CHAPTER XLVI
GREAT REVIVAL AT ATLANTA, GA.
Slight Earthquake Shakes City, then the Mighty Revival
Many People Healed, Also Saved and Baptized.
On the fifth day of March, 1914, Mr. Etter and myself (he then being quite poorly) with two young men, who were just branching into the Christian warfare, boarded the train for our field of labor in the city of Atlanta. The battle (from a human standpoint) promised to be a hard one, but we looked to Jesus, from whom we have received our commission; in His strength we went forward, knowing that as we did this we would win a great victory for Him, which would result in bringing many souls into the kingdom. I had hoped that the Lord would send us at least one good spirit-filled minister on whom I could depend a little to stand by my side, but no one seemed to be in sight, and no one was sent by God. In the meantime God showed me plainly that I was to look to Him entirely for the help and strength needed when the battle commenced; also that later he would send the help that I needed.
One thing that made the battle hard in this place was the many factions into which God’s people were divided. A number of the saints desired us to come a few months later, when they were going to have their large tabernacle ready for us; some seemed to pull one way and some another. A business man of the city (Mr. C. H. Burge), has had a little mission for years and the worshippers there call themselves “The Gideon Band.” These people later showed themselves worthy of the name. They sent a representative to Meridian while we were there and gave us an invitation to come to Atlanta. We felt that God’s hand was in this invitation and so accepted it, provided that the way would be opened. When Brother Burge (the representative), reached home he gathered together all the saints that could be interested in the prospect of having a great revival if I could come to their city.
It was to be an union meeting, no special doctrine was to be
preached. Jesus and the cross were to be upheld as the need of
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