The following statements by individuals who knew Brother Warner
personally are of interest.
Our home was at Lindsey, Ohio, when we first met Brother Warner.
We were then members of the Evangelical Association. We were
both sanctified, but were dissatisfied with the formality of
sectism. We attended the regular appointments faithfully; but we
craved for deeper spiritual devotion and felt the need of special
services where we could talk freely of the glorious doctrine of
sanctification. When the people throughout the country heard what
we taught, many doors opened among the denominations and many were
converted. This stirred the ministers with envy, and they tried to
stop the work, but failed, because it was God's work.
This continued for five years. We felt we should be better out of
the Church than in it, and often wished to withdraw, but did not
know where to go. We made this a subject of special prayer and
meditation. We were assured God would bring us and lead us in a way
we did not understand.
We had not known Brother Warner, but had heard that he was a
deceiver and that everywhere he went he caused the most spiritual
to believe his doctrine. We received a card from him stating that
he had just closed a meeting and that the Lord was directing him
north for the next meeting. He said if we could furnish a place for
meeting, either public or private, he with his company should be
glad to visit our place.
I asked husband what to do. He said, "Mother, do you know this is
the man that we were warned against?" I said, "Yes, I know, but we
are praying for God to send us a man who will preach and practise
the whole truth. Now, if this man is of God we must receive him." I
went to the Lord with the matter and said, "Lord, if thou dost want
these people to come and hold a meeting and can use them here, send
them right on, without my answering this card." This was on Monday
morning. At one o'clock a load of six drove up to the gate. Brother
Warner came to the door and knocked. When I opened he said, "Peace
be unto this house." I can not tell my feelings, but after I gave
them a hearty welcome I was conscious they were of God and decided
they should stay as long as God could use them.
While I was preparing the noon meal for my new guests and my
family, they sang numbers 43 and 72 out of Songs of Victory. [These
songs were, 'Twas Love that Found Out Me, and, The Hand of God
on the Wall, respectively.] We never before heard such heavenly
music. The tears streamed down husband's cheeks. My daughter was so
affected she left the house; it made such an impression on her she
afterward gave her heart to God.
God used Brother Warner to help us discern the one body of Christ
and the evils of sects. We rented a hall. Sometimes it was crowded
with earnest listeners, and I am sure much good would have been
done had it not been for the five ministers who lived in our town.
One night Brother Warner preached with such power one of the
preachers said, "This is too strong for me," and went out. The hall
was closed against us and we held our meetings in private homes. On
occasions rotten eggs, gravel-stones, and mud balls were thrown at
us, and through it all Brother Warner praised God and manifested
such a calm and gentle spirit one could not help but feel he was a
man of God. During these meetings some walked thirty miles to hear
the truth.
Brother Warner had been undergoing the great trial of his wife's
separation from him, and many earnest prayers went up for her. He
gave us some of his letters to read, which he wrote to her, and
oh! the gentle spirit, and the kind pleadings which he wrote, were
enough to break any heart of stone.
Later we moved to St. Louis, Mich., and it was our privilege to
have him in our home often. He always preached with power. I can
say his life and conduct were worthy of imitation.
Mrs. Elizabeth Walter,
St. Louis, Mich.
The first time I met Brother Warner was in February, 1883. He came
to our home and assisted in cottage-meetings. He was a very humble
man of faith and one I dearly loved. At the first camp-meeting at
Bangor, Mich., in 1883, he was called away, and I took him to the
train. As he stepped from the vehicle I handed him eleven dollars.
He raised both hands and praised God, as he had had no money for
car-fare.
I was with him one time in Chicago in search of a printing-press.
At the breakfast-table in a restaurant he poured out his heart to
God in deep, earnest prayer and thanked God for the food, which
drew the attention of many listeners. At noon we bought a lunch, so
as to save the Lord's money. In an alley just off a busy street we
found a dry-goods box, which served as a place for our meal. Here
he again lifted up his hands and in a deep sense of gratitude gave
thanks to God.
S. Michels,
South Haven, Mich.
In October, 1881, I was visiting in North Eagle, Michigan, at my
father's, Daniel B. Howe. A brother sent us a Trumpet, the first we
had seen. In a few days J. C. Fisher and wife came there. Father
asked him to come and hold a meeting, which he did in December,
and was there all winter. Many received the light. In October,
1882, Brother Warner came and some others, and held a meeting
lasting several days. That was a wonderful meeting to us. When
Brother Warner came he seemed to be under a heavy trial on account
of some difficulty that had come into his life, and was very sad,
apparently unreconciled.
He stayed at our house, and while there God wonderfully blessed
him and the clouds began to lift. When he was preaching on Sunday
morning, the power of God came down on him and on the people. All
wept and shouted. He leaped up a foot or more, turned completely
around, and came down facing the audience. From that time the
sorrow and sadness were gone.
I did not see him again until in 1894 at the June camp-meeting
at Grand Junction. I went to where he was staying at the Trumpet
Family residence and met him at the breakfast table. He asked me
how the people were at North Eagle. I told him all were well. He
put his elbow on the table, his face in his hand, and wept like a
child for a few moments. Then he said, "Pardon me, I have to think
of how the Lord blessed me there. I never knew that the Lord could
bless a mortal man as he blessed me at that meeting."
In 1895, in March, he came to preach my father's funeral. While
he was waiting for the train at Grand Ledge he wrote a poem and
read it at the funeral. I next saw him at a grove-meeting south of
Eagle. He preached a great sermon on the Church. He said nothing of
other ministers or denominations, but his discourse when finished
left no place for any other church, no possibility of there being
another. I never saw him again, as he died the following December.
In my estimation, there never lived a more holy or godly man than
he. I doubt whether any other reformer was any more devoted to
the cause of Christ than he, or ever preached sermons that were
more deep or soul-stirring than his. He lives in the hearts of the
people today, and in his writings will be heard until the end of
time.
Julia M. Cheeseman,
Liberty Center, Ohio.
Brother Warner was one of the most godly men I ever met; he was so
consecrated and devotional. He had great power with God and men;
was very humble, and all persons, regardless of rank or position,
could approach him for help.
I was at a meeting at Carthage, Mo., where he was preaching.
An awful storm came up, and we were in its path with a cloth
tabernacle. At the roar of the wind people became alarmed and began
to run. Brother Warner cried out, "Stay in the tent; not one shall
be hurt." Lifting his eyes and raising his hand heavenward, he
said, "Father, calm this storm so thy word can be preached." The
storm ceased within a short distance, not more than a block, away.
Much damage was done to buildings. The top was blown off the large
woolen-mill and box-cars were thrown from the track. I was amazed
and said, "What manner of man is this that even the winds obey?"
At another time some boys whose people opposed the truth gathered
in a body and began to drink, and finally came to disturb the
meeting. They did this on two nights. On the third night, when
Brother Warner was preaching he heard them coming. He said,
"Father, rebuke the devil in these carousing boys." That was the
last of their disturbance. He was a man of faith and was always
praising God, even in the deepest trials. He was a reformer indeed.
Lena L. Matthesen,
Moore, Okla.
My memory is poor and I now recall but a few instances. At one
time while Brother Warner was preaching a terrible storm came up.
The heavens were black. The congregation was becoming uneasy and
fearful. He told them to remain seated; that God had given him a
message and would not let it rain. He asked God to hold the rain
till he had delivered the message. I do not know how long he was
preaching, but it was unusually long. God surely held the rain, for
when he had finished and the people reached their homes the rain
poured down tremendously.
Once when sectarians were framing all manner of falsehoods and
sending them broadcast over the country, some of his friends came
to him saying, "How can you stand all this?" He paused a moment and
then said, "This all came about since I died."
William N. Smith,
North Star, Mich.
Once when he was away from home holding meeting, Brother Warner
felt a strong impression that he should return home. Some one
offered to take him to the train, though the time was short till
the train was due. Brother Warner was praying the Lord to hold the
train. When they came in sight of the station, the train was there
and soon began to move off. He cried aloud, "My God, stop that
train for me." The train slowed down. The conductor signaled to
back-up and stop, and took him on. He expressed his gratefulness to
God and to the railroad men and confessed God in it.
He told me that at one time he received a telegram from the West
requesting him to come in haste. He went to his room and placed
the matter before the Lord. He had no means; but the Lord told
him to go, doubting nothing, that all things were possible with
Him. He then packed his grip and hastened to the depot. When he
arrived there he continued in supplication to God. People began to
gather to take the train. All at once his eye caught sight of a
man hurrying toward the station. The man came in, and when he saw
Brother Warner, rejoiced, and said, "Well, I see you are packed to
go." "Yes, I received my orders from God to go on a Western trip."
"Well, a man needs money to travel on," the man replied, and then
handed him a bunch of money. After he had purchased his ticket
he noticed he had plenty of change left to defray all necessary
expenses, and he went on his way rejoicing. He arrived at his
destination and had success. When he was ready to return and was
in a conveyance to go to the depot, an old sister called to him to
stop and said, "Here is a little budget; take this." As he was in
a hurry he just put it in his pocket. Later, when he opened it, he
found one hundred dollars in gold. He came home rejoicing, like the
disciples when they were sent out without purse or scrip.
A. J. Shelly,
Alma, Mich.
I was much impressed with Brother Warner's remarkable patience
under trying circumstances, and when his frail body was racked with
pain. On one occasion he and I were on our way to a tent-meeting
on the north side of Denver. Being quite late on account of
having gone to pray for the sick, we were waiting for a car at a
transfer-point, and it seemed to me the car never would arrive.
I became anxious and paced up and down the sidewalk (as though
in so doing I could hurry up the car), because it was then time
for meeting to begin. But to my astonishment, Brother Warner was
humming a song and 'making merry in his heart to the Lord.' I said,
"Brother Warner, do you ever become impatient?" "Impatient!" he
replied, "I have not felt impatient for fifteen years." I believed
it then and I believe it now and have ever since that evening. I
was striving to overcome anxiety and restlessness because of pain,
delay, or opposition, and have succeeded to a great extent in
submitting all to the One who is able to cause all things to work
together for our good.
John E. Roberts,
3830 Stuart St.,
Denver, Colo.