Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 21
Life at Lewistown
We moved to Lewistown, Ills., in the fall of 1852, and found ourselves seated in the oldest parsonage in the Conference. The city itself was among the older towns in Central Illinois, and settled largely by people from the South. In earlier times Newton G. Berryman was Presiding Elder in this territory, who was a man of genial spirit and ability as a preacher. His attachment to the South was strong, and he had more or less sympathy with slavery. In after years he went to the church South. His life and ministry strongly marked these good people. Our second child was born here, whom we received with gladness, to fill the place of her brother, who had left us in the previous year.
We had warm friends in Lewistown, who were a great comfort to us. As in other places, we sallied out in search of souls and formed new preaching places, in each of which, I think, somebody was converted. My brother Freeborn had been their pastor in previous years, at which time I taught the city school for a brief period. Brother Richard had also been their Presiding Elder and was a favorite among the people.
A meeting of power was held in the church, during which a merchant was converted, who had a fearful struggle to find God. He was a quiet, cultivated man, in whom the people had much confidence. In those days few hymns or songs were sung in revival services, but these were often repeated. I had a favorite chorus which for years I sang over penitents when I thought them near deliverance. Seeing the merchant was nearing victory I struck up:
"For he
has taken my feet from the mire and the clay
And has set them on the rock of ages."
when the merchant sprang to his feet, filled with unspeakable joy. Though a very precise, modest man, with no knowledge of any tune, he went through the crowd shaking hands and attempting to sing this chorus. He had learned the words and kept repeating them with a loud voice, without the semblance of melody, but his face looked like the face of an angel of God! How we do forget the conventionalities of society when the soul is filled with the gladness of the Lord.
When Rev. N. P. Heath was stationed at Lewistown he called me to help him in a meeting, where Divine conviction was as wide as the community and wonderful in its depth. Many remarked who came to or through the city on business, knowing nothing of the meeting, that as they approached the town they were awestricken, as though brought into the presence of God! All classes of men were affected by it.
A doctor, who had been regarded as a very difficult case to reach, had resisted the truth for days, but one morning as he brought out his horse to ride into the country he attempted to mount, but failed, and standing by the horse leaned on his neck and, shaking with agony, wept like a child, and right then and there gave his heart to God. An old drunkard, who had again and again beaten his wife when drunk, came to church one night and was seated on the steps leading to the gallery. While I was preaching from Rev. 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," he became horror stricken with his lost condition and, staggering out of the house, he wandered through the city in the darkness, weeping and crying for help from God.
Before morning he determined to go to Bro. Tompkins, the class leader, and, reaching the door, he raised his hand to knock when it seemed to him that Christ so knocked at his heart that his arm fell by his side and he walked blocks away and returned before he sought Bro. Tompkins' door again; but before day the question was settled; that he would be a Christian. That night Bro. Heath led him to the altar and he was saved in a few minutes, and from that time, so far as I know, to his death was a decent man and real Christian.
We took in several outposts and at each of them the Lord gave us souls. In the summer we had a precious little camp meeting two miles north of the city. Another record has been kept, which will give unmistakably all that was done on this field, with the motives behind it, and whatever of fruit that came out of it in that day.