HOW I CAME TO BE A PUBLISHER

Shallow Holiness -- Ostracism Becomes a Blessing -- Small Beginnings, a Big Ending

The word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. Acts 13:49.

     Sometimes it is a little thing that changes the course of our lives. In 1899 my first wife and I felt clearly led to go South to escape the cold, rigid winters in the North, and at the same time to plant a radical type of holiness.

     At first we were received with open arms and invited to preach in some of the large city churches of Atlanta, Ga. But it was not long until opposition arose. I am always afraid when people swallow me too soon that they will not assimilate me; they did not put on enough salt and pepper. After attending a great camp meeting in the State, the president of the Association gave me a book ("The Old Man") saying:

     "I wish you would read this and mark on the margin wherein you differ with the author, for I observe you have struck a deeper vein than we, yea, even than this author under whom I professed to be sanctified."

     I thanked him heartily, but replied, "I would like to read the book for my own profit, but as for friendly criticism, I do not consider myself capable; this author is a mighty giant while I am but a stripling." But he insisted, and I took the book home. I had it partly read through when one day a visiting minister observed it lying upon my center table, and, glancing through it, noticed on the margin of many pages that I had marked that the standard for holiness was too low.

     As an example: The author went on to say that on a certain occasion a business man, when returning home in the evening, saw the dog run under the porch lest he get a kick, and the children evaded the father lest they get a slap, and the wife did not speak a word until she first saw whether he was in a good humor. But this same business man attended the big holiness convention, sought and received the second blessing. Now, when he returns home, the dog runs and leaps into the air, the children stand upon the porch beckoning with their hands, and the wife meets him in the door, waiting to give him the good-evening kiss. To all this I wrote on the margin:

     "Standard too low. He didn't get the second blessing, but rather the first. Yea, Bible conviction will do all this." "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Rom. 8:9.

     Accordingly, this visiting preacher wrote the author of said book, sending him some of my tracts and urging him to preach a higher standard; whereupon, the author threw them into the fire and then wrote me up in a prominent holiness paper, giving me nearly two columns of free advertisement. This, of course, had its desired effect, and I was ostracized and shut out of many openings. During three years or more I received many calls, but they were subsequently canceled by the committees who conferred with this great leader.

     But God had given me a pent-up message, and I felt after these doors were closed I must do my best in giving the people the truth on paper, if not from the pulpit. So we began in a small way to publish tracts, booklets, and a monthly paper called the "Repairer." Little did I dream that this small beginning would grow until at present over 200,000,000 pages have been published at a cost of nearly $50,000. "Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"

     Many preachers invest their money in real estate and other kinds of secular business that bring more rapid returns than we have experienced in handling books. But such money does very little good, and very often it has been' an actual curse. Money is no good unless it can be made a blessing to others, and we know of no better way to be a blessing than to set them to reading good literature. Men will read, when they will not go to church. This is a sure way to mold character and bless the world after we are gone. Would it not be grand if those who have money lying away doing no good could put some of it into a movement like this, instead of waiting until they make their wills for ungodly lawyers and children to set aside?

     I have coveted the ability of certain brethren when I have seen their polished style and beautiful language. But perhaps if I had had such ability I might have accomplished about as little as they. Some men can take a pen and make their thoughts readable at first writing, while I have to go over mine several times; even then they lack polish. Notwithstanding this, God has held me to it, and He has been pleased to use these weak efforts in the enlightenment and salvation of many souls.

     I have often wondered why God thrust me out to publish when there were so many who were more capable. I have urged great preachers, including bishops, to put some of their wonderful messages in print. But they waited, then passed out and left little or nothing to bless the world after they had gone. It seems to this day that God is frequently compelled to use David's sling and stone, or Samson's jawbone of a donkey with which to kill a thousand Philistines, because He could not get hold of a "big gun," or a fine, two-edged sword.

     It reminds me of the incident of the noted sportsman who knew all about getting game and could give philosophical ideas on hunting. But after doing so, on one occasion he headed a party and went out to hunt but failed to get anything. On his return he met a colored man who, likewise, was returning from a hunt and was loaded down with game, whereupon he inquired of the colored man, "And how did you get so much game? Did you shoot them on the wing, or how?" "Yes, Massa, I hit them wherever I could, on the wing, tail or head, just as I got them." Sometimes God has to take the weak and ignorant things to "confound the mighty."

     Thorns And Roses

     Letter 1. "Stop my paper! I don't want such a sheet to come into my house!"

     Letter 2. "That one Editorial is worth the price of the paper. Here are six new subscriptions."

     Letter 1. "Relative to your recent book, let me say, I consider it unfit to be read. I would not let my boys see it."

     Letter 2. "So glad to get that book. It ought to be scattered by the thousands. Send me fifty."

     Letter 1. "Your second book of sermons is calculated to unsettle people."

     Letter 2. "I received more good from this book ('Sermons That Search the Soul') than from anything I have ever read except the Bible. That one sermon, 'Steps in Seeking Holiness,' ought to be in pamphlet form and scattered far and near."

     And so it goes! It all depends at which end of the gun you are standing.