THE WAY TO WORK by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 14, 1882

THE WAY TO WORK.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

The formation of such habits as will mold the character and make it acceptable to God, is the essential part of the Christian religion. The redeemed will finally be saved because they have formed righteous characters. As the physical system partakes of the nature of the food which sustains it, so our characters are affected by what our minds feed upon. If a person dwells upon unbecoming darkness, doubt, and wickedness, his conscience will become defiled, his imagination impure, and his whole character will bear the impress of these evil principles. Those who will be translated when Christ comes in the clouds of heaven, will be those whose whole souls desire heaven and heavenly things. Honesty, moral integrity, and uprightness, will be the themes of their meditation and their delight.

Our publishing interests are the right arm of our power. To engage in the dissemination of the knowledge of present truth is to directly co-operate with angels and the Spirit of God. Let the mind become absorbed in this work, and it will elevate the soul. That which is impure, unlovely, evil reports, and the like, will fade from the mind; an anxiety to benefit others will take their place, and thus the character will become Christian.

In view of these facts, the work of the colporter and the canvasser becomes closely allied to that of the ministry; for the canvasser who is successful in the sale of our publications must come in close contact with other minds, and learn how successfully to reach the people. He would have very poor success, could he not gain the confidence of the persons whose patronage he solicits. If he is unable to avoid giving offense either by words or deportment, he should conclude that he has mistaken his calling, for he will inevitably meet with failure. He must be pleasing in his address, meeting incivility and insult with a kind and courteous spirit.

Whatever the character of the work offered for sale by the canvasser, he becomes inspired with the subject it contains. If it treats upon some worldly topic, he partakes of the same spirit. It is his theme by day and by night. Not a few canvassers have embraced the Sabbath, but, like many ministers who have come into our ranks from other denominations, their former experience, instead of fitting them to engage in this work, has given them a wrong mold of character. When the Illinois Conference voted to give a brother in that State a license he said, “If you want a Presbyterian sermon, I can give one; but I am too old to change my habits so as ever to learn how to preach present truth and interest the people.” Putting “new wine into old bottles” works no better in the nineteenth century than in our Saviour’s time.

There are scores of young men and women in every Conference who might gain a valuable experience by canvassing for some useful work. It would be a stepping-stone to some greater field of usefulness. The introduction of the truth by lawful means into any family, is a work worthy of the aspirations of any Christian. All cannot preach, but there are many who would become successful preachers by having an experience in dealing with minds, and in awakening an interest in the truth sufficient to create a sale for books and periodicals treating upon it. In fact, there are many ministers whose usefulness would have been far greater had their social faculties been cultivated by canvassing. However, the benefit derived would depend very much upon the nature of the book for which they canvass.

To become imbued with the spirit of that which would lead the mind away from God, would wholly unfit the person for usefulness in his service. There are works not denominational, but yet useful, which would give the right mold to the experience thus gained.

The health reform sustains the same relation to the cause of present truth that the right hand does to the body. Publications upon this subject can be canvassed for, and in this way a missionary spirit encouraged; also there is no better work for this purpose than “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.” We have a special work to do, a specific object before us, and we hope that none will be turned aside from those paths which will make them useful in the cause of our divine Lord.

S. N. HASKELL.