S. HEATH
(Methodist)

 

1. S. HEATH
(Methodist)

I was born and reared in a Methodist home on a farm. At thirty-seven I moved to the city,

was a campaign political speaker and newspaper editor for eight years.

I resisted revival influences, argued on the infidel side for amusement, and then became

skeptical. At twenty-eight I married a girl from an Universalist family, and within one year we had
a daughter. When I was thirty-two we attended the funeral of a little niece. My wife was convicted
that, if the body in the casket was that of her little one, she would be parted from her forever, for
she was not fitted for heaven. After talking that night until two o’clock in the morning, we agreed to
become Christians. She was blessed when the decision was made, although we did not know what
it meant. We went to church and, in class-meeting, commenced the best we knew, joined the
church, set up a family altar, and did what we thought Christians ought to do. I was an infidel yet.
Four years previously my mother had told me that, in answer to prayer, she had the assurance from
the Lord that I would be converted and preach the gospel. It was folly to me, and I laughed it off
carelessly. I was in earnest, and was impressed that if I found anything in it, it would be in doing
what Jesus said to do. I did it as my limited understanding of God’s truth led me. People thought, I
suppose, if we knew enough to start without any visible help, we knew enough to know the Lord.
So we had no instructions, and didn’t know we needed any.

After about two years, I had found the way good, and had begun to really believe it was

right. I found myself testing something within me which would answer questions correctly about
the past, present, or future. After I had tried it until I had faith in it, it began to dawn upon me it
was the Lord. For two years He was with me, and guarded me in my business and pleasures as
well as religion. I had received a local preacher’s license, but because some young people laughed
one night (as I supposed at me), I said to myself, “I never will preach again.” The presence of the
Lord left me so I never missed Him. He so blotted Himself from my memory that I did not once
remember for ten years that I had ever had any experience at all. I kept on going through the
motions of a professed Christian.

 

At the end of that time a Holiness evangelist came to our church and I speedily got under

conviction. I surrendered then completely — business, pleasures, time, talents, soul and body.
Within a week, through a remarkable train of circumstances, which we all recognized as from the
Lord, I was called to assist the pastor in a revival meeting in the church where I had quit
preaching. When I went to prepare my first sermon, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me with such
ecstasy that it bordered on pain, and I did not desire it to be any stronger. His presence has been
consciously with me from that hour to this. My wife was wholly sanctified in the home revival
meeting after I left. The Lord has now for some years used both wife and daughter together to
assist pastors. Thus I am left lone. The Lord wonderfully keeps us, and it is our choice according
to His will.

About three months after I entered revival work, in the midst of a meeting, I became afraid

for the first time of the strongest inherited evil besetment within me. I had intelligently received the
teaching about holiness, but had never asked it for myself. I needed no reconsecration. I asked and
trusted for the first time that this besetment be taken away. He did it. For two weeks that which had
cost twenty mental struggles a day to put away, I did not once think of, and when I did remember it
it was to praise God for my deliverance. Some time after this I went to the Lord for a completion
of His good work in my soul, and the other little evil tendencies went. I still was timid about a
public confession, urging others to confess but avoiding it myself. My wife caught me at it, and I at
once confessed freely what God had done for me, found the last band broken and I was free in the
Lord … I have now lived in Canaan over seven years. It is a goodly land, and is fairer today than
ever before. God has kept me marching and conquering. My time, talents, earthly store, friends,
soul and body are all so consecrated to God that He can get all at every call. He possesses, uses.
My borders are constantly enlarged. His truths are wider, deeper, higher, as the days and years
flee way, and I am satisfied with Jesus more and more.

SOWING PRECIOUS SEEDS

A book does not die or change. It speaks on through coming years to all it meets and goes

on to other generations. It is a silent witness to the truth. In conversation the temptation easily
arises to defend one’s position. When we read a book, it does not talk back. We can’t accuse. We
can have no controversy except with ourselves, and, by the workings of the Holy Ghost, the
question arises, “Is this true?” And if so, “What shall I do about it?” When we honestly search after
truth, willing to obey it, we will always find wonderful unfoldings.

A lady neighbor of ours could not understand Holiness, or the preaching or teaching, except

to get under conviction that there was something in it. She was reading a book one day and came to
the passage which declared that God would remove inbred sin from the heart. She had a hot
temper. “Why,” said she to herself, “that is what I want done.” Then, as directed, she cried out to
God, “O Lord, I trust you to do that for me.” The Lord instantly possessed her with a wonderful
manifestation of His glory, and the inbred sin was gone.

Life is short here. It may seem unimportant to us. We may not be able to do many things we

see others do to the glory of God; yet if we will be led of Him, and do what our hands find to do
with our might, we may exceed them all in final results. The preacher’s greatest glory is to bring a
soul to Christ. By selling or giving books or tracts to any one, we use the talents of the bright minds

 

of earth to win that soul and mould it for eternity. We thus bring the author and reader together as
the preacher brings the sinner and his Saviour together by preaching the truth. The Holy Spirit
works out the results in the heart in both cases…

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with

rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 16:6).

Source: “Pentecostal Messengers”
by M. W. Knapp

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THE END

 

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HOW THEY ENTERED CANAAN
(A Collection of Holiness Experience Accounts)
Compiled by Duane V. Maxey

Vol. I — Named Accounts