CHAPTER XII. MIRACULOUS POWER IN PREACHING
Whenever the preaching of the word has accomplished a good work, and souls have been genuinely converted, the Holy Spirit has attended it. The great Head of the church promised to be with his servants until the end. The Comforter was promised, the Holy Spirit, to guide into all truth. On the day of pentecost, when the Spirit rested down upon the servants of God, they had such power that three thousand were converted. Afterward we hear Peter declaring, “The Holy Ghost fell upon them as upon us at the beginning.” Of Barnabas it is said, “He was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord.” Acts 11:24.MIRP 101.1
Speaking of the early Christian preachers, Mosheim, the celebrated church historian, says: “Their very language possessed an incredible energy, an amazing power of sending light into the understanding, and conviction into the heart.”MIRP 101.2
Whitfield says: “After I had begun, the Spirit of the Lord gave me freedom, till at length it came down like a mighty rushing wind, and carried all before it.”—Quarterly Review for 1842, p. 602.MIRP 101.3
“The power of the Lord fell upon me and all the people.”—Life of Valton, p. 122.MIRP 102.1
“A record of the Baptist churches in Kentucky states that ‘in the remarkable outpourings of the Holy Spirit, from 1799 to 1803, in most parts of our land, among different denominations, about ten thousand were added to the Baptist churches within that State, who gave evidence of genuine conversion.”—Revival Sketches, p. 195.MIRP 102.2
Mr. Watson, in his life of Wesley, p. 83, says:MIRP 102.3
“He (Wesley) unquestionably believed in special effusions of the influence of the Holy Spirit upon congregations and individuals, producing powerful emotions of mind, expressed in some instances by bodily affections.”MIRP 102.4
At a camp-meeting in Hebron, Conn., in A. D. 1809, great power was manifested. The following description is from the life of Bishop Hedding:MIRP 102.5
“From the very commencement there were signal indications of the Divine presence and power. ... On the fourth or fifth day, during the evening sermon, the power of the Holy Ghost fell on the congregation with overwhelming effect. The people began to fall on every side. Many who had come to the meeting out of mere idle curiosity, were stricken down to the ground and cried aloud for mercy. Many, of the Christian denomination, who were greatly prejudiced against the Methodists, and especially against such exercises, fell powerless to the earth, and afterward acknowledged the mighty hand of God. Quite a number of Methodists also, who had never witnessed such scenes, and were strongly opposed to them, fell along with the others. It was an awful hour of the manifestation of God’s power and grace. Within the space of a few minutes, it was ascertained that not less than five hundred lay prostrate by the power of the Holy Ghost......The people were all amazed and confounded; the scoffer was silenced; the blasphemer turned pale and trembled; the infidel stood aghast. The universal voice of all was, ‘Truly this is the mighty power of God, let us adore and tremble before him.’”—Life and Times of Hedding, pp. 185, 186.MIRP 102.6
Mr. Flemming, in his Fulfilling of Scripture, relates the following interesting account of a meeting in Scotland:MIRP 103.1
“In no individual instance, probably, was the power of the Spirit more signally displayed than at the kirk of Shotts, on Monday, the first of June, 1630. It appears that John Livingston, a young man about twenty-seven years of age, who was at that time domestic chaplain of the counties of Wigton, had gone to attend the dispensation of the Lord’s supper at the kirk of Shotts. There had been a great confluence of both ministers and people from all the adjacent country, and the sacred services of the communion Sabbath had been marked with much solemnity of manner and great apparent depth and sincerity of devotional feeling. When the Monday came, the large assembly of pious Christians felt reluctant to part without another day of thanksgiving to that God whose redeeming love they had been commemorating. Livingston was prevailed upon to preach, though reluctant and with heavy misgivings of mind at the thought of his own unworthiness to address so many experienced Christians. He even endeavored to withdraw himself secretly from the multitude, but a strong constraining impulse within his mind caused him to return and proceed with the duty to which he had been appointed.MIRP 103.2
“Toward the close of the sermon the audience, and even the preacher himself, were affected with a deep, unusual awe, melting their hearts and subduing their minds, stripping off inveterate prejudices, awaking the impenitent, producing conviction in the hardened, bowing down the stubborn, and imparting to many an enlightened Christian a large increase of grace and spirituality. ‘It was known,’ says Flemming, ‘as I can speak on sure ground, that nearly five hundred had at that time a discernible change wrought on them, of whom most proved lively Christians afterwards. It was the sowing of a seed through Clydesdale, so that many of the most eminent Christians of that country could date their conversion, or some remarkable confirmation of their case, from that day.’”—Private Sketches, by Heman Humphrey D. D., pp. 31, 32.MIRP 104.1
Mr. Barton W. Stone thus describes a powerful meeting at Cane Ridge, Ohio:MIRP 104.2
“This memorable meeting came on Thursday or Friday before the third Lord’s day in August, 1801. The roads were literally crowded with wagons, carriages, horsemen, and footmen, moving to the solemn camp. The sight was affecting. It was judged, by military men on the ground, that there were between twenty and thirty thousand collected. Four or five preachers were frequently speaking at the same time, in different parts of the encampment, without confusion. The Methodist and Baptist preachers aided in the work, and all appeared cordially united in it—of one mind and of one soul, and the salvation of sinners seemed to be the great object of all. We all engaged in singing the same songs of praise—all united in prayer—all preached the same things—free salvation urged upon all by faith and repentance. A particular description of this meeting would fill a large volume, and then the half would not be told. The numbers converted will be known only in eternity. Many things transpired there, which were so much like miracles, that if they were not, they had the same effects as miracles on infidels and unbelievers; for many of them by these were convinced that Jesus was the Christ, and bowed in submission to him.”—Biography of B. W. Stone, pp. 37, 38.MIRP 104.3
Again Mr. Stone writes:MIRP 105.1
“Since the beginning of the excitement I had been employed day and night in preaching, singing, visiting and praying with the distressed, till my lungs failed, and became inflamed, attended with a violent cough and spitting of blood. It was believed to be a dangerous case, and might terminate in consumption. My strength failed, and I felt myself fast descending to the tomb. Viewing this event near, and that I should soon cease from my labors, I had a great desire to attend a camp-meeting at Paris, a few miles distant from Cane Ridge. My physician had strictly forbidden me to preach any more till my disease should be removed.MIRP 105.2
“At this camp-meeting the multitudes assembled in a shady grove near Paris, with their wagons and provisions. Here for the first time a Presbyterian preacher arose and opposed the work, and the doctrine by which the work amongst us had its existence and life. He labored hard to Calvinize the people, and to regulate them according to his standard of propriety. He wished them to decamp at night, and to repair to the town, nearly a mile off, for worship, in a house that could not contain half the people. This could not be done without leaving their tents and all exposed. The consequence was, the meeting was divided, and the work greatly impeded. Infidels and formalists triumphed at this supposed victory, and extolled the preacher to the skies; but the hearts of the revivalists were filled with sorrow. Being in a feeble state, I went to the meeting in town. A preacher was put forward who had always been hostile to the work, and seldom mingled with us. He lengthily addressed the people in iceberg-style—its influence was deathly. I felt a strong desire to pray as soon as he should close, and has so determined in my own mind. He at length closed, and I arose and said, Let us pray. At that very moment, another preacher of the same cast with the former, rose in the pulpit to preach another sermon. I proceeded to pray, feeling a tender concern for the salvation of my fellow creatures, and expecting shortly to appear before my Judge. The people became vert much affected, and the house was filled with the cries of distress. Some of the preachers jumped out of a window back of the pulpit, and left us. Forgetting my weakness, I pushed through the crowd from one to another in distress, pointed them the way of salvation, and administered to them the comforts of the gospel. My good physician was there, came to me in the crowd, and found me literally wet with sweat. He hurried me to his house, and lectured me severely on the impropriety of my conduct. I immediately put on dry clothes, went to bed, slept comfortably, and rose next morning relieved from the disease which had baffled medicine, and threatened my life. That night, sweat was my cure, by the grace of God. I was soon able to renew my ministerial labors, and was joyful to see religion progressing. This happy state of things continued some time, and seemed to gather strength with days. My mind became unearthly, and was solely engaged in the work of the Lord. I had emancipated my slaves from a sense of right, choosing poverty with a good conscience, in preference to all the treasures of the world. This revival cut the bonds of many poor slaves, and this argument speaks volumes in favor of the work. For of what avail is a religion of decency and order, without righteousness?”—Biography of B. W. Stone, pp. 42-44.MIRP 105.3