Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
Chapter 10
Preparing for the Work
I had gone to Peoria from an exceedingly active business life, and shut myself in with persistent study, and soon became sluggish and forceless. My brother Richard seeing the change, came by one day and seizing me violently undertook to floor me! He was nearly twice as large and much stronger than I, but found the difference between a rugged, wiry farmer boy and a big preacher. The battle was a drawn one and never renewed; but I got a lesson out of it which has blessed me all my days. I seemed at once like myself again and awoke to see that the want of physical exercise was leading to a bed of sickness. I there learned that persistent mental strain, without vigorous bodily exercise in some form, must be ruinous in the end, and as the result have a body of astonishing endurance in my seventy-ninth year. Hence the right and importance of vigorous plays between school hours, and the foolishness of conscientious parents in forbidding innocent plays to children of either sex. I took rude forms of physical culture through my early manhood, and since becoming older have delighted to run each day where I could do so without people being suspicious of insanity. Every thorough student should take scientific lessons in physical culture. Thousands of ministers have failed to be one-half what they might have been for God by failing to avail themselves of sufficient active bodily exercise.
Richard Haney was always grave in the pulpit, and could hardly be otherwise; but back in his nature there was spring and jollity enough for a half dozen preachers. His wife was a beautiful spirit and could laugh without getting weary. In those days Methodist preachers' homes were often overrun with visitors. While with him that winter, George Ewalt, a local preacher, who nearly worshipped him, came to see his ideal minister. He had been converted through my brother's ministry and licensed to preach as well. George had only seen the preacher side of my brother, an himself had taken the gravest type of our Divine religion. He was sobriety rounded up, and felt that laughter on any occasion was doubtful, to say the least.
In the morning George was conducting family prayer in a most solemn and tremendous way. Richard had knelt facing a door leading to the cellar. Through the door the rats had eaten a hole. While George was praying two rats were fighting on the upper step of the cellar stairway, and the one thrust the other through the door right under Richard's nose. Seeing his condition the rat undertook to return, but his opponent stood in the hole and forbade him. This was too big a temptation for Richard and he seized the intruder by the tail. The rat squealed unmercifully and leaped through the door. There was a crack in the upper side of the hole and to keep himself from being bitten he forced the prisoner's tail into it, holding him fast. I discovered no break in Richard's responses, nor cessations of hearty amens while poor, innocent George was towering above the clouds in prayer, but his wife and I had a fearful time to keep from utter explosion. The end of George's prayer was reached at last, and rising, he saw the situation. I doubt whether in a lifetime I ever saw so marked a change in a human countenance! His idol saint could not get from his knees till his relation to the rat was changed, and so the whole occurrence opened up to poor George's mind. How a man so holy as Richard Haney could thus profane the place of prayer by making light of sacred things for the moment was a fearful question. His anguish was increased by the peals of laughter let loose before he reached his feet. But one soul of the group was collected and giving attention to business, and he persisted till it was certain this rat would never again disturb us in prayer.
Peoria was then but a small town and the Germans had effected a settlement on the east side of the river east and south of the city. The Methodists in those days were wide awake in looking after foreigners as they arrived. Dear old Father Bristol was a resident of the city, and a German by birth, and he was much drawn to help his countrymen. He understood both languages and could preach well in either. So he spent months in personal contact with these newcomers, laboring from house to house by day, preaching in some private dwelling at night. Most of them were old country Lutherans, and some of them Catholics, but none of them seemed ever to have the blessedness of an experimental salvation. Many of them were soundly converted in Father Bristol's meetings, and he, being a true Methodist, led his converts right in to Christian perfection. Many of them became wonderful Christians, and Father Bristol used to interest us with enchanting stories of their faith and victories. Two of these German women, who had learned a smattering of English, came over to our quarterly meeting. Their whole being seemed radiant with the joy of God. My soul had been stirred with inward needs and was feeling indefinitely for the supplies which would satisfy its longings. I had reached increasing victories of faith and got near enough to the Lord to increase my hunger. I was troubled as to the responsibilities involved in my future ministry.
In the quarterly love feast, which was glorious, these German ladies gave a relation of their Christian experience. They had each plainly found the Lord in the forgiveness of sins, and were thrilled with the joy of regeneration, but in brief time after that, had been perfected in love. Their description of the new birth was clear as light to me, because I had gone over the road and had what they possessed; but when they each proceeded beyond this to testify as to a second distinct work of cleansing, and filling with Divine love, I was left behind! Their testimony left an indelible imprint upon my soul. While thinking of their experience in tears, the Holy Spirit whispered within: "That is just what you need." Those two testimonies to full salvation, attested by the Holy Spirit, I have never shaken off till this day! Those two saints, who must have been embarrassed with their very imperfect English, did not know that their broken words would bless me through endless years. O, why don't God's ministers and people enter into this wonderful rest and herald it to others? Why should millions of earnest souls be left to wrestle with their chains for want of clear, distinct preaching and definite testimony on Christian holiness?
The widening fields of Methodism furnished an ever increasing demand for laborers. Hence our young me were hastened to the field young in years and with very insufficient preparation. I was urged into Conference by my superiors in my twenty-second year. Father was concerned about my case, and opened two doors through which I could accumulate sufficient means for further schooling. I reached it by a year of unprecedented labor, but a heavy claim came on him unexpectedly, which he was unable to meet. Ten years before he had bought a valuable timber lot with the title in dispute, on condition that payment should be made when the title was made good. Strangely, just at this time the title was perfected and the land, worth double what it cost, would have been lost if the payment were not forthcoming, and I turned the last dollar into father's hands to help him out.
This left me stranded, but I managed to put in a few months in a seminary in Platteville, Wis., before I was thrust out to preach the gospel. The church in that city at the time was greatly wanting in spirituality, but I went occasionally to an English body called "Ranters" and got braced up. They had a few blessed ministers, one of them Bro. Lazenby, who afterwards came to the M. E. Church, where he lived and died a faithful minister. Their prayer services were remarkable, and at times they were wonderfully filled with the Holy Ghost. They were marked with simplicity and humility. When any brother in his zeal was praying too long, the leader would cry out with a Yorkshire brogue, "Pray short, brother, pray short; you are consuming all the time!" On this note of warning the brother always stopped without the least appearance of being wounded, and another would fill his place.
During the spring and summer of 1846 I led a young people's class meeting, which was a stepping stone from the farm to the ministry. The class seemed above the ordinary spiritual level, and God often blessed us. Bishop Hamline and his lady came to Platteville for rest before Conference, and though I was too timid to talk with him, I was greatly helped by his wonderful spirit. Often I was constrained to urge those near my years to seek God, and among others several times attempted to move a Miss Goodle to give her heart to Christ. She was intelligent and genial, and free to talk, till it came to religion, when she would be off like a bird. I concluded it would be difficult to ever lead her to Christ. After Bishop Hamline had left, I came into my class one day to find Miss Goodle there. In those days the class leader was expected to personally address each person present. The presence of this wild girl was a heavy embarrassment, as I knew her strong aversion to religious conversation. I avoided her at first, but at length, with all the courage possible, I said: "Miss Goodle, we should be happy, if you are free so to do, to hear a word from you;" when to my utter astonishment, she sprang to her feet and gave a glowing account of her recent conversion! The whole class was moved with her recital. After service closed I expressed my surprise to her and asked that she tell me how it came about. She said: "You know I board at Mr. Gridley's, and Bishop Hamline and his lady were there?" "Yes," I responded "Well, you may depend I kept out of their hands, but I saw something wonderful about those people; they several times evidently wanted to talk with me about religion, but I slipped away! But there was something in their spirit that I could not shake off, and their presence made me feel that I was an awful sinner! Mr. Haney, do you know, it was a whole week after they went away before I dared to go into the room where they stayed! But I found no rest till I gave my heart to God!" O, that the church were filled with ministers and members whose very presence would put sinners under conviction and bring them to Christ!
Rev. N. P. Heath was the Pastor of the M. E. Church at this time, and took me with him down to a mining town called Snake Hollow to help a Brother Dinsdale. Pastor Heath could not remain long, but he and Bro. Dinsdale both united in the request that I should remain and help in the meeting. I was not licensed to preach, but an exhorter. The meeting had gone well with Bro. Heath's help, but now Bro. Dinsdale was left to lead it. He was a beautiful spirit and intensely conscientious. The house being crowded, he preached, intending at the close to invite seekers. His sermon was excellent, but it was noticeable the preacher was wading through deep water, when he suddenly paused and said: "I have a confession to make now to my people." Proceeding, he stated the Lord had given him a subject that night upon which he should have preached, but he had chosen another, and God had left him alone. Breaking into tears, he asked the people to forgive and pray for him, and abruptly himself knelt at the altar of prayer! The crowd was awe-stricken and silent as death, until the pressure became fearful. The sinners were in the congregation and the godly Pastor at the altar as a sinner! I sprang up and said sin was a dreadful thing, as illustrated in the fearful agony of this good man since this single act of disobedience, and urged all who wanted deliverance from it to hasten now to the altar, and it seemed the whole house would come.
The humility and meekness of this dear man of God had made a deep impression on the audience. How beautiful is humility with unmixed righteousness in a gospel minister.
Before Bishop Hamline left Platteville he and his lady spent an afternoon at the home of my sister. Other ministers were invited, among whom were Henry Summers, James Mitchell and Richard Haney. These three in an ordinary visit would have kept the company in a roar of laughter with amusing anecdotes, but the Bishop's presence changed this order. We all felt that we must act as though Jesus were one of the visitors. James and Richard were both strong men, and it may be were not without thought as to who should be the greatest. A controversy on some doctrine arose between them, which was very interesting, and finally an appeal was made to the Bishop as to who was right. He decided in Richard's favor, which was very pleasing to the young man. James Mitchell was sitting near him, and turning with a peculiar look; of satisfaction, patting his opponent on the knee, Richard said: "Brother Jimmy, didn't I tell you?" Then the Bishop called us to prayer, saying as we knelt: "Brother Haney, lead us in prayer!" We did not have so large a mixture of the merely social, but we were all nearer to God when supper was over. Henry Summers had known me from childhood, and, having beckoned me around the corner of the house, he said: "Milt, I have had to sit this whole blessed afternoon with my mouth primmed up, ready to pray at the drop of a hat." Henry Summers was a blessed man of God but was born full of fun, and could have laughed easily when he was dying!
The Rock River Conference that year (1846) met in Galena, and Hamline was the presiding Bishop. Most of the ministers then present are not with us now. John St. Clair, Hooper Crews, Luke Hitchcock, Asahel Phelps, Silas Boles, Barton Cartwright, and many others, including Richard, William, and Freeborn Haney, sons of my father; some in youth, others in their prime, were about me as a wall, when I came into the ministry. Blessed be God for such ministers. They blazed the way for coming generations in the West, and centuries of good men will still be gathering fruit from the seed of their sowing!
The scenes which occurred during that session, under the leadership of Bishop Hamline, beggar description. But two objects were kept before us: Strict business of the Conference, and our great mission as ministers. The business was adjusted in less time than ever before, and the increase of gospel force I have never seen equaled in any Conference session. If brethren got to sparring at each other, we were at once called to prayer, while the sparring party most to blame would have to lead us! This soon ended all that was unbrotherly and brought each minister face to face with God. I saw the whole Conference on their knees and faces, weeping and shouting and praying, again and again. Those scenes have never fled from my vision, and I think they have affected my whole ministry.