Part 16

In my deep meditation and fervent prayer to God the time passed off swiftly with the fast gliding train, and at 1 P. M. we reached Upper Sandusky. Leaving my valise, I walked out at once and found the dear child very sick, having first taken down with a sick stomach and then with the affliction developing in the brain. The precious creature recognized me and made an effort to embrace me with her loving little arms. Her sweet little lips could responsively receive a father's kiss, but they were silent for want of sufficient strength to articulate, A good number of kind neighbors were in attendance, and I at once saw what was threatening the very life of the poor little sufferer. She was exquisitely fine in the texture of brain and her head measured nineteen inches in circumference around her forehead, and she had a very sensitive nervous temperament. Hence it was extremely important that the most perfect silence should be maintained in her presence, and with this strong nervous action, with any sickness or weakness, much talk and noise would necessarily draw the disease to the brain. I had her removed from the room where the family mostly stayed and everybody came in, to a more retired room; demanded silence and forbade more than two at a time to be in the room. Sarah had seen the necessity of such regulations, but many dear good old sisters, not knowing their importance, were much inclined to sit around the lounge and talk, and not being in her own house she had not been able to enforce them.

=19.= Dear Levilla still low, but I had good hopes of her recovery. Spent as much time as I could with the Lord. Left all with him.

=20.= Dear child still dangerous, but we trust some better.

=21.= The doctor could see no improvement.

=22.= Wife and I thought Levilla better and still clung to the Lord for her life if it be his will to restore her; but all others had given up hope. We thought it impossible that we should do without the company of this sweet little creature.

=23.= Sabbath. The doctor did not come as usual this morning. I presume from the report last eve he supposed she was dead; but all day she seemed better. P. M., sent for doctor. He thought she had some symptoms for the better, which raised our hopes. Eve, a number came in and despite our efforts to keep them away they would crowd around the dear child. She grew worse. She had had very light spasms all day but they did not seem to hurt her; but now she began to fail fast. Phlegm began to accumulate in her little throat, making it difficult to breathe.

=24.= Toward morning the poor little sufferer was compelled to struggle hard to get her breath, and it became apparent that unless God miraculously interposed, her suffering must soon end in death. While we sorrowed for her suffering, we felt a calm and sweet resignation to the will of God, to whom the dear child belonged. We could say in truth, "Thy will be done." At five o'clock in the morning her redeemed spirit was freed from its earthly abode and taken away to be with Jesus and holy angels.

Now remained only the poor little emaciated body. As we recalled the large, active, plump, and rosy-cheeked Levilla, we could scarcely help but exclaim as we looked upon the reduced and colorless form, "Is this Levilla? Can it be that this is our child?" Since my return I had anxiously cherished a hope that ere long I should hear those sweet lips utter words again; but they are now silent in death, or rather the sweet and dreamless sleep that shall pass off when the Lord comes to call us forth from our earthly repose.

=25.= ... Brother Leay conducted services. We looked for the last time upon our beloved child, whose sweet and innocent little form was robed in its little white dress and skirts, with a beautiful little bouquet of flowers protruding from her little hands folded upon her heart. As my dear wife was deeply afflicted with her departure, her sweet little face seemed to speak forth from its little white coffin and say, "Weep not, dear mother, for though your loss seems to be great, my gain is infinitely greater. I have gone to the better land, where sickness, sorrow, pain, and death never, never come."

We laid the dear and only child in the Mission Cemetery at Upper Sandusky, near the road at the west side, between two evergreens. There with sad, yet resigned, hearts we left her to sleep beneath the angels' care until called forth at the last day.

Levilla Modest was born Mar. 18, 1875, near Seward, Nebr. She passed from suffering to the society of angels June 24, 1878, and was therefore three years, three months, and six days of age. She was a child of more than ordinary mental ability. Her organic quality was the very finest. Her temperaments were sanguine and mental. Her brain measured nineteen inches. Though of such great nervous activity, we had by careful diet imparted to her a good, large physical structure. She measured three feet five inches. She was very knowing about all kinds of work, and ever eager to assist. For some months past she would stand upon a chair beside her mother and wipe knives, forks, spoons, saucers, etc., with the utmost care and perfection. She would do the most of her dressing and undressing, and never failed to hang up or put away every garment and everything she handled. She seemed to have very fine taste and perfect order. Her causality was wonderfully developed for a child.... She daily astonished us with questions concerning everything she saw, and her remarkable ability to anticipate what next was wanted, and with what eagerness those little feet ran errands for mother and father, and grandmother and grandfather. Since eighteen months old she would sing parts of familiar tunes and hymns. I believe her first was Happy Day. For some time past she would tread the organ with one foot, place her little fingers upon the keys, and sing loudly, "Halleluiah, 'tis done," "I am washed in the blood of the Lamb," etc. She had a remarkable tendency to imitate all that was pure and religious. She often had her little prayer-meetings by herself, and would teach older children to engage with her in her childish prayers and songs. After attending an ordinance where she paid marked attention to the saints' washing feet, the next day she called for a washbowl of water and washed her feet, then took off her mother's shoes and stockings and washed and wiped her feet and gave her a kiss. Every evening she kneeled at her mother's knee and said her little prayer. At the sight of the picture with raised hands she was sure to say, "Man lift up hands and praise the Lord." In her sickness she would sometimes sigh out, "O, praise the Lord!"... She excelled all other peculiarities in the wonderful depth and fervency of her affections. Her love seemed to possess the purity and strength of one fully renewed in the image of God and yet the innocence and simplicity of a child. As she placed those precious little arms around our necks and gave the warm kiss, we could not help but feel that this was real and not mere child's play; and those embraces were free for all who sought them.... This is my birthday; a sad one: but still in the midst of all the Lord supports me and comforts. Though we can not understand this bereavement, yet God knows all about it and will doubtless bring our highest good and his own glory out of it. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed is the name of the Lord.

=26, 27.= Spent the time largely in communing with God. Wrote some letters.

=29.= Wife and I drove to Tiffin. When about one mile from the city our beast, that we thought very safe and quiet, began to make efforts to run off. I held her, when she began to kick desperately. I turned her to the side of the way and got her stopped. Before this I was out. I told Sarah to get out behind if she could. We had a top-buggy. The curtain was rolled up, but she could not get out. The beast was loose from the buggy all but the holdbacks. Sarah got out and stood a moment, when she found that she was hurt. Some friends came up just then. I gave the mare to one to hold and I helped Sarah to the fence, where she sat upon a stone. We found that she had been hit upon both limbs. On one the mare's hoof (she had no shoes) cut through linen duster, dress, skirt, and stocking, and cut a small wound to the bone. She had much pain. Three or four men kindly tendered all the help they could. They took us in a one-horse wagon to Tiffin, having fastened our buggy behind, and one led the mare. We came to Sister Lewis'. A small congregation gathered and I preached a short discourse, of course on holiness.

=July 2, 1878.= Got a crutch for Sarah. She concluded that she could go home by railroad. Took her to the train and committed her to the care of the Lord. I drove the mare and buggy, trusting in God for his protection from all harm by the way. The Lord preserved me from harm. Found dear Wife had safely made the trip.

=4.= Spent much of the day picking berries all alone with the Lord. Meditated upon the goodness of God in continuing our national blessings.

=6.= Spent the day in prayer, meditation, and reading. Impressed with the duty of preaching against the enormous sin and galling yoke of sectarianism.

=7.= Sabbath. God helped me and blessed me in exposing the yokes of Satan by which God's children are brought under bondage.

On the 12th of July, 1878, Brother Warner, accompanied by his wife, made a second trip to Indiana. He stopped in Goshen with Mr. Guiss, his brother-in-law, on the 18th. As the latter was a bold and reckless infidel, he did not enjoy his visit there. He felt that he was staying where the Savior was excluded and that he could be admitted only apart from him.

He reached Yellow Lake on the 20th, and found that the meetings had been carried on for a few evenings after he left in May. Several had been saved. On the 23rd his wife returned home to Ohio, while he went on to Auburn, to Brother Lowman's, whom he found firmly established in holiness. When he and Brother Lowman began to open their minds to each other he found that both had been impressed with the idea of together printing a holiness and church paper, Brother Warner to edit the former and Brother Lowman the latter department.

After discussing the publishing project with Lowman he returned to Ohio, to Wood County, where he held a number of meetings and assisted in a camp-meeting near Rising Sun, and also attended a United Brethren camp-meeting at Portage. He speaks thus of a manifestation in his meetings at Rising Sun:

=Aug. 22, 1878.= Mr. Gay, a spiritualist, or rather a mesmerist who possesses a superior mind and is believed to be possessed by evil spirits, was present. He has attended for some time and has at different times attempted to mesmerize me while preaching. At a few of the last meetings his wife has been seeking sanctification, and he has made some good speeches in favor of the gospel. Today from the beginning of the meeting he began to maneuver his spiritism. He made many strange motions; walked the floor once and tried to dance. It is probable that this was all involuntary on his part. But we all kept our minds on Jesus and God through the Holy Spirit to take care of him. He began to show signs of distress, got upon the floor, wept and cried out. A stronger power than the indwelling one had taken hold of him. His suffering became more intense. His wife brought him water and he drank some. She fanned him for a long time, and he became speechless and seemed nearly suffocated.

In September, Brother Warner attended the Ohio Holiness Camp-meeting held on the fair-ground at Marion. Of his experience there he records the following:

=Sept. 8, 1878.= Sabbath. I began to fast on Friday. Ate but little yesterday and nothing this forenoon. The Lord came very near to me. Oh, how he let me down to nothingness! I saw and felt ashamed of the trouble the Lord has had with me. I sank down into the dust before him, and instead of wondering why God did not give the greater measure of power that the Spirit impressed me I should have I was led to wonder that he had intrusted me as much as he had. Oh, what shameful weakness and many errors were disclosed by the more perfect light that God has flashed into my soul! O God, let me be buried deeper and more perfectly hid away with thee.

=12.= Came home. An incident in this camp-meeting should be recorded to the glory of God. Brother Rudic took sick not long after he came here. After lying in camp a few days he was taken to Brother Kennedy's. Prayers were being offered for him, still he grew worse. Last Saturday night he sent word to camp that after meeting a few believers should get together and ask God in faith for his recovery. They did so, and great power and strong assurance came upon them. They claimed the answer to their prayer, and some of the number were able to praise God for the brother's restoration just as if he had been raised up before their eyes. Sister Lea, who had taken violently sick that eve, was also taken to the Lord with much assurance. The next morn both were in camp perfectly healed. Brother R. suffered so much during the night and was so reduced that he thought he surely must die, and made some arrangements for his departure. But early in the morning he began to look to God once more, when his faith joined that of the party in the camp at eleven in the night, and he arose, instantly made whole. All glory to God!

Following the part just quoted there is a gap in his diary until October 2, the entry for which will explain. In this, one observes his humility, his deep self-examination and his desire to exalt God alone.

=Oct. 2, 1878.= Today I resume my pen again, with an earnest endeavor to record some of the mercies and blessings of God upon my poor soul. After I returned from camp-meeting, the Lord saw fit in his tender love to suffer affliction to befall me. Yea, "I was brought very low, but he helped me." I had bilious remittent fever and an attack of hemorrhage of the lungs. Friends and even a physician were much alarmed and felt my work was done. As soon as taken down, I ordered cards sent to the "little ones" at different places to pray for me. I put my case in the hands of the Lord and wished only his will. Dear Wife was kept in great tranquility of mind through an unwavering faith in God that he would raise me up again. My rest in God was so deep and perfect that I hardly knew anything of my physical condition. I thought myself but slightly ill, when others despaired of my life. For a few days I talked only in a whisper, and when I began to recover I was astonished to find myself reduced to a mere frame and unable to stand.

During my afflictions, the Lord not only kept my mind in perfect peace, but also taught me many precious lessons of my littleness and his exalted greatness. Oh! let us praise and magnify the name of the Lord. I saw myself but a speck of dust resting upon an invisible grain of sand. Oh, how the eye of God scrutinized my past life and showed me yet more than at the camp-meeting my weakness and unworthiness! Oh, how vile I had been in the sight of God! How many times Satan had succeeded in resurrecting some self in me! The Spirit has plainly shown me that I should never speak of having prayed for certain persons in connection with their conversion, etc. Oh! I am so ashamed of my folly and weakness in often relating such things. I thought I was doing it all to the glory of God, but now I can see that there was some self in it. O Lord! save me in the future from such presumption and sin. I thank thee for this affliction, for I know it is all for the good of my soul. Thou hast also shown me that I have boasted too much of my health and ascribed it too generally to my knowledge of and prudence in observing natural laws. O God forgive me of this offense. I thank thee that thou hast such a constant supervision over all thy works that every good must be ascribed to thee and thanks be given to thee just the same as if no means were used at all to convey them to us. Blessed God, let me sink down forever out of self. I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me. Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave. Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness!

=3.= I have had a desire to attend the Northern Indiana Eldership, which convenes tomorrow eve. But Wife and friends all intreated that I should not venture from home in my present weak condition, so this morning I went to my study to write a letter to that body; but before doing so I consulted the Lord, when he gave me a strong baptism of the Spirit to go and a strong assurance that he would abundantly support me and strengthen me. I said: Lord, I will go in thy name. I firmly declared my intentions. Wife began to take the matter to the Lord and soon felt resigned. Oft through the day as I thought of going the Spirit would come upon me, and I increased in strength with wonderful rapidity.

On the morning of the 4th he was conveyed to town to take the train. The weather was unfavorable and there was some rain, but he felt he was carrying out the Lord's purpose and the Lord sustained him. From Ada, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Ind., he had the company of Bros. S. Rice and C. E. Rowley, two prominent holiness evangelists. He reached Silver Lake in the evening and was conveyed to Beaver Dam, the place of the Eldership meeting.

FOOTNOTES:

[7] His profession of holiness soon brought him to conflict with the leaders in the church. Speaking of the period of 1875-80, Dr. Forney says in his History of the Church of God: "During several of these years the Eldership was contending against inroads of heresies advocated by D. S. Warner. It had finally to resort to the old remedy of excision in order to prevent the spread of the disease and restore the body to good health."

[8] This trouble came up at the Eldership meeting the following September. "The Warner case was indirectly revived when the Committee on Resolutions adopted the following: 'That any minister of this body that may presume to preach the dogma of a second work for sanctification shall be deemed unsound in the theology of the Church of God, and should not hold an ecclesiastical relation as a minister in this Eldership.'"--From Dr. Forney's History of the Church of God.

X

NORTHERN INDIANA ELDERSHIP

The pagan system of Freemasonry began to make inroads in the body of Christians known as the Indiana Eldership of the Church of God. A storm of opposition arose from some who were of the more spiritual element of the Church when a number of the members became affiliated with the Masonic Lodge. It appears that the main body of the Eldership did not object to secret societies, and the result of the agitation was that a number of ministers who stood for the opposition and refused to fellowship Freemasons were expelled from the Eldership and were denied a renewal of their licenses. Others left the body of their own accord. In consequence a new Eldership was formed called the Northern Indiana Eldership.

Among those who constituted the original members of the new Eldership were Elders J. Martin, J. S. Shock, C. Clem, E. B. Bell, B. F. Bear, I. W. Lowman, and J. W. Ray. The new body came into possession of most of the church property and the best churches. They appointed a Board of Publication, which took steps to begin publishing a paper devoted to the interests of the cause for which they stood. Accordingly there appeared in January, 1878, the first number of the Herald of Gospel Freedom, a monthly periodical published from Wolcottville, Ind., at fifty cents a year. It stood for the promotion of gospel truth and freedom, opposition to all oathbound secret societies, Freemasonry in particular, and loyalty to God and conformity to his Word. I. W. Lowman was editor.

At the Eldership meeting which convened at Beaver Dam on Oct. 5, 1878, and which was the third annual session, Brother Warner was voted a member. In his diary for October 5 appears this account of the proceedings:

=5.= A good deal of time was given to prayer during the day. Much unnecessary business usually gone through within the various Elderships was dispensed with. All went off smoothly and with love. Not a grating word or discordant note in all that was said and done. No one was called to order; no one was materially out of order. The manner in which business was done and the good degree of devotional spirit with which it was pervaded was a great stride from the carnal and formal wranglings of Elderships of the present to the simplicity and spirituality of an apostolic Eldership. Praise God, he is leading his children out into the glorious freedom of the gospel.

The most of the time was devoted to the publishing interests. A very important measure was enacted--that of enlarging the Herald, issuing it semi-monthly and devoting a part of it to the promotion of Bible holiness. Praise God for this glorious movement. It is wonderful how he is controlling things for his glory. Probably a large majority of the Eldership are not in the experience of full salvation, and of course some are disbelievers in it, among whom are some of the preachers. Brother Shock, one of the number, the present speaker, is probably our most talented man. But all glory to the name of God, he controlled all these elements so that Satan could not move one to open his mouth against this work of God, and this Eldership voted to support holiness as a second experience. Trusting in God, I can see glorious results from this project. It is bringing about what the Lord showed me last winter; that is, a people straight before God in holiness and truth. By this blessed little organ God is going to bring the true church foundation and Bible truth into the hands of holiness people, and holiness doctrine into the hands of Church of God members, which must result in a divine union of truth and holiness. And this is just what is wanted to save the world. Holiness, the great lever of power, has since the Reformation been weakened and encumbered by party names and creeds and human traditions; whereas the Church of God, though established upon eternal truth, has nevertheless been without strength to accomplish her mission for the want of perfect holiness, the divinely appointed power to bring the world to God.

At this session of the Eldership, as Brother Warner says, special attention was given to the Eldership's paper, the Herald of Gospel Freedom. During its first year it had been a 10 by 15 four-column folio. It was now increased in size to a five-column 13 by 20. It was made a semi-monthly and its subscription price advanced to seventy-five cents. Lowman was reelected editor and publisher and Brother Warner was elected associate editor to conduct a new holiness department. A number of special contributors were chosen. A music department, already established and conducted by Professor J. F. Kinsey, of Cincinnati, was to be continued. The best exchanges were secured, and with this prospect the paper started on its second year, 1879. A portion of the prospectus for that year is here given.

PROSPECTUS OF THE HERALD FOR 1879