HOW ONE OF OUR WELL-KNOWN EVANGELISTS TAKES HOLD OF “CHRIST’S OBJECT LESSONS”
Some of our workers have thought that they were wasting their time in canvassing for “Christ’s Object Lessons,” but one, at least, of our well-known workers, whom the Lord has greatly blessed in his labors from one end of the country to the other, feels that no work which God says should be done is too small for him to undertake. Elder Ballenger realizes that success in the work depends upon the possession of the Spirit, and loves to do the thing which should be done. To be able to say, “Come on, brethren,” is much better than to say, “Go on, and God bless you.” As ministers we must put our shoulders to the wheel, and lift with all our might. God wants men who will do something, and do it with their might. Less talk and more good, hard work must be our motto in the message. Let everybody read the following letter carefully, and be blessed in reading it:— “Dear Brother Magan: Your good letter, followed by the pledge blanks, is received. As to pledges, I am not situated so as to help you in the manner you suggest. There is not a Sabbath-keeper in this city or in the surrounding country. We have been sent here to break the ice, yes, worse, we have been sent to a field that has been worked without success. Though we may disappoint you in the matter of securing pledges from the churches, we hope not to disappoint you in the matter of taking orders for the book, ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.’ We have thirty-eight orders on our list thus far. I canvass in the forenoon while Belle looks after the little girl and the housework, and she canvasses in the afternoon while I attend to the housework and other duties. We are running a pretty even race so far as orders are concerned, but at present I am a little ahead. “The morning I began the work, I showed the book in six homes, and took five orders, and one request to call again, which resulted in an order later. Besides this, I had four seasons of prayer with the people. I am carrying the same spirit of personal work into my canvassing that I followed in camp-meeting work. I am having some refreshing seasons with the people. If the themes of the book are rightly presented, the way will almost always be paved for a few moments of prayer. Every vestige of the atmosphere of the ordinary book agent will be dispelled in this manner, and the dignity of the divine Teacher will accompany the work. “Yours faithfully,
“A. F. Ballenger.”