p. 21 | An Encouraging Letter

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 24, 1903

An Encouraging Letter

THE following interesting letter shows how one of the State agents is laboring to make the canvassing work a success. Shall we not all hold up the hands of these laborers, and bid them God-speed?

“You say that you are glad to see our State coming to the front in the book work. We are glad if this is true, but it did not seem so to me, there is so much yet to be done. I have only one consolation in the matter, and that is, I have done the best I could. I fully expect to do all I can as long as I remain in the work, and I expect to remain as long as probation lasts. The work never seemed so near my heart as it does now. The God of heaven knows that I love it. I know he has called me to it, and I feel as never before that I must be faithful, and, if possible, redeem the time because the days are evil.

“We have a good interest in our institute. There are ten in the class. I think all are good material. One boy has taken ‘Heralds of the Morning,’ and all the others will canvass for large books,—‘Home Hand-Book,’ ‘Desire of Ages,’ ‘Patriarchs and Prophets,’ ‘Great Controversy,’ and ‘Daniel and the Revelation.’ We are pushing the books that God has said we should push. I believe that when we do this, and work as he directs, he becomes responsible for the results. One man whom I met when I first came here, was traveling for a manufacturing firm in Chicago. I induced him to canvass for ‘Patriarchs and Prophets.’ He is doing excellent

work, and says he fully expects to remain in the work till Jesus comes. We now have three good canvassers in one of the largest cities in our State, besides the work I am doing. I think we shall send out ten from this institute.

“Recently I found a home where one brother had sold ‘Home Hand-Book,’ ‘Desire of Ages,’ ‘Patriarchs and Prophets,’ ‘Heralds of the Morning,’ ‘Coming King,’ and some small books; and I sold in the same house ‘Great Controversy’ and ‘Daniel and the Revelation.’ I shall not be satisfied until we have canvassers located in all parts of the State. What we need here is not money, but men,—men who, like Gideon, have been called of God, and have a sound experience,—men who know what God wants them to do, and who go at it with the determination to win,—men who will work without having their way smoothed, and every obstacle removed,—men who will stand in their places even though the battle does go hard. I am reminded of the experience of the bugler whose captain told him to blow a retreat when his men were being mowed down by the enemy. The boy replied, ‘I don’t know how. I have only learned how to blow the charge.’ ‘Then,’ said the captain, ‘blow a charge,’ and he did, and they gained the victory. Our canvassers are being mowed down by the enemy, but the time has come to blow a charge. God forbid that I should ever blow a retreat. My heart is full of praise to my loving Father for his boundless mercy.”