Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Opposition of Formal Brethren 47love and sustaining grace. The brother who had opposed me then rose,and with tears confessed that his feelings in regard to me had beenall wrong. He humbly asked my forgiveness, and said: “Sister Ellen,I will never again lay a straw in your way. God has shown me thecoldness and stubbornness of my heart, which He has broken by theevidence of His power. I have been very wrong.”Then, turning to the people, he said: “When Sister Ellen seemed sohappy, I would think, Why do I not feel like that? Why doesn’t BrotherR. receive some such evidence? for I was convinced that he was adevoted Christian, yet no such power had fallen upon him. I offereda silent prayer, that, if this was the holy influence of God, Brother R.might experience it this evening.“Almost as the desire went up from my heart, Brother R. fell, [47]prostrated by the power of God, crying: ‘Let the Lord work!’ My heartis convinced that I have been warring against the Holy Spirit, but I willgrieve it no more by stubborn unbelief. Welcome, light! Welcome,Jesus! I have been backslidden and hardened, feeling offended ifanyone praised God and manifested a fullness of joy in His love; butnow my feelings are changed, my opposition is at an end, Jesus hasopened my eyes, and I may yet shout His praises myself. I have saidbitter and cutting things of Sister Ellen that I sorrow over now, and Ipray for her forgiveness and that of all others who are present.”Brother R. then bore his testimony. His face was lighted withthe glory of heaven as he praised the Lord for the wonders He hadwrought that night. Said he: “This place is awfully solemn because ofthe presence of the Most High. Sister Ellen, in future you will haveour help and sustaining sympathies, instead of the cruel oppositionthat has been shown you. We have been blind to the manifestations ofGod’s Holy Spirit.”All the opposers were now brought to see their mistake and toconfess that the work was indeed of the Lord. In a prayer meetingsoon after, the brother who had confessed that he was wrong in hisopposition, experienced the power of God in so great a degree that hiscountenance shone with a heavenly light, and he fell helpless to thefloor. When his strength returned, he again acknowledged that he hadbeen ignorantly warring against the Spirit of the Lord in cherishingthe feeling he had against me. In another prayer meeting still anothermember of the same family was exercised in a similar manner and