Personal Work by Others
It mufit not be understood that this indiovidttd work by an individual, in behalf of souls, as described in this volume, is in any sense unique or excepdoncd. VfhSke it is liefe offered as personal testimony, it is here referred to as the kind of vroik that has had power in behalf of souls from thebeginnhig, and lihat is Ukdy to be modt effective as long as God is ijod, and as souls are souls.
For examte, the preachers who are known as most souls to Christ are not preachers wko’exped: to wm souls in a great congregation by thdr and fervid appeals from the pulpk, but they are those who feel that the “Inquiiyneeting/* Of tfie after-meeting which follows Ihdr beist piaaching services, has chief value in Its enabling them to get t» fiice with the needy sinner who is present in his needs. This has been so for centuries with the evangelists and revivalists of most prominence and effectiveness. Any “evangelist*’ who &iled to give this evidence of his appreciation of the power of an individual with individuals for Christ and his cause, would be a fidlure in all his evangelistic labors. This conviction, indeed, is the test of the preacher’s interest in individual souls, and of his determination to win them.
A stationary fog-horn has its value on a reef, or a rocky shore, as a warning to those who approach the point of danger. We must not say that this mode of sounding an alarm has no value, but we cannot suppose that a fog-horn, however clear its sound or well worked its mechanism, can fill the place of a coast guard of trained life-savers, who are on the watch to put out with their well-manned life-boat to save endangered single souls. There are different ways of working for individual souls.
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Some of these ways are better than others but all of them are a great deal better than none.
More than thirty years ago, I was present at a meeting of clergymen of different denominations, where a proposition was being considered of inviting a well-known “evangelist” to conduct a series of “revival meetings” in the community. Some of these clergymen criticized the methods of work and the manner of this evangelist By and by a clergyman who was something of a sacramentarian in his views and practices, and therefore least likely to be in sympathy with revival methods, surprised all present by saying, earnestly:
‘You will understand that the public methods of this man, in his work, are not such as I myself should incline to; but I want to bear testimony to his fidelity to his Master in all his life course. I was his fellow-student in college. I knew him well there, and I can speak understanding of his ways. In all the four years of his coU 153 legt eoorse no student cod be six weeks tbeire widiotit having, txp meet aqaaxdy the question of his personal relations to Christi in consequence of the Itstvihg; aitd ealHestappesS^ at that fbUovirer of Cht I iamw more thim <»ie who wias thus iaSueiiced by hi. In my own case I wais a skeptic when I eicred cottcge and I had little thoti|^ on ib subject of relyon aaay. But fhaifi man’s appeals I had ta meet, and I cduld not reskt them. It is. in contsequice of his fitithfulness that my 1^ is given to the Chffisfciafl ministry And now, whateither I think of that matns public Christian Method I cannot but be gsatefwd for his personal fidelity to his Master and ours.’’
Those of us who beard that ttiJzuDiny in behalf of one who was iajthfol as an individitel to iitdividusd soul% could not but feel that, apart from the question of die wc5di3tn of his ordinafy piuUic methods for Christ, his ^irit of fiuthfuluess commanded our resbet and aroval The true seeker after soQls is too earnest in his work to be willing to divide his energies among more than one. That soul he loves, and that soul he must have.
And it seemed to me, as I listened to this testimony as to that man’s faithfulness to individuals for Christ, and as I thought over the matter afterwards, that his life choice of the work of an evangelist, or revivalist, may have pivoted on his success as an individual worker for individuals. As he had found that addressing a multitude did not win a multitude, but that appealing to an individual did often win the individual, may he not have chosen that kind of min* isterial work which gave most prominence to work with individuals for Christ? As a worko* for individuals, he had prominence in Christ’s service, in widely different fields, for a whole generation.
Another example of persistence in work for individual souls, which impressed me profoundly, was in another than the college sphere, although in the same earnest sfurit Soon lAer the Civil War, while enlistments »55 ltltpflull tmotit
for the r^ular army were still going on in different parts of the country, in order to bring tip that army to its specified numbers on the peace basis, young officers, with a good record of service and of known efficiency, were assigned to this duty, and some of these officers did good work for Christ as well as for country.
One such young officer was in turn assigned to several New England cities, and made his mark for his Master in all of these fields of action and influence. Having the true idea of work for many as best done through work for one, he pressed that idea in all that he did, or that he urged others to do. His profession as a soldier led him to fed that the best way of winning recruits is by enlisting one man at a time, rather than by trying to win a roomful by a patriotic speech.
In each city to which he was assigned
he naturally went to the Young Men’s
Christian Association as a hopeful center
and starting-point There he usually 9et0onal TUlovli bs Otbcte
found the weekly prayer-meeting as per* haps the highest point of spiritual devotion. But this was, to his mind, too much after the pattern of an ordinary church service, where the congregation was largely of church - members and church-goers, while he wanted to reach those who were still outside, but who were compelled to come in, against their ordinary preferences and inclinations. Hence to this work he vigorously set himself at once.
Going into such a prayer-meeting, early in the evening, at one time, he asked the leaders how many persons had been sought out from the highways and byways that evening. On being told that nothing of the sort had been done, he asked that all should kneel at once in prayer, offering an ejaculation of consecration to this service, and of petition for help in this service, and then all should scatter to the street comers and drinking-places and gambling-houses, seeking souls, and urging them to come in where they could be helped. Fifteen min- 157
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ute9 or more later they were to return to the Association rooms, and then thqr might have a hopeful prayer-meeting there. The first experiment was an eminent suc<^ cess, and its every repetition seemed an improvement on this. More of those for whom they had there hoped and prayed were gathered in in a single evening, under this plan of work, than under the old plan, or the no plan, in any one year before.
Of course, the good results of this kind of effort were a surprise to those who had supposed that being willing to pay for a seat in church, or being willing to look up for themselves a regular religious service, was an essential preliminary to being a hopeful member of a regular congregation. This has been so, in fact, for centuries. In this case gamblers gave up gambling, drunkards gave up drinking, scoffers gave up scoffing, doubters gave up doubting, and those who had been counted as outcasts became glad and grateful followers of the Lord Jesus, urging their old associates to receive life in-
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stead of death, as they had already accepted it. In one instance a rumseller, influenced by his now rescued customers, abandoned his vile pursuit and became an active re* cruiting officer for the Captain of his Salva* doa Such results as this are natural when souls are sought one at a time by one who is in loving, living earnestness, intent in pursuit of that one souL
Such a teacher as this, in such a work as this, was a power for good over those whom he iniired tad led in it He did ilot propose to do all the work which he pointed out He simply convinced them that this was the way for its doing, and thai he left them to do it Those who had never before thought of this method of work took hold of it gladly and effectively under his direction. One of my army comrades whom I had been privileged to lead to Christ while in the army, told me of his eqperience in this man-to-man soul-hunting. He had kneeled in prayer in the Young Men’s Christian Association rooms, and now «S9
InDMdual WiotJi
he was seeking souls. As he stood opposite a saloon he saw a young man, whom he had never seen before, apparently about going in. He stood at the turning of the ways. The story my friend told me was:
“I tapped him on the shoulder. As he turned inquiringly to me, I said, * Come, go with me, and I’ll do you good.’*’
“Where do you want me to go?” he
asked.
“It’s a prayer-meeting of young men, I’ve got good there, and I want you to get the same.”
“A prayer-meeting! I’m not dressed
for prayer-meeting.”
“You’re dressed enough. The Lord looketh not on the outward appearance. The Lord looketh on the heart”
And then the recruiting officer for Christ drew his arm through the other’s arm, and led him in the right way. In the Association rooms that new recruit rose, and told of his wish to serve Christ, and he asked to be prayed for by tJiose present And that 16o pet0onat Wotk be 9tb€ts
was the beginning of a new life for him. And this was only one instance among many.
Of the work of this worker for Christ and for single souls I knew much in varied and widely different fields. In addition to all that he did for souls, he did yet more in leading others to work in this way for Christ Several of these were, at the time of his meeting them, young men who were in preparation for the Christian ministry. They learned fi-om him the great truth that it is better to work for one than for many. After that, not even a theological seminary could mislead them into the idea that it is better to appeal to a great congregation of those whom you cannot get at, than to address a single soul face to face and make a direct issue with him.
These two instances of the student evangelist and of the army recruiting officer have been of themselves satis&ctory proof that the ordinary and conventional working for souls in the mass is not the best way, and that the best way is a better way. 16i
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And my own experioice of half a centuiy has tended to the same condusion, in spite of my many shortcomings smd ^iittres.
The real question is not, ‘’Is this the best time for a personal word for Christ? “but it is ‘’Am I willing to improve this time for Christ, and for a precious soul, whether it is the best time or not?” If the Christian waits imtil the sinner gives sign of a desire for help, or until the Christian thinks that a loving word to the sinner will be most timely, he is not likely to begin at all. The only safe rule for his guidance — if indeed a Christian needs a specific rule as a gide — is to speak lovingly of Christ and of Christ’s love for the individual whenever one has an opportunity of choosing his subject of conversation in an intennew with an individual who may be in special need, yet who has given no special indication of it. This seems to have been Paul’s idea in his counsel to young Timothy: ‘* Preach the word; be in- ut in season, out of season; bring td the 16a petMM tmotlt be 9tbctB
proof, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffer* ing and teaching.” The most important of all themes of converse would seem to be wordiy of prominence in comparison with others. But does it ordinarily have this among Christians?
Wh«i, on one occasion, I had spoken on this subject at a Students’ Conference in Northfidd, a well-known Christian business man gave me an incident out of his own experience that well illustrates the truth I would here emphasize. He was on his way to an international convention of Young Men’s Christian Associations in Montreal. As the train approached that city, a bright young man came into the car as a representative of a prominent hotel in Moieal, seeking guests for his hostelry. My friend inquired as to the location and advantages of the house, in view of the heat of summer, then prevailing. At once the young man waxed eloquent over the subject, and fairly convinced his hearer that Uus was the place for him. 163
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As my informant arranged for a room there, he asked pleasantly the zealous advocate:
My young friend, are you a follower at Jesus?*”
I can’t say I am, sir,” was the rqdy.
“Well, if you were in Christ’s service, and would plead as earnestly for his cause as you do for the hotel you now represent, you Would be a valuable helper to your Master, and you might do a great deal of good to others. I wish you were in Christ’s service, using your powers for him.”
The young man passed on through the car, and my friend went his way to the city, having simply said this word for his Master, as was his wont It did not seem to be an exceptionally hopeful occasion, but who can tell?
Several years passed My friend sat, one day, in his private office in a New England city. As he called out a question to some one in the hallway, his pleasant voice soimded through the building. Almost immediately a strange young man appeared at the office door, and said:
“Excuse me, sir; but may I ask did you not attend a convention in Montreal, about the first of July, a few summers ago?”
‘*Yes, I did, as I well remember; but what of that?’*
“Do you remember speaking to a young man on the cars, and telling him you wished he would work for Jesus as faithfully as he was then working for a hotel in Montreal?”
**I think I do, now that you recall it**
“Well, / cannot forget it Your words rang in my ears. They resulted in bringing me into the service of Jesus, and now I am trying to speak words for him wherever I go. Being in this city on business to* day, I came into this building [where were the rooms of the Young Men’s Christian Association], and as I was near your door I heard that voice which has been sounding in my memory all these 16s years, and I have come to thank you for what you have done for me.”
That delegate to the International Convention of Youi^ Men’s Christian Associations did more by his word to an individual for Christ than if he had made half a dozen eloquent addresses in the convention* That is a fact to be borne in mind by all. Is it not worth while to be remembered pleasantly, as speaking lovingly for Jesus to those whom we meet in our daily life? Why should any of us fail of saying the words, day by day, that may be thus remembered as having honored our Master, and as having hdped those whom Christ loves?