During a number of years, this was about my state of mind upon this subject. And let me here record, that while hundreds of sinners were converted to God, I do not recollect that a single believer was entirely sanctified under my labors during the first nine years of my ministry, to September 7, 1855. Let me further add, during this time I was grieved, from year to year, by seeing what might astonish hell, and fill heaven with lamentation — company after company of young converts walking into partially backslidden, unsanctified churches, first to wonder, then for a while to be grieved, but finally to add another layer to the backslidden stratification.
In May, 1858, I was appointed to Court Street Church, Binghamton, and went there much prejudiced against the professors of holiness in that church; and they were, doubtless, prejudiced against me, as they had cause to believe I would oppose them. I soon found in my pastoral visitations, that where those persons lived who professed the blessing of holiness, there I felt the most of divine influence and power, and realized a liberty in prayer, and an access to God in those families, which I did not elsewhere.
Let me remark, while I was prejudiced against holiness as a distinct blessing, and against its special advocates, I did desire and believe in a deep, thorough, vital piety, and was ready to sympathize with it wherever I found it. I had attended prayer and class meetings but few times before I saw clearly that there were those in that society whose experience and piety possessed a richness, depth, and power which I had not; and that I was preaching to some who enjoyed more religion than their pastor.
The better I became acquainted with them, the more I was convinced of this, and the more deeply I became convicted of my remaining depravity and need of being cleansed in the blood of Christ. I also became convinced that those professors of holiness were Wesleyan in their faith, experience, and practice, while I had drifted away somewhat from the Bible and Wesleyan theory of Christian perfection.
Through the entire summer of 1858 I was seeking holiness, but kept the matter to myself. During this time none of the professors of holiness said any thing to me in the subject, but, as I have learned since, were praying for me night and day. God only knew the severe struggles I had that long summer, during many hours of which I lay on my face in my study, begging Jesus to cleanse my poor, unsanctified heart; and yet was unwilling to make a public avowal of my feelings, or to ask the prayers of God’s people for my sanctification.
The Binghamton district camp-meeting commenced that year the 1st day of September, and about eighty of the members of my charge attended it with me. During six days of the meeting, the sanctification of my soul was before my mind constantly, and yet I neither urged others to seek it, nor intimated to any one my convictions and struggles on the subject. Six days of such deep humiliation, severe distress, and hard struggles I never endured before.
A number of the members present from my charge had once enjoyed this grace, and had lost it. Some who professed to enjoy it were becoming silent upon the subject. With but very few exceptions, we, as a church, were practically staving off and ignoring the doctrine and duty of entire sanctification. The Lord was evidently displeased with us, and so shut us up that our prayer-meetings, in our large society tent, literally ran out. The brethren and sisters became afflicted with themselves, and afflicted with each other. Some of them were even tempted to strike their tents and go home.
On the last day of the meeting, a few minutes before preaching, a faithful member of the church came to me weeping, and said, “Brother Wood, there is no use in trying to dodge this question. You know your duty. If you will lead the way, and define your position as a seeker of entire sanctification, you will find that many of the members of your charge have a mind to do the same.” The Lord had so humbled my heart that I was willing to do any thing to obtain relief. After a few moments’ reflection I replied, “Immediately after preaching I will appoint a meeting in our tent on the subject of holiness, and will ask the prayers of the church for my own soul.”
Glory be to God! the Rubicon was passed. The moment of decision was the moment of triumph. In an instant I felt a giving away in my heart, so sensible and powerful, that it appeared physical rather than spiritual; a moment after I felt an indescribable sweetness permeating my entire being. It was a sweetness as real and as sensible to my soul as ever the sweetest honey to my taste. I immediately walked up into the stand. Just as he preacher gave out his text, — Eccl. xii. 13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter,” &c., — the baptism of fire and power came upon me.
For me to describe what I then realized is utterly impossible. It was such as I need not attempt to describe to those who have felt and tasted it, and such as I can not describe to the comprehension of those whose hearts have never realized it. I was conscious that Jesus had me in his arms, and that the Heaven of heavens was streaming through and through my soul in such beams of light and overwhelming love and glory, as can never be uttered. The half can never be told!
It was like marching through the gates of the city to the bosom of Jesus, and taking a full draught from the river of life.
Hallelujah! Glory! glory! I have cause to shout over the work of that precious hour.
It was a memorable era in the history of my probation, a glorious epoch in my religious experience never, NEVER to be forgotten. Jesus there and then — all glory to his blessed name! — sweetly, completely, and most powerfully sanctified my soul and body to himself. He melted, cleansed, filled, and thrilled my feeble, unworthy soul with holy, sin-consuming power.
Glory be to God! Perfect love is the richest, the sweetest, and the purest love this side of Paradise. Angels have nothing better. Well may the poet sing, —
“Oh, for this love let rocks and hills Their lasting silence break, And all harmonious human tongues The Saviour’s praises speak!”
I had always been much prejudiced against persons losing their strength; consequently, as might be expected, when the Holy Ghost came upon me in the stand, surrounded by some thirty preachers and three thousand people, it was God’s order to take control of both body and soul, and swallow me up in the great deep of his presence and power.
After about three hours I regained sufficient strength to walk to the tent, and we commenced a meeting for the promotion of holiness. I told my church my purpose to ask their prayers as a seeker of holiness, but that Jesus had forestalled my design by accepting my soul the moment I consented to stand up for holiness, and was willing to be anything or do anything to obtain it.
A willingness to humble myself, and take a decided stand for holiness, and face opposition to it in the church, and take the odium of being an advocate of holiness in Binghamton, where that doctrine had been trailing in the dust for years, constituted the turning-point with me. After I reached that point of complete submission, I had no consciousness of making any special effort in believing; my whole being seemed simply, and without effort, to be borne away to Jesus.
Our meeting continued all night; and such a night I never experienced. A large number of my leading members commenced seeking holiness; and about every half hour during that whole night the glorious power of God came down from the upper ocean in streams as sweet as heaven. At times it was unspeakable and almost unendurable. It was oppressively sweet — a weight of glory.
Every time the power of God came, one or more souls entered the land of Beulah, the Canaan of perfect love. Some shouted, some laughed, some wept, and a large number lay prostrate from three to five hours, beyond the power of shouting or weeping. Hallelujah to the great God! those present will never forget that night of refining and sanctifying power. What I received at the time Jesus sanctified my soul was only a drop in the bucket compared to what it has since pleased him to impart. From that hour the deep and solid communion of my soul with God, and the rich baptisms of love and power, have been “unspeakable, and full of glory.”
“Oh, matchless bliss of perfect love! It lifts me up to things above; It bears on eagles’ wings; It gives my ravished soul a feast, And makes me here a constant guest, With Jesus, priests, and kings.”
At times I have had an overwhelming sense of the Divine presence, and a sacred unction has pervaded my whole being. Especially this has been my experience while called to defend this glorious salvation. Oh, how god has stood by and helped me in vindicating the doctrine and experience of holiness! I have often felt if there were but one man in the world to stand up for holiness, in God’s name I would be that man. So long as can move my tongue or pen I must testify to this sweet constraining love of Christ.
There was a divine fragrance and sweetness imparted to my soul when the Saviour cleansed and filled it with pure love, that has ever remained with me, and I trust it ever will. I make a record of this to the glory of God. Glory, honor, and eternal praise be to his blessed name, forever and ever! His own arm hath brought salvation to my feeble, helpless soul. And I do love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and strength. Yet I am nothing, and Jesus is my all. Sweet portion! Oh, the blessedness of this inward, spiritual kingdom! Oh, the depths of solid peace my soul has felt! It has often been
“A sacred awe which dares not move, And all the silent heaven of love.”
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