Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry for Forty Years/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI
WOOD'S CHAPEL, IND.
The Macedonian call from Wood's Chapel, across the Indiana line, being very urgent, I felt the Lord calling. I commenced the meeting under very discouraging surroundings. The house was new. The class had been organized principally of unconverted members. About nine years previous there had been strife in the church, and the members became scattered.
The class-leader, a man tottering upon the verge of the grave, bless God, was reclaimed. His wife and nearly all his family were also brought into the fold. Another brother, who had been a great help to the cause, but had lost his power and experience, said he would never again take an interest in religion. The first night the house was crowded, and if ever I needed the prayers of the people, it was then. I was so weak I could hardly get up in the stand. I called on this man to pray. He commenced: "Lord, thou hast sent her here. If she preaches to the day of judgment no one will be saved," and so forth. I raised my head to see who he was. I said: "My good man, you will change your mind before many days; if you cannot pray for me, I can pray for myself." And I believe it gave me strength and power.
The next night I called on him again, and the people were rejoiced to hear him change his prayer. I received twelve into the church. He was among the first to give me his hand, and he was one of my best friends. Praise God! Those who are prejudiced or ready to fight me when I go to a new place of battle are always the first taken into the gospel net, and to invite me home with them.
Many whole families were brought into the church. There was hardly a family for three miles around where there was not one or more of its members converted in the. meeting. The meeting lasted five weeks, day and night, the interest increasing all the time. The house was crowded to overflowing most of the time. This was almost twice as long as I had ever held a meeting before at one time.
I saw a brother a short time ago from there who had been converted during the meeting. He said they were all standing firm at their post. During this meeting there was a woman under 45 deep conviction, but she wore it off and became defiant. I told her she was going to wait for God to send judgments on her or her family. She said she would risk it. A few days after the meeting closed her favorite son went to work on the railroad. Two days afterward he was brought to her cut to pieces by the train. He had gone through the meeting, and refused the last call. Dear reader, take warning, and fly to the Rock, Christ Jesus, for refuge.
There was a man who had been for years trying to break up all the meetings, and had succeeded. He came to this meeting and commenced as usual. He talked about me and said all the wicked things he could think of. He did all he could to keep the people from coming to the altar. The brethren became discouraged, and said there was no mercy for him. I felt if he was ever saved it must be that night. I was very much impressed to pray to God to remove the stumbling block; if there was any mercy for him, to convert him at once, or remove him out of the way. He was in the house, and praises be to God for answering my prayer in sending conviction so deep that he was glad to cry for mercy. He said he believed that that prayer saved him. The next night I called on him to address the congregation. The people were very much surprised to see such a change.
God can and will give us victory if we only trust him. The Methodists requested me to come to Shiloh, a quarter of a mile from Liberty. We did so. I visited the members of the United Brethren Church and invited them to come and have a union meeting. They came over and helped, and invited us to their homes. Among the many kind brothers and sisters were the Brothers F. and their families. I shall always remember them for their kindness.
We had a glorious meeting. Nearly every house became a house of prayer. There were three brightly converted who were past fifty years of age; also one eighty-five years old, a skeptic and infidel. He had fought all the churches, and insulted the ministers who had talked to him. I called on him at his house. I saw the old man was very intelligent and well posted on every subject, except the one of the most vital importance to him. Oh, how my heart went out to him in pity. I saw something must be done or he was forever lost. I saw him standing on the brink of the grave, and that was hell to him. He wanted to argue on every point but the right one. I would bring him back to his lost condition, telling him God sent me to lead him to Christ. I saw he was getting very uneasy, that the Spirit of God had hold of him, so I left. He became very much troubled. In a few days he sent for me to tell him what he should do to be saved, and as I talked to him he wept like a child. His wife said it was the first time she had ever seen him weep. To the surprise of all he went with us to church that night. He sat right in front of the pulpit, where he could look me right in the face and catch every word. I spoke from the text, "Prepare to meet thy God." I talked right to and for him. He thought it a wonderful meeting. He said he never saw anything like it before. A great change came over him.
But I was not satisfied with his experience. He could not understand the change of heart. Like Nicodemus, he wanted to reason it out. He came to meeting the next day. I went to him and talked and prayed with him. He received the blessing like a little child. He gave himself fully to Jesus, and looked up to heaven for the witness; and, bless the Lord, it came.
God bless and keep the dear old father! I expect to meet him in heaven and talk of God's wonderful mercy in saving him at the eleventh hour.