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Download PDF - Free Methodist Church

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will here remark, when a boy I heajrda man tell hiS experience and conversion,which had niuch to do with-me inafter life. He said he went to a campmeetingto raise the devU, etc., but afterhearing the preaching, there came alump in his breast, and it increased tosuch a size he thought it would kill bim.He held out until he could scarcelybreathe. He then fell down at thejltar and asked the prayers of thebrethren, and he prayed himself Thelump left, and he shouted glory to Godin the highest for hours.I knew the man before he was converted,O what a wicked man he was!I also knew his Ufe after such a change.It was wonderful. Now this circumstancewas fresh-in my mind when struckunder conviction, whUe Ustening to asermon from old father Evans, in 1839.For six long weeks 1 prayed for thelump, and ignored every other emotion ;without that I thought nothing genuinecould be done in my case. I took mypattern to God, and he must work bythat I thought. (0 what a gospel foolI was!) But on the 12th of Oct., whileat prayer in my corn-house, Jesus cameand set the prisoner free. I believedhe called me to teach, but I made excuse; and for fi-ve years after, my enjoymentwas fluctuating;* sinning andrepenting, always confessing and crying,"Who shall deliver me from this bodyof death!"The next five years found me backsliddenin hefirt, but stiU I kept np aform. Truly slaves to the devil; to havethe form and deny the power. I wascompelled to stretch out the witheredhand of faith. Again after all my heartwanderings God heard my prayers, forJesus' sake once more. In the path,after ten years, and yet a babe in Christ.Now I am determined to go on to perfection.O how I did lash myself downto every Christian duty, and form, andthought many times that I was makingprogress and should soon grasp theprize of a clean heart. Jn an unfortunatemoment I would be betrayed bysome lurking foe from within springingupon me, and all my comforts wouldA VEBSE OF EXPEBIENCE 140be dashed in a moment, and I wouldfind myself back again where I started.After a trial of ten years in this direction,I had well nigh become discouraged.As a last resort, my mind wouldconclude that unless some special gracewere bestowed at or near the time ofdeatb, some destmction of inbred sin,(though I could not see how) by themore powerful manifestations of theSpirit, some clearer revelations ofChiist's power to save, I did not knowthat I should ever obtain it. Andwhile such a hope did give a smaU rayof comfort, I must confess I felt fearfulto risk so important a work to be performedat a time when soul and bodyshouldpart. Such a state of experiencebrings me to a camp-meeting in18.59, held in LaraysviUe, Pa,, twentyyears from my first experience. Rev.B. W. Gorham preached on the doctrineof holiness. The scales fell off myeyes,—how my soul drank of that sermon.The preacher declared that theblood, the fountain was thereto cleanseat that time. That is what I longed toha'^e, and terribly needed. Well thepreacher says you may have it, andhave it now. The blood of Jesus Christhis Son cleanses from all sin. Therewere two facts presented to my mind :First. I needed, O how much I neededthe cleansing blood! Second. Christwas a very present Saviour to do it.The Spirit whispered, put these two factstogether, your need, and Christ's loveand power. Believe the blood is fuUyequal to the work, and that he will doit, and that he does it. After strugglingall night to consecrate piece bypiece, for I had in a general way givenall before, T ceased all human effortsand dropped in the arms of Jesus, andI found those arms under me the everlastingarms. 0 how light I felt! Noparticular extacy. Words can not expressthe love, joy and peace. I knewthe great work was done. Nor have Iever doubted it.A few words more and I close. Iwent home to join my class and tellthera what the Lord had done for me,thinking I could persuade them to get in

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