BRO. FORNEY.--About three miles from the home of my childhood, in Crawford county, Ohio, there stands a meeting-house owned by the M. E. Church, which, though vacated by them for some time, is still comfortable for the worship of God.

      On the 6th of January I commenced a meeting there, which continued five weeks. The brothers and sisters from New Washington and Liberty were a mighty power in this meeting. Our Methodist brethren soon became warmed up, who, with some United Brethren, in deed, engaged unitedly in the work.

      The Lord also worked, and soon penitents filled the altar, whose cries for mercy went up with the fervent prayers of the righteous, until one after another was "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son." There were among the converts some of all ages, from twelve up to sixty-four years. There was no little curiosity in the minds of the people as to where the converts would go, or, to use the language of Babylon, "what branch of the Church they would join." The community for generations past was quit strongly Methodistized, so much so that many thought the converts could not be led out of this influence to the "pillar and ground of the truth." Our Methodist friends, thinking they would have the pleasure of dividing the spoils around to their different societies, were much elated by the meeting, and bestowed upon me their greenbacks very freely. But knowing it would be no glory to God to have people converted to half of his will, and then left in a perpetual quarrel with him concerning the other half, I prayed much to God that his Spirit should "lead the converts into all truth."

      When a proper time came I presented the subject of baptism, and to the astonishment of many the converts were inclined to follow the footsteps of their Master even down into the water, and there be buried with him by baptism.

      January 30, the first day on which we baptized, I believe the thermometer stood a little below zero. One of the sisters had the putrid sore throat, so that the night preceding she was unable to go to meeting, but, thank God, the following night she was there feeling well. She, with the most of the rest, had been sprinkled. This setting at naught the foolish tradition of sprinkling was very mortifying to many.

      By the help of the Lord I presented the Church of God to the people. Worse and worse. "The Church of God covers the whole foundation, and leaves no room for our Church," and "other foundation can no man lay." "What shall we do to be saved;" "What a shame that we have left him have the house seeing that he has thus abused everybody," they say. By this time things were greatly changed. Many who had labored earnestly with mourners now sat back in the congregation looking very much like mourners themselves. This is not the worst. Though the truth had been spoken in kindness, some began at once to backbite and rail out at the unconverted in a way well calculated to prevent them from seeking salvation. May God pity them. What a comment this is on sectarianism. It shows that Christ and truth are inseparable, and also the devil and error. As soon as they resisted the truth Christ was dethroned and the devil took the reins. I meet with the Church at last Wednesday night's prayer-meeting. I found all in the spirit. Four more were received into fellowship, after which we held an election. Brother Peter Wright was chosen elder, and Brother William P. Burchard, deacon. These were both converts, but strong in faith and love of truth, with much zeal for the cause. The entire number who professed conversion is forty-seven; immersed, twenty-five; fellowshiped, thirty-three. They are a faithful, lovely band.

      I deem it worthy of notice that some of the converts, soon after receiving the Spirit of Christ, were thereby taught that the fountain to which they had come would and should cleanse them not only from all sin, but also from all uncleanliness, even including tobacco. This is right. I have often thought that the Spirit of God in any man's heart would, if permitted, lead him to abandon the use of tobacco. Bro. Burchard, who had been in the habit of using tobacco for a number of years, tells me since he resolved to deny himself this gratification of the flesh, he has been powerfully blessed. Try it, all you that use the weed. With an open heart--bring the matter to a test before God. Brother James, my colleague, was with me the last two weeks and labored valiantly. The first three weeks he spent at Hopewell, where he had the able assistance of Elder S. Ensminger for two weeks, whose labors were much appreciated by the Church, which was much revived.

      We closed our meeting with an ordinance meeting, in which all the converts participated and realized a blessing.

[The Church Advocate 36 (March 13, 1872): 2.]

      Daniel S. Warner's "Revivals" was first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 36, No. 46 (March 13, 1872), p. 2. The electronic version has been transcribed from a copy of the article provided by Jean Leathers, Archivist of the Churches of God Historical Society.

      Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

                  Printed Text [ Electronic Text
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 p. 2:      felowshiped, [ fellowshiped,
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 10 April 1999.
Updated 15 July 2003.