Part 7

Her position as standard-bearer in all the moral reforms of the day, gives her a prominent position. _Our schools_, papers, periodicals, are all on that line. Other church papers have often used our editorials, but did not always give due credit.

We are under great obligation to the Almighty, for the schools that have been raised up to us; where the young may be educated in a pure atmosphere, and from these schools many are going out to bless the world with a richer experience; a life more completely consecrated, educated, mentally, morally, socially, and physically. In the moral and social rank, we claim the pre-eminence for our schools and for our literature. There was, and there is, and there will continue to be, a need, for a people to do just this kind of work; and while we continue humble and obedient, God will use us to this end. “But if we forsake Him, He will forsake us.” If we turn aside to other Gods, He will cast us forth as a branch that is withered, and we shall be like other nations.

_One of the most wide spread evils of the day_, filthy in all its make up, disgusting in the extreme to a clean, well-bred person, robbing men of their manhood, and of their mental and physical powers, is tobacco. Forty years ago it was considered ungentlemanly to smoke in the presence of ladies, but now, in almost every mode of travel, on the street, in the stores, and in nearly all public places, ladies and all are insulted by the filthy fumes of the pipe or cigar, compounded with decayed teeth, and the deadly Upas of the saloon, forming a drug that produces mental derangement, insanity, crime, pauperism, poverty and shortens the life of its victims. The use of tobacco is a bar to membership in the F. M. C. In this, she stands supremely above all other churches. She is doing a glorious work in making war on tobacco, and exposing its effects on the human system. It has been said that some of our preachers were raised up to make tobacco a specialty, as it occupied a corner in every sermon regardless of the text. Well, suppose that is true, is it not a fact that all reformers dwell on the thing that needs reforming? Perhaps this class of preachers are better acquainted with this evil in its length and breadth, and know by a blessed experience the source of deliverance from the habit, and all longing after the same. Such preaching is worth a great deal more than that from those who never knew by experience the power of the habit, and the virtue of the blood that cleanseth from all sin, and all desire for the unclean.

_Fashion brings its devotees_ into servile compliance with its most debasing demands. Those that wear this yoke, are lost, to that which makes humanity lovely, good and beautiful. A remark so commonly made, “that you might as well be out of the world as out of fashion,” is true of this class.

In adhering to this tyrant, millions of women and men have been ruined for life. Those that have labored to live so as to equal or go beyond certain others in matters of equipage, have been compelled to abandon, in order to meet fashion’s demands, the honest mode of life, and resort to fraud and speculation to obtain what their souls lusted after.

Our jails, and portions of Canada, are largely made up of that class. The pressure brought upon men to supply the wife and daughters with fashion’s demands, have driven them to the lodge, the gambling hell, the brothel--and the worst of all--the saloon! What can be more appalling than a lady martyred to fashion? from head to foot out of shape--distorted--compressed--pulled out--cut off in trying to fit the fashion plate. Alas! Alas! We are imitative beings. In this the poor ape the rich so far as they are able. If they cannot wear the glittering gems of great value, they will decorate themselves with shoddy finery. Is it not time to call a halt to this wicked, ungodly mode of life? For any man or woman to come out from this style of things, and endorse plainness in dress, and righteousness all the way through by precept and example, requires a holy heart, filled with love divine. And this manner of life pays bountifully in this present world, and will in the world to come, even life everlasting. During the past fifty years I have noticed those that the Lord blessed the most, and were the most useful in the church and world around them, were that class that conscientiously carried out in their lives the Apostolic plan already referred to.

There is much connected with fashionable attire that is supremely wicked. First, the cost of the material; secondly, precious time spent in its making; thirdly, the wearing of such is in violation of the word of the Lord. 1 Peter 3:3, 4. The only organized opposition to this mode of life is the Free Methodist church. She has stood like a beacon light for nearly thirty years, warning men and women of their imminent danger.

_Holiness unto the Lord_--is the key to the arch that spans the temple of the living God. It is that which gives symmetry to life and character, a state that we enter into when the soul has been swept and garnished by the Holy Ghost and the blood of the Lamb, which greatly enlarges our views of Christ and His powers to save, that brings perpetual sunshine to the soul, that makes earth a paradise, that causes flowers to bloom in the desert, and the water of life to spring from the flinty rock, and the heart of the needy to rejoice with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. It is food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and comfort to the weary and heavy laden. It is full of hope; big with immortality. Over this boundless plain comes the odor of Eden, fresh from the throne of God. This holiness is a state, an experience, “where only Christ is heard to speak, where Jesus reigns alone.”

It does not reflect upon the character of others in their absence. It is long suffering, it behaveth not itself unseemly, is not provoked, is not puffed up, thinketh no evil, bears the burdens and responsibilities of life meekly, rejoiceth in the truth, believeth all that God hath said. This grace never faileth, but will shine brighter, clearer to all eternity. You may have the tongues of men and angels, and lack this experience, you are nothing but a sinner in the sight of God.

A church armed with this power is more than a match for all the powers of darkness. The first church under the gospel dispensation were poor, uneducated men and women. They tarried at Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and with this blessing upon them the powers of darkness fled in dismay. Nothing could stand before them. It was said, “ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This was literally true. Ancient systems of idolatry which had grown gray with age, melted away like the mist at noon-day as God’s army advanced, and over every battle-field the blood-stained banner of King Emanuel was unfurled. Deserts were made to blossom as the rose, and woods, and fields, and rocks, and rills, all seemed to offer the tribute of praise and thanksgiving for the wonderful display of God’s power in the salvation of the nations round about them. This power is forever the same, and when the church meet the conditions, it comes as on the day of Pentecost, with visible manifestations of His presence and power to save, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day and forever.”

I believe that the Free Methodist church was born of the Spirit. God owns her as a legitimate child. In every place where she meets the requirements, times of refreshing, and the salvation of souls are reported. No church, in my opinion, so fully meet the conditions on which the precious promises are made. She is an important _link_ in the family of churches. May she ever reflect a certain light, live in the experience of perfect love, be true to all the vows that she has made to God, constantly making war upon the enemies works until every rebel flag shall trail in the dust, and Jesus Christ crowned Lord of all. Amen.

IX.

DREAMS AND PRESENTIMENTS.

“Man is fearfully, and wonderfully made,” with capabilities as boundless as eternity. This is true so far as our moral and intellectual make up is concerned. We may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, while this life shall last, and forever, in the life that is to come. Progression is the law of our being. God, who made us, has his own peculiar way of imparting knowledge to his children, or the creatures which he hath made.

In our public school system we have the primary, and the higher grades. It is so in the school of Christ; there is the primary, and the higher grades of instruction. The primary grade consists in what we learn from the schools, books, and papers. The higher grade is confined to the teaching of the Holy Ghost. Too many are satisfied with the primary grade, and treat insultingly the Holy Ghost. But where He is received with loving embrace, and allowed to have his own way, He will lead us into all truth.

Preconceived notions gathered from theological schools, very much interfere at times with our receiving and being instructed by the Holy Ghost. Science has done much to facilitate culture. News gathered from all lands, comes to us with lightning speed. The improvements of to-day annihilate time, and bridge over vast distances. In the evening we receive the doings of the morning in continents far away. But with all the improvements in science and art, it cannot compete with the Holy Ghost.

The great mistake of to-day, is substituting the arts, and sciences, and the wonderful discoveries made in Biblical literature, for the Holy Ghost and its teachings. There is nothing that can take its place. We can learn more, comprehend more, experience more about the things pertaining to our spiritual and eternal well-being in a moment of time, when under the direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost, than can be gained in all coming time from every other source.

One pentecostal flash of the Holy Ghost on a consecrated heart, and mind, brings intelligence that all the culture of the day cannot fathom, nor in any way comprehend. Some people are afraid of this power, and being led of the spirit, because individuals have been mistaken, and were under a wrong spirit when they thought that they were really under the influence of Christ. It is true, we may be moved by a wrong spirit, our intellectual machinery is very sensitive to the touch of a good, or a wrong impression.

How shall we know when an impression comes upon us, from whence it comes? There are certain rules laid down in God’s blessed book, which if we are careful to observe, we shall not go astray: “It will be a lamp to our feet, and a light unto our path.” God has not set us to navigating the broad ocean of life without chart, or compass. Thank God, we have a chart, and the Holy Ghost to make it plain; so plain, that the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. The impression that comes upon us, if it leads us to exalt Christ, it’s all right.

The soul’s pressure that comes on all at times, may be from either the following causes. Condemnation, conviction of sin, or an advanced state in Christian life; temptation, or a burden for souls.

1--If it be a burden of sin, the spirit will direct us to the sin for which we should repent.

2--If it be temptation of the devil--while he will accuse us of something wrong, he will be very indefinite in regard to what the thing is that we have done or have not done that was wrong. “He is the accuser of the brethren.”

3--If the pressure that comes upon us is for an advanced state in holiness, how our hearts will cry out after God, the living God! It will be thus expressed--“My heart-strings groan with deep complaint, my heart lies panting, Lord for thee; and every limb, and every joint, stretches for perfect purity.”

While the spirit of God comes upon all men, for he said, that, it should come to pass in the last days, “I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and one notable result would be, Dreams and Visions.” Not all dreams are chargeable to the Holy Spirit. The mind of man is supposed to be always in operation, though not under the control of our judgment, or will, when the body is asleep. God does make impressions upon our minds in our sleeping state, of things that are coming to pass, with the person thus impressed. We are sometimes conscious of the mind’s operations when in deep sleep; when the spirit of the Lord may not have anything to do with it. It would seem that God often warns poor sinners of their danger by dreams; this being the only way seemingly, when the Holy Spirit can find way to their heart; as then, they are quiet; the cares of life are for a moment hushed into silence. The great difficulty in bringing sinners to Christ, is their constant stretch after the amusements, pleasures, and the riches of the world. So God, in his infinite love and mercy, comes in this way to the sinner, to warn him of his danger, and the sleeping state being the most favorable, reveals the on-coming storm.

Folger, Secretary of State, had a short time before he died, one of those alarming dreams. Political life had worn upon him so that he thought retirement from business, and a trip to the Bermudas necessary in order to regain health and strength. The awful scene presented to him in the dream completely changed his mind so that he gave up the contemplated trip. The dream as related by his near friends is as follows: “The steamship on which the party had taken passage was sailing along serenely; the sea was as smooth as glass, and everybody was happy, when suddenly a great dark cloud was observed on the forward horizon moving rapidly toward the vessel, accompanied by an incessant and terrific rumbling. The heavy cloud soon reached the ill-fated craft, overspreading the sea with the darkness of Egypt, great sheets of lurid flame shot forth in all directions; the vessel tossed and quivered, and the sea was lashed in mountainous billows. The Secretary saw the forms of his party and the crew enveloped in fire, playing through the angry elements. Suddenly, he stood alone on the deck, with the vessel sinking beneath him into a sea of fire, and he awoke trembling like an aspen, and covered with cold beads of perspiration, to find that it was a dream.” A short time after this, he passed suddenly into eternity, and for aught we know, just as he had lived, without Christ, and hope for the life that is to come.

Job had knowledge of the revelations of dreams from God, and that they were for divine instruction. He said, “When I say, my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrified me through visions.” Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. I suppose that the King was so given up to wine, women, and debauchery, the only time that God could make an impression upon the wicked ruler, was when deep sleep was upon him. God warned Abimelech in a dream, not to come near to Sarai, “Abraham’s wife assuring him if he did, he was a dead man.”

“Jacob dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”

This dream was given to Jacob, doubtless to point out to him the intercourse that exists between heaven and earth, and the connection of both worlds by means of angelic ministry.

This doctrine is clearly taught in the old and new testament. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” It was probably a type of Christ, in whom both worlds meet, and in whom the divine and human nature are united.

The ladder was set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; for God was manifested in the flesh, and in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus Christ himself, took this view of the dream. He said to Nathaniel, “Hereafter ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Almighty appeared to Abraham in dreams, gave him instruction, and very encouraging promises; assuring him of boundless prosperity, to him and his seed, which should be as numerous as the sand of the sea, forever and ever, which he believed, and received the honor which comes only from God. And this honor which he received for believing what God said to him in a dream, will pass down to the latest period of time. O, what honor there is, in believing God, even life eternal.

God warned Laban the Syrian, to take heed to what he said to Abraham, either good or bad. So the Lord takes care of His own. Joseph dreamed, and he told it to his brethren, and they hated him, yet the more, and he said unto them, hear ye the dream which I have dreamed. For behold we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us; and shalt thou indeed have dominion over us; and they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars, made obeisance to me--and he told it to his father, and to his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee, to earth? The history of Joseph is one of the most interesting contained in the oracles of God. It is replete with interesting matter, from beginning to end. I presume that Joseph knew the interpretation of his dreams when they were given. I think that with the dreams, came the interpretation also. When others dreamed, he knew what it meant.

What an impressive dream was that of Pharaoh, standing on the river’s bank and gazing intently on that beautiful stream, when lo, he sees with wonder and amazement living objects emerging therefrom. They prove to be kine, fat-fleshed, and well-favored. And as he continued to gaze and wonder, other sights did appear more wonderful than the former scenes. Other kine came up from the river very lean and ill-favored, and they devoured the fat and well-favored, and as this scene passed he awoke. God sent an angel to warn Joseph in a dream to go down to Egypt and stay there until He, the Lord, should send them word to return, until the danger of Herod had passed. Pilate’s wife warned Pilate to have nothing to do in condemning Christ, because she had suffered much in a dream because of Him this day! I suppose that the impression came upon her with such force and with such clearness that Jesus Christ, that was then before the Jewish court, was the true Messiah, the Lord of life and glory, He that came to make an atonement for the sin of the world, and this was doubtless in her wakeful moments. I suppose it is what would be called a presentiment. An intuition, a knowledge of facts that will occur, or that are now transpiring. It might be called a wakeful dream, or an inspiration. Just as the Almighty has in the past, and does now, and will to all eternity make known His will to the sons of men. And these divine impressions, whether they come in our wakeful moments, or when deep sleep is upon us, will always be in harmony with a thus saith the Lord.

Our intellectual machinery is so wonderfully made up with receptive powers so vast that God the Holy Ghost coming upon us, can, when it is for his glory, impart to us more in a moment of time, than we could receive from all other sources combined.