HENRY P. HALL (Methodist)
HENRY P. HALL (Methodist)
I was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 20, 1814. Early in life I realized the
need of salvation, and for over four years was burdened with a sense of sin. Near the age of twenty, while listening to a sermon, I said mentally, “I will take Jesus to be my Saviour.” Immediately my burden was gone, and ere the evening passed God’s love was shed abroad in my heart. In a short time I was immersed, and became a member of the Calvinistic Baptist Church in my native town.
During the summer of 1839, in Boston, I obtained Mahan’s Christian Perfection, the study
of which convinced me of my duty and privilege to be entirely sanctified to God. I was then an active, obedient Christian up to the light I had.
With this increased light I at once sought to bring my whole being into oneness with God’s
will. Being fixed in my purpose I was soon enabled to regard myself as wholly the Lord’s.
Not long after, while in prayer, this thought pressed itself upon my consciousness, “The
triune God is here.” I was at once filled with His peace, and arose satisfied. On returning to my business, thenceforward, nothing disturbed my inward calm, though I had been troubled by a hasty temper. I was not aware that this was my entrance into the life of holiness until at a meeting, some evenings after, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the word recently given, “The triune God is here,” as the time when He came into my life to abide, with all things pertaining to life and to godliness. I was filled with the Holy Ghost. It became my meat and drink to do His will as soon as known. This was in the winter of 1839 and 1840, from which time higher and holier motives actuated me. It was not long before the Lord called me to the ministry. The Baptist Church did not encourage my views of sanctification, I united with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
During the second year of my ministry my attention was called to this word in Jeremiah,
15:19: “If thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth.” I had thought this fully done at the time God came into my life to abide. But the Holy Spirit now so impressed me
with the importance of this word that I became still more sensitive Godward, and began to detect forms of selfish mixture that had not before arrested my attention. Finding myself unable to discriminate between the precious and the vile I yielded myself to God to do this for me. Soon a form of selfishness was discovered which so surprised and discouraged me that in utter desperation I immediately said, “I may as well give up my profession of holiness.” As this thought passed through my mind I seemed to fall from that clear light and peace that for years had been my abiding state. Perceiving this I quickly said, “Why, Lord, all this and more if it be Thy will,” and instantly I was reinstated in God, having learned to distinguish the evil and how to be rid of it.
This proved to be the lesson of my life, and never had to be repeated.
If a temptation was likely to cause conflict I would no longer say (as I had been taught) that
it was from without, but at once yielded myself to God to bring within more fully the life of Christ, for which the holy soul is predestined. I became sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s work through my powers realizing that the wholly sanctified soul is as Jesus was when He entered upon His earthly mission “I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” My preference yielded to Him on the instant of any evidence of inharmony with His way; the Lord alone was exalted, and I moved on with certainty in His will.
It is now nearly forty-seven years since I entered the highway of holiness, when death to
sin passed upon my whole being, and it has been easy to yield up the self-life (which if indulged would become sin), bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
My abiding home has been in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. Love to fullness has
abounded always toward God and man. Living by the “faith of the Son of God” it has always been adequate to the needs of this great salvation.
I have two little words ever in use, yea and nay. Toward God in all things my yea is yea,
toward any thing opposite to Him my nay is nay. Thus is the Christ-life constantly revealed.
A number of years since I met with a dear servant of God, and asked him about his
experience in holiness. He said with feeling that he was not now in that grace. I then related my experience as above, and said, “You have not withdrawn your consecration, have you?” He replied, “I have not.” His soul seemed stirred. I then asked, “Do you want God to regard you now as wholly consecrated to Him?” “I do,” was his reply. I further asked, “Will you regard yourself as thus consecrated to God?” “There comes the tug of war,” he said, but soon answered, “I will.” I was led to state, “The Holy Spirit will now witness to your acceptance,” and soon inquired, “Does He?” “Yes,” was his answer. I then said, “Brother, I have not spoken of a blessing that you are to guard, but a life into which you have entered.” The next week he said that it had been the happiest of his life. At the preachers’ class meeting the next month he testified that his experience the past month had been without parallel in his religious history. He is a prominent minister, and is now one of God’s lights.
HENRY P. HALL, NORTH ADAMS, MASS., July 11, 1887.
Source: “Forty Witnesses” by S. Olin Garrison
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HOW THEY ENTERED CANAAN (A Collection of Holiness Experience Accounts) Compiled by Duane V. Maxey
Vol. I — Named Accounts