^(p110)

CHAPTER X

MY EXPERIENCES AS A COLPORTEUR

1. For three weeks before I started out in colporteur work, I spent the time in preparation and study. Just before I left my brother, he asked me how my side affected me. The reader will remember the accident referred to in a previous chapter, and how after the setting of the rib it had not properly knit together. It troubled me for years, and at times was very painful. For some reason I had not given the matter much attention until he asked me about it. I put my hand to my side, and lo, the side was healed. At first it quite surprised me. I could not understand how this could have happened. I had been told by physicians years before that I should always be troubled with the bone’s protruding unless I had an operation. Now it was all healed. The only explanation I could give to him was that the Lord had removed the obstruction. From that time to the present, I never have been troubled with that side, and never have been inconvenienced as a result of it.

2. My health now was much better than formerly, and, by carefulness in diet, I continued to improve. Previously to my conversion, it did not seem possible that I could live very long, unless some wonderful work were done for me. When I accepted Christ and His life, I changed not only my religion but also my diet. I found that the Bible teaching was good, not only for the soul but also for the body.[1]

 3. I decided very shortly after I accepted Jesus that I must be baptized. It seemed to me that I must follow everything the Lord said. It was a great blessing to follow in the steps of Christ, and so I went down into the watery grave, and arose to walk in a new life. Every step in the path of duty I traveled, brought me help and blessing, (a)

4. The Lord blessed me in my colporteur work. I enjoyed the work, and had many rich experiences. After spending many hours a day in house-to-house work, a share of the night was spent in reading the Bible. The desire and eagerness to know the words of the Lord Jesus seemed to grow upon me, and at times I would spend nearly all of the night, in order to find out more about the way of eternal life. The more I dug into the mine of truth, the more I received light and blessing. The oracles of the Bible constantly were illuminated before me, and where before I could see nothing but certain statements concerning what God did anciently, I now beheld light and joy concerning the riches of the grace of Christ. It seemed to me that not only the New Testament was full of the Lord Jesus, but the Old Testament was also. I certainly searched for the truth as for hid treasure, and the Lord rewarded the efforts.

5. One thing impressed me very forcibly in my study of the word of God, and that was the similarity between the Old Testament and the New. ^(p112) I discovered that the New Testament did not teach anything in the way of new truth; it was just the fulfilment of what had been written in the Old.[2] I saw more and more that Christianity was not doing away with Moses and the prophets; it was simply the culmination of what had been taught. It appeared to me as though the Old Testament was the planting of the seed, and the New Testament was the fruit of that seed.[3] The more I continued my search, the more I was rewarded with precious light and knowledge from the fountain of God’s treasure-house.

6. Every moment I could spare I devoted to the study of the blessed Book, and it was a delight to me by day as well as a joy by night. Though often laboring hard during the day, traveling many miles, visiting a large number of homes, at times being buffeted, it gave me much pleasure to look forward to the time when I could go to my room and receive a better knowledge of the words of the Lord Jesus.

7. How surprised I was to find in the New Testament that the Christian church did not abolish or abrogate the truths of the Old Testament! I saw there was no obligation for the observance of the first day of the week instead of the seventh day for the Sabbath.[4] The early church followed the support of the gospel ministry in the same manner as did the Jewish church.[5] The means of communicating the truth to the church was the same as God gave in the Old Testament; namely, the gift of prophecy.[6]

^(p113) No permission was given to abolish the laws of clean and unclean animals. For many other things which I had always supposed were part of the Christian religion, I found no ground in the New Testament. I discovered that all the apostles of Jesus were Jews; that for nearly four years after the ascension of Christ to heaven there was not a sermon preached outside of Judea; that the day of Pentecost was a gathering of Jewish believers, and that many thousands of other Jews were believers in Christ for a number of years after the Saviour had ascended to heaven.[7] The more I studied the New Testament, the more I was convinced that the Jewish rabbis were wrong in teaching us such errors, and the masses of the professed Christian people were in error in advocating such teaching as is popularly accepted for gospel light.

8. I spent nine months successively in colporteur work and in the study of the Bible; the more I visited the homes of the people, the more I desired to work for souls. The more I studied the Bible, the more I longed for an education. Often in my travels I met with many Jews, and talked with them about the Saviour. At first many of them would not even believe that I was a Jew; but when they were convinced that I was, they thought I must be doing this kind of work for the money that was paid me. When they learned that some days I had to travel many miles, and then earned but little, even though I worked hard for what I received, they would say they could not understand how a Jew could do so.

^(p114) 9. It was encouraging to me to find people who wished to know more of the word of God. I was rejoiced when I found souls hungry for the bread of life, as I was. I greatly felt my inability to help the people, having so little Christian experience; but I found that the Lord was giving me much help, and I was constantly becoming more familiar with what Jesus and His apostles taught. I met with many people who really seemed to hate the Jews. In going from house to house, and often telling the people of my burden for the lost sheep of Israel, a large number seemed to have an antipathy toward the Jews. I then began to understand how many persons at the present time were preparing to do to the followers of the Saviour as did the Jews to the Master Himself when He came the first time. Still it was a pleasure to carry to the homes of the people the knowledge of a risen and ascended Saviour and a soon-coming King.

10. Many a day I felt the pangs of hunger. People at times would not admit me to their homes, as they thought I was doing this kind of work because I was not willing to do any other form of labor. Many were the nights I had difficulty in securing a place to sleep; but it was precious to know that Jesus, too, had not where to lay His head.

11. I well remember one experience in this respect while in this work. Starting out one day after dinner in a muddy section of a country town, I inquired of the residents if I could find a resting-place for the night. At house after house they told me they had no accommodations. I was told that most of the people in that section were Christian people, and that they were a generous and kind people. ^(p115) I continued in my labors for several hours, but to every inquiry received no response. I was finally told of a wealthy lady, a missionary from Brooklyn, N. Y., who was staying in the town, and if I went to see her she surely would give me accommodations. I called at the house, only to hear her say that since she did not live there permanently, but was simply staying there for the summer, she could give me no hospitality. I continued in my journey till I came to a large boarding-house containing about one hundred rooms, a number of which were vacant. I asked here if I might be accommodated for the night. I was told that the house was full, and there were no vacant rooms. I asked them then if they would give me something to eat as I was hungry. They took a bowl of crackers and milk, set it on a small table in a hallway, and offered it to me as though I were a tramp. I was thankful for it, enjoyed it, and went on my way.

12. Many more miles were traveled, no house missed, and still no shelter for the night. I was refused lodgings in a barn, in a shed, or in any other place, for fear that I might set fire to the premises. The shades of night were fast falling, and it seemed to me that I should have to lie down in the street for the night. I called at another house where I had been told I should surely receive a cordial welcome. It was now very dark, and I could not see my way very clearly to the door of the house. I suddenly discovered that I had stepped on a bulldog that was stretched across the front of the stoop. Instead of his growling and acting ugly, he quietly got up and allowed me to knock at the door. Here I was told that all the family were in bed and I must go along and find some other place. ^(p116) I was very thankful to God that He protected me from the mouth of this dog, as I afterwards learned that he was a very vicious beast. After pursuing my journey some distance further, I decided to retrace my steps, and to walk back a number of miles into the village, the place from which I started. As I was traveling through the dark woods, and was realizing the experience through which I was passing, there came such joy to my soul, and such a flood of light filled my heart, that I shouted with thanks and praise to God that I was even permitted to have a part in the work of the blessed Lord. When I reached the village inn, I was covered with mud from head to foot. The inn-keeper, after he looked me over, told me he could not accommodate me, as his house was full. I felt that if the minister of the village did not open his door to me, I should either have to lie down in the street, or else walk five miles more to the home where I had some dear friends living. The minister cordially took me in, and I felt very thankful that night for the privilege of working for Jesus, and receiving just a little of what He endured for my salvation.

13. I was learning that all such experiences were rich blessings from heaven, and every day the Lord Jesus was becoming more precious to my soul. I regretted much that I had not known Him sooner, for He gave peace and joy to my heart, which made me very happy.

^(p117)14. Those months of labor were among the most blessed of my life. While I spent several seasons later in the same kind of labor, a blessed preparation for future work, the Lord was indeed very gracious to me in my efforts during the first year of my Christian life. It seemed to me that, if I could only tell all my Jewish friends and all people about this Jesus, many of them would certainly accept Him.

On to chapter eleven

EXPLANATORY     NOTES.

PARAGRAPH 3 (a). — A baptized Jew is lost in every sense of the word. The Jew believes that even though one of his relatives or friends accepts Christ, so long as he has not been baptized, there is hope for his reclamation. But when one has been baptized into the name of Christ he is beyond the possibility of recovery.  Back