Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry for Forty Years/Chapter 11
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 glory to God. When they told what they had seen their faces shone like angels'. The fear of God fell upon the city. The police said they never saw such a change; that they had nothing to do. They said they made no arrest; and that the power of God seemed to preserve the city. A spirit of love rested all over the city. There was no fighting, no swearing on the streets; that the people moved softly, and that there seemed to be a spirit of love and kindness among all classes, as if they felt they were in the presence of God.
A merchant fell in a trance in his home and lay several hours. Hundreds went in to look at him. He had a vision, and a message for the church. The Lord showed him the condition of many of the members. He told part of his vision, but refused to deliver the message to the church. He was struck dumb. He could not speak a word because he refused to tell what the Lord wanted him to. The Lord showed him he would never speak till he delivered the message. He rose to his feet, weeping, to tell the vision. God loosed his tongue. Those present knew he had been dumb, and when he began to talk and tell his experience it had a wonderful effect on the church and sinners.
One night there was a party seventeen miles from the city. Some of the young ladies thought they would have some fun; they began to mimic and act out the trance. The Lord struck some of them down. They lay there as if they had been shot. Their fun-making was soon turned to a prayer-meeting, and cries of mercy were heard. The people came to the meetings in sleigh loads many miles. One night while a sleigh load of men and women were going to the meeting they were jesting about the trances. They made the remark to each other that they were going in a trance that night. Before the meeting closed all who had been making fun were struck down by the power of God and lay like dead people, and had to be taken home in the sled in that condition. Those who came with them were very much frightened when they saw them lying there, and they told how they had been making fun of the power of God on the way to the meeting. Scoffers and mockers were stricken down in all parts of the house.
One man was mocking a woman of whose body God had taken control. She was preaching with gestures. When in that mocking attitude God struck him dumb. He became rigid and remained with his hands up, and his mouth drawn in that mocking way for five hours, a gazing-stock for all in the house. The fear of God fell on all. They saw it was a fearful thing to mock God or make fun of his work. Surely, the Lord worked in a wonderul way in this meeting. The postmaster was converted. All classes from the roughs and toughs to the tallest cedars and brightest talents of the city were brought into the fold of Christ. We took the meeting to the opera house and it would not hold the crowds, so great was the awakening among the people. Traveling salesmen arranged to return to the city each night. The Cincinnati Enquirer sent a reporter to write up the meetings and report daily. Every day the newsboys could be heard crying out, "All about the Woodworth revival." Reporters came from many States and large cities to write up the meetings.
Lawyer C., one of the leading lawyers of the city, was convinced of the reality of the religion of Jesus by seeing me under the control of the Holy Ghost power while in a trance. Sometimes standing with my face and hands raised to heaven, my face shining with the brightness of heaven; other times the tears streaming down my face, with mute preaching, pleading with sinners to come to Christ; other times lying for hours, sometimes as one dead, and divers operations of the Spirit, conscious all the time, but entirely controlled by the power of the Holy Ghost. Always while in these conditions in this meeting, and all others, the fear of God would fall upon the people. Sinners would be stricken down over the house. Many would be saved; they would rush to the altar crying for mercy. Sometimes scores would be converted while God would use me in this way. Mr. C. was the leading lawyer of the State. He was a skeptic; had no use for churches, The ministers had given up all hopes of him ever being saved. When he came and invited us to his house to make our home with them while in the city, people were astonished. He asked me if I would tell him my experience while in a trance. He said he did not ask this to satisfy curiosity, but for light. He said he had confidence in me, and would believe what I told him. I knew the Lord was leading in this. I told him more of my experience than I had ever told any one. While talking the power of God fell upon us all. I was almost blind with the glory of God. My hands looked transparent. He broke down and began to weep. We all got on our knees. This was the first time this strong man, this tall cedar, had ever bowed before the living God. In a little while the news had spread all over the city. But that night when he came boldly into the crowded opera house and bowed at the altar, and in a moment another leading lawyer of the city bowed at his side, the excitement and surprise of the people had no bounds. I praise God for victory at this place, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
While at Hartford City, calls came from churches in Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Union City, and many other large cities. They sent one dispatch after another, urging me to come. But God's ways are not our ways; he does not see as man sees. God looks in the heart; man judges from outward appearances. The Lord showed me I must go to a little town fifteen miles away, called New Corner. I rode in a sleigh. When I got there I was so hoarse I could only speak in a whisper, and so tired I could not walk without assistance. It was time for meeting. The house and yard were crowded. I could hardly get through to the pulpit. I commenced singing, trusting God to take away the hoarseness and give me voice. In five minutes my voice was strong and clear. I sang in the strength and power of God. I sang two or three hymns. The power of God fell upon me, and remained all the week I was there. It could be seen and heard, and felt by all who came to the meetings. I preached that night the only sermon while there. After that night I would be interrupted by sinners falling in the congregation. Then there would be a rush to the altar, and shouts by the friends of those who were stricken down. In a few minutes the house would be turned into a mourners’ bench.
The first night of the meeting, while we were singing, I reached-over to shake hands with a man who was standing in the aisle. I asked him to come to Christ. He began to tremble and fell backward, I thought I would not talk to any one else for fear the people would attribute the power to me instead of God. As I stepped back one of the ministers on the pulpit, the pastor of the church, threw up his hands and fell. The fear of God fell upon the sinners. They thought if the ministers had to go down there was no chance for them to escape. They tried to get out of the church, but they could not; the house was so packed there was no room to move. Sixty sinners who were near the altar came to the altar; others had to stay back because of want of room. When the minister came out of the trance he told of the wonderful vision he had, of the horrors of hell and the beauty of heaven. He said heaven was a real city. He saw many of his friends there, and talked with them. He saw the hosts of angels. He saw people in hell that he knew on earth. God showed him some that would go there if they did not repent and be saved in this meeting. This vision stirred the churches and ministers. The ministers came to the altar for a baptism of power. Nearly all their members followed. The second morning they took all the seats out of the church to make all the room they could for the people to stand. They took two rows of seats and made a double altar from the pulpit to the door. They made one on the right and one on the left of the pulpit. These were crowded most all the time, day and night.
Sometimes they were four double. Scores were saved who did not come to the altar. One night there were one hundred and fifteen converted. Nearly all who were saved during this revival, when the Spirit of God came in their hearts, they fell under the power, or sprang to their feet, shouting the praises of God. Those who fell would lay, some fifteen minutes, some half an hour, some: one or two hours, some a day and night, and others longer. They would all come out praising: God. I commenced the meetings at nine o’clock in the morning, and continued till twelve at night. We could not close, there were so many outside; when one went out, one came in. Sinners were struck down at their homes, and along the highways. They were saved for miles around.
MANY DOCTORS VISIT
One day fifteen doctors came from different cities to investigate the power and trances. When they came I was lying under the power of the Holy Ghost. I remained several hours: God used me and others that were in a trance at the same time, in a way that convinced them that it was the power of God. One of the doctors was a class-leader. He did not want to admit the power was of God. He would have been glad if they could proved it was something else. He came to investigate the trances but he was called to another part of the house; he went, expecting to find something new. To his surprise he found his son at the altar, and wanted his father to pray for him. He could not pray. God showed him what he was, and what he was doing. He began to pray for himself. While praying he fell in a trance, and saw all the horrors of hell. He was falling in. After a terrible struggle God saved him. He went to work to win souls for Christ. I have heard him tell his awful experience to thousands. Not less than five hundred were saved in one week, and hundreds after the meeting closed, as the result. Men and women were converted miles from the church. Many were struck down, and lay like dead men, on their way home, and miles away from the meeting. Would to God the people could see that it is the mighty moving power of God we need to save the people, as on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand souls were saved.
The closing scenes of this meeting were very affecting, and the meeting was one of unusual interest, being the last of the series. Many bright testimonies were given by those who were converted.
“No pen, save that of the recording angel, could describe the scenes enacted here to-night. Almost the whole house was transformed into an altar, and cries of mercy from many scores were mingled with shouts of victory. No one can prophecy where this work will end. Many superstitious persons stay away for fear of Mrs. W.’s power to overcome them. Others refuse to shake her hand.
“She came to us, as she does to all her appointments, with the earnest and hearty recommendations of her former neighbors and friends. Letters are now in our midst, and can be seen at any time, from prominent citizens, which sustain her as an energetic, whole-souled Christian lady. Whatever may be said of the trances, there is no denying the fact that her meetings are productive of great good, and that when the sheaves are finally bound for eternity many will bless the name of the evangelist.”—Indianapolis Journal.