INTRODUCTION
I have a number of reasons for writing this book, which all contribute to the main reason. I have a burning desire to see the gospel bring forth much fruit in Canada. I hope this book will help to that end.
I want to encourage every man and woman to realize the power of his and her life. I am sure that neither Peter Elford nor W. J. Cann had any idea that there would be the work done among their descendants, and by their descendants, that has been done. They were faithful unto death along with their good wives. Their influence has not yet expired. Let every person as he realizes the power of the gospel, implant it in his children's hearts in a way that will never be forgotten. We can conquer the world by being faithful in our home teaching.
I want to encourage young men to preach the gospel. Have a burning desire in your heart to carry the gospel, the glad tidings, to others and God will use you. I hope some of the wonderful ways in which God has demonstrated His providence in my life will help you to trust God and launch out into the deep to become a fisher of men.
I want to encourage young women to be preachers' wives - real helpmeets. There are privations. There are disappointments. There are sore temptations. Yet the reward makes these really insignificant. You will help your husband to be a great preacher, or you can put upon his neck a yoke that he will not be able to bear. Eternity is going to reveal many a man that would have been a successful preacher but for a wife that would not endure hardships as a good wife, for Jesus' sake. God is keeping the records. There will be great rewards for preachers' wives who have kept the home fires burning, and who have spoken soft words of encouragement when preacher husband was almost ready to quit.
I want to encourage men and women to encourage men to preach. They will make mistakes but you can criticize to the place that they will QUIT and turn to something else. Are you prepared to face God in the judgment and have him point out some person and say that that person would have been mightily used by me but you discouraged him to the place that he quit.
Young preacher don't be a quitter. When you are criticized unjustly, learn to pray as Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” I remember sitting in a meeting some years ago. A young preacher was teaching a lesson. A man twice his age sat in the audience. He insisted on showing the young preacher that he knew TWICE as much as he did. I watched the young man colour up several times but he finished the lesson. He has developed into a fine gospel preacher. I am sure this brother really did not mean to be so cruel.
I shall have more to say later about when I left Carman in 1923 and stopped at Estevan, Saskatchewan, on my way to Montana. I can remember as if it were but last week how much afraid I was to leave those whom I knew to go among people I did not know, to preach. Brother L. L. McGill came to me that Sunday night in Estevan and put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Carlos, I know you can do it.” Those few words were a real encouragement to me when I needed them most. I also remember Brother John Campbell, who lived near Forest, Ontario, saying to me one day when I was visting there, “Some day you will be a great preacher of the gospel!” Those words have been a help through the years.
There are scars on my soul that have been caused from harsh, critical things that have been said and done unjustly. I am sure they will be there until the day when the Lord wipes all tears from our eyes and such things will be a forgotten memory. I would like rather to think on the scores and scores of brethren who have helped me through the years to be what I am for Jesus' sake.
I want to make this observation for the benefit of readers in the United States. There no doubt will be words spelled incorrectly in this book. There shall probably be typographical errors in this book but what you consider as an error may be the proper way to spell the word in Canada. The word that is used may be the proper word to use in Canada.
There have been many changes in the last forty years in the work in Canada. Most of them are for the better. Many battles have been fought under the banner of King Jesus and won. There is much land left to conquer. In fact we have only begun to conquer the land. Forty years ago I was a boy still in my teens. Today I am nearing the front lines as far as Canadian preachers are concerned. Those older than I are thinning fast. I am sure that, if the Lord tarries, what is done in the next forty years will far exceed what has been done in the past. May God grant it so.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)