Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 50
Some Glorious Victories
A prim little pastor, who was a graduate from one of our theological institutes, and had learned many wise things, called me to help him in his station, and I began with him Sabbath night. The Congregationalist pastor had left, and he was employed to fill both pulpits, or serve both churches. Then, he was engaged to a nice Congregationalist girl. All this taken together, made him the primmest Methodist preacher I ever saw. Death had reigned for about five years in those two churches. The Lord stirred me fearfully in the first sermon, and the pastor apologized for me, saying: "Bro. Haney is a good man and very earnest, but he does not mean to say such strong things" etc., etc. The next night I was worse than before, and he made another apology! In our first, or second, afternoon meeting the Deacon insisted that so much noise was not necessary, or extravagant efforts needed, but God was a quiet being, and loved order. Up to this time I had made no reply, but acted as though nothing had been said. But now I said, if quietness, lukewarmness, etc., etc., were God's order, I thought they had had sufficient of these to have converted the whole community, and not one soul had been saved I Now I wanted all parties to understand that, during my stay, they might expect thunder, and lightning, and hail, and earthquake!
Shortly I saw God had put a host of hungry souls into my hands, and the prim little pastor was my greatest hindrance. I went to God after the night service with a breaking heart, and plead with Him in some way to remove this barrier. The next morning the pastor was sick! I visited him, and he said he had a very strange affection in his chest. He had never had anything like it before. That day, or evening, he put croton oil on his chest as a counter-irritant, and the next morning his chest looked as though it was eaten full of holes! He said I would have to go on, that he could do nothing! When he had improved so as to sit up a little, he said it would be weeks before he could do anything, and if I was willing he would go and visit his mother, and leave his church and the community in my hands! An over-whelming work of God took place, and after weeks he came back to find it so, and himself got sanctified before it closed! It is better to take our troubles to God than to men, and if we would fully trust Him, He would remove mountain barriers out of our way.
Rev. Brother Higgins, an old acquaintance in the pastorate, whom I knew to be in a very cold state, called me to help him, and I went, seriously questioning whether it was best. The work opened slowly, but many had drifted so far they were alarmed, and wanted to return. A few of the more spiritual plunged into the fountain of cleansing, and the preacher's wife was among them. When the deep light of holiness came into her soul, she awoke to the real condition of her husband. He had a bright intellect, and was full of shrewdness, and cunning. He had slipped through my hands a time or two, but when his wife got after him, he was in trouble. She plead with me to hold on to him, and to God for him.
About this time Bro. J. P. Brooks, a dear friend of his, was powerfully moved to leave everything else and come to this meeting, and had merely time, when ready, to run to the train and spring on to the rear car, already in motion. Reaching Galva, where the meeting was held, he hastened to the church arriving just as I was calling for seekers of pardon, and purity, and entering the door, he threw down his hat, came down the aisle with a quick step and threw himself down at the altar of prayer. He had apparently never paused a moment from the time he left Bushnell, till on his face before God at Galva. He had sought many times before, and, at periods, hoped he had the experience, and my soul had prayed for him probably more than for any other man. He was a strong minister, and with the genuine experience he might do great things for God, and it was felt this matter must be settled now. The next day I was on the opposite side of the altar from where he knelt, when God showed me he was now where he had never been before. Rising, I went to him and asked if that were the case, and he said he believed it was, which gave me great gladness of heart. Subsequent years proved clearly the genuineness of that conclusion, and through these years he was among the clearest witnesses I have ever known.
Now, a threefold human power was brought to bear on Bro. Higgins. His wife was nearly distracted about him, and was a glorious force to move him. He would kneel at the altar, but always on the wrong side! One night he stood near me while I was making the call, and she came to him, in tears, and begged him to go to the altar, and he seemed unable to resist her, but instead of kneeling when he came around to an open place, he hastened to the back seat and found an old fossilized Masonic friend of his, and, bringing him up the aisle, he knelt by his side and put his arm around him. Now he was truly at the altar, and on the right side, but he made the people think he was there to help others! O, the subtlety of a depraved human heart! After all these maneuvers his soul had to be torn with agony, and he told me, in tears, that had he died at any time in the five previous years, he would have gone to hell! How many professed ministers in the pulpit year after year, and how many tens of thousands of church members at the holy communion, in like condition! But dear Bro. Higgins found God, when the pride of his heart utterly gave way, and he came to the altar as a straight candidate for mercy and pardon; and I trust he is in glory now.
Among the blessed holiness camps of those days was one at Burnside, Ills., where, by actual count, thirteen different churches were among the worshipers. Bro. J. T. Patterson and wife did a great work in that section of Illinois, and elsewhere. They were Cumberland Presbyterians, and gloriously saved. In the first years of the holiness movement, there appeared perfect unity of the Spirit, and wondrous power in their assemblies. The work in Central, and Southern Illinois, and Missouri, was wide and beautiful, and nowhere in the West do I remember a discordant note, till individuals, who were anxious to be leaders, brought in notions outside of holiness teachings, upon which the holy flock could not agree. Holiness people have always united on holiness, but have been sadly divided on speculative questions. Would it not be greatly pleasing to God if we would all unite on our glorious center, and each of us be glad to allow to the other the right of private opinions? Of the multitudes of holy and beautiful people we met in these three years (or less) of evangelism, and of the many hundreds we saw saved, how large a proportion are now with the King! Glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!