The responsibility of publishing the Trumpet required, of course,
that the editor spend a good portion of his time at the Publishing
Office. But Brother Warner's zeal for the evangelistic work, as well
as the demand for his services here and there in the field, took him
forth a good deal on various tours. An account of the principal tours
he made, and the events in connection therewith, is sufficient for a
chapter by itself.
For the first few years after the Trumpet started, he made frequent
trips. Of these we shall give no account, but shall begin the chapter
with a trip into western Pennsylvania in the summer of 1884. A
camp-meeting was to be held two miles south of Sandy Lake, in Mercer
County, beginning August 23. This was the second meeting for that
place, as one had been held there the previous year. He planned to
attend this meeting after holding a grove-meeting in Medina County,
Ohio, and he accordingly announced there would be no Trumpet issued
for August 15, since he expected to make this tour. Portions of his
report of the Sandy Lake meeting are here given. Quotations direct
from Brother Warner will enable the reader the better to comprehend
the man and to feel the touch of his saintliness; for there breathes
out from his words such a spirituality and devotion as is possessed
only by those who are thoroughly abandoned to God.
Glory be to the God of salvation-power! These words seem best
fitted to begin our report of this heavenly convocation. We were
met by conveyance at Stonesboro, and the very instant we entered
the precious grove of the saints' encampment we felt the presence
of God. Indeed it was wonderful. We were engaged in conversation
as we drove in and were not thinking of or expecting such a
glorious manifestation of God, when we were suddenly filled with
the consciousness of his holy presence, impressing heart and lips
in praises to his holy name....
We had been unwell some days in the city, and felt half sick on
the train; but as soon as we breathed the God-pervaded atmosphere
of that beautiful pine-grove, all our infirmities fled away and we
could shout the praises of God in a sound body. How hallowed and
sweet the recollections of God's blessings upon that ground one
year ago! How dear to our heart the precious chambers in Brother
and Sister Carmichael's tent, where we often spent much of the
brief interval between the three daily services, in nearly all
of which the Lord used us to read and teach his Holy Word to the
dear saints. In that precious retreat he daily filled our soul and
recuperated the wasted energies of our body and mind so that we
could stand and feed the Lord's sheep. Praise God, we found the
same little sanctum prepared for us again. Thank God, there were
plenty to share the work of the gospel ministry this year.
The blessed Holy Spirit wrought in the hearts of the people from
the first service to the close of the meeting. On Tuesday we went
to the stream a mile from the camp and immersed fourteen of the
dear, happy saints of God. It was a glorious and wonderful time.
The Spirit of the living God was poured out in mighty power. Some
went down into the water shouting the high praises of God, and
nearly all leaped and shouted as they came forth from the symbolic
grave. What glory shone in the faces of those blood-washed ones!
The place was one of beautiful scenery. On either side the stream
stood the dense and lofty pines. As this blood-washed company faced
the stream, with their eyes lifted toward God and their faces all
lit up with heaven's glow, and sang the sweet songs of redemption,
we were reminded of Bunyan's company of pilgrims that stood in
white robes awaiting their invitation to cross to the celestial
paradise....
Do we astonish you when we say that while sinners were melted to
tears by the power of God during the baptism, and said, "This is
the right way. This is the right way," an apostate and hypocrite
preacher by the name of ---- stood back and spake against "this
way" of the Lord? Woe unto such empty clouds, wandering stars,
wells without water!...
Brother Fisher was quite sick when we reached the grove, and after
having been strengthened several times to preach the word he was
finally and instantaneously healed by faith and the laying on of
hands. The next evening the healing power was mightily upon him,
and four of the dear saints were healed of various diseases and old
complaints. In the early part of the meeting Brother and Sister
Frost's little girl was healed of a very bad case of catarrh. The
morning Brother and Sister Fisher left, the Lord woke us between
three and four o'clock in the morning and led us forth into the
woods to commune with him. Our mind was led to ask for a more
perfect faith. Praise God, he gave it. Early we walked to Brother
Farrah's house, where we found Sister Clayton very sick with
sick-headache. In the name of the Lord we laid hands on her head,
and she was immediately healed by faith in Jesus. Several others of
the saints were healed that day....
One evening in company with Brother and Sister Fisher we went home
with Brother and Sister Frost. Sister Owen lives a close neighbor
to them. Her daughter had two days before been taken sick. That
night she was taken very bad, and she suffered extremely. Mr. Owen
wished to go for the doctor, but Lula begged her pa to send for
us. Though he had been extremely prejudiced against us by some
ungodly sectarian neighbors, he could not refuse the wish of his
suffering child. He gave his consent, and at two o'clock we were
called up, and went to the house in the name of the Lord. Lula had
been praying the Lord to forgive her sins, and seemed to have found
pardon, but she was in great suffering. Brother Fisher and I laid
hands upon her, and in less than a minute her intense suffering
ceased, and she rested until morning. Her body gradually recovered
strength, and two days later she was out to the meeting. Praise the
Lord, O my soul! The power of God since then so softened the heart
of Brother Owen that he has turned to serve the Lord. His heart is
so changed that he not only loves God but us also. May God bless
the dear brother.
Praise the Lord for the wonderful bond of love that binds our
hearts together in the Son of God! Blind sectarians ask us, "What
have you got to bind you together?" We reply by asking them, "What
have you got to part us asunder?" Oh, bless God for the balm in
this union! We never know the strength of the divine bonds of love
until all the sect bonds of the devil are cast away and we are led
to suffer together for the gospel of God and the name of Jesus.
Oh, happy bond of perfect love, which binds all the pure in heart
to God and to each other!
After the close of the Sandy Lake meeting he went by invitation to
Greenville, in the same county. He first held an evening service
on the streets, in which he spoke to a large audience. This was on
Friday evening, September 5. The rest of the services at Greenville
were in a grove in the country. In his report he tells of his being
mercilessly beaten by a drunken man and of his wonderful escape from
injury because of divine protection.
We praise God for having sent us here. We are confident that much
good was done. One brother, who had been wonderfully converted
and blessed, had actually made an appointment at a schoolhouse
and talked to the people by the Holy Spirit. People were moved,
and asked the man to speak again. But he consulted his Methodist
priest, who told him it would never do in the world for him to
attempt to speak and exhort without license, and that if he did
so he would be brought up and tried. The poor man was scared down
and was on back ground; but he promised us to rededicate himself
to God and go straight forward in God's will. May God bless and
help him. Such is the pernicious work of the devil under the mask
of what he calls "our church." We hope in the providence of God to
return to Greenville again. A sister told us that we would receive
persecution for pay. Well, praise God, we were well remunerated in
that kind of currency for Christ's sake. It has brought the "leap
and rejoice" with "the spirit of glory and of God" in our soul.
After the grove-meeting we spoke again on the streets of Greenville
to a very large crowd of attentive hearers....
After preaching in the grove Saturday night, we walked a mile and a
half to find rest for the night. The mother and two of the family
are fully saved. But the husband is intemperate and desperately
wicked. He does not often stop with the family, as the little
home belongs to one of the sons, who, with his brothers, affords
protection to their mother against the father's abuse. The wretched
man had been drinking liquor through the day, and was also well
filled with the wine of Babylon's wrath received from his sectarian
neighbors, who hate any child of God that lives godly in Christ
Jesus outside of her pales. He seems to have come liquored up
on purpose for a row. After entering the house, the frenzied man
assaulted us with shocking oaths and threats. He was desperate,
just in that state of intoxication in which he had more than his
usual strength, and maddened beyond all reason. He soon struck me
with all force in the forehead, but through God his blow was not
more than a ball of cotton. We praised the Lord. Feeling a deep
concern for the wicked man's soul, we dropped upon our knees in
the middle of the room, raised our bands, and began to pray for
him. But this enraged Satan more than ever. He seized a large
rocking-chair and slammed it down on us with all vengeance, but
through the Lord Jesus Christ our uplifted hands turned it off with
ease. The storms of oaths and slamming of furniture was terrific.
It looked as though there would not be a whole piece left in the
room. The infuriated man grabbed a common wood-bottom chair by
the back and struck down twice or three times at our head, which
was safely shielded by the hand of the Lord. Glory to God in the
highest! Our soul was filled with great peace in the midst of the
storm; we had not the slightest fear of suffering harm.
The kind wife and a daughter, who were gloriously sanctified at the
Sandy Lake meeting, tried to protect us, when the latter received
a heavy blow on the shoulder from the chair, the legs having
been threshed off by previous blows, making it all the better to
maul with. Seeing that they were in danger of being hurt in our
protection, we arose and began to retreat. The savage monster
followed us out of the yard and some rods on the road with awful
curses and open threats that he would kill us. Glory to the God of
our salvation! There was not a hair of our head hurt, not a scratch
or mark upon our body. The next morning we felt our right wrist
was slightly sprained by stopping the terrible blows, but it soon
disappeared. The man soon left, shortly after which his large son
came, whose delay furnished the intoxicated man his opportunity for
an onslaught.
Praise God, the Lord led me to do just as I had preached what a
holy man should do when thus assaulted--commit our life to God,
fear no evil, and let him be glorified in our death or deliverance,
as he shall choose. Fearing the man might return that night and our
presence excite to deeds of violence upon the family, one of the
boys and I went to the barn to sleep, but I spent the night in
thanksgiving to God for his sweet deliverance. Surely it is safe to
trust God always.
It was while he was in western Pennsylvania that he received word
from his wife that he could come and get their boy, Sidney, then a
little more than three years of age. Accordingly he returned home by
way of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and got the boy. He then made a visit to
the saints at Jerry City, Wood County, of which he thus speaks:
Then, following the apostolic example, we "declared what miracles
and wonders God had wrought" where we have gone about preaching the
kingdom of God's grace, and assured the dear saints as he did "that
we must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of heaven." And
the hearing of all the gracious dealing of God with our soul and in
many hearts "caused great joy unto all the brethren." Many tears of
sympathy and holy love flowed from the eyes of the beloved.
He arrived home at Williamston in time for the annual assembly;
for which the large hall, 28×84, on the second floor of the Office
building afforded a splendid place. It was a wonderful gathering of
the saints. A number were ordained to the ministry, and among these
he included himself, as where so many were assembled he probably
decided that his call to the work should be solemnly recognized
and confirmed by the laying on of hands of the elders present. As
was evidenced by the success of this assembly, the work of the
reformation seemed by this time to be taking a forward move. Since
the Ohio assembly at Bucyrus, one year before, Brother Warner
had learned to take a more fearless, unyielding attitude against
deceiving elements such as had encompassed him there.
We shall ever have reasons to thank God for the benefit derived
from the Ohio assembly last fall. Though much of the good
anticipated was not realized because of the evil powers that
were permitted to "encompass the beloved saints," yet the lessons
learned as a result have furnished a protection against the devil
in all subsequent meetings. The fact is, we were delivered from
priestcraft and had a solemn abhorrence of everything that savored
of lordism. Hence we declared the meetings free; yes, free for
heretics, false prophets, and virtually for the devil himself.
In our zeal to avoid all dragon authority we had also lost sight
of the divine authority, and God had to permit that victorious
conflict with the powers of hell to teach us the necessity of
using, not lordism, but, the double-edged sword of the Almighty
upon everything that is not clean and straight before God.
Since "we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
hearts before God," "we know that we are of God, and he that
heareth us not is not of God." And the only sense in which we give
place to such as are deformed and darkened by antichrist traditions
and "doctrines of devils," is in this wise: "We give place for
them at the altar, where, by entire consecration, and faith in
the blood of Christ they may be cleansed from sin and all foolish
conversation received by tradition from the fathers." Glory be to
God, there is now a flaming sword in the assembly of his saints,
that can be endured only by those who know and do the truth, and
such as honestly wish to know and obey the truth as it is in Christ
Jesus. We believe that all future time and eternity will not erase
the glory of this [Williamston] assembly from the memory of the
redeemed.
After the assembly he held a meeting in Battle Creek, Mich. The
following is a portion of his account of a woman's deliverance from
devil-possession, which occurred while he was there. Such instances
were found from time to time. For an example we give but this one:
For some months past Mrs. Samuel Worden, of Battle Creek, Mich.,
has created quite an excitement in the papers throughout the
country by the exercise of a supernatural power of healing. People
have come from a considerable distance to be treated, and letters
have poured in from every direction. Some cases of healing were
actually performed.
The woman and her husband, hearing of our meetings, came to hear
the gospel and seemed willing to receive the truth. She confessed
that they were not fully saved and filled with the Spirit as they
should be, although she claimed to heal in the name of Christ and
by the power of God. She soon came to the altar. God enabled us
to see her condition pretty correctly. We told her she was in the
"gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity." She acknowledged
the fact and desired deliverance. In the course of a few days she
professed to have found salvation. There seemed to be a change; but
still there was something in her from which the Spirit of God in
our heart recoiled. She tried to consecrate for sanctification, but
could not claim that grace.
On Sabbath afternoon, October 26, the power of God was upon our
little meeting. There were four cases of healing by the laying
on of hands. Sister Worden said that she had suffered for many
years in an awful manner with what she called a confused headache.
She had hands laid on her for the healing. The Spirit came on us
and her in mighty power. She claimed what had been prayed for,
a complete healing of her body. Presently there were strange
manifestations, which the most of us at once recognized as the
writhing of evil spirits in her. We asked God to show her just what
it was. Presently she said, "Brother Warner, pray for me." We asked
her what she wanted. She replied, "That the devil might be cast
out." This was the confession we desired to draw out of her. Hands
were laid on her head, and the demons were commanded to come out of
her in the name of Jesus Christ. The poor victim was soon convulsed
and choked by the hellish spirits, which had to come out by the
power of God. She obtained relief, sat up, but did not look clear.
We all kept looking to God to complete the work. Hands were laid
on again in the name of Jesus. Another struggle ensued. Then we
perceived that to get complete deliverance there had to be a more
perfect consecration, confession, and mortification. We proceeded
to use the sword of the Spirit in every possible manner. But a
miserable don't-care devil answered to every point of consecration.
Oh, what an awful condition the poor woman was in! How
discouraging! The devils had so long held possession of her that
they had almost taken possession of her own will and thoughts. And
this awful enemy had so tortured her head that she had had a hard
struggle to keep out of the asylum; so when he was pressed by the
power of God he caused such distress and confusion in her head
that he could use her mind and organs of speech. But by the grace
and mercy of God conviction reached her conscience. The poor woman
made some humiliating confessions, was humbled down, and wept. She
confessed her association with Spiritualists, which Satan had tried
to conceal before. Glory to God, his chief nest was now revealed.
The Spiritualism devil was commanded to come out of her in the name
of Christ. Oh, how he tortured the poor woman! Her throat became
greatly swollen. How the legions of hell struggled against the
power of God! She was pretty thoroughly decided for God; declared
she would have every last evil spirit cast out if it killed her.
Glory to God for the mighty Deliverer! Relief came by the hand of
Jesus. A great measure of peace filled her soul. She sat up in the
rocking-chair and her hands were raised while we sang songs of
victory for the space of an hour.
Two days later she discovered that there was still in her heart
something that was not right, and a close examination discovered
that she had some lingering love for Spiritualists. She confessed
it, when she soon found that more evil spirits were revealed.
By the laying on of hands and the power of God she was fully
delivered, after which she consecrated wholly and entered the
sacred rest of entire sanctification.[16] On Saturday hands were
laid upon her for healing. The mighty power of God came upon her
and filled her soul and body, and she was perfectly healed from the
awful tortures Satan had inflicted upon her for many years. Praise
God for his wonderful mercy to the oppressed children of men! For
years this poor woman had struggled hard to keep out of the insane
asylum; now she says, "I am 'clothed and in my right mind.'" Her
neighbors see the great change in her countenance. One woman looked
upon her with astonishment, and said, "Why, how your face and voice
are changed! surely these meetings are the true work of God."
The months of February and March, 1885, he spent in a tour to
southeastern Iowa, and northeastern Missouri. He refers to his
leaving home as follows:
In the kind providence of God we were permitted to start forth
on this long-expected tour January 28. God bless the beloved
ones we left behind in the Trumpet Office. Oh, how our hearts
are knit together in the pure love of Jesus! Bless God for those
he has given to be with us in the glorious work of the Lord! But
the hardest of all was to leave my precious little Sidney, not
expecting to see the dear child again for some three months. But
praise God for the very kind provision he has made for the poor
boy in the devout family of Brother and Sister William Crandall,
residing at the edge of our town. Here he is taught to pray daily,
and his little heart is developed only in the pure spirit of love
and obedience. He is my only living child, three years old the 24th
of last June. Though he has a happy home and two little playmates,
still, as may be imagined under the circumstances, his dear little
heart clings to his father with the most fervent love that a child
is capable of possessing, as ours also does to him. But since God
so lovingly cares for him, we must leave the blessed little angel
in his charge and go forth to win to Christ souls that are lost in
sin.
He was gone nearly three months. The meetings in Iowa and Missouri
resulted in good, yet nothing of unusual interest attended them.
Early in June he made a trip to Daviess County, Ind. He had found
in his evangelistic work that preaching on the street was a very
effectual way of reaching the people. When he lived in Indianapolis,
a few years previously, he and the saints in that place engaged
frequently in preaching on the streets and in the parks. One Sunday
afternoon, while preaching in Central Park, a man came to him and
gave the names of persons in southern Indiana to whom he requested
the Trumpet sent. Thus the Trumpet became the forerunner of his visit
to Daviess County.
As we passed through the village of Odon, we notified the people
that we would preach the gospel on their streets the next
afternoon. Not being accustomed to such services, there was quite
an interest. The people began to collect some time before the hour
arrived. Store-boxes, sidewalks, etc., were converted into pews,
and we had one of the best hearings we ever had on the streets.
God mightily helped us by his Spirit to testify the gospel of his
perfect salvation for an hour and thirty-eight minutes. Bless God,
the truth swept all the sinnership religion into the pit, from
whence it came. Though real Bible holiness had scarcely ever been
preached in that place, and no holiness meetings ever held there,
so far as we learned, yet every hearer, even lawyers, doctors, and
preachers, acknowledged the practicability of perfect salvation and
preservation from all sin through Christ Jesus. A Baptist preacher
by the name of W--, who had been preaching to the people that no
one can or does live without sinning in this world, and that all
men sin day and night, sat close by us, and was convinced of the
truth of the gospel and convicted of his sins. He sanctioned the
word and acknowledged to others that it was all truth. We saw the
tears in his eyes, and hoped he would become saved and qualified to
preach for Jesus, instead of for sin and the sect.
Sabbath, the seventh, we held services in a grove near old Shiloh
Bethel, south of Odon. As the appointment was circulated only
after our arrival, there was not a large turnout. The Baptist
preacher sat near us while preaching in the forenoon, and looking
into his face during the discourse, our soul was pained to see
that he had shut his heart against the truth and salvation of
God. Instead of coming down to an equality with Christ, he chose
to have a reputation among men, to indulge the lusts of the
flesh and enjoy the friendship of the world. From that moment
his "face gathered blackness." During the afternoon preaching he
showed every disposition to avoid listening to the gospel of God.
He came to some of the meetings afterward, just as the ungodly
Pharisees followed Christ, to "catch something out of his mouth."
On Wednesday evening Bro. O. Allen met and spoke to this priest of
Baal, standing in a public place of the village, burning incense to
the devil in gratification of the filthy lust for tobacco.
He later made another trip into Pennsylvania and attended the third
annual camp-meeting at Sandy Lake. At the close of this meeting he,
in company with others, drove about twelve miles to attend a Church
of God (Winebrennerian) camp-meeting, held near Barkerville. His
description under the title A Night in Babylon, is here given in part.
On the way we met a good many people returning from the camp,
and we were no little astonished to see so many of them smoking
cigars. Finally the thought forced itself on our mind, "Can it be
possible that they are selling such things on the camp-ground?"
But considering that it was the Sabbath-day and the people holding
the camp-meeting professed to be the "Church of God," such a
thing surely could not be. The very thought was shocking and
preposterous. When a half mile away we saw a smoke ascending at
the camp. As we entered the ground we observed a crowd of sinners
standing about a building with a sign, Boarding-Tent, and the smoke
from their many cigars blended into a cloud, that we had seen
from a distance. Soon after landing, we said to a brother, "Let
us walk up and see what they have to sell there." We did so, and
adventuring into the poison-fog we walked the whole length of the
long building, all opened in front, displaying a large stock of
every variety of ware that would be necessary to satisfy the pride,
vanity, and lust of the horse-race or any vanity-fair throng of
this ungodly world.
We were shocked and amazed at this horrible traffic. The chief sale
was tobacco. There the nasty, filthy stuff was piled up from one
end of the building to the other. The vile curse of the earth, in
every form and shape the devil ever invented, freely sold on a--oh,
the blasphemy!--"Church of God" camp-ground!...
It was all licensed by the preachers in control of the meetings.
And such men have the wicked presumption to call themselves
ministers of Christ! One of the "merchants of these things which
were made rich" by the "abundance of the delicacies," though we
understand he makes no profession of Christ, was ashamed of the
unhallowed traffic, and though his contract included another
year, he said he would never come back again. He confessed that
if he were to open up such traffic on Sabbath at his place of
business in town he would be prosecuted; but the superabundance
of righteousness (?) of these tobacco-soaked preachers, it would
appear, was to atone for the same sins on their camp-ground. Surely
it has come to pass what is written in the prophets, "They overpass
the deeds of the wicked" (Jer. 5:28).
After taking some refreshment and having obtained permission to
praise God, we engaged in our evening devotion, with singing and
prayer, to the God of our salvation. Our doors were soon crowded
with young folks to hear the singing.
The tobacco-smoke was so dense that we could scarcely endure
it without getting sick. But after a few songs and prayers
were offered, every one cast his cigar away and listened with
seriousness. This they did without a word said by any of us....
The meeting had been in progress four days, and no soul had been
saved. Not a seeker. Not even a place for a penitent to kneel, no
straw on the ground. The pulpit was the only place to kneel in the
congregation; as though they did not expect a poor penitent to seek
God, and that the preacher should do all the praying.
On Monday morning, the services were made later than the usual
hour. The preachers were doubtless perplexed how to perform in
the deadness of their souls. "The sinners in Zion are afraid;
fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites" (Isa. 33:14). Not one
of them would venture to preach. The services were confined to one
hour. After reading a psalm, the preacher announced that all should
be free to serve God by prayer, and testimony, and song, requesting
brevity of each. So, as our heart was "springing up" full of the
love of God, we opened our mouth to praise the Lord in singing a
verse occasionally. After several had spoken we arose and testified
to the great "salvation we have in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory." We aimed to be very brief, but occupied seven minutes by
the watch, when they began to sing. But they being but a few and
"feeble folk," their song would not have interfered materially with
our remarks. However, we struck in to sing until they stopped, and
then sat down....
After the services were dismissed we were ordered to leave the
ground as soon as we could pack up and depart; and forbidden to
sing, pray, or preach, within one mile of their tobacco-soaked camp.
When asked why they would not allow us to worship God there, the
president said it was because we held a second work of grace, which
they did not believe. Why should they fear to hear the testimony?
If they really believed that there is no "second grace," they need
not fear that any of their flock would obtain it. According to
their position, they were afraid of the thing that does not exist.
What brave soldiers!
One of the preachers arose in the speaking-meeting and said,
"According to the little bit of information I have received
concerning Christ's salvation, it is all received at once."
Certainly a man that has only "a little bit of information
respecting Christ's salvation" has only a little bit of salvation,
and that little bit of salvation was doubtless all obtained at
once, for it was so little it could not have been divided. And when
that very "little bit" is analyzed it is seen to consist in a mere
"name to live," a "form of godliness," anointed by love of self and
love of sect....
The preacher who led the meeting is saturated with tobacco and
addicted to horse-trading and worldly foolish jesting. In his
remarks he said we should "exemplify Christ," that is, our lives
should be like his. The Lord led us to ask him if he regarded
himself an example of Christ's character; whether he could
consistently say to boys and men generally, "Follow the example
I set before you." Not having 'sanctified the Lord Jesus in his
heart,' he was not ready to give an answer. He paced the pulpit,
being speechless. We repeated the question, including both him and
the president. Neither answered. We then told the latter something
about their being of the same spirit the old Jews and pagans were
of, who forbade the apostles preaching any more in their towns. We
also called their attention to the abominable and wicked traffic
we saw on their ground on the Lord's day, which was licensed by
them and sanctioned by their filthy habit. They could allow that
corrupting bane of society; but of a few little children of God who
have obtained pure hearts and desired to "worship God in the beauty
of holiness," they said, "Away with them"!...
Well, we are compelled to give the manifestations at that camp the
credit of being the filthiest and vilest form of Babylon we have
ever met. An unconverted man who was there and witnessed the scene
said to them, "God deliver me from such a sect." They are destitute
of God's grace. 'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation ...
teacheth us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world' (Tit.
2:11,12). But these live in the filth of the world, "walking after
their ungodly lusts."
In a report written from this part of Pennsylvania three years later,
he refers to his visit to the Winebrennerian camp, as just described,
and says, "Well, that was the last camp-meeting held on that ground.
Their doleful tents are rotting to the ground, and are the habitation
of owls and bats."
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE FLOATING BETHEL, USED FOR SEVERAL YEARS ON THE
OHIO RIVER FOR EVANGELISTIC WORK BY G. T. CLAYTON AND COMPANY. BURNED
DEC. 16, 1898.]
Brother Warner felt that he needed, and that the Lord was going to
provide, a company of singers to go with him in the evangelistic
field. It was about this time that the company who should travel
with him for more than five years began to be formed. It was at the
Williamston assembly that summer that Brother Warner said to Nannie
Kigar, of Payne, Ohio, and to Frances Miller, of Battle Creek, who
attended the meeting, that he felt impressed they would form a part
of his company to help in singing and other gospel work. Their
voices were soprano and alto respectively. They, with a number of
other saints, accompanied Brother Warner to the Beaver Dam assembly.
On their way, as they changed cars at Ft. Wayne, they met and were
joined by Sarah Smith, of Jerry City, Ohio. While they were at Beaver
Dam the Lord added Sister Smith to the company. Her voice furnished a
high tenor. She was an elderly lady and she was called the "mother"
of the company. Bro. John U. Bryant and Bro. D. Leininger, from the
Beaver Dam neighborhood, also traveled in the company for a time.
After the Beaver Dam meeting, Brother Warner made a short visit
to Illinois and Iowa, while the rest of the company remained at
Beaver Dam and were soon engaged in a protracted meeting at the Hans
Schoolhouse, where about fifty souls were saved and a great interest
was created.[17] While on this trip he was healed of an affliction of
the eyes. He thus speaks of it:
During the Williamston assembly in September, Satan began to afflict
our eyes. At the beginning we were impressed that it was an attack
of the enemy. They grew worse until we were scarcely able to read
or write. The next morning after our arriving in Iowa, the Spirit
impressed a sister that it was Satan who had afflicted our eyes to
prevent our labors in writing, etc. Instantly recollecting the same
impression in our mind at the beginning of the attack, we knew it was
of God.
Our vehement faith in God and indignation against the devil were
instantly aroused. We fell upon our knees and asked God to deliver
us, rebuking Satan in the name of Jesus Christ. Praise God, the pain
all ceased, and we were able to do a pretty good day's work. And our
eyes have been well ever since. God suffered the attack doubtless to
teach us a lesson concerning the origin of much of the suffering of
the afflicted.
In the latter part of January he with his company of singers and
coworkers went to Deerfield, Randolph County, Ind., arriving on a
Saturday evening. The next morning they attended a meeting where a
nominal Christian preacher had the service. They sang some of the
sweet songs of victory; but this so confounded the preacher that he
could not find anything in his Bible to preach, and after he had
taken the pulpit he invited Brother Warner to preach. The latter
preached a burning message. He had hoped for the use of the house,
but it could be seen that the preacher intended to control the
house that week, for he proposed that he and these people use it
alternately. He was soon told that they were out on the blood and
fire line, that they could not yoke up with the dead priests of Babel
and would go elsewhere.
They went over into the edge of Jay County and began meetings in a
United Brethren house called Prospect. Here the preaching created a
furor among those who were joined to their sectarian institution
and felt that it was in danger. It was like a thunderbolt in the
community. The singing drew the crowds. The trustees became fearful.
One of them went into the woods to pray to know what to do to get rid
of these people who seemed to be taking things. The heavenly songs
seemed to follow him. He felt he should attend all the meetings to
see what occurred. He soon found that these people had something more
than the United Brethren had. He was one of two trustees who embraced
the truth, and of course desired that the meetings continue. Threats
were made. A woman was heard to say, "They ought to be driven out
of the country with shotguns." A Baptist preacher who came into the
neighborhood said that they ought to be put in jail, and offered his
service as one to help in the matter.
The United Brethren minister had been holding meetings, with but
little success. A Mrs. R----, one of their number, had been praying
the Lord to send somebody who would preach the truth in such a way
that God would get unto himself a people who would serve him. She and
a Mrs. W---- went to the altar together, with others. Brother Warner
asked them whether they would be willing to separate themselves from
denominationalism if the Lord should show them that duty. Sister
W---- said in her heart, yes. Sister R---- turned over to her and
said, "Now, they are trying to tear down the church, so let us just
stick." There she turned bitter, and the very thing she had prayed
for she was rejecting. She walked up and down the aisle wringing her
hands and crying, "My church! my church!" Another woman said, "These
people are either awfully good people or else they are desperately
wicked." Once during the meeting flying missiles crashed through the
windows. Glass flew across the room, striking a woman on the head
and drawing blood.[18] Said Brother Warner:
People have dealt in cheap, shoddy religions so long that they feel
like stoning us when we state the cost of that we are commissioned
of Christ to offer the people; nevertheless, when men consent to
pay the price they are always highly pleased with the results.
Such a display of sectarian idolatry was a good exhibition for some
who had come out of Babylon, for they saw what they had been yoked up
with. About eight persons made their escape in this meeting.
There were in attendance, as was usual in the meetings everywhere,
people who gloried in hearing the sects spoken against. Such people,
of course, while adding force in the start, were no substantial
credit to the movement, as they were not genuine representatives.
During the winter the evangelists went to Marshall County, into a
neighborhood that seemed very dark spiritually. After one of the
evening meetings there, in which he had preached with marvelous
power, Brother Warner was passing out the door when a young rough
gave him a kick. He turned and thanked the fellow and said he always
praised God when he received such treatment. As he started on he
received another kick, for which he also praised God aloud. At the
house where he was stopping the sister had two very wicked sons. On
the night the kicking occurred one of these young men, instead of
retiring to bed, sat in his chair at the fireplace, his face in his
hands, groaning. When asked what was the matter, he referred to what
had happened that evening and said he felt sorry for Brother Warner,
for surely he was a godly man, etc. When he saw how Brother Warner
received such abuse, his heart was touched, and he was much pained.
He and his brother had both mistreated Brother Warner and those with
him and had in their presence cursed his mother for feeding them.
When they saw the love manifested their hearts melted, and they
became warm friends to the saints of God.
[Illustration: Evangelistic company, 1886-1891
B. E. Warren
Nannie Kigar
Frankie Miller
D. S. Warner
Sarah Smith
]
[Illustration: B. E. WARREN, SPRINGFIELD, O.]
From Marshall County the company went up into Michigan, into Van
Buren County. Here, at Geneva Center lived a young man whom the
Lord had saved and was calling into the gospel work, Bro. Barney
E. Warren. The fact that he was under twenty-one years of age and
that his father was unsaved and was opposed to his going into the
ministry, was an obstacle. But his father, who was a very wicked man,
became very much convicted during the meetings held in a schoolhouse
in the vicinity. He was seized with such trembling that in his
attempt to steady himself by holding to the seats he shook the very
floor of the building. Finally, in a consecration-meeting in Bro.
Joseph Smith's house, near Lacota, he rebelled against the Lord and
started to leave the room. Before he reached the door the strength
of his legs gave way and he sank instantly to the floor, and was
unable to go farther. He then yielded. Brother Warner asked him if
he was willing to let Barney go into the gospel work. His reply was,
"Barney is the Lord's." The way was then opened for the young Brother
Warren, and in the following April he became a part of the little
singing company that should travel with Brother Warner for the next
five years, and should consist of, besides Brother Warren, who was
a base singer, Sisters Nannie Kigar, Frances Miller, and Mother
Smith. This constituted a complete quartet, with Brother Warner often
reenforcing the tenor.
There had come to be many saints gathered in the one fold in this
part of Michigan. Bros. A. B. Palmer, S. Michels, W. B. Grover, and
S. L. Speck were ministerial workers whom God was using in this
vicinity. At this time Brother Warner was called to Williamston
to help get out the second edition of the Songs of Victory, the
first song-book published at the Gospel Trumpet Office. Of the
first edition there were over fifteen hundred copies sold in less
than three weeks. Holy song exerted a wonderful influence in the
reformation. With reference to his return to Williamston we include a
paragraph from his report.
The day we arrived at home a good steam-engine was brought into the
Trumpet Office, by the kind blessing of God, Brother Fisher having
previously engaged it. Thank God that we live to see this day. The
glorious work is spreading like fire in the earth. Glory to God
and the Lamb! Oh, what hosts of fire-baptized saints we have met!
With the increase of numbers there is a continual advancement in
clearness and power.
Thus there was a long day of waiting before a steam-engine was used
in the Trumpet Office. Every improvement of this kind was always an
occasion of much rejoicing for Brother Warner.
By this time the truths of the reformation were being extensively
scattered. Besides the workers named in southwestern Michigan, there
were G. T. Clayton in western Pennsylvania, C. Z. Lindley in Iowa,
J. P. Haner in Kansas, and W. N. Smith and others in Ohio. The Lord
was raising up ministers in various places, and many people were
accepting the truth.
The first engagement for Brother Warner and his company, after the
latter had been definitely formed, was at Walkerton, Ind., in April,
1886. They remained two weeks, and a few souls came out on the clear
Bible line. There was a little persecution here, as was usual. They
found the place dark with prejudice. Over forty of the professors
in the place were joined in a holiness band. They professed
sanctification, but most of them were connected with sects.
We went to their meeting on Tuesday night before we began
operations in the hall. Being held in the United Brethren house,
the meeting was led by Pastor S--, of that sect. God powerfully
baptized our soul, and we praised him in prayer and testimony,
which made the sect priest grow black in the face. He afterward
tried to make out that we had come there and interrupted their
meeting, and actually caused a report of that kind to go out. He
spared no pains to fill the place with all manner of evil against
us. Like Demetrius, the silversmith, his craft was in danger....
The Methodist priest delivered a lecture on Monday night in favor
of secret societies; he labored especially to make a good character
for the Odd Fellows. The Holy Spirit put it upon us to rebuke
such agents of the devil. This the class-leader of that sect said
made his blood boil. So he went about the town breathing out his
venom against us and enlisting as many as possible in an effort to
induce the proprietor of the hall to break his contract and close
the hall. They succeeded in so influencing him; but the power of
God turned his mind right around, and he not only gave the hall
cheerfully to the extent of the time, but offered it as much longer
as we wanted it or at any time we might return.
Threats were made, eggs were thrown, and there was considerable
disturbance. But the effect of such abuse was the raising up of many
friends for the truth and the salvation of a few souls. Brother
Warner was again called home, and the company returned to Beaver Dam.
The next trip for the company was to the Prospect neighborhood, in
Jay County, where the truth had been planted the previous winter.
This was in May. Brother Warner and Brother and Sister Fisher went
directly to Portland by train, while the company, including S. L.
Speck and Clara Morrison, were conveyed from Beaver Dam in a wagon.
Of this trip across the country in a wagon, Sister Frances Miller
wrote an account in her diary. It is interesting reading in these
days of automobiles, when such a trip can be made in a few hours, and
we here include it as she wrote it.
The brethren from Beaver Dam carried our little company from that
place to Sweetser, Grant County, by lumber-wagon. We started at 5
A. M., and reached our destination about 9 P. M. We had a glorious
time by the way, praising God and singing those beautiful songs.
About two miles beyond Roann we drove in at the edge of a beautiful
piece of woods and stopped for dinner. We placed the seats in a
circle and spread our dinner upon Father's green carpet, then
thought we would praise him with a song, supposing we were alone in
the woods.
In a few moments we were surrounded with cattle. There must have
been at least twenty-five or thirty, with their eyes wide open,
gazing at us. We felt that God had put the love of music in these
dumb animals, and we sang two or three songs for their benefit.
Mother Smith then asked God to bless the food, and we all thanked
him for it, in our hearts. After the horses had finished their
dinner we pursued our way, rejoicing because we had Jesus in our
souls, and he made melody through us to the Father.
The next morning the Beaver Dam brethren returned home, and
brethren at Sweetser brought us to Prospect, Jay County. We started
at 7 A. M. It was a beautiful morning. The recent rains had laid
the dust, and we had pike roads most of the way, making traveling
delightful. In the afternoon the clouds began to gather blackness,
and in a short time a terrible storm was upon us. The rain came
down in torrents, drenching us through and through. The wind was
furious. It seemed almost every moment as though it would take us
up. Then the hailstones came down so thickly the horses refused to
go. We were seemingly in the midst of an ocean of water. The recent
heavy rains had flooded the country, washing away several bridges.
We had quite an adventurous trip; forded one river, and the
horses, while pulling us through a deep creek, pulled loose from
the wagon, leaving us in the water. We were able to get to land,
however. This was about two hours after the storm, and while the
brethren were repairing the wagon we gathered hailstones by the
handful in the fence corners.
Well, I am satisfied that none but the pure in heart could relish
such a storm. We did enjoy it; and God so filled our hearts that
we praised him through it all. And when the wind was blowing the
thickest, the calmness in our souls was indescribable. We knew God
had power to prevent the storm; but in his wisdom he saw it was
just what we needed, and his will being ours, we thanked him for it
and left the consequences of our becoming wet in his hands, knowing
all would work out for our good.
After the storm, it turned quite cold. We had thirty miles yet
to drive; but we had the holy fire burning within us. We reached
Brother Key's about twelve o'clock that night, waking Brother and
Sister Key with the song, "Oh, 'twas love, 'twas love, that found
out me!" The next morning, Saturday, May 15, we arose feeling
refreshed after a few hours' rest, not one of us feeling any the
worse after our exposure of the previous day.
Oh, what a wonderful God! Let us praise him for his goodness and
for his wonderful works to the children of men. We drove out to
Prospect that morning, six miles, and to our surprize and joy met
Brother and Sister Fisher, who had come with Brother Warner. Our
hearts were made to rejoice to meet the dear saints at Prospect,
with whom we had labored in the Lord last January. We had a
glorious time and witnessed the salvation of many precious souls.
This second meeting at Prospect was to be held in a grove; but on
account of the weather being cold and damp, and the meeting-house
being refused, the meetings were held most of the time in a granary
building owned by a brother, Jesse Wickersham. This brother had
given the land on which the Prospect meeting-house stood, and had
contributed largely to its erection, with the understanding that the
house should be open to all true worshipers of God. But here the sect
refused the house, the preaching of the truth on the former occasion
having been too much for them.[19]
In August of this year (1886) was held the first of the annual
grove- or camp-meetings in the Beaver Dam vicinity. It was in W. W.
Ballenger's grove. For the next five years the annual camp-meeting
was held in J. Kuhn's woods; and then, beginning in 1892, it was
held for five years in D. Leininger's woods. Beginning with 1897
this meeting has since been held on the beautiful ground overlooking
Yellow Lake.
Before attending the Indiana grove-meeting in August, Brother Warner
felt impressed that from that meeting he should labor on a line
eastward from that place. In conjunction with this came urgent calls
from that direction, and brethren even made preparation for his
coming before asking him. The first place was Arcola, Ind. We quote
from his report in which he speaks of this part of his trip:
On Friday morning, August 13, with our heart melting with pure
parental love for our child, we kissed his innocent cheek and left
him in silent slumber, not daring to wake him lest his little
heart should break with grief at our departure, and our soul also
be filled with sorrow at his pitiful tears. O God, thou knowest
the abundance of thy grace that enables us to tear away from this
affectionate child! The poor boy has recently been sick insomuch
that many of the saints despaired of his life. O Lord, only thou
knowest the great trial of our soul when we felt the awful sickness
of our boy, by the Spirit of God, while we were making up the last
Trumpet at Williamston, and packing the Office, which none of our
company had any experience in! Our presence was much needed, so
that we did not feel permitted to go, though we keenly felt his
sickness and told some of the saints that we felt he was sick.
After suffering those feelings a week, we received a letter stating
that he had been very low but was better. This took a great load
off our heart, and a few days later a second letter stated that
through the laying on of hands in prayer the Lord had gloriously
healed the poor little fellow.
Oh, praise our God for his great mercy toward us, that he has
spared our soul the great sorrow of such a bereavement as would
have been the departure of this last and dear-beloved friend in
the flesh! And yet we know that had the blessed Lord seen fit to
take him, as in all the trials of the past we would have been
"exceeding joyful in all our tribulations." This trial of our
faith was a great blessing to us. It gave us a sure evidence that
notwithstanding our intense love for the child we could leave him
in the hands of God, and feel sweetly resigned to his will who had
worked for us elsewhere. We found the precious boy feeling well,
but still so slim and poor that it touched our heart to look upon
his lean face. The Lord bless Brother Leininger's family, with whom
the child was staying during his sickness, and all the beloved
saints who did all they could for the comfort and help of the dear
boy.
We started at three o'clock in the morning, the Lord having sent a
glorious shower before us to cool the air and put away the dust. As
the day began to break, we were blessed in looking at the sublime
and beautiful clouds which Father piled up in the heavens, of every
shape, tint, and hue. Looking to the north we saw the perfect form
of a great hand pointing to the East, and the Spirit of God filled
our heart as we acknowledged it the hand of our Father, and that we
were going in the direction Father was pointing. We felt something
like Nehemiah must have felt when he said, "The hand of the Lord is
good upon me."
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Two of the "homes" where Brother Warner and the
earlier evangelists and workers always found a welcome. The upper
residence is that of Joseph F. Smith, near Grand Junction, Mich.;
the lower one that of David Leininger, near Beaver Dam, Ind.]
[Illustration: These two old buildings, now crumbling to decay,
were used thirty-five years ago as houses of worship by the saints
at and around Grand Junction, Mich. The one in the upper picture,
known as "Smith's," is about three and one half miles northwest of
Grand Junction; and the other, known as the "log house," is about
the same distance northeast.]
We sang the praises of God much of the way, and the gentle breezes
carried the sweet sound over the surrounding country. Once we
finished a hymn just as we were ascending a hill. At the top of the
hill, to our right, stood a house. The song had sounded on ahead
of us and found an echo in the heart of a blessed old mother in
Israel, who was clapping her hands and shouting the praises of God,
and who waved her hand and nodded her head toward us as we came
opposite the house, as good as to say, "I felt the Spirit of God
in the song and it has set my soul on fire." Oh, how it stirred our
soul, as we saw the joyful demonstrations of the dear old sister!
We reached our destination in good time and had a blessed meeting
that night.
That his frail body should endure the strenuous evangelistic
work--the much travel, loss of sleep, and the strain of preaching
and laboring for souls--as well as editing and writing for the
Trumpet, is in itself a miracle. On more than one occasion, when he
was exhausted, he was miraculously strengthened by the power of the
Spirit. The following is a portion of his account of the meeting at
Antwerp, Ohio, held while on this tour:
Having labored hard all day in the Lord, our body was so worn
that we felt scarcely able to stand on our feet, so closed the
meeting about dark. But finding some unsaved souls had just come
who seemed concerned about salvation, we asked God to touch our
body with renewed strength. Praise God, he did as we asked. We
called the people to order and renewed the battle of the Lord for
the rescue of perishing souls at stake. Praise God, a rich harvest
of souls followed. We labored on until after ten o'clock. Two or
three times we announced the meeting closed, when other souls were
found under conviction and were constrained by the Spirit of God to
yield. About eight were converted and a few sanctified through the
blood. The work was wrought in mighty power. Strong men shouted in
their new-born joys sent down from heaven by the sweet Spirit of
adoption. Oh, what a heavenly sight! Even little boys, who had just
found the Lord, were so powerfully blessed of God that they clapped
their hands and leaped with the glory. In twenty years of labor for
God we never saw anything like it. It verily seemed their little
bodies must burst asunder by the power of the Spirit....
Every meeting is getting richer and more wonderful. O my Lord,
whereunto will this great kingdom yet grow? Truly the saints of the
Most High have taken the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness
of the kingdom under the whole heaven.
Leaving his company at Jerry City, Ohio, he returned to Van Buren
County, Mich., long enough to attend the assembly at Geneva Center
where saints from over an extensive territory were gathered. He
makes the following reference to this meeting:
Tuesday afternoon, the great day of the feast, near the beginning
of the service, we sang, Perishing Souls at Stake, when the Holy
Spirit overwhelmed all our souls with the awful condition of this
dark world and the worth of millions of souls who would receive the
pure gospel and be saved if it were brought to them. Oh, how all
our hearts were melted in sympathy for "perishing souls at stake
today!"
Up to that time we had been looking for one of the dear ministerial
brethren to work with us; but then we said, O Lord, send them
everywhere, and we will trust thee to 'make all grace abound unto
us, so that we always, having all sufficiency in all things, may
abound unto every good work.' Through the Lord Jesus Christ we feel
abundantly able to do as much preaching and laboring with souls as
one man would be supposed to perform, and also one man's work with
the pen....
How beautiful the sight of God's host, all mustered to the battle
by the Lord himself! No jealousy, strife, and selfish manipulation
for the best places and fattest fields. Every soul feels that he
has the very best place while he abides in Christ and Christ abides
in us. Oh, what fools the devil has made of poor blind Babylonians
whose backs are galded by the sect harness and whose hearts are
often crushed beneath the sect machinery! We speak from experience.
For ten years we felt this cold, heartless heel of selfish
oppression. More than once we wet our pillow with the tears that
the accursed Baal-idol pressed from our wounded heart. By the grace
of God we shall "render unto her double," as God hath commanded us.
Instead of wire-pulling and ungodly plotting against one another,
and each one greedily looking for his meat from his quarter, each
worker in the Lord's vineyard is looking to the Lord to guide
his feet in the paths of His own will. And all go out in perfect
freedom whither the Lord will and yet all work in perfect harmony,
under the sweet and heavenly management of the Holy Spirit.
Of his return to Ohio and of an attempt by a mob to capture and
mistreat him we have his account in the Trumpet of Nov. 1.
After the assembly of the saints in Michigan, we returned to our
little company of fellow workers in Ohio; found them all together
at dear Brother and Sister Miller's, at Jerry City. Praise God,
it was joyful to our souls to meet all well again. How all hearts
praised God for the tidings of his wonderful works in the assembly!
Of course dear Brother Barney began to bound like a rubber ball,
almost to the ceiling, when he learned of the salvation of his
brother William. Doubtless angels in heaven took a part in the
celebration of God's holy praises....
October 1 we came to Bro. S. Phillips', near Rising Sun. We held
some meetings in a house on his place. We enjoyed preaching the
glorious gospel of Christ to the people that came together there....
October 7, we moved a few miles farther east and one mile north, to
the house of dear Bro. Daniel Roush, where we invited the neighbors
together to hear the word of the Lord. The room soon proved too
small, and the weather being pleasant, we obtained a tent from
Brother Phillips, that covered about 18×20 feet, which we attached
to one end of a large porch; these together made quite a good
meeting-room. The Lord helped us to preach the glorious gospel of
Christ, and we poured out the vials of God's wrath upon every evil
way. The Lord worked, and souls were saved almost every day.
Thursday, October 14, the Lord sent a very strong wind and we had
to take the tent down. That night we held the meeting in the house.
The night being dark and rainy, the congregation was not very
large. While we were preaching the word, suddenly in rushed