Eve, Brother Burlison read 1 Corinthians 3, and talked a little; then, an invitation being given, a good many surrounded the altar, several of whom were seeking the blessing. Thank God, some professed to receive the blessing. I am still standing, yea, resting sweetly in the promise of God for entire and constant salvation through the blood of Jesus.
7. Today we fasted all day. Met in the Bethel at 9 A. M. and held meeting until after 4 P. M. without intermission. This day I was the least conscious of a physical nature and my relations with a corporeal world of any day in all my life. I seemed to be entirely unconscious of passing time. Only the spirit seemed to live, stir, feel, and take cognizance. Glory to the God of wonders! Is this really but the foot-stool of God?
Mother Keller, Sarah, and I went to Brother L——'s for supper. She (Mrs. L.) very soon began to pour out her bitter railing against holiness and holy ones; but praise God, he kept our souls in perfect peace. After my communing with God in secret for some time, the Lord told me to go immediately to see a poor sick girl near by. Mother accompanied me. Found her barely able to sit up, having been suffering for nearly one year. She had exhausted in vain all available medical aid. We spoke of the Great Physician. She said she believed that he was able to heal her. We called for oil, anointed her in the name of the Lord and laid hands on, and prayed for her present restoration to health. We entreated God with all the faith and earnestness of our inmost soul and then left her in the hands of God, with a comfortable degree of faith that God would raise her up again.
Eve, met at a quarter to eight. Mighty power filled the house. The altar was filled from one side to the other. Several were seeking sanctification. Glory to God, this night he began to give me some of the evidences (besides my hitherto naked faith) that I had got out of the wilderness into Canaan. Jesus, my blessed Savior, just cut me off one bunch of the sweet grapes of this "land." Oh, glory to God, once more I was a little child! I felt the blood of Jesus flowing through my entire "soul, body, and spirit." Heaven on earth! Halleluiah, it is done!
8. Sabbath. At five this morning a goodly number met in the Bethel for prayers. The Spirit was with us. Returned to Brother Bell's; ate a piece for breakfast, as we all felt that bodily wants were simple and few while the soul was so dearly fed with the bread of heaven. Met at half-past nine, and after many clear testimonies were given in for Jesus Brother Dunbar preached the word of life with great power and sweetness. Text, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." He read much of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, where this glorious second work is brought out so clear and forcibly. My soul was never before so wonderfully fed by the gospel in any sermon I ever heard. Oh, how sweet and glorious the word of life came to my renovated heart!
Mother, Sarah, and I went to Brother Furman's for dinner. Returned to the two o'clock meeting. Among many clear witnesses I testified today to the blood that cleanses from all sin and also uncleanness of nature. The long altar was again crowded and several found sanctification in the blood. Some backsliders were restored. God is wonderfully at work. All glory to his name!
At six we met again in the Bethel, after spending a long time in the closet with God. The Spirit impressed me to talk to the people on the commands of Jesus, and in simplicity I did so, using John 14:15 as a text. I read the word of the Lord concerning the duty of washing the saints' feet. Then we proceeded to obey the Lord. God wonderfully blessed me in talking, but my soul leaped for joy as I saw the dear sanctified ones come promptly to the bench and joyfully obey Him whom they love. God wonderfully blessed them, as they all testified the next day. Many of them had never seen the holy ordinance of feet-washing observed before. The Church of God brethren had said that if these holiness people would obey these lowly commands then they would have confidence in them. Thank God, true holiness needs but to be tested to be proved genuine.
10. This morn had to miss prayer-meeting in order to take Mother Keller and our dear Levilla to the train, as they go to Upper Sandusky this morn. We will go by buggy at the close of meeting. Sister Bell and Sarah went to the country today to get berries. I wrote and prayed most of the forenoon. Then, feeling very empty and destitute of the stirrings of the Spirit, I sought God earnestly in secret and then started out to work for him. Visited and prayed with two families, but still felt destitute of the Comforter. Met at 2:30 P. M. at the house of God. Several observed that I was being much tried. But I was eager to defeat the enemy of my soul by testifying to the sanctifying power of the blood of Jesus. I did so, declaring that the blood of Jesus had washed from all sin. While I was talking, the Lord showed me that I had now entered upon the path of perfect trust in Jesus, and that as faith was eternal and unchangeable, I had forever abandoned the up-and-down road of feeling. I also (in an absent-minded manner) made the remark that I had been cheated out of the morning prayer-meeting. But quick as thought I saw that it was wrong, for it was either complaining of or speaking lightly of God's providence. This remark furnished a subject of meditation through the afternoon. I see how entirely loyal to God's providence I now was. I felt that the above remark and all similar ones, so common and admissible in my past state, were not only wrong, but could not be true, as I have given myself, all I have, to God, surrendered all my ways, time, talents, means, influence, name, reputation, and everything with which I am connected—wife, child, friends, my destiny—all into the hands of God. I glorify in the blessed truth that no being in the whole universe can cheat me out of anything or do me the least harm. Glory to God forever! How happy I am in accepting all the will and providence of God! From the time of my testimony I realized the glorious river of life flowing through my entire being. What a sweet sense of perfect purity filled my mind and heart! Holiness was written everywhere. My very body seemed sacred and pure, a temple for the holy God. Glory to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus!
"Precious Jesus, thou hast saved me,