Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 66
The Battles of the Twenty-fourth Year
The twenty-fourth evangelistic year began January 1st and closed December 29th, 1899. It included eighteen distinct meetings, nine of which were camps. These were held in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Maryland, Oklahoma and Indiana.
We began at El Paso, Illinois, January 1st, closing the 28th. The first Sabbath many arose as candidates for Christian perfection, and had all of them kept their vow what a work of God would have been wrought! The second Sabbath about 150 of the church rose, saying they would seek till the found a holy heart. Had they all done what they promised to do, who can tell the depths and glory of the work which would have followed? Numbers did, and found what they sought. The pastor, Rev. W. A. Cumming, stood by the truth in a manly way and we have long prized him as a true minister. Father North of this church and his family were a great help to the meeting. The dear old suffering saint still survives, and is ever a burning and shining light. The church at El Paso can never render one reason for not being holy with such a man and such a family in their midst. She has numerous members beside these whose garments are white, and who will follow the Lamb to fountains of living waters.
Thus all over the land we find the church, and the church within the church. The one for, and the other against spirituality, and the hindrance of all hindrances, to a general revival of God's work are the tens of thousands whose names are on her records, but who have never been, or are not now, in the Book of Life. When the King comes, what wailings there will be, when these two bodies are separated!
A precious little meeting was held with my dear Brother Kidder on the Dubuque Circuit, Iowa. This man of God has stood for holiness through the years, against all opposing powers, and recently we had the pleasure of suggesting him for membership in the National Association. Of the service we made this note before leaving: "A meeting where a heavy majority of the church is utterly opposed to revivals, and are without God! A blessed work--attendance very small, souls converted, reclaimed sanctified. Minister gracious, and services continue under his lead. O how God has blessed me here!"
We were kept by a snow storm from reaching Warsaw, Nebraska, in time, but came as soon as the way opened, and some precious fruit was gathered. We found the pastor a true minister and were glad to help him. Some will come from Warsaw when God's elect are gathered. We had a sweet three days in Asbury Church Des Moines, with Brother Snider's band, and the Council of the I. H. A., March 12th to 15th. Touching at such places, and coming in contact with such souls, how blessed it is!
A more lengthened meeting was held at Grand Island, Nebraska, where we were called to help Brother Webster, the pastor, whose name is in the Book of Life. The church within the church was here hindered, as elsewhere, by the church without. These two bodies, which through the ages have attempted to live together, but in no case have been one, have a distinct work on hand; So we were compelled to have a festival in the midst of revival work, and the outer church was interesting itself in drill performances for Easter, while the inner church was in the battle for souls. This, of course, greatly retarded the work, but God's faithful children made the best of it they could, and He owned and blessed their labors.
Putting in a few days of active work in the Soldiers' Home, near the city, we were badly pained to find so many of our old comrades so hardened in a life of sin, but some were saved and we went on our way rejoicing. Concerning it, at the time it was written: "A meeting opposed by the chief officers, but graciously blessed in the saving of souls. Everlasting praises to the King of Kings."
While a Normal, Illinois, from April 20th to June 8th this note was made: "Rest time. God with me in a glorious home." It is very sweet to retire from the strife of the battle field at times to a home of purity and love.
My soul fattened rapidly on the food furnished at Mountain Lake Park Camp this year. It was the only time I was ever there, and was then compelled to return before its close. Was treated with great kindness and love by the brethren, and the days spent on that holy mountain will not be forgotten. This was an opening for me to see dear Brother Thompson before he left for glory. He was frail, but mighty in God. It was a singular joy to meet him again, and look into his saintly face. He embraced and kissed me as I came away, and gave me his blessing. He said he had expected to be off but "Father had made known to him he could not come just now," adding, "I think He has some little chore for me to do before I go home, and I am so glad to do His blessed will." It seems to me my condemnation would be very great after being in the society and holy fellowship of such men as Thompson, Pepper, Inskip and McDonald, if I should be untrue to my Lord. Mountain Lake Park Camp Meeting is one of the great camps of the world, and to take the scope of its heaven-born influence on the race is impossible till the great judgment day. More ministers are there led into the experience of holiness than in any other meeting on the earth. Brother Pepper was the captain of the meeting, with Joseph H. Smith as his first lieutenant, and it would be difficult to put a meeting under better lead. The services were all beautiful and power from God increasing each day. It was no small cross to tear myself away from this glorious center of light, and especially as I was compelled to leave while Brother Fowler was preaching. Should our brethren for any reason allow that annual camp to cease, it would be a painful blunder, and a loss to the Christian world.
We had a time not to be forgotten in camp with Rev. D. W. Ross, pastor at Perkins, Oklahoma. The people were less hardened than in the older States, and many were hungry for the bread of life. Brother Ross is a great worker, and his people were in a prepared state. The Lord be praised for such ministers! Our camp, of course, was not large, but the Lord made it glorious. Souls were being saved all the time, more or less. Young preachers went from that meeting to do great things for the King. In contact with them I seemed carried back to my youth. A dear brother who was instantly healed of chronic rheumatism at a camp on the Big Walnut River, Kansas, many years before, met me there with great joy. His wife and he, after spending much of their means with physicians, were both impressed by the Holy Spirit if they would go to the Walnut River Camp and ask God's people to pray for his restoration that God would heal him. He was a man nearly 40 years old, probably, and had been a man of strength, but was now painfully crippled. Both of his limbs were badly drawn up, but he could walk very slowly with the aid of two crutches. His hands were swollen and his fingers drawn out of place. His wife timidly brought his case to me, and asked prayer for her husband. I said I would, but having the whole meeting in charge, forgot it till she spoke again. Fearing my carelessness had grieved them, I went to see him about it, and offering my hand, he refused to shake hands with me, because of the pain it must cost him, but said if I would carefully take hold of the fingers of his left hand I might. This led to his showing me his right hand, which was so swollen and the fingers so drawn that it was a painful sight. That afternoon he arose and, hanging on his crutches, gave a statement of his case and asked that prayer be offered. I then declared my faith in God's healing power, adding that as these persons seemed to be His real children and had come there under the lead of the Holy Spirit for that purpose, and now made this request, that we had a right to pray in faith for his recovery. We all then knelt in a season of silent prayer and the service was closed with a few words of prayer, when he rose and said he was healed. This was about five o'clock in the afternoon. I was staying at Brother Green's house above the little camp, and came down to the morning meeting. Before reaching the ground I saw a brother leap from the platform on the north side, and run to a covered wagon which was in waiting for him. The people, as he sprang from the platform, which on that side was near the height of an ordinary table, gave a great shout and kept on shouting! Seeing the wagon winding through the woods, I managed to meet the parties to bid them good-bye, for the attachments of that camp were wonderful. When I met them, to my surprise, it was this man and his wife. He reached down that hand which he had refused yesterday and took hold of mine with a grip I have not forgotten, saying: "Brother Haney, I am healed, and wife and I have not slept a wink all night," with words of praise and thanksgiving to God. He asked me to examine the hand, which I did, and the swelling was gone and those fingers straightened out! Six weeks after I wrote to a Brother Dougherty asking if he knew anything of this brother since the camp, and he answered that he had just come from his house where they had been in a convention; that he had gone home and had cut sixty tons of hay, and declared that since he rose from that season of silent prayer he had not had one rheumatic pain! I saw him the next year on that same ground, and sitting on the platform, decided in my own mind he was the most perfect specimen of physical manhood in that company. Now, in Oklahoma, I think near fifteen years afterwards, he hugged and kissed me, and renewed his testimony as to what God had wrought. I am sorry his name has gone from me, but it can be found if desired.
At Stillwater, Okla., we met with resistance to holiness teaching as deep and persistent as we had met in any place. The church acted as though under mutual agreement not to yield under any circumstances. A few were saved, but the multitude went on as before. This note concerning my own soul was made at the time: "I go away, strong in God and rejoicing in this salvation."
We gave ten days to Carney, Oklahoma. A prominent brother had given time before the meeting, and during its progress, arguing against holiness teaching. Others joined him and made success in this meeting very difficult. A wide revival (?) had taken place here the year preceding, to which there seemed to have been no depths, and the mass of the converts were now on the mountains of sin. This put the community in a skeptical condition. There is hardly any infidel-producing power which surpasses the ingathering of a host of souls to the church who have not been born of God. I have never found any power adequate to the task of restoring any community, or church from the evil results of rushing a lot of unsaved sinners into church membership. I know no church which has ever fully recovered from such a calamity.
We were three days in Guthrie in a meeting where the District Conference and District Leagues united. Our ministers with whom I met were generally young and deeply spiritual, and under their lead great and gracious results must accrue. This was a beautiful occasion and much was done for, and by, the Lord. There was a crowd at the altar, and my happy soul wrote on coming away: "Have rarely seen services so blessed. Glory be to God!"
I was three days in the camp at Bloomington, Ills., this year of 1899. Brother McLaughlin was in lead, and Brother Morrison assisting. These are among the best and strongest of our ministers. My soul was delighted to listen to the Gospel from such lips. The camp was large enough to secure the salvation of hundreds. Being compelled to leave in order to fulfill engagements in Indiana, I wrote at the time this note: "Grand preaching, yielding very slow, great light rejected, and holiness people not free."
We opened at North Manchester, Indiana, a blessed camp of ten days, September 2nd. Brother Glascock was my assistant and a blessed assistant was he. In hardly any other country is holiness planted on a sounder base or going forward more safely or rapidly. Brother Dan Speicher is the President of the Northern Indiana Holiness Association, and God has used him in a wide and glorious sense. The Association itself is made up of a solid body of beautiful Christians. The work went forward graciously from the first and I have seen but few more gracious camp meetings. Concerning it I wrote: "A great meeting from first to last. Blessed be God! and more than 150 saved." How precious the memories of communion with such saints.
In contrast with this was a camp at Devizes, Kansas 70 miles away. Our old friend Bisbee had reached a point of desperation in that region of desolation and death, and almost demanded that I come and hold a camp in that little Sodomic valley. The dear man so needed help that I shut my eyes to the facts and went. At the journey's end I found him and his good wife sick. His boys had put up one tent to be occupied, should there be any one to occupy it. I put up mine and stayed in the woods two nights alone. I had written Brother Morrison, of Colby, Kansas, for Jesus' sake to come and bring his wife to help me. He could not come, but sent his wife, who is a fountain of song and a depository of salvation. The young pastor would have helped me, but his wife was sick. Not a soul out the first night. By Saturday night I had an audience of fifteen. But it rose to forty on Sabbath, which was an encouragement. Nights were cold and we had no tabernacle and we shivered. St. Paul was not half so glad when Timothy came as I was on the arrival of Sister Morrison. "Elect Lady" as she was, it was for her refined soul a tremendous undertaking; but she went through beautifully. The second Sabbath more had come and some had been saved. A strong wind from the south kept up all day and I preached three times facing it, without any covering over us. Some people from a distance, whom the Lord stirred up came in hungry, and some of them were saved. That Sabbath I will not forget. I wrote as follows at its close: "A camp, the smallest I ever held, with men and devils to hinder marvelously, and apparent providential barriers; yet over-ruled and made blessed in a marked manner to many precious souls. What was done was done cleanly and beautifully." The above has been recorded to indicate the variety in evangelism.
We were called to Newkirk, Okla., November 8th, by the pastor, Brother E. B. Cole, an earnest and blessed young man, and had a healthy battle of four weeks, which by some, will not be forgotten. It seemed as though the powers of darkness were unusually awake and much was thrown in the way, but the Lord took us through to victory. This note, written at the time, gives a hint at the facts: "A meeting broken into by two storms lasting nearly two weeks, three or four dances, and a murder trial, but greatly blessed and owned of God. Besides those converted and reclaimed, nearly fifty were brought into the experience of holiness.
I look with hope on the Oklahoma field as to the future, because so many ministers of that Conference are in the experience of holiness, and are true to Methodist doctrine.
We closed the twenty-fourth evangelistic year in a precious little convention in Indianapolis, with Brother McLaughlin as leader. It was only held four days, but a gracious presence was there. It was thus noted at its close: "A meeting of marked interest and power. Probably about thirty saved."