THE NATURE, IMPORTANCE, AND TRUE NOBILITY OF THE CANVASSING WORK.
By George Ide Butler
Having written in the previous articles something concerning canvassing in earlier stages of the message, and what had been accomplished by it something over a decade ago, I will consider in this article canvassing itself, and what it is designed to accomplish. I shall speak of it as it is connected with our special work as an agency for advancing what we call “present truth,” as a preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, by those believing that grandest of all events to be near, even at the door. What is canvassing? It is defined, To go about to solicit votes, orders, subscriptions, or the like; traverse a district (or region) for inquiry or in the effort to obtain something; solicit the support of a constituency by personal, individual interview, as to canvass a territory for a subscription book.” This definition, of course, is general in its nature, and it includes more than our kind of canvassing; but canvassing among us relates to the circulation of literature to benefit our fellow men, and to save them from eternal ruin at last. It includes more than the sale of our literature. Properly understood, it includes such character, conduct, and demeanor in the living canvasser as will impress the one canvassed that there is something more than the love of money in the motive prompting the canvasser in his efforts to secure the sale of literature. In short, no one will make a true success in canvassing for Seventh-day Adventist literature unless so actuated by the Spirit of Christ that he will impress the one being canvassed that he is on a far higher plane than the ordinary canvasser who simply canvasses for the money there is in it. In short, the canvasser for our literature, before he can hope for genuine success in our work, must be a truly converted man. The characteristics necessary for true success cannot be merely put on. There must be genuine heart work, brought about by the spirit of God, till the heart is changed by the love of Christ, our natural selfishness gives place to the love that was in Christ Jesus, and the canvasser is so imbued with the spirit of the Master that a good influence will be left upon the one canvassed wherever he goes. This blessed influence, pervading the canvasser, will greatly increase his proficiency, and make the people glad to meet him, and welcome him whenever he returns to them, and helps to develop openings for the special religious work that we hope will follow the canvassing work. Their success, then, is not merely the money success involved in the sale of our literature. The canvassing work is pioneer work on a self-supporting basis, ever keeping in mind the shedding abroad of light, precious light from God, for the present and eternal good of those receiving it. Canvassing in this sense, therefore, is just as really a part of true ministry in the cause of truth as that of him who stands in the desk, and speaks the words of life to an audience. Therefore, every canvasser should be and must be filled with the divine spirit in order to truly perform the work in which he is engaged. This consideration lifts the canvassing work to a higher plane than that of the ordinary canvasser, who is actuated solely by the sordid love of the money there is in it. The one is laboring for a selfish object, the other for the good of souls for whom Christ died—the same object really that prompted our Lord to come from heaven to save a fallen race. In the vast and grand work before us of enlightening the earth with God’s truth, preparatory to the appearing of Jesus to save his people, the canvassing work must figure most prominently. Indeed, in some essential particulars, it must needs do a work the ordinary ministerial labor cannot do. In the labors of the ministry, the people are invited to2come out and listen to the sermons delivered. The minister seeks to interest the people, and convince them of the truthfulness and importance of that which is preached, which, if received into the heart, will work a wonderful transformation in their lives and characters, and fit them for a higher, nobler existence. This is a blessed, noble work, that must never be neglected. But it must be obvious to even a casual observer that only a comparatively small number of the earth’s population will ever come out to listen to courses of lectures. There are large numbers of people so situated that they could not attend the preaching services if they desired to do so; many others who have no desire whatever to attend because of prejudice, and the evil reports in circulation against us, which they suppose to be true, and because of the efforts of the ministers and religious bodies in whom they have confidence who do everything possible to keep all away over whom they can exert an influence; besides, there are multitudes so located in our world that it is about impossible to reach them by public labors and direct religious efforts. Yet there are among these many precious souls just as worthy, and just as conscientious, and just as valuable as those who come into the truth through courses of lectures. In what way can we reach these classes? The canvassing work in various forms will be the leading agency in warning the world of Christ’s coming, and spreading abroad the truths of the message. If people will not or cannot voluntarily come out to listen in the public congregations, the Lord has designed that we should hunt out these precious jewels by personal effort, and canvassing is one of the most important, valuable, and economical methods of reaching them. Our literature is a mighty agency in God’s providence by which the light of truth can be spread abroad throughout the earth. There is no such literature elsewhere in our world. It is a treasure we as a people must highly prize. Clear light from the heavenly world is now furnished in almost every conceivable form to be disseminated by means of the canvasser, colporteur, and the voluntary efforts of our membership. The trained, devoted, intelligent canvasser, fully instructed and equipped for the blessed work, goes forth with our high class of literature, asking no regularly paid salary, and trusting in God and his or her own devoted labors for success. This, dear brethren, is God’s great and mighty agency for hunting out the precious jewels from the rubbish and earthliness, and also for gathering them to be bright stars in our Saviour’s crown of rejoicing. Some have felt that canvassing was not a very noble or exalted work, one not to be compared in excellency with the work of the preacher. They have thought that to stand in the public desk, and talk to the public congregation of Jesus and his love, to charm and instruct by public effort, was the very acme of service in the cause of Christ. That work, if done with faithfulness, love, devotion, and with consecrated motives, is indeed a noble work, and will receive its blessed reward. What is the true measure of excellency in the work of service in the cause of Christ? Is it not the degree of love we may possess, the willingness to sacrifice our ease, our pleasure, our means, the Christian bravery with which we grapple with seeming insurmountable difficulties, and through living faith overcome them? Is it not that “ready-for-either” spirit to give our lives and be sacrificed on the altar of Christ, or bravely, faithfully, and patiently, toil on, bearing the yoke of Christ, ever faithful unto the end of our probation? To illustrate: Is there no difference in the degree of excellency between the ordinary preacher and the minister who honestly seeks to labor for perishing souls, and preaches with earnestness the truths of the Word, and engages with zeal in private labor to advance the cause of Christ? The first might have accomplished much more had his soul been wholly imbued with Christ’s earnestness. He might have saved many more precious souls. The other cast in his whole being into the Saviour’s cause. It cannot be denied that the great mass of the true ministry of Christ are in the former class, and but a very small number comparatively are in the latter class. When we see such love as the martyrs manifested, or a Livingstone exhibited, and scores of others who have gone out among the heathen nations of earth to rescue the perishing, giving their lives cheerfully for Christ’s sake in order to reach the lost and ignorant, the love of the ordinary minister, though an earnest man, seeking to do some good, seems very small. The last days of darkness, of love of ease, of selfishness, and of creature comforts is a sad period just ahead. This period will be a school in which to develop the earnest devotions of Christ, of Paul, and of the martyrs. How full the ranks of our canvassers would be, were this earnest Christ spirit pervading every heart in our denomination! What a vast field of usefulness opens out before us in which almost any person can be a coworker with Christ in saving3fallen men! The world is to be warned. The precious jewels are to be gathered out of earth’s rubbish, to shine in the Master’s crown. These shall live through the eternal ages in bliss and joy forevermore. The canvassing work calls for the very highest form of purity, self-sacrifice, true devotion, self-denial, and true godliness. There can be no higher, nobler calling than that of the person who is willing to go forth in the Master’s name to search for the honest who will accept light and truth contained in our blessed publications. May God stir the hearts of our people to engage in this noble work.