Other Talks About Personal Work

Northfield is a unique field of influence. Its audience stands all by itself. It is not a miscellaneous gathering, but an assemblage of picked Christian workers, — of those who are excellent in spirit, who want to be profited themselves, and to help others to profit, and who ask only directions as to how they can best do this. I had often said that talking to an ordinary audience is like sowing seed broadcast, but that talking to a Northfield Students’ Conference is like handing out select packages of choice seed to planters in the spring of the year. This truth was never impressed on my mind more positively than in connection with my first talk at Northfield about the duty and advantages of personal work for souls, and the aftermath of that 137

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talky or of that evening’s distribution of seed among the young planters.

I have mentioned that students of the several colleges and universities represented that year at Northfield took action that very night to secure Christian work of that sort in their loved fields of influence and action. But this be it understood, was not the end, but the beginning, of their activities of this sort, as stimulated by what they had been told of the possibilities of such effort At once I found myself in correspondence on the subject with those near and &r, and I was asked to visit dif ferent colleges in order to help to arouse students there who were not present at Northfield when the subject was first presented. Indeed, I soon realized that the young planters whom I had met at Northfield were already doing many times as much for Christ as I had done in years, and for this I was grateful to the Lord of the harvest

Soon after this I was invited to be pres- 138

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ei at the New England Students’ Conference, at MiddletQwn, Gornificticut There was here, in one sense an advantagis over Nofthfield in tlmt fewer were present, so that I came nearer to the one individual. Here foi the first time I met Robert E. Speer, at that time of Princeton. This was a blessing to be gteful for for a lifetime. If I have not done more and better for Chiist since then I akme am to blame. His personality and example ought to have been an inspiratimi and a help to me. I think that thqr have been., At Middletiolrn, as at Northfield, there -wa5.af!rreckpus aftermath of the sowings on the subject of personal Christian work. Individuals came to me for counsed and suggestion as to particular cases in which they inhere interested, and concerning which they were determined to do their duty, so tihatlfelt that my best work was done after I hafd sjfokm, not while I was speaking. ;Tte obrious coasitfences for good from Ahepfoacntinf of the subject at both places 139

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are still open and progressing. And thus it is with God’s work always. The best is yet to come.

After this I was invited to Princeton by T. H. Powers Sailer, then an undergraduate of the university. My first visit to Northfield had been to accompany him to the Students’ Conference, because of my deqp interest in his wd&re. He was ready to lead actively in individual work for Christ in Princeton, and to stimulate his fellow-students to such action. Here, as at other places, whatever I said in favor of this line of action was sure to be followed by fi-esh activities in good work by men who were prepared Tor better work than I could do. My first visit to Princeton in this line was followed by other visits, and individual work for Christ was multiplied there as elsewhere.

Then I was invited to spend a Sunday at Yale. A. A. Stagg, the Christian athlete, prominent in the College Young Men’s Christian Association work, had been with

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me at Northfield and I found him ready to lead actively in this individual work for Christ in Yale. The fact that my son was then an under- graduate in Yale naturally intensified my interest in the work in that university. Again and again I visited Yale, and counseled with Stagg and others as to the prosecution of this work, and as to the case of particular individuals in whom the workers had become interested. And thus the work seemed to grow in importance, and the spheres of activity to multiply, month by month.

There were, from time to time, different gatherings in Philadelphia which I was invited to address on this subject, and which I was glad to attend. Thus, on several occasions, I met young volunteers for the foreign missionary cause, and talked the matter over with them, answering various practical questions that they asked in connection with what I had said as a result of my own experience. Here, as at Northfield and Princeton, young Dr. Sailer was 141 the means of my entering m open door of infltKnoe, and lie was a leader in all tiat was done or planned fer.

An occasion of ^edal intenst to me was a coftfaFence, in Phibddphiay of Young Women’s Chiistian Associations. This included representatives from Wdlesley, Smith CoUoge, Mt Holyoke, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, and simMar institutions of Christian learning. I was invited to address these on the srfiject of personal Christian work. After my address I was yied with questionSy perhaps more freely than on any former like <occ&^<m. By these questions I was compelled to consider phases of the possible, or desirable, work that I had not encountered is my own experience but Ihat I was glad to tUnk’tffand talk about The very questions thenssdves, in many cases, gaveevi<fence that these young women were roused to the fmpoitimce of such wodk, and were seeking he best way for its doing.

A few years after my first addvess on personal watk, at Noithfidd bb prompted

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ta it by young Studd’s talK Mr. Moody waa irk Eurcqp ia the sommor aad, of course, could not heppent at theStudcntt’ Confereneei He had airanged, however diat hta ic(^ t the head of that confer* ence, ^louJd be token l JoJbn R. Mottv assisted by Robei;t£.Speer* Theaeworicers asked me to be with them in Nortbfield during the Qonference and to repeat my taUc about personal UKurJu This I gladly arranged to do

Mr« Mott; in {atroducing me, again, to the students, spoke of the new activities in AmeriicaA coBieges of personal, or invidual, work for souls as dating from the first talk on that subjiect from the plattformurihere he stood. As there wem mai students now present who did not hear that first talk» he desired its. substance* to he heaird by them, in order that: they migfat be aroused to sfanflar activiQr as thdr fellow stodents wcsre alreac engagfed iv. And. thus it was that I came to give asecoad taUc on personal work for souls at Korthfield Hi lnivittal Tmotlt

This second talk on the subject, at Northfield, brought a fresh and unexpected gathering of spiritual aftermath, which I ought to profit by. Possibly because I had shown in my recital of experiences that I took a special interest in the troubles and needs of individuals with whom I had to do, some of the students who were present came to Mr. Mott and Mr. Speer, and asked whether I would probably be willing to hear them as to their individual spiritual doubts or needs, and to give them counsel accordingly.

To this request I gave a glad and hearty response of assured welcome to all who would seek my counsel and aid. Of course, this was in the line of the work I was talking about One man was more than the many, however, to be reached. Mr. Mott accordingly announced, from the platform, the next day, that I would welcome, at my room inTheNorthfield, any student who desired my help about any phase of the Chris*

tian life. This welcome I would gladly 144

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give to all at any hour, either earlier or later, when the Conference was not in session.

Just here I want to emphasize an important truth, that not always has its right place in labors for the spiritual wel&re of souls. Seeking to win an outside soul for Christ is not to be counted a superior work to that of seeking to draw a believer closer to Christ, or of upbuilding in Christ one who is already his follower. Christ is to be considered, as well as those who are, or are to be, his followers. What is best for him and his cause is worth thinking of, in the efforts of his re{»’esentatives. The needs of his dear ones are also not to be lost sight oil A cup of cold water to one who is Christ’s is to be recognized as a gift precious to Christ

This truth was impressed on my mind in my army life, and it is one that every old soldier will be prompt to recognize. What counted in active service was not the number of raw recruits, but the number of U5 dbdptlned wddiers. Veteiuns, Imttienecl in watftsre, toihened by dtffl and nmrcSi, and steadied by experience under fire, were not iito iie catkoqited, mm far mamn niStfa fresh rmruits joftvntisted; tbty ware often as ten ito one. J^ old regimenlt otme Imhflredaien woidd wamid tto s be valued by tiieaex)mmander,a8 word mone in bat* tte than a new T^timcnt; et hundred strong in the ranks, whlQh had never been tted’Or its worth made known and improved, it was o in Ihe days oT ancient Ismd. Itisaotstm. Men were counteri not by m#ne numbersi but t timr solid wotA. ‘Seven htnndked iisen men Idttianded; etmvy one ootdd sling stones nt an hairbfeadth, «nd not miss;” these were a power mvaa in comparison widi “‘twenty and six thousand men thaft draw sword” I!7ot winning: mor men, but {mprcwing men ^sdready in service, teik most cflfecthpely.

Wink fs wanted ‘in Chrislfs serrfcetoay is “not fnore men, but more man;” pai»l it is

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the pffv9egeolthet)ciiQvar 4^ hdp tacabe the sitandaf d, in ef&rik and ladthod, xpf h viduafl believers. Those %sHc6 wltii indIL viduals at NortMdd, on nay second sit Iherey’werelSiefnedtiflfterafingAiid prpfittdjle tpr any telks <wi(h individiiab th I ever had. Yet net one ofdieoe talks was jIo show a man the waiy to Chflt They were to med: doiAfts, ^imd to <5imnoiint difficulties, and toxledde as to the special way of thity. IfIhdped)lhersbymywordS)Iain glad. I know that I was hdped in my ^flfbftstolielp.

Occasionally a single dhnrch, in tity or country, tries the plan of ‘syrtematfc ^sltation for the purpose of evangeSism. Sitt usually *tiits work is deemed an exceptional meod, not to be refied on as lumng aiqr real value in comparison with ‘the started means of grace.’’ Yet isons are to be learned by us all from some of tbeae occasional experiments.

At one time I passed a Sunday in Ae 147 ltl^MMal nock

home of a superintendent of a village Sunday-school in Connecticut It was a humble home, back in the country, and no member of the &mily seemed to have had any special educational advantages. Yet not only the spiritual atmosphere of that home, but its religious exercises and methods, were such as to command my respect, and to make me wish to commend them to others. This led me to ask how all this came about, and, in consequence, I learned this instructive stoty.

The church of which this man was a member was an ordinary Connecticut church, not given to new things, but keephig on, year after year, in its tried and approved course. But in some way it had been led to try the experiment of having every family in the congregation, or parish, visited by appropriate members of the church for religious conversation. Possibly it was in connection with the labors of an evangelist, but of that I am not sure* My host, who was now the superintendent, 148

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was then not a member of the church, nor was any one of his &mily. He had heard of this proposed movement, and as he sat in his home one day he saw one of the deacons and another church-member drive up to the house and get out for a call So far from having any special interest in this, he spoke jokingly of it But when the deacon was in the home of that man and his wife, speaking with them for Christ as he had never spoken before, they felt the power of his words, and when he knelt with them in prayer they were ready to commit themselves to the Saviour in a sense of need and trust Their Christian life was started at that time by that individual word to them, as all the sermons and pulpit appeals for years before had not influenced or been felt by them. From that hour that was a Christian household, every child feeling its influence for good. And soon that new comer into the kingdom at middle life was chosen superintendent of the Sunday-school because he was 149

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a better xmm for it than any man wha had beeft traiAed ftom chUdhood ia the church. S(^ impre9aedw9fi I bjr his methods in fatmly w€ffahip ths I adopted theia ia my own haoie Qo«imefided them to others, who Here glad tfit adopt thei% ^md incorpoffied theoi. a3 models for imtotion ia volumes where I treated the subject Yet tbqr weDe bis own method, oriemted by himself he neer haviagi beeA iiidiructed m thesie methods or any otheiu With all the ajdvaitfasies. that immisfeally come Gram, eady traimng in conventiooal and afgproved practice there ae certain advantage that accrtue from a fresh way of lookmg at truth by one who has just come, to apfi«^end the truth as the tru, is in Christ And every wise believer will he: rea<i to admit that it is better to win cme soul by an anconveiional andod|^nal method than to address a thousand soutshi the most eUnment and approved method withoivt. winning one soul. It ia the winning of! sends, not the trying an iq^oved method tiial tdlsw. 150