Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 47
The Work in Mason City
Rev. Edward Rutledge, a friend of my boyhood, had broken down in the ministry and moved to Mason City. His pastor, the Rev. Mr. Parkhurst, was in a hard battle. While the meeting at Williamsville was still in progress Bro. Rutledge had moved him to secure my assistance, and the pastor assented, requesting R. to correspond with me. I answered that I would come as soon as released at Williamsville, and thought we would close by such a night, but continued two or three weeks beyond expectation. Bro. R. finally wrote if I did not reach them by a certain Sabbath, they would close that night, but we held over that Sabbath and I went home.
After two days' rest I began to feel uneasy about Mason City, and told my wife I would run down on Thursday evening and see. Seeing a light in the M. E. Church, I went directly to it, and found them in their church prayer meeting, their revival meeting having closed the previous Sabbath. A large number were present, but Rutledge was not there. I took a back seat as a stranger, to take observations. The leading prayers were formal beyond belief, and at great length. It seemed hardly possible it could be so dry, and lifeless, at the end of a four weeks' revival service. At length the young preacher, who was bright, began to eye me as though he were suspicious, and then came and asked me if I were not Bro. Haney, and I confessed that I was he. He said they had held out just as long as they could stand it without results, and closed Sabbath night, but if I would now take up the meeting he would be glad. I said I would on one condition only, and that was that his people would cut off the introductions and conclusions to their prayers, and none of them pray to exceed two minutes and a half. "Well," he said, "come up front and talk to them about it." So after I had given reasons why I could not leave the former meeting, I squarely stated that if they would agree to cut off both ends of their prayers, giving us the heart cry in the middle, with all superfluous words left out, each praying from one-half to two minutes and a half, I would stay with them till God would give them one hundred sinners converted! To this they kindly agreed, and the meeting began the next night. They kept the contract, and it was surprising how they prayed! Their formalities had wearied God, and cut them off from Divine fellowship. Many of them, in praying, had given such attention to the ears of men, that the Lord had turned away and allowed them to get what they could praying to each other! But few of them had heard from heaven for a great while, but now, having thrown away the jingle of words, their hearts got a chance to talk to God, and He answered.
Dear Bro. Parkhurst got beautifully sanctified, and went to glory in the morning of his ministry. His wife also entered the fountain, and Sister Rutledge stepped in. The few who had life in them, began earnestly to seek holiness, and their prayer was answered. Many who had lost their way amid the labyrinths of formalism, awoke like dead men coming from their graves, and 'ere long a real church appeared, with Pentecostal fire and power, and after all it did not seem to be a heavy task to secure the conversion of one hundred sinners. The meetings became so glorious at night, that it was often difficult to lose them at all. At times we were in the church at midnight, where cries were going up to God.
Bro. Rutledge noticed that a hardened sinner was there to the last each night, and yet was not saved, and he said to him as they were going out: "Bill, you are a curiosity to me. Every night you are among the last to go away, and yet you are not converted. Will you please explain to me why you are here?" Bill responded: "Mr. Rutledge, I don't care so much about the preaching, but I stay here to hear these people pray! I never heard such praying as this! Why, it seems like the people are talking with God!" That is what it was, and that was the great central power of the meeting. People will be saved when God's children really get hold of Him, as these did at Mason City.
One of my boys, who had been a wonderful Christian from his conversion, till after we moved to Bloomington, was in the public schools, with a stability of character beyond his years, and a walk with God which made his life a marvel. He had advanced beyond his classes, which brought him in contact with boys much older than himself. These were full of subtlety, and real heart wickedness, but their mothers desired that my boy should visit them, in the hope that his influence would bring them to Christ. These mothers asked my wife to allow her boy to fraternize with theirs. Mrs. Haney wrote me for counsel about it, and thought the child so strong that he would not be injured by the contact, so I suggested that she grant their request. If she had been left to her mother instincts I think she would have refused, but with my consent she acceded to their wishes. The boy wrote me he was under trial and wanted help, but I had such confidence in his devotion to God that I did not fear an serious result; but afterwards, on reaching home, I saw the light of God had disappeared from his face! We both awoke to the fact that he had let go of God!
When the meeting at Mason City became so glorious I wrote his mother to send him to me, hoping to lead him back to Christ. His heart was yet tender, and in a few days he felt the Lord had returned to his soul. He wrote his mother about his restoration, and Mrs.---, the mother of the boy who had led him away, was much rejoiced, and now wanted to send her boy down, that I might get him converted. I will call his name Charley. My wife wrote that his mother had great confidence in me, and would like to send Charley down to get him saved, so I agreed to have him come. Finding my boy had returned to God, Charley came to the altar as a seeker, and made a clear profession of pardoned sin. I could not see through Charley's experience, but could not entertain the thought of its being bald hypocrisy. I had never known of one so young, who could play the hypocrite in a case like this, and would not entertain the thought concerning him. He prayed in public, and gave in his testimony bravely; but something was wanting! He proposed that he and my boy walk up town, and asked me if they might. I consented, but soon found that he was trying to get my boy into difficulty! It soon became clear that every movement he had made was false, and there was not a shadow of truth in his professions; but the whole movement was to undermine and destroy the faith of my child. I make this painful record to move parents to avoid the ruin of innocent boys by rigidly keeping them from the grip of such subtle satanic agencies. When a pure young soul is thoroughly saturated with such poison, it rarely ever recovers from its effects, and moral character thus wounded will rarely, if ever, outgrow the scar. How sad and fearful the corrupt and corrupting agencies brought to bear on the children, and youth, of this generation!