CHAPTER XI
MANY CONVERSIONS AND TRANCES
After many invitations from Hartford City, and believing that the Spirit of God was leading that way, I consented to go, and | went believing God would do a great work.
I commenced meeting there about the first of January, 1885, in the Methodist Church. The first night it was not known we would be there to commence that evening. They rang the bell and the people came from every direction and filled the church to overflowing.
The church was cold and formal, and many of the best citizens had drifted into skepticism. I knew that it would take a wonderful display of God’s power to convince the people, so I prayed for God to display his power, that the sinner might know that God still lives, and that there is a reality in religion, and might convict him of a terrible judgment. Five of the leading members of the church said they would unite with me in prayer for the Lord to pour out the power from on high, till the city would be shaken, and the country, for miles around. We prayed that Christians and sinners might fall as dead men; that the slain of the Lord might be many. The Lord answered our prayers in a remarkable manner.
The class-leader's little boy fell under the power of God first. He rose up, stepped on the pulpit, and began to talk with the wisdom and power of God. His father began to shout and praise the Lord. As the little fellow exhorted and asked the people to come to: Christ they began to weep all over the house. Some shouted; others fell prostrated. Divers operations of the spirit was seen. The displays of the power of God continued to increase till we closed the meetings, which lasted about five weeks. The power of the Lord, like the wind, swept all over the city, up one street and down another, sweeping through the places of business, the workshops, saloons and dives, arresting sinners of all. classes. The Scriptures were fulfilled. The wicked flee when no man pursueth. Men, women and children were struck down in their homes, in their places of business, on the highways, and lay
as dead. They had wonderful visions, and rose converted, giving
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