Is handing out gospel tracts a good evangelism method?

The printed page can go where we cannot. A halfpenny will take it to some far-flung outpost of the Empire, to some lonely sinner in the back blocks of Australia, to the shacks in the forest of Canada, to the orange groves of Palestine, to Egypt, India, China, nay, in the words of our Lord’s commission, “to every creature.” We appeal to our young Christian readers, will you not earnestly, systematically, prayerfully begin and continue this blessed Christ-like service?

I am sure it is God who thus is pleased to use these little papers, because, in themselves, they are so unlikely to meet the cases. Take the following: A poor Hindu coolie, in Demerara, was in great distress about his soul. He could no more bathe in the Ganges, and, therefore, could get no relief for the distress of his soul. He had a friend, a Mahometan, who was much moved at his distress. He said, “I believe I have a paper that would give you the relief you long for.” He read and translated to him the little paper, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” They were both converted to Christ, and became preachers of the gospel. Now there was nothing in the paper likely, to human reason, to accomplish so wonderful a result. God was pleased to use His own word in the tract. This same little tract was used to a dying infidel in Sheffield, in the following manner: This man refused to read, or receive the visit of any one, to speak to him about Christ. He was a soul going down to hell in darkness and unbelief. A woman folded the tract in her hand, so that just the text only was seen, as it lay inside her hand. She put her hand before him, and said, “Can you see this? Can you read?” He read the words “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” He started. It was God speaking to his soul. Yes, God said, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” He said, “What, my sins! Is it possible, my sins!” And the sins of a past life stood out before him; and God, in infinite love for Christ’s sake, said, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” Through divine grace he believed God, and the next day he was in heaven. Who can measure or limit the grace of God? I might tell of hundreds of cases, but must now return to the way the Lord has led me.

In the spirit of all this there has been much earnestness in printing and spreading the tract, pamphlet, volume, presenting the truth of the Scriptures, and there have been abundant results therefrom.

Many are not gifted to occupy the preacher’s platform. Some are too aged, their day of prominent service is past, others are too young, our sisters in Christ are precluded from public preaching, yet is this blessed, quiet, simple service of tract distribution open to all. Or again, we may not have time to stay and speak to the crowds in the street, or the loiterer at the corner, but we can all put the silent messages of salvation in the hands of a few as we pass along.

If this little appeal, sent forth in fear and trembling, has been read by any who are not in the habit of spreading the written gospel, let them not merely admit the truth of what we say, but let them lose no time, according to their means, in procuring some good, plain gospel tracts or booklets, and with exercise of mind and prayer seek to distribute them, and thus in their measure “preach the gospel to every creature.”

Tract Distribution. Every Christian can engage in this most necessary service. Suppose that the tens of thousands of God's people throughout the country were distributing daily a few messages of salvation, it would keep before the minds of the world that which they long to forget, the claims of God upon them and the call of His mercy.

Through the mercy of God, you and I are not bound to anyone with a coupling-chain, but we are daily brought into contact with many. We go to school, or to the shop, or office, we do our shopping, the baker calls or the postman: I wonder is it manifest to each that we belong to Christ? Are these daily contacts for the furtherance of the Glad Tidings? Were Paul in our place, they surely would be. God may use even a child for this work. I recall a boy of 12 or 14 who was used to lead a man to Christ, by giving him a tract each time he left his films to be developed: at first the man laughed at him, but he told me himself, that child was really the means of winning him to Christ: and after he was won, he used to open his shop in the evenings for Gospel meetings, and who knows how many others were won?

If they make a practice of giving out gospel tracts, or of speaking to others of Christ when an occasion arises, this may lead to an opportunity of having a Bible study in a home along gospel lines, with people who may have never before had a real knowledge of the gospel of grace. Then if the Lord should give the deep joy of leading someone to Himself, this may work in giving a better understanding of the need of such people after they are saved.

What a privilege to be sent by the Lord on His errands and with His message, it may be to distant China or India or Africa or South America, or the far-off islands of the seas, or it may be to your next door neighbour, the people that live in your street or town, or in the villages within reach of a humble pushbike, and the ability to purchase and scatter a few tracts.

It would, I believe, be a profitable question for many of us to put to ourselves, how far we are discharging our holy responsibilities to "the regions beyond." I believe the Christian who is not cultivating and manifesting an evangelistic spirit, is in a deplorable condition. I believe, too, that the assembly which is not cultivating and manifesting an evangelistic spirit is in a dead state. One of the truest marks of spiritual growth and prosperity, whether in an individual, or in an assembly, is earnest anxiety after the conversion of souls. This anxiety will swell the bosom with most generous emotions; yea, it will break forth, in copious streams of benevolent exertion, ever flowing toward "the regions beyond." It is hard to believe that "the word of Christ" is "dwelling richly" in any one who is not making some effort to impart that word to his fellow sinners. It matters not what may be the amount of the effort; it may be to drop a few words in the ear of a friend, to give a tract, to pen a note, to breathe a prayer. But one thing is certain, namely, that a healthy vigorous Christian will be an evangelistic Christian — a teller of good news — one whose sympathies, desires, and energies, are ever going forth toward "the regions beyond." "I must preach the gospel to other cities also, for therefore am I sent” Such was the language of the divine Evangelist.