The Colportage Association

The Church is God’s hospice, where He distributes bread and wine to refresh the weary, and entertains wayfarers that else had been lost in the storm. The Church is God’s hospital, into which He takes the sick, and there He nourishes them till they renew their youth like the eagles. It is God’s great Pharos, with its lantern flashing forth a directing ray, so that wanderers far away may be directed to the haven of peace. But mind, it must be God’s Church, and not man’s. — C. H. Spurgeon.

THE object of this association is the increased circulation of religions and JicaltJiy literature among all classes, in order to counteract the evil of the vicious publications which abound, and which lead to much immoralit)’, crime, and neglect of religion.

This object is carried out in a twofold manner:

First, by means of Christian colporteurs, who are paid a fixed salary, and devote all their time to the work, visiting every accessible house with Bibles and good books and periodicals for sale, and performing other missionary services such as visitation of the sick and d)’ing, and conducting meetings and open-air services as opportunities occur. This is the most important method, enabling the colporteur to visit every part of the district regularly.

Second, by means of book agents, who canvass for orders for periodicals and supply them month by month; these receive a liberal percentage on the sales to remunerate them for their trouble.

The association is unsectarian in its operations, “doing work for the friends of a full and free gospel anywhere and everywhere.”

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

In a recent sermon on ‘* Books,” the following striking passage appears: ‘’ The printing-press is the mightiest agency on earth for good or evil. The position of a minister of religion standing in his pulpit is a responsible position, but it does not appear so responsible a position as that of the editor and the publisher.

Men die, but the literary influences they project go on for ever. I believe that God has made the printing-press to be a great agent in the world’s correction and evangelization, and that the great final battle of the world will be fought, not with guns and swords, but with types and presses, a gospellized and purified literature triumphing over and trampling under foot and crushing out a corrupt literature. God speed the cylinders of an honest, intelligent, aggressive. Christian printing-press!”

To wage this warfare against pernicious literature is the work in which this and kindred associations engage. The printing-press produces the peaceful weapons and ammunition, while the colporteur is the Christian soldier who carries them into the conflict. He fires not at random, but, selecting his ground and opportunity, aims at the enemy now a Bible or Testament, then an attractively illustrated periodical or interesting book, or, failing to find a purchaser, will present a tract with a word in season, accompanied by silent prayer. The accompanying reports speak of many peaceful victories thus won. The circulation of hurtful periodicals and books is immense, but the association thankfully records that during the past year it has put into circulation a total of 396,291 books and periodicals to the gross value of $37,875, while no less than 630,993 visits to families have been made by the colporteurs, who have also conducted 6,745 religious services, besides frequently praying with the sick and d’ing.

The colporteurs are frequently told that but for their visits a large number of the people upon whom they call would be entirely neglected by any of the ordinary methods or agencies employed.

Reports from Superintendents, &e., in Distriets.

The Rev. D. W. Purdon writes: “The colporteur sticks to his work like a limpet to the rock. Patiently, perseveringly, and I believe very prayerfully, he goes on, increasingly acceptable among those among whom he labors, and in every way satisfactorily to those whose eyes are interestedly on him and his work.

“I see that during the past eleven months he has sold Bibles, 94; Testaments, 140; books, 4,947; magazines, 2,721; packets.

cards, &c., 320: total, 8,222. And he has visited 773 families, held 78 services, and distributed 4,620 tracts.

“Now, considering the character of his sphere, and the times we have been passing through, I consider this a good eleven months’ work, which speaks for itself. I cannot say more.”

R. V. S. Griffith, who has had some years’ practical experience of the working of colportage, writes: “I can only say that we have a very active and earnest colporteur; he works hard and finds a great pleasure in his work, carrying a smiling face to all houses he lisits, and finding almost without exception a cordial welcome everywhere. He has a very simple but impressive manner of stating gospel truths, and his visits are, I am sure, calculated to awaken a desire for holy things in many hearts; it has been so in several cases that I have heard of, leading, through divine grace, to a decided conversion. He is doing a good work, and we all like him.

“I am more than ever convinced of the immense practical usefulness of the colportage work, and if I could advise any one looking out for some branch of work for the Lord which he would aid, I would unhesitatingly sa’: ‘Choose a district as yet unoccupied, and send your subscription to the association, so that a colporteur might be sent to work there.’ Mr. Bellamy, the colporteur, visits seven or eight hundred families every month, and takes two or three cottage services every week, and while I am writing he has gone in his donkey cart about seven miles to take a service this evening; he will hardly get back till ten or eleven o’clock. Hoping this year may prove, by God’s blessing, a very encouraging one to all your men.”

J. S. Hanson writes: “I hope the association is going on prosperously; if all were as satisfied about the usefulness of the work as we are, they would soon find the means to increase the number, till the land was filled with colporteurs.”

A colporteur writes: “In the chapel the Word preached was much blessed. The first summer I was here, the place was crowded; soon, however, the screw was put on, and the second summer the attendance fell off wonderfully. This past summer there was a fair attendance, and lately it has been better, the average being twenty-four or twenty-six, sometimes over thirty adults in the evening, but the afternoon service is poorly attended. The seals to my ministry are some who have been born again, some quickened in the divine life, and others awakened to a sense of their need of a Saviour. And now for those upon whom the screw was put: these I visit in their own homes in my rounds; here is where the work of a colporteur lies, according to my idea, for with my pack on my back, or in my hand, I have an excuse (if one is needed in the nineteenth century) to call at all the houses in the villages; and here, I may say, eternity alone can reveal the good done by the tract given, read, and blessed! God only knows of the Scriptures read to the sick, of prayers offered at the bedside of the afflicted and those appointed to death, of the Word spoken to the relations or attendants, of words of cheer and comfort spoken to the brethren and sisters in Christ who are cast down, phases of whose life none but the colporteur can see! If you ask me, Have you been blessed in this work? Have the results justified the outlay? I say Yes, yes, yes! But there is what is called the untabulated results, opposite which we will put the Well done, good and faithful servant, and the heavenly reward.”

Another testimony: ‘’Sunday newspapers have been given up in some cases, and publications such as ‘Sunday at Home,” Weekly Welcome,’ and the * Boys’ Own Paper ’ purchased instead. With respect to the sale of Bibles, it may be mentioned as an interesting fact that since his residence in this district the colporteur has supplied one hundred and fifty volumes of *Cassell’s Family Bible.’ He has conducted 139 services on the Lord’s day, and he himself says that he has never seen so much good resulting from his work as he has seen this year; it has been the year of his greatest encouragement.”

Another colporteur says:” My sales in Bibles and Testaments for the last quarter exceed the sales at the two depots of the Bible Society here for the whole of the last year. I think this comparison shows conclusively that the right way to sell the books is to take them to the homes of the people.

“During the past twelve months I have sold 239 Bibles and

1,229 Testaments. Thank God for past success, but I shall not be satisfied until I can see a portion of the Word of God in every house in my district.

“I have found out three houses entirely without the Word of God, but I did not let them remain so. One of the women said she could not afford the money for a Testament; but after I talked to her the little daughter said: * Mother, I shall open my little bank and pay for it,’ so she took it when the little child paid for it. She had been married seven years, and never had God’s Word in her possession all that time.”

Prevaiaice of Evil Literature and its Cure. —” Was told of a young female (a governess) who sat in bed reading by candlelight some of the most filthy, low, vulgar, pernicious papers, so bad, indeed, that the woman was ashamed to tell me what they were; succeeded in supplying her with a good magazine.

“My work is still progressing favorably. Several boys at a boarding-school, who used to read bad papers, now take * Young England ’ and * Excelsior ’ from me. The teacher told me that she was very glad these papers had come out, as her boys used to be so fond of bad ones before.

“In one village which I visit there are several infidel books, and several persons have turned infidels through reading them. One is a very intelligent, quiet young man, and two were Methodist local preachers. Packets of infidel tracts are being sent into the villages; this makes me feel more than ever the pressing need of colportage to counteract this evil work.

“I am glad to report that through a customer I have succeeded in getting a young woman to take the * Girl’s Own Paper,’ instead of a trashy paper. She was so delighted with it that she lent it to another young woman, and I expect more orders.”

Conversions tJirough Books. — The number of conversions reported by the colporteurs through the books sold is too large to print the cases in detail; the following, however, are a fair sample of others: —

“Saving Faith.” — “Two persons have been led to the Saviour through reading this book, — a mother and daughter. I sold the book to a Christian woman, she read it, and lent it to one of her neighbors who was ill. Through reading it she was led to trust in Jesus as her Saviour, as was her daughter, who had left service to nurse her mother. The book was then sent on to another daughter, hoping that by its perusal she may share the same blessing. The same colporteur speaks of a third case of conversion from reading the same book.”

“The Home Beyond.” — *’ A farmer to whom I had previously sold * The Home Beyond,’ when I called again, said: ‘What a beautiful book that Home Beyond “is! I read it, and sent it to a relation of mine, who was very ill, fast wasting away in consumption, and without having a hope in Christ. She read the book I had sent, and it was the means of leading her to the Saviour of the lost, and by being able to die a peaceful and happy death she testified that she had truly embraced the Saviour.’”

Gratuitous Tract Distribution and its Results. — Many thousands of evangelical tracts are given away by the association, and most of the colporteurs report that people receive them readily, and that numerous cases of conversion have resulted from their distribution. Two cases are appended: —

“I was showing my books to a gentleman one day; he had a little tract in his hand entitled ‘Taken by Surprise.’ I offered this to a lady who was passing by, and she accepted it. Bless the Lord! it was the means of awakening her to a sense of danger, insomuch that she could not find rest until she found it in Jesus. She is now believing and rejoicing in His great salvation.”

The Pipe Light. — “Some time ago I held an open-air meeting at one of our villages during the dinner hour of the workmen, as I was not permitted to enter the mill. After speaking some time, I sold several small books, and gave away about two hundred tracts. One of the men screwed the tract up and threw it away, but picked it up again and put it into his pocket, thinking it might come in to light his pipe. At tea-time, however, having nothing else to read, he resorted to the despised tract. It was headed, * Stop the Clock.’ Before he had finished reading it, he trembled from head to foot, and pleaded with God for the forgiveness of his sins; from that moment, he tells me, he has felt a changed man.”

Mr. Spiirgeons Sermons. — As usual, many of the colporteurs have met with instances of the great usefulness of these sermons, both in the comfort and instruction of believers and in the salvation of sinners. A few reports are given: —

“About twelve months ago a friend of mine leaving for America took a good supply of Mr. Spurgeon’s sermons. I also kept up correspondence, sending other sermons. Having now returned, he speaks of the blessings the sermons were to him and others while there, where the preaching is quite perfection in the flesh. One of these sermons sent was the means of the conversion of one woman, and of stirring up others to find perfection only in Christ Jesus.”

“In soliciting orders, one woman asked me if I carried any of Mr. Spurgeon’s works, and when told that I did, seemed pleased, bought several of his writings, telling me that although she had been a member of a Christian church for years, she never saw the gospel in its true light until she read one of jIr. Spurgeon’s sermons. It was not until then that she saw Jesus to be her only Saviour, and could rejoice in II im as such.”

Speaking of a young woman who had been in much darkness and perplexity about spiritual things, and seemed to despair of mercy, a colporteur writes: “But when I was there in January I sold her Mr. Spurgeon’s ‘Loving Advice for Anxious Seekers’; when I called next month I could see by her countenance that there was a change for the better. She then told me that God in His mercy had blessed that sermon to her; that it seemed as though Mr. Spurgeon must have known of one exactly like her, for every word suited her case.”

Prayer under tJie Hedge. — “The old man was standing in the sunny side of the hedge on the roadside. I went to him; and on offering a tract he said: * I cannot read; ‘I then spoke to him of sin and death, of salvation and the Lord Jesus. I appealed to him as to a dying man, beseeching him to prepare to meet the good God whom he had been living without these upwards of eighty years; he trembled as one shivering on the brink of eternity and fearing to launch away, which, according to the nature of things, I assured him he must soon expect to do. Down aside ‘D

the hedge we both got on our knees, and with liberty of soul earnestly besought that the converting grace and power of the Holy Ghost may be poured upon him that he may be enlightened and saved. Knowing now where he lives, I shall hope, if God spares him and me, ere long to see him again and to see him saved of the Lord.”

Preachiitg the Gospel from House to House. — “I have much encouragement in the Colportage work. I find some of the people very willing to hear the Word of God. Some days I have had what I should term a cottage meeting. Where I have found four and five people in one house I have read, prayed, and sung for about a half-hour. Passing on to another house, where I have found another group, I spent another half-hour. I have had five, some days six, little meetings with the people; at such times the Master has been with us, and much good has been done.”

Addressing the Colliers, October 2d. — “Gave a short address to a company of colliers; was received with welcome and delight. Spoke to them about the leper going to Jesus. Told them that we had hearts diseased by sin and wicked works, and they needed cleansing. That we could not do anything to merit our salvation, but we could plead the merits of Jesus Christ; and that He was as willing to cleanse them as when He cleansed the leper, if they opened their hearts to receive Him. They expressed gratitude for speaking to them, and thanked me very much; said I had done them good. Since then two of them have joined the Salvation Army. I believe I have been instrumental in God’s hands of their salvation; they thanked me for going.”

The Colporteur s Sabbath. — Visited about fifty homes with tracts, and spoke a few words where I could. Sunday-school, 2.30; gave an address to teachers and scholars. Preached at a lodging house at 5.30, and at Gospel Hall 6.30, and again in the Market at 8.35; then visited some sick people.

“On Sundays I always endeavor to get among the groups of men at the corners, and wait on them at closing time, coming out of the public-houses, to present them with a tract, and persuade them to observe the Sabbath; not only have I been successful with individuals, but in two cases of which I have heard whole

Colporteur and Bible Carriage.

THE NE

r’UBLIC I families have been induced to attend regularly the means of grace on the Sabbath da)’. To God be the glory.”

PrcacJiing Services by tJie Colportetirs. — According to their ability and opportunity many of the colporteurs are regularly engaged preaching the gospel both in the open air and as “supplies” for various denominations. Much blessing rests upon this, which may be called the extra work of a colporteur. A few reports are given of this department of service: —

Conversion Work. —” The preaching of the Word has been much blessed this last few months. One poor woman told me in a meeting that the Lord had made her so unhappy about her soul that she could not work. She then went down on her knees and pra’cd as best she could, and the Lord had showed her the difference between believing about Christ and believing in Christ, which I had been talking about the last Sunday. She said: *I have been trying to get Christ and heaven b)- doings, but now I see it is a done work, and I can say I am in Christ and Christ in me.* Two others have just been brought to know the Lord, and several drunkards hale become sober men, who a little time ago would curse the name of such a man as myself.

‘’ There are many things to encourage me. My speaking at the chapel and Sunday-school, and other places, is very acceptable. The congregations have increased, and a greater earnestness is manifested by those who love the Lord, and it has been our joy to hear the cry- of the penitent sinner for mercy. One man, in good circumstances, came to me at the close of a Sabbath evening service and asked to be remembered in prayer. I visited him the next day and talked and pra’cd with him, and I believe he is now a saved man. He is very regular at the week-night service, and it is good to hear him pray. We have three stand proposed for membership, and another was crying for mercy last Thursday night in the meeting, and I believe the Spirit of God is working upon the hearts of several others.”

The Colporteur and Temperance. — *’ I am pleased to inform you that the book * John Ploughman’s Pictures ’ has been the means of leading one man to give up the drink, and since that has joined the Congregationalists, and he wishes me to tell Mr. Spurgeon that he owes his conversion to God through reading that book.

*’ On entering a public-house I found several men drinking. I began to talk to them of the necessity of being decided for Christ. The landlady came and sat down with the men; I then tried to show them what the Saviour had done for them and how He loved them. The landlady wept like a child. It seems as if they can stand as many oaths and curses, as can be put upon them, but, thank God! they cannot stand to be told of the love of Jesus without feeling uncomfortable, especially the baser sort of people. I find that the name of Jesus has a power when everything else has failed: angels and men before Him fall, and devils fear and fly.

“Another very interesting case was one day in going to a village. Just as I got to the village there came a dreadful storm of thunder and lightning and rain, and the first house I came to was a public-house. I ran into this house for shelter, and found it full of men drinking and gambling, with much swearing. I had not been in many minutes before one asked me what I had to sell; I at once put my pack on the table and showed what I had. They soon gave over swearing, and I spoke to them and tried to sell them a book each. I sold one * John Ploughman’s Talk,’ and another at a shilling, and a few little books, and a number left the house before I did, and went home in the rain; when the rain gave over a bit I started for home without calling at any more houses. I came home with a light heart, though wet through with water.”

During the year 1880 there were seventy-nine colporteurs in the field. They sold 105,114 books and 272,698 magazines, besides distributing gratuitously 794,044 tracts, and making 630,993 visits. Who can tell with what results? Surely here is work enough for one man to superintend, yet it is only a branch of the great tree which Pastor Spurgeon has planted.