The Canvasser's Spirit
There is special need here to re-emphasize this. The godward spirit of the preacher should be with us in all our activities, but the temptations in this field are so great that they need an extra warning. In the height of our enthusiasm we may be tempted to rely on our cleverness, wit and resource, and joy in making our " opponent " (for such, tragically, he could become) look small: and we must ever and anew pray to remember that we are come, not to destroy, but to seek and save in Jesus's name that which is lost.13 In the gloom of the depressing sameness of our rebuffs, and shames, in the despair of our own little value which so easily comes in this work, we may resort to all manner of petty and unworthy means of relieving ourselves. We can linger long between one door and the next; if two of us are of ^the same mind we can stop to talk over our " experiences " without confessing our hypocrisy to each other; we can allot to ourselves less necessary tasks and then plead business as an excuse for not canvassing awhile. All these the writer knows because he has been guilty of them all. From such an unworthy " I go sir-and he went not "14 outlook, we must pray and labour constantly to be delivered.

And in the happy day when one we have canvassed hears, learns and obeys, we may rejoice, but we must pray to be spared an unholy pride in his flesh, and remember that the work, the calling and the glory are the Lord's. In such circumstances, we know that the Word of God we preach will accomplish that whereunto it is sent, and will not return unto Him void.