It was about the fifth night of the big holiness meeting at the arbor on
Post Oak Ridge. The country was stirred for miles around. People from
Dobbinsville and Ridgetown and neighboring villages were in regular
attendance. Scores of people had been converted. Many had been
sanctified. Numbers had been healed. The forces of sin were enraged.
Wicked men, grim with age, had melted like frost at noonday under the
mighty preaching of the Spirit-filled Evangelist. Old women with lying
hearts and gossiping lips had been stricken down in mighty and pungent
conviction for their sins. Young men, roguish and rough and
stout-hearted, had come to the old split-log altar and on penitent knees
had sobbed out before God the awful sins of their hearts and had gone
away happy with the new-found treasure of full salvation. Young ladies,
vain and haughty, had melted under the gospel messages and had come to
the feet of Jesus. Sweet children not yet in their teens had wept their
childish transgressions away and in their simple faith had accepted
Jesus as their Savior. Oh, grand and glorious gospel! How matchless is
its power.
Well, as I said, it was about the fifth night of the meeting. Preacher
Bonds was there, and had been the two nights preceding. He had regarded
all the manifestations of God's power in the meetings with affected
indifference. He said he hated holiness and would hate it as long as he
lived. On being asked what he thought of the miraculous conversions that
had taken place in the meeting, he remarked that he would not believe in
holiness even if Beelzebub himself were converted in the meetings.
Evangelist Blank said he thought this would be a splendid time to have a
testimony-meeting. So they had one, and he conducted it himself. Grandma
Gray was the first to testify. She stood trembling, and balanced herself
against the back of the old willow rocker. Around her saintly face there
seemed to circle a halo of glory. At first she only stood and wept. When
she had gained control of her emotions sufficiently to speak, she said,
"Oh, the love of God is unspeakable. How can I praise him for what he
has done for me? He saves me and sanctifies me and heals me. I praise
him for sending Evangelist Blank here. I would not say a word against
the people of Mount Olivet church, but for thirty-some years I lived in
that church an up-and-down life. God knows I wanted to live for him all
that time but my experience was not sufficient to keep me. But since I
have learned of the more perfect way, how my heart rejoices in this full
salvation. Since this meeting began, the good Lord has been showing me
great light on the church question. I see the one body of Christ, which
is the church. I have just learned that I was born into the real, true
church thirty-some years ago. O brethren, the day is dawning, the light
is shining. How glad I am that I have lived to see this day."
When Grandma Gray had well-nigh exhausted her feeble strength in
exhorting the people to come to Jesus and accept his truth, she sank
into her big willow chair and silently prayed. For a brief period there
was a deathlike stillness over the audience.
For years Grandma Gray had lived a life that could not be gainsaid.
True, she spoke in her testimony about her up-and-down life, but when
compared with the average professed Christian's life in that community,
hers was above reproach. In her extreme age she spoke as one from the
border-lands of eternity, and her words naturally had a profound effect.
Jake Benton was next to testify. He was simply overwhelmed with joy, and
spoke at some length of his hope of someday being reunited with his
darling girl in the skies. Jake's testimony scattered enthusiasm all
through the congregation of the saints and there was rejoicing and
praising God that was doubtless participated in by the angels around the
throne.
Little flaxen-haired Eva Gray, eleven-year-old daughter of Nolan Gray,
arose and said that Jesus had saved her and that she aimed to spend her
life for him, as had Grandma Gray. Thus we see a godly life is fruitful
of influence even on the lives of little children.
Probably the most remarkable testimony given was that of Squire Branson.
Branson spoke thus: "Friends and brothers: I stand before you a redeemed
man. I am washed and made white in the blood of Jesus. I am as a brand
snatched from the burning. I am now in my eighty-third year. You know
the manner of my life up until this meeting. I have had absolutely
nothing to do with religion. As you know I have lived a life of great
wickedness. I have been a drunkard, a gambler--a mighty sinner. For
fifty-three years I had not gone near a church service until this
meeting began. I have been thoroughly put out with the type of
Christianity exhibited in this community these past years. But when
through sheer curiosity I came into this arbor, I was made as conscious
of the presence of the Holy Ghost as if I could have seen him with my
natural eyes. There at that altar night before last I unburdened my
heart of the sins of nearly eighty years, and I stand tonight a witness
of the redeeming grace and love of Christ my Saviour. Oh, how can I
praise him enough? Here I stand right at the threshold of death with a
long and wasted life behind me and an eternity of bliss before me. What
but the mercy of an infinite God could bring about this wonderful
change?"
"Spooky" Crane said in his testimony that of all the churches he had
ever belonged to this one was the best. Aunt Sally Perkins shouted.
Evangelist Blank was just ready to close the meeting when he was
interrupted by Preacher Bonds. Bonds' face was red with rage and his
eyes gleaming with anger when he burst forth in this unceremonious
manner; "I thank God for a sensible and reasonable religion. I have been
a Christian for thirty years and a minister for twenty years and I have
never experienced any of this wonderful joy that these people speak of.
This sanctified holiness doctrine is the most damnable doctrine that
ever struck this country, or any other country. I knew a group of these
holiness people back in Kentucky where I came from. They said they could
not sin and that they were just as good as Jesus Christ himself. They
were given to all sorts of fanatical projects. They claimed to have
great faith and went so far as to say they were healed, as some of these
people have said tonight. One of them even said that by faith he had
caused an iron wedge to float on the water. Talk about living free from
sin. There never could be a more crooked doctrine preached. The Bible
plainly says, 'There is none good, no not one.' It also says that 'If a
man liveth and saith he sinneth not, he is a liar and the truth is not
in him.' I believe the Bible. When I was in college old Professor
Thorndike used to give us an occasional lecture on the Hellish Heresy of
Holiness. He knew all about the doctrine and the harm it is doing these
days. I am bold to say right here that God has called me and raised me
up to fight holiness, and I have dedicated my life to this cause. I aim
to use every means, fair and foul, to stamp this doctrine out of this
community (Deacon Gramps, "Amen."). I want to warn Preacher Blank and
every one of his dupes right here that if he continues to preach in this
community he does so at his own peril. You people have no right, legal
or moral, to come here and disturb the peace and tranquility of Mount
Olivet church, a church that has stood standpat for nearly half a
century in defence of the truth. I here and now call upon every loyal
member to come to the defence of the faith of your fathers. Those who
will pledge their united support to the cause of stamping out holiness
rise to your feet."
At this a score and a half of rustic mountaineers boldly stood up. "Let
those who have made this solemn pledge meet me at the back door of the
arbor," said Bonds as he sat down.