Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 11
My First Circuit
For the Conference year of 1846 to 1847, I was assigned to the Dixon Circuit as junior preacher, with Brother Brent, of the Baltimore Conference, as preacher in charge. Dr. Luke Hitchcock, the retiring Presiding Elder, had broken down in middle life and now resided at Lee Centre, twelve miles from Dixon. The Dixon brethren had requested the work divided and Dixon made a station. The Bishop objected to the division, but left it with the Presiding Elder, in case it should be demanded, to form the Lee Centre Circuit and leave Dixon by itself with Bro. Brent as its pastor, putting the junior preacher in charge at Lee Centre. Bro. Milton Bourne was seen weeping in the Conference room after the appointments were read, and I asked his name of a brother, who said: "That is Milton Bourne, and he is crying because he has to be your Presiding Elder!" He was a modest minister and shrank from undertaking to fill Dr. Hitchcock's place. I told him I was one of his boys and would pray for him.
I had returned home to adjust myself for the itinerancy, and left for Dixon on horseback with what I had of earthly possessions in my saddle bags. Though mother had set me apart to this work from my infancy, it pulled on her heart to see me go. Father said but little, but hoped I would be true to God. Mother was prostrated when I parted with her in tears. The journey was about 150 miles, and I wept most of the way. My utter unpreparedness for public life, with my timidity, put mountains before me. When having to meet travelers I would dry up my tears and appear cheerful, but the cheer was largely on the outside. Reaching Dixon, I stopped over Sabbath at the house of a Brother Ayres, who had married Brother Hitchcock's wife's sister. He was a local preacher and had a nice family. They made their young preacher as comfortable as possible. Bro. Brent was still in Baltimore, and I all alone. I preached the first Sabbath to a well filled house. I had only been licensed to preach about six weeks. Having announced a hymn, there was no one to lead, and we had no song! Calling to prayer, I noticed they all remained seated, except one woman, who knelt while I prayed. I had always been accustomed to seeing Methodists kneel when they prayed. This apparent stiffness put a double yoke upon me, but I came out alive after all! My text was John 3:14,15: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." The audience could never after that have forgotten there was such a man as Moses, nor doubted that he made a brazen serpent! My next Sabbath was in the country and I was like a bird let out of its cage. I found a lot of hungry souls, who were glad to see their boy preacher. They sang like larks and seemed hearty in prayer. We had class meeting and some of the dear old saints spoke of their being blessed by the preaching! My soul was greatly encouraged, and I began soon to go from house to house talking and praying with the people. This increased my own strength and faith, and closely connected my very heart with the people. At first it was a weighty cross, but soon became a great pleasure.
By the time my superior arrived from Baltimore I had the circuit ripe and ready to be cut off from Dixon and Dixon was glad to be shut in alone with the scholarly and experienced Bro. Brent for their pastor. He was a man of Christly spirit, and a faithful minister. He did well in the pastorate at Dixon, and, as a preacher, was above the average of his day. Like many others, he failed in pastoral visiting, and hence reached fewer souls than he might have reached. My circuit was called Lee Centre, and at first I had four appointments: Lee Centre, Melugin's Grove, Badger School House, and Trobridge School House. Being here two years, I took in a grove appointment four miles northeast of Melugin, the head of Inlet Grove, and Franklin Grove, which afterwards became a town. At each of these points God gave us more or less of revival, and souls were saved.
I had my home a large part of the first year with Uriah Bridgeman. They were a worthy family, consisting of himself, wife, and Henry, of six or seven summers. Sister B. was a daughter of old Mother Doan, who used to shout me over the bar when I got tangled in preaching They had adopted what they called the "love government" with Henry. He and I had great times together, but I soon feared he was going to the bad, as most children do who have their own way. I, having grown up in a home where parents ruled, was alarmed to see a child ruling its parents! They were heart friends of mine, and I carefully suggested change, but it did not come. I talked and prayed, but Henry held the reins! Finally I preached on family government, as boy preachers are apt to do! I brought out the destruction of Eli's family, and portrayed the curse of God which came on Eli and his sons, because he failed to govern them, and Bridgeman went home under conviction! On returning next day I saw the reins were drawn tighter, and they were in changed hands. Henry chafed somewhat, and yielded slowly. One morning his father forbid him to do something and Master Henry went forthwith and did it! The father was moved and said with unusual sternness: "Now, Henry, if you do that again, I will get a switch and switch you well!" Henry saw there was something unusual and paused a little, but repeated the act. From my study the scene was visible. Bridgeman arose gravely, and disappeared in the front yard. Henry awaited his return, in a very thoughtful mood. The door opened and Henry saw by the looks of his father's eyes that a new dispensation had begun, and springing like a cat he drew a chair between him and his father, exclaiming with a voice of alarm: "My soul, be on thy guard!" I now had more than I could carry and disappeared at a back door, but it was not long till Henry's insubordination was gone and increased gladness reigned all around. I have understood that he since developed into a beautiful manhood.
Robert Ingersoll's father was a Presbyterian minister, but at this time was preaching for the Congregationalists at Badger's School House, he and I preaching each alternate Sabbath morning. He was a man of great intellectual strength--much stronger than his son, though not equal to him as an orator. He esteemed the West as semi-heathen, and treated the people accordingly. The Badger's School House was on the ground where now the City of Amboy stands, in the valley of the Inlet stream. I opened there my first protracted meeting, holding services every night. I was mostly alone, having secured little ministerial help, but feared to use Mr. Ingersoll. As the meeting progressed he was generally present. It was my habit at the close of preaching immediately to call penitents to the altar. Just in that crisis Mr. Ingersoll would spring up with the request to put in "just a word," and generally continued till the interest had largely abated! This was a trial to my soul, but I did not dare to object to it. Being so often repeated it became a striking hindrance to the meeting.
Old Bro. Russell Linn was my chief counselor, as Bro. Hitchcock was five miles away. He counseled forbearance and endurance in silence, which I strictly followed. Dr. Hitchcock hearing how things went, feared the rash boy preacher would break loose and spoil the meeting. To Bro. Linn he sent frequent warnings against my responding to Ingersoll, which were wise and gracious. But the Sabbath came in which it was the old man's turn to preach, and Dr. Hitchcock was present. After the preliminaries Mr. I. spitefully threw down two manuscripts on the stand, Hitchcock sitting behind him to the right, and I to the left. Pausing, he said he could not select his subject till some questions were settled. Referring to the meeting, he said: "All these days and nights this young minister (and turning to me with a look of contempt, added, "He is a very young minister") has sent from Dan to Beersheba for help, and sometimes he got it, and sometimes he did not, but has never publicly recognized me as a minister by asking me to share in its services." Pausing again, for a moment, he referred to the contrast between the two characters, and added, "I want this matter settled now." I arose and confessed my great deficiency in years and training in contrast to my venerable friend, and added: "I hereby tender a public invitation to Father Ingersoll hereafter to attend the meeting and participate in its services." He then preached among the greatest sermons I ever heard on repentance. It was about two hours in length, but of great merit. The school house had seats of board without backs, but the audience heard him through attentively.
At the close he made a call for penitents to the anxious seat, but none came. He tripped over the seats like a boy, running to various parts of the house to individuals, and returned with great beads of perspiration upon his face, but nobody moved! My youth and weakness, in contrast with his experience and strength, made his attacks very offensive to the people and many were too mad to repent.
Dr. Hitchcock yielded to preach in the afternoon and we were all out to hear. He preached a most convincing sermon on the excuses of sinners. Among other excuses he gave the common one relating to being converted in times of excitement. He knew the people well and answered the excuse by stating they had had no revival excitement for seven previous years, and asked why in that calm of seven years they had not found God! He had hardly closed the sermon till Ingersoll was on his feet and said: "I have come out into this western country with a spiritual salt dish, to feed the sheep, and I protest against the people being taught they cannot be saved after the excitements of this Methodist meeting are past." But Luke Hitchcock, forgetting his exhortations of forbearance and endurance, sprang to his feet in response, and when he was through there seemed hardly a scrap of Ingersoll left, and he never troubled us again. His deacons had worked with us most heartily and were blessed men of God. So Bro. Linn and I went to see them Monday morning and insisted they should arbitrate the case. I proposed that Father I. should preach half time, or less. or more, as they should decide, but they forbade his preaching at all.
People often wondered at my tenderness toward Robert Ingersoll, but I could not avoid having sympathy for him, with the knowledge I had of his father. How many boys of resplendent abilities have been ruined for time and eternity through professed Christian parents whose lives gave the lie to their profession. Poor Bob and his beautiful brother, when in childhood and boyhood, were well nigh compelled to give their verdict against Christ as they saw him in the life of their father.
The meeting at Badger School rose above all barriers and went forward through the coming days with power. But we had hardly recovered when another danger struck me. Rev. H. Humphrey, who had been a gambler and sportsman of rough character, and was converted late in early manhood, had gone into the ministry, and was known as a peculiar specimen of the gospel minister. I had confidence in him as a Christian, and he was older and stronger than I. He was generally called "Heck." Well, Heck came by and stopped with me over night. Methodist preachers in those days were a wonderful brotherhood. I had Heck on my hands and my meeting had hardly recovered from the hindrances thrown in its way. I knew he liked to preach, but I feared his eccentricities would break it down. It seemed I could hardly avoid asking him, and so I did. He readily assented, but I went to church trembling. His text was the statement of Moses: "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear," etc. He seemed not to find much in the front part of the text, but brought a succession of thunderbolts out of the latter part. He poured out liquid fire on our devoted heads till the whole house was in a ferment. The people rose and Christians attempted to sing, but it was difficult. I saw a large man flourishing his fists and heard his bitter anathemas. His great fists were flourishing above the heads of the people and it looked like war! I hastened through the crowd and kindly asked him to desist. In his wrath he responded: "There have been clubs thrown here tonight! There have been clubs thrown here tonight and I won't stand it!" It was very evident that at least one of Heck's clubs had struck him, and he was in a bad fix! Heck had but one seeker that night, and he was an old Methodist backslider, who had been brought to Christ by my mother before I was born, and, coming west, had lost his way and become exceedingly hardened. The hurling of Heck's clubs were so terrible that he saw hell right under his feet, and ran like a man from a burning building, falling prostrate before the altar! God restored him graciously and he became a worthy Christian. It seemed as though Heck had been sent on purpose to rescue that old rebel.
In the latter days of that meeting I was strongly drawn to a newly-married young man, who was evidently moved upon by the Holy Spirit. He was a gentleman and gave earnest attention to all that I said, but did not yield. I was very persistent in giving the best reasons I could for instant action. He conceded the importance of what I said, but responded that he and his wife had talked this matter over, and both agreed that they must at some time become Christians, but their affairs were not yet settled, and they would defer action on this question. In less than three days, I think, a messenger came to my boarding place and inquired for me. When I appeared he said: "I have come to ask you to preach the funeral sermon of your friend Mr.___." I was so moved that I said: "O, my Lord, is he dead?" "Yes," he said. "He was digging sand under a bank and several tons of frozen earth fell upon him and he was crushed to death in a moment!" "Oh!" I said, "if I had held to him longer he might have been saved." His last call had been given and rejected, and now the door had closed!