SINCE the time of Abel God has found only a few in the earth who have really believed him. There is now only a mere handful who have faith in Jehovah. This condition is due to the wily operation of the foe of God and arch enemy of man—Satan. So successful has the Devil been in blinding the minds of people and attracting their worship to himself that truly “the whole world lieth in the wicked one”. Ask anyone not in the truth what the kingdom of God is, and note how ridiculously foolish the reply. The Devil has made people come to believe that death is their friend, the stepping stone or door to something glorious; and that a resurrection of the dead is utterly preposterous.

Imagine bright-minded people of our day, according to the world’s standards, believing that at one time they were monkeys or tadpoles or oysters or something. Our wise men give credit to a silly old goose for having sense enough sometime in the remote past to provide . himself with a coat of fine feathers and a permanent supply of oil in a convenient place on his tail to keep himself warm and dry; but after millions of years of evolution man must spend practically all of his time, energy, and money to buy clothes and umbrellas or get wet and die I How foolish I

Dear brethren, how thankful we should be for the truth; what a glorious privilege is ours to know the divine plan and to serve the great Jehovah, its Author I There are only two ways that please God —cold or hot. One who is cold is at least honest; there is hope for him. A lukewarm Christian is dishonest, hypocritically trying to carry water on both shoulders. Our religion should be our Big Business; and to the extent one really has faith in God, to that degree he will be hot and be a witness in the earth that “Jehovah is God”.

METHODS OF WORK

The class workers who have canvassed for the eight-volume combination at every home realize the success that follows In placing the full sets. It Is true, however, that although the sale of sets has been very good in employing this method, it is impossible to place even a Habp or a booklet in every home canvassed and in a large proportion of the calls the one canvassed is not even considered a prospect for the sale of the set. This Is due to the circumstances of the people on whom you call and the attitude of their minds. Some refuse to buy the full sets because they are financially unable to spend $2.85; others are opposed to the truth or have no interest at all in the message of the kingdom; and still others refuse to purchase for various other reasons. Although you have taken the time and expended the energy to sell a set at every house you have canvassed, in many instances no sales have been made and in other cases only a Habp or a few booklets have been placed.

Outline of New Method

The territory that you would look upon as being ideal would be that where every person you canvass would be known to be a good prospect for the sale of the eight books. In a field such as this it could very reasonably be expected that a full set could be sold in every four to seven calls made. You would be able to canvass enthusiastically for the sets because you would know before you began to work that you had all good prospects. That is, you would know that the people you were going to canvass were interested in the truth, that they had money to spend for our literature, etc. Thus concentrating on this field, with all good prospects, you would know that your sales would be larger than if the territory being canvassed had a large proportion of people in it that could not or would not purchase from you. Such a desirable field for set canvassing does not exist of itself, as far as past experience indicates, but a method has been devised whereby such a territory can be created.

The Letteb of Instbuctions to Dibectobs contains the information concerning this new scheme of placing sets, which has been named the “selective prospect” method of canvassing for the eight books. The Service Director of your class will outline the details of this new method at the service meeting, but for your immediate information the method is, very briefly, this:

Two sets of workers are employed in the class operating. One set canvasses for booklets only, offering three for 25c, dropping to one for 10c as a finale. At the same time the worker is canvassing for booklets he is to make notes of the people on whom he calls whom he would consider good prospects for the full sets, thus sorting out those people who have money, who show interest, etc. A record of the “selected " prospects” is to be given to the Service Director with the report of the booklets sold. He will arrange them so as to get all in a certain territory; and about one week later the second set of workers are dispatched to canvass only the selected prospects for the set of eight. In thus canvassing, the workers take the time and expend the energy to sell full sets where the possibility of selling them is good. Thus economy of time and strength is made in canvassing for sets, and those people who would not buy sets under any circumstances are not neglected; for they have had the witness given to them and have had the offer of the booklets.

In carrying out this method a number of details require careful consideration, and these are all taken up in the Letteb of Instbuctions to Dibectobs so that the method can be made to fit conditions in your territory.

We submit for suggestion two canvasses. The first one to be used by the first worker who sells booklets and the second one to be used by the one who canvasses for the sets when he calls on the special prospects. The canvass for the first worker should be short, pithy and right to the point His work is to uncover the special prospects for the second canvasser, so he takes only the time that is necessary to make the sale of the booklets. The second worker uses a longer canvass which is necessary when selling the full set. The canvasses we offer are not ironclad. We suggest them for the benefit of the workers who desire ideas in putting this new method in operation in your service bureau. We prefer that each worker use the canvass that is most suitable to himself as long as the tenor of it is in harmony with the general trend of canvass now in use in lifting up the standard for the people. The suggested canvasses follow:

Suggested Canvass for First Worker

Good morning! I have some good news for you. I represent the Intebnational Bible Students Association, who have been telling the people that “millions now living will never die”. You have often wondered why death exists and if it will ever be overcome.

The people are dying everwhere because they are living according to a false standard. This booklet (Here produce the Standard fob the People booklet.) shows God’s standard by which the people may gain man’s heart desire: Peace, prosperity, life, liberty, health, and happiness,’ right here on earth. Judge Rutherford is the author of this booklet. He lectures and answers Bible questions over the radio in New York City weekly. Over 14,000 turned out to hear his lecture In Madison Square Garden, New York; and 35,000 crowded into the Stadium in Los Angeles. So you see he is a man well worth listening to.

This booklet—Comfobt fob the People— Is by the same author. It is just what its name implies. It pointedly answers these seven questions (Point to the questions on front cover.) and others just as interesting.

The governments of today, Including that of the United States, are all in danger of falling into the hands of dictators. This third booklet (point to the Desirable Government booklet) shows what is the really desirable government for man and how God will establish it in our day and by it bless all the families of the earth, living and dead.

This set of three booklets sells for 25c. I desire to leave a set with you. You will realize a great personal blessing from them.

Suggested Canvass for Second Worker

Good morning! The reason why I am calling is that I have some Bible study helps. They are entitled Studies in the Scriptures. This book (produce volume 1) The Divine Plan of the Ages has the largest circulation of any book on Bible subjects aside from the Bible itself. Nearly six million copies are in circulation in thirty-five different languages Note this chart showing the three worlds of earth’s history—the first world which ended with the flood in Noah’s day. It was not the earth that ended but the old order of things. This present evil world is so called by the Apostle PauL It certainly has been an evil dispensation, has it not? The third world the Apostle Peter says is the world to come wherein dwelleth righteousness. When one understands these three worlds, the whole Bible becomes like A B C, so much easier to understand. The seeming contradictions which some people think are in the Bible disappear and. one can see that the Bible contains one great harmofiious plan for man’s salvation. Very many people have asked why God permitted sin to enter into the world, when he had full power to stop it! You usually see the righteous suffer and the wicked flourish. This chapter (No. 7) shows why, and also how Christ’s kingdom will soon overcome this world of unrighteousness.

Look at this companion book, The Habp of Gon. It takes up the ten fundamental doctrines of the Bible in their exact order; namely, Creation, Justice Manifest, The Abrahamic Promise, The Birth of Jesus, etc. (Show table of contents briefly.) If you look up any of these subjects in your Bible direct, it would take you a lot of time to locate the scripture on it. A person might not know where to find some scriptures. But by turning to the Habp of God and by reading a few pages you have the whole subject brought together in a very brief, condensed form. You can then read these questions at the end of the chapter to check up on what you have read. Each paragraph is numbered and you can easily find the answer to any question by refering to the number. A busy person can turn to one of these chapters and get as much from a few minutes’ reading as from hours of study with just the Bible alone.

The Finished Mystery, explains the mysterious books of Revelation and Ezekiel, verse by verse. The 19th chapter of Revelation is entitled “The Overthrow of Satan’s Empire”, the 20th chapter “The Thousand Year Reign of Christ”. The verse is printed in heavy type, the explanation in lighter type. Verse two reads (point to black type) “And he laid hold on the Dragon, that Old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, . . . that he should deceive the nations no more”. The very next Chapter is entitled: “The Descending Kingdom.” It says: “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” That is a hope worth having, isn’t it?

There is a complete set of these volumes, eight in all. You will be surprised when I tell you that this complete set of eight books is being sold for only $2.85. Many people think we mean that is the first payment, or the price of each book. But no! $2.85 pays for all eight books. We are in a position to deliver a set to you at once. You could not buy a more thorough library on the Bible at any price. I am sure you will'enjoy having a set in your home.

Suggestions From the Field

It has been suggested by a brother who has been using a canvass similar to the foregoing that it is quite profitable to show the books one at a time with the prospectus as suggested in the canvass instead of showing all the books Immediately. A letter from him follows:

It has seemed to me to work the best to canvass with the prospectus and keep everything out of sight. I carry the first and seventh volumes, Harp, and prospectus in a colporteur bag, and canvass for Volume One alone. Next I say: “Here is another book that goes with it,” pulling out Volume Seven. Then 1 say: “These books are being sold in a set, you will be surprised (opening up the prospectus) when I tell you the complete set sells for only $2.85 and besides that another book (showing the Harp) goes with the set, making eight in all.” It is certainly true that one has much better attention given to every word said when the prospects do not see a whole set of books. If they do see the whole set in the beginning and I do not tell the price, they are thinking and sometimes interrupting and saying, “Times are so hard, I could not think of buying a set of books now.” With the one or two books in sight they step right up and get interested. If they see a whole set they expect that it will take a long time, and they are thinking .about how busy they are and will cut off the canvass before I can arrest their attention. After the interest is obtained it makes no difference, I spring the price with the surprise and it almost takes them off their feet.

People Want the Books

This year with its favorable conditions seems a most propitious time for canvassing with the eight volumes. Since you have been experimenting with the canvass for the full sets for three years we believe that the experience you have gained in presenting the volumes will be of material benefit in making this the principal canvass during 1926. We trust that many of your experiences in working with the sets this year will result in success such as the brethren report in the following letters:

The complete set seems to be what the people appreciate and want more than anything else. We had an instance where the Lord manifest his favor on the canvass for the set. Our shipment was delayed and our books all sold, so we had only a prospectus and the Seventh Volume to work with. Many people were out of work, and it seemed almost useless to canvass for the set without having even’ a small booklet to sell. I decided to try it however, and borrowed a Hakp

which I had sold a few days previous, and ' \ with the prospectus took orders for ten sets of eight volumes and four Harp courses in ; less than six hours. Seven of these sets were delivered when our shipment arrived. Had     <

I not canvassed for the set instead of placing      ,

sixty bound books I would only have placed about ten or twelve. During the time we ‘ were out of sets I tried working with just the combination of the Harp, Way to Para- -disk and booklets. The result was that the total number of books placed decreased about fifty percent. The Lord has manifested His favor and blessing in every way upon our efforts to place the complete set of eight in the homes.

—Gilbert Smith, Colporteur, Louisiana. , I went out today to a little corner where

I had not been, and sold two sets of eight in less than an hour; made some back calls and sold a set of seven, and came to my room at four p. m. so full of the joy of the Lord ' that I had completely forgotten that I had not eaten breakfast or lunch. . . . The repeated cry is: “I want them all—I want all those books!”

—Mrs. C. A. Miles, Colp. Michigan.

The Joy of the Lord

The message of truth continues to comfort those in distress and points out to them the “comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. The brethren receive the joy of the Lord in such experiences. The following letter was an example of both:

If you could only see the expression on some of the people’s faces it would do your . hearts good! Just one such experience makes the way well worth while; but oh! the gratitude and amazement with which some listen!

You can see how passionately grateful, how wild with joy, they are going to be when their loved dead return, from the way they listened with wide eyes, drinking in every word. “Grand! that is the grandest thing I ever heard !” one woman said after I had answered her questions. She was very, very poor, but took the Harp. She looked in astonishment, first at the Restoration picture, then at me; then her face quivered and she began to cry. I know how she will look when she sees that . child she has lost.

—Nellie Elliott, Colp. Indiana.

Praying that the heavenly Father may prosper your efforts to lift up the standard for the people and that your labor of love will be fruitful to his glory, we beg to remain

Your brethren in the joy of his service,

Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society

SERVICE DEPT-