Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 13
Spread of Revival Fire
The first revival meeting of my life being a success, gave added strength to my faith, and it took hold on God for continued victories. A large number of young people were converted there, who at once became active helpers in the salvation of others. This made victory easy. Each soul who professed religion on the Lee Centre Circuit, had strength to both pray and speak in public, and we had no hangers on. While a great gathering of dead souls into the church is a curse, the bringing into it of half the number who are really made alive from the dead is an everlasting benediction. Ten souls really born of God, is a greater victory than one thousand souls brought into the church without the new birth. In each case, where we had a church, I insisted on each member being utterly separated from a life of sin, and thoroughly alive to God: and a large majority of each society were clearly in favor with God before the revival began. Where there was no church, I took one or more of the most spiritual people we had with me, as holy seed; Old Bro. Russell Linn was my standby, and when he was with me I have no recollection of a single failure.
We had a log church at Melugin's Grove appointment and a small society, which was reliable, but more than ordinary wickedness prevailed without. There seemed a necessity for a general breaking up of Satan's strongholds in that place. So Bro. Linn and I began with a two days' meeting, first service Saturday morning. It seemed a heavy undertaking, but it was in the spring, and Bro. Linn propose that he and I go to the woods. The dry leaves made a carpet to kneel on, and we prayed. There was a struggle for victory, when at length I saw the old warrior put his hand in his pocket and throw something away with force. Immediately power from God came on him and he shouted aloud. Turning to me, he said: "O, Brother Haney, we will have glorious victory now!" He had been moderately using tobacco, which was largely esteemed as comparatively innocent in those days; but he had gotten too near to God to further carry the filthy habit. While in that struggle of prayer the Holy Spirit ordered that His temple be cleared out, and Bro. Linn obeyed, so a flood of glory came on him as the result.
I had no ministerial help, and no old sermons to fall back upon. So I arose about four o'clock Sabbath morning concerned that neither minister, nor sermon, were available! I read and prayed, and prayed and read, but no text could be found! Time for love feast had come, and no subject had appeared. While the people were speaking I was turning my Bible, but no text was in sight, nor a hint as to what I could preach about. The opening hymn was sung, but no light. I prayed with all my might, but the whole Bible seemed like a sealed book. I announced six verses to be sung to give every possible moment of time, and while they were singing I was turning the leaves of my Bible, when suddenly my eyes fell on Matt. 12: 43, 45, "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, but findeth none. Then he saith, I will return from whence I came out; and when he is come he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there! And the last end of that man is worse than the first." A stupendous subject, and I had never thought of preaching on it, but clear light broke on what to begin with, and I stepped out by faith, and the Holy Ghost set my words on fire. The house was crowded and the ungodly were there. My little flock prayed, and Bro. Linn shut his eyes and shrugged those broad shoulders, and victory was in the air.
I had talked twenty to twenty-five minutes when I saw a large, fleshy man of about 45 years begin to tremble. He was near the middle of the house, and in a few moments pitched forward on his face screaming, "God have mercy on my soul!" Six of his comrades tumbled down around him, all men, and cried for mercy. The whole seven were converted there in a group, and the backbone of rebellion was broken! It was found that this old rebel was a Methodist backslider, and having gone far from God, he was the ringleader of all wickedness in the community. He was the keystone to the arch of sin at Melugin's Grove, and when he yielded the arch gave way! Hence God shut me off apparently from His whole book to shut me in with this fearful subject, that this one man now filled and ruled with seven devils might be reached and his work of soul murder be ended. It is now plain, if I had always maintained that simplicity of heart before God, leaning less on what I had learned, and abandoned myself to Him as I was then compelled to do, much more could have been accomplished by my life and ministry.