A year had rolled around since Jake Benton had been converted down in
the hills. By this time it was plain to all unbiased minds that Benton
was indeed earnest. Even his most bitter enemies were obliged to admit
that a mighty change had come over him. His life had undergone a real
transformation. His life was an entirely new life. He had unshaken faith
in the God of his salvation. In his home he established a family altar,
where he worshipped God as regularly as the sun rose and set. In his
business relations he literally followed the Golden Rule. At church he
unflinchingly declared what his new-found religion had done for him. He
declared that God had saved him from his sins and had subsequently
sanctified him wholly. He even waxed bold enough to tell in meeting how
God had healed him of physical ailments in answer to prayer. All this
greatly incensed his fellow church-members. They insisted that he had
gone crazy and was no longer fit to belong to the church. Accordingly he
was put out. Jake took it all in good part and rejoiced that he was
counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' sake.
But Jake was not long obliged to stand alone in defense of his
profession. His simple life of trust soon began to have its effect in
the community; during the year his faithfulness had been rewarded by the
salvation of a number of persons in the neighborhood. Old Grandma Gray
had come out boldly on Benton's side. She said that for fifty years she
had been living as best she could, but that she had all this time had a
longing for the fulness of the blessing, such as Jake Benton testified
to, and she arose right in the public meeting and declared herself a
seeker for just such a blessing. This set Mount Olivet church all in a
storm. Deacon Gramps was furious. He said Jake Benton had a legion of
devils and that Grandma Gray was bewitched.
But when Grandma Gray took her stand for full salvation, the cause for
which Mount Olivet stood suffered a mighty blow. Nolan Gray, a son with
whom Grandma Gray had made her home for years, had been a stanch member
of the church since he was a child. In fact, he had always said he had
grown up in the church. Nolan Gray was a very upright man of undoubted
integrity, and he stood for high moral ideals, but under the type of
preaching to which he was accustomed he had never experienced a change
of heart. When he saw what a change had come over his mother, he refused
to be comforted with his religious profession. Jake Benton was a tenant
on Gray's farm, and from daily contact with Benton, Mr. Gray was
convinced beyond a doubt that Benton's religion was real. One night at a
prayer meeting held at Jake Benton's humble home, Mr. Gray became so
convicted that resistance was impossible. He fully surrendered himself
to Jesus and obtained an experience that was marvelous even in the eyes
of Grandma Gray.
The news of Gray's conversion spread like fire on a dry prairie. He was
a heavy contributor to the finances of Mount Olivet. On this account it
became a matter of conjecture as to whether or not he would be
excommunicated. However, Mr. Gray relieved all minds of any anxiety when
on the following week he quietly withdrew his membership from the
church.
The day following the night of Nolan Gray's conversion there occurred an
incident that meant much to Jake Benton, as well as to Deacon Gramps.
Benton was walking along the road that led around the fence from his own
home to the large, white house occupied by Nolan Gray and his family. He
was on his way to milk Mr. Gray's cow. He commonly went through the
field on such occasions, as it was much the shorter route, but on this
particular morning he had a mysterious disposition to take the long
route around the road. When he had reached a point about a quarter of a
mile from his home, to his astonishment he met Deacon Gramps,
accompanied by Gramps' hired hand. He saw at once that the Deacon was in
a most surly mood. So in a pleasant tone of voice Benton said, "Good
morning, gentlemen, nice mornin'," aiming with salutation to pass on.
Gramps was not in any sense a brave man, as you may have guessed by this
time, but he always manifested great boldness where he was sure there
was no physical danger.
"They say Gray got your kind of religion at the prayer meetin' last
night," he said.
"Well, I guess it ain't my kind," answered Benton, "but he sure did get
Bible salvation."
Then the Deacon let loose in all his fury. "Jake Benton," said he, "this
religion of yours has got to be stopped, it's got to be wiped out, it's
doin' more harm in this community than all the saloons in the State.
It's tearing up our church. Nolan Gray and old Grandma Gray was good
church-members and have been for years and years and now they are taken
in with this crazy holiness stuff, and you are the hul cause of it. I
tell you it's just got to be stopped and I'm going' to stop it and I'll
just begin right here." With this he advanced toward Benton and struck
him a terrific blow on the side of the cheek with his open hand. At this
Benton only replied, "God bless you, Mr. Gramps." This served only to
incense the enraged Deacon all the more, and he literally flew at Benton
and easily pinned him to the ground and sat upon his chest and beat him
in the face most unmercifully. Poor Benton struggled and groaned, but
did not endeavor to hurt his antagonist. The Deacon's hired hand was all
his time a looker-on, but he finally mustered up courage, and with great
difficulty succeeded in pulling the enraged Deacon off the poor man.
When the hired man had finally persuaded Gramps away from the scene,
Benton, bruised and bleeding in body, but victorious in soul, struggled
to his feet and went home, glad that he was counted worthy to suffer for
Jesus' sake.