for which we thank God—every Adventist is a worker.”
NELLIE M. PALMER.