Conversation 16

(Wednesday morning.)

Mr. Truman—Wife, I think I shall go to town this morning and may not be home for dinner.

Mrs. Truman—Very well, then; I will telephone to some of the neighbors who were not at meeting Sunday night and invite them to the prayer meeting tonight. Goodbye.

(Later, on his way home, Mr. Truman meets Mr. Works.)

Mr. Works—Praise the Lord! Brother Truman, I have been anxious to see you. Where have you been?

Mr. Truman—I have been to town. Have you something special to tell me or that you wished to see me about?

Mr. Works—Yes, sir! I could scarcely wait to tell you that the Lord has saved me from my sins, and I am very happy.

Mr. Truman—You are saved! Well, I am certainly glad to hear it! I rejoice with you.

Mr. Works—Yes, that sermon Sunday night, though it was only an ordinary one, as some of my neighbors are saying, was to me the most heart-searching sermon I ever heard. The preacher’s words sank deep into my heart.

Mr. Truman—When did you get saved—right after the service?

Mr. Works—No; after I went home. When we arrived home that night, my wife was crying, and I had a very heavy burden on my soul. I knew that she was longing for the heartfelt religion that Brother Goodman told us of, and all the way home, I had been pondering over the matter, wondering if I should not have to give up my “works” theory and accept salvation by faith. My wife said, “Husband let us pray,” and we knelt down. Never before did I feel the weight of my sins as at that time. I was indeed miserable. If ever a man earnestly called upon God for mercy, I did; and then I came to the point where I just believed the Word as Brother Goodman said, and the light of heaven shone into my soul. Praise the Lord!

Mr. Truman—And you now believe in salvation by faith, after all, do you?

Mr. Works—Indeed I do; about the time my wife and children got the victory, we had a hallelujah time. That cured me of the “works” doctrine, as I used to believe it.

Mr. Truman—I suppose you can better understand now some of the explanations Mr. Wright gave us when we used to talk with him on that subject?

Mr. Works—Yes; at first my wife and I used to talk those things over after we would come back from Mr. Wright’s just to strengthen our belief in opposition to his, but our study on the subject led us to see that we were wrong.

Mr. Truman—I hope a lot more of the people around here will study their Bibles until they see the error of some of their false doctrines. I am surely glad that so many have been touched by that sermon Sunday night. There was nothing very stirring about it apparently, but somehow the people are stirred for miles around.

Well, I shall see you at prayer meeting tonight?

Mr. Works—Yes, indeed; I can’t afford to miss it.

Mr. Truman—I must be going. Keep up good courage.

(Later, Mr. Truman meets Mr. Waters.)

Mr. Waters—A fine day, Mr. Truman. How are you?

Mr. Truman—I am well and saved. A few minutes ago, I met Brother Works, and he was telling me about how he and his household got saved Sunday night.

Mr. Waters—Yes, I heard about it. There is quite a talk in the neighborhood about the matter, and it seems that our conversations with Mr. Wright are known all over the neighborhood, and a good many heard Brother Goodman preach the other night.

Mr. Truman—While in town today, I learned that there is no little stir on the subject of religion. I believe there will be a good attendance at the prayer service tonight. By the way, I did not see Mr. Cicure at the meeting Sunday night.

Mr. Waters—No; he was not in the audience; but I learned that he was sitting on the fence near the house and so close to the window that he could hear every word that was spoken. I understand, too, that he told one of the neighbors who was with him that the preacher and all who go to hear him preach ought to be horsewhipped and that he himself would not be seen with such a crowd.

Mr. Truman—Well, well! I believe that man is interested after all. I hope the Lord will save his soul. I think there must be something good about the man regardless of his obstinacy, although I am told that he is very mean to his family and to some of his neighbors at times. You know Saul of Tarsus at one time was a great opposer of just such teaching and of just such people, and he afterwards became a good man.

Mr. Waters—Say, I want to tell you that I am no longer an opposer. After I heard that sermon, I felt my need, as never before, of having a real experience. I became awakened to the fact that I was lost in sin and that I had only an empty profession that could not take me to heaven, and so I am now saved by grace.

Mr. Truman—Well, you do not know how glad I am to hear that you are saved! Did you have a hallelujah time as Mr. Works had?

Mr. Waters—Not exactly. I had a hard struggle praying through to victory. Do you know, I had to give up my “water salvation” theory before I could get help from the Lord? When I yielded that point and gave up my sins, the Lord spoke peace to my soul, and I am now ready to be baptized according to the Word.

Mr. Truman—Does Mr. Wright know about that?

Mr. Waters—Not that I know of; but I want you to tell him if you go around that way home.

Mr. Truman—Indeed I shall go around that road, even though it is a mile farther; for I know he will rejoice to hear about you and Mr. Works. You know he has been praying almost night and day for you.

Mr. Waters—Well, God bless that man! He is a good man—and we all knew it all these years, but some of us were too proud to admit it.

Mr. Truman—I wonder what Mr. Sumday is working at over there. There is another man we have been praying for.

Mr. Waters—Yes, and I have some good news from him for you.

Mr. Truman—Tell me quick!

Mr. Waters—About nine o’clock this morning, he was here and told me that he intended to make a public statement in the prayer meeting tonight and request prayer for his salvation.

Mr. Truman—You don’t say! How Mr. Wright will rejoice when he hears that!

Mr. Waters—He knows it already. Mr. Sumday was over to see him before breakfast this morning—he stopped here on his way back.

Mr. Truman—What is he going to say?

Mr. Waters—Well, he has become so convicted of his need of salvation that he has been glad to drop all opposition, and he feels that it will help him to pray through if he gets up and confesses that he has been in error. He believes he will get saved at the meeting tonight.

Mr. Truman—Say, won’t we have a good meeting then! I hope the whole neighborhood will be there.

Mr. Waters—There will be a crowd all right; the talk is going everywhere; but Mr. Synsum received a telegram from his son, and went away yesterday.

Mr. Truman—Well, I hope he will be able to return before very long; Mr. Wright has been telling me that the time is ripe for a general revival in this community, and I believe, as usual, he is right about it. I hope that evangelist that is coming next Sunday with Brother Goodman will stay for a few weeks.

Mr. Waters—Yes, I think he will. I noticed a news item in the morning paper announcing that a revival would begin next Sunday afternoon. Mr. Synsum will most likely return before it is over.

Mr. Truman—When will that baptismal service be?

Mr. Waters—At four o’clock on Sunday afternoon.

Mr. Truman—And you are going to be there?

Mr. Waters—Yes, I am going to be baptized.

Mr. Truman—You? Weren’t you baptized years ago?

Mr. Waters—I went through a form of baptism, but my heart was not right, therefore I was not a true Scriptural candidate. No one has told me that I should be baptized now; but after I studied that text, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,”* (Mark 16:16) I became so forcibly impressed with the idea that believing must precede baptism that I decided to obey the text to the letter.

(Mr. Sumday comes to talk.)

Mr. Sumday—How are you, gentlemen?

Mr. Truman—We were just wondering what you were doing over there?

Mr. Sumday—I saw you talking so long that I decided to come and tell you how I feel. Somehow, the nearer I get to God the closer I feel to you good people. I tell you if I don’t soon get help, I don’t know what will become of me. I just can’t work anymore—everywhere I go, this burden presses me.

Mr. Waters—That’s just the way I felt; but keep on praying.

Mr. Sumday—Somehow I have been thinking I would get through at the prayer meeting tonight when all those good people will help me pray. I’ll have to get help soon. This thing of waiting to get salvation beyond the vale of death doesn’t satisfy me anymore, especially since I was over to see Mr. Cicure.

Mr. Truman—What happened over there—did he horsewhip you?

Mr. Sumday—What do you mean?

Mr. Truman—I heard that he said anyone who went to hear Brother Goodman preach ought to be horsewhipped.

Mr. Sumday—Well, he is under such conviction that he can scarcely rest. He is feeling almost as bad as I am; that’s why I left him. I knew that we could not comfort each other.

Mr. Waters—Will he come to the meeting tonight too?

Mr. Sumday—No; he knows he ought to come, but he is not willing to yield. That is one reason why he is feeling so burdened.

Mr. Truman—Oh, but I do hope he will not resist the Spirit and harden his heart. Since reading in family worship, I have been very deeply impressed with these words of Jesus: “Walk in the light while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.”* (John 12:35)