Pentecostal Possibilities or "The Story of My Life"
by Milton Lorenzo (M. L.) Haney
CHAPTER 69
The Last Year
Before closing the campaign in Washington and Colorado, it seemed plain I should rest much of the time during the winter of 1902 and 1903. This gave opportunity for a blessed time in my home, which is always made a place of comfort and desire by the woman who has stood with me in the battles of fifty-four years. It did seem we had never before together passed so glorious a winter. We had journeyed together in youth and middle years; now the fires of the one had died out, and the strength of the other departed; but we were in the summerland of pure, unmixed Divine love, where God and home were blended!
Ten days in January were given to the National Holiness Convention in the First M. E. Church of Chicago. The convention seemed to be the best the Nationals ever held in this city. Thousands from the city and strangers as well, during its passage, heard this wonderful gospel. Brother Bud Robinson had the noon services each day, when crowds were there to listen. These included people far and near. A throng of souls were saved and God was glorified. The burning soul and ministry of Dr. Fowler, was a continued benediction and all the Lord's servants seemed specially endowed. Brother Isaiah Reid, seemed to renew his youth, and Brother Haney, as usual, was eating honey out of the rock. This convention was one of a series which gladdened the hearts of thousands, from Boston to California.
We gave two days to Durand, Iowa, and twelve to Bristow, in April. In the latter place we had real victory despite all hindrances. People here have had much light on holiness and the Methodist people especially have no excuse for not being in the experience. We were persistently hindered by a dear old brother of Alexander Campbell's church, who, under the guise of an inquirer, sought incessantly for dispute. He was begged again and again in much kindness and long suffering by the pastor and others to desist, but only ceased to be a disturber when compelled to do so by the demand of authority. Such occurrences are always painful to good men. The work went slowly, but after he left, the fire broke out and people were converted, reclaimed and wholly sanctified. What precious saints the Lord has hid away in these little towns and how blessed to help them.
At Grinnell, Iowa, we found the holiness work had been enlarged through a blessed little band from Marshalltown, and yet they are not strong. Had there an opportunity of visiting old Father Snider at his home before he went to heaven and did what we could to bring comfort to the afflicted family of Doctor Brown, at whose home I was made so comfortable. These two souls have known much of the Lord, but the furnace has been heated many times since they knew Him.
The Iowa Annual, and National Camp, this year at Des Moines was a great meeting, the largest, I think, ever held in the State. It was hindered at first by the fearful floods, but a real holiness meeting will rise above tremendous barriers. Plans for a great widening of the work were made at this meeting, out of which we trust may come the salvation of many ten thousands. Brother Morrison's ministry was glorious, while he remained, and his wife was distinctively a blessing to us all. Our northern people have exceedingly enjoyed the ministry of Brothers Carradine and Morrison, and if they have more of such, we wish they would send them this way!
With but little time at our home to prepare for another Western campaign, we opened at Colorado Springs, June 25th, a convention of eleven days. Above all else, we were hindered here by the holiness work being divided into factions. Many people can't live unless they can be leaders, and so some notions are tacked on to holiness, and those who can combine in these notions, rally to the man or woman who promotes them, thus making a little sect, which is not long in reaching the conclusion that they are about all the Lord has. I found one such leader in Texas, who told me that herself and one other woman, with one man, were the only people God had on the earth! She had a slight hope of one additional man, who was yielding himself to her teachings! I expressed to her my pity for the Lord, who had put in nearly six thousand years of labor to save men, and had only succeeded in saving two women and one man! God has people as the stars of heaven, and some of them in all the churches, even in old fallen Rome, as well as millions whom He knows among the heathens.
Our meeting at the Springs was held in Brother Lee's mission and I believe him to be a very sincere man. The mission has some blessed souls who are full of self-sacrifice and good works but there they are abstracted from all other holy brethren, and others separated from them. They toil as but few do to rescue souls, and souls are really rescue, but such utter want of co-operation between little groups of persons professing holiness is doing great damage to the cause and making a wide-spread work of holiness in their locality well nigh impossible. Isaiah Martin had planned for the meeting, and we did the best we knew to counteract this painful condition of things. The last Sabbath we had meeting in Brother Fink's mission at 10 A. M. and 3 P. M. and brought the two together in the evening, and the day was glorious. God saved souls in both places and we had a blessed time, but we could not get at the masses at all. At Brother Fink's mission there are often more people than they can seat, but the building is small. If we could have had a tabernacle and gone in there as holiness ministers and the holiness people as such had dropped their notions and combined in holiness, we might have reached two hundred, instead of thirty or forty souls. Holiness people have never divided on holiness, and whatever does divide them should be abandoned without delay.
We had a blessed time with the Lord in crossing the mountains, but the dust was very trying. Having been requested by our old friends, Brother Edwin Fell and wife, formerly of Normal, Ills., to stop over at Pendleton, Oregon, we found Brother Fell had gone to heaven a few days before, and Sister Fell, had great victory in her sorrow. We have rarely seen a soul so triumphant in bereavement. We preached at night in the M E. Church and thirty-two persons were at the altar of prayer. Among others who yielded to seek God was Sister Fell's youngest son. This gave great joy to his mother, and strengthened her faith that God would also bring her other sons. The pastor of this church at Pendleton is a blessed man of God and his ministry is making great changes in the city. We reached Spokane Wash., in time to open the camp July 9th, which continued eleven days. The Spokane River runs through the city and is among the most beautiful rivers of the world. Its falls are an enchantment as well as a great water power, and the city among the finest in the Northwest. The people in Washington are generally glad they are there, and as a rule are healthy and prosperous. The saloon is an awful power in this city, and its influence most damning. A city park near the camp ground is one of the places where its work is visible. O when will the Christian world get ready to rise up and put down the saloon!
During the camp here people of both sexes were at the altar, drunk. In one case we had a fallen minister and his wife, with her mother, all of them drinking. The preacher's wife seemed most drunken and hardened. She is a beautiful and intelligent woman and all three of them interesting people. The mother seemed the most broken in heart, and I think they all would have been saved but for the preacher's wife. She seemed sold to the devil and could not be led to yield to God. The camp at Spokane transcended most camps I have ever seen. Not one-third as large as the Iowa Annual, or Mountain Lake Park, but many more saved in proportion to numbers and outlay. It was a meeting of prayer beyond any I was ever in. Almost incessantly the people were praying. The drunken crowd from the park would have broken down any common meeting, but this went on as though they were not there.
Brothers St. Clair, Isaiah Guy Martin, and the writer were the leaders. Sister De Lance Wallace, the pastor of the Nazarene Church, was a gracious power all through and everywhere. She held an immense crowd the last Sabbath night wondrously. The power of God was so on the people that a holy hush pervaded the wicked. They hung there till late in the night, and so far as I observed, went away in utter silence! I have rarely witnessed its equal in fifty years. The Nazarene Mission here is a very exemplary body of Christians, and probably the most persistent body of prayers in my knowledge. Brother Wallace was healed of a half-day's fearful attack of bilious colic in a moment of time in answer to prayer, and came right out to church, being well ever since. Others were also restored from chronic diseases marvelously who asked Brother St. Clair to anoint and pray for them in a tent. Brother St. Clair emphasizes salvation ten fold above physical healing, but seems really to have the gift of faith for healing, and is a man of God. Brother Isaiah G. Martin is growing rapidly in grace and if he keeps humble will be of much value to Christ. A number of ministers were graciously sanctified in this meeting, who have gone out to spread the tidings; but O, this hungry, restless world, when will it be reached!