Conversation 19

Mr. Wiseman—One week ago tonight I was born into the kingdom of God. This has been a glorious week to me. What if I had missed this blessed salvation! But, dear, there are those all around us who’re lost in sin. We must do all we can to rescue them.

Mrs. W.—Yes, we’ll make the remainder of our lives count for God as much as possible. Well, we’re saved and have been baptized. I’m sanctified wholly. Don’t you realize you have need of a deeper work in your heart?

Mr. W.—For the last two days my soul has been crying within me for more of the fullness of God. I feel the need of a pureness which I do not possess. When can I be sanctified?

Mrs. W.—God is always ready to do for us what is needed, when we come to Him in a right way.

Mr. W.—Can’t I come to Him in a right way tonight? I feel the need of a soul-cleansing. My heart is hungering for God. I can never rest until I am as pure as he is.

Mrs. W.—Are you ready to kneel in the presence of God and ask Him to sanctify you wholly?

Mr. W.—I’m only eager to do so.

Mrs. W.—Then let us kneel in prayer, and you ask God for what your soul needs.

Mr. W.—O God, Thou hast forgiven my sins. Thou hast washed them away through the blood of Thy Son. Thou hast brought me into Thy kingdom. I am Thy child. But there’s depravity in my nature. O God, create in me a clean heart. I am fully given to Thee. All my earthly possessions I give to Thee. They are no longer mine, but Thine, to be used for Thy glory. My life and all I lay at Thy feet to be Thine from this time forever. They are no longer mine—not for one moment. I give up all to Thee. Not one thing, O God, do I withhold from Thee. I dedicate to Thee this body and this soul. O God, I pray Thee to send the holy fire. Baptize me with Thy Holy Spirit. Thou hast said that Thou art more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Thee than parents are to give good gifts unto their children. I’m willing to give good gifts to my children and I believe Thou art willing to give me the Holy Spirit, and I believe thou dost do it.

Glory to God! Sarah, I’m sanctified! God fills me with His fullness. My heart is pure. God makes it His throne. My soul is full of light.

Mrs. W.—God is good to redeem us and bring us into such sweet fellowship with heaven. Now we’ll walk with God! we’ll walk above this sinful world.

Mr. W.—I’m full of joy. I can bear no more.

Mrs. W.—There’s one thing more I feel we should do.

Mr. W.—I think I know what it is. I’ve been feeling for some time that I want my name off the sect class book. We’re in the church of God, and our names are written in the book of life in heaven. That’s enough for me. Here comes the preacher now. I’m sure God has sent him. We shall have him take our names off his book.

Come in. Good evening, Mr. Kent.

Mr. Kent—Good evening, Brother and Sister Wiseman. I was just passing your way and thought I would call for a moment.

Mr. W.—Very glad to have you come. We were thinking of going over to see you.

Mr. Kent—Ah, indeed. Well, those saints preachers I hear have left town.

Mr. W.—Yes, sir; they’ve been gone nearly a week, but their work still remains. I’m saved and sanctified and have been baptized.

Mr. K.—I’m sorry you’ve allowed those preachers to deceive you so, I thought you had a wiser head than that.

Mr. W.—It’s not at all profitable to discuss that matter. I only wish I had found this blessed way sooner. If you only knew what I know, you would envy rather than pity me. I was coming over to ask you to take our names off your church-book, as we desire to abide in the church of God alone.

Mr. K.—May I ask you what you believe?

Mr. W.—We believe all the Bible, and expect to practice it.

Mr. K.—You believe in holiness and divine healing and feet washing, I understand.

Mr. W.—Yes, sir; these blessed doctrines are in the Bible.

Mr. K.—Now, brother, I can take my Bible and explain away every text referring to those doctrines.

Mr. W.—There’s where the difficulty lies. You would explain away these things rather than believe and obey them. But we also believe in coming out of sects.

Mr. K.—Well, you’ll have no trouble to get your name off our book; we wouldn’t have a member that believes such nonsense. When you get over these fantastic notions, we’ll welcome you back.

Mr. W.—Thank you! but I wouldn’t advise you to cherish any hope of ever seeing us back, for we’re out to walk with God, and have come out of the sects to stay.

Mr. K.—I must say that caps the climax! However I see you’re determined; but, brother, you go beyond all reason and common sense. I fear the enemy has used those holiness preachers to deceive you.

Mr. W.—I’m just getting out of deception into the blazing light of the gospel. Praise the Lord!

Mr. K.—You should be more considerate. It’s a fearful thing for a person to make such solemn obligations in the presence of Almighty God as you did when you joined our church and then break them as you have done.

Mr. W.—Jesus Christ came into this world to save His people from their sins. But the Jews, who had been the people of God, had wandered far from the teachings of His Word and were following their own traditions, and when Christ came they rejected Him. Although the old covenant law ended with the death of Christ upon the cross, yet many of the Jews continued in their traditions, but God no longer recognizes them as His children. When Paul received the light and experience of salvation, he broke away from his former religious obligations and traditions and the Lord honored him in his course. In the same manner He will sanction what I’m doing.

Mr. K.—It’s preposterous! I’m indignant. Beware, lest the Lord strike you dead for your unqualified insinuations. Your name will remain where it is. I have no authority to take it off the church-book after your having so solemnly obligated yourself to be true to the church and its godly principles.

Mr. W.—According to Hebrews 12:23 and Luke 10:20, our names are written in heaven, and Colossians 2:10 says, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”

Mr. K.—Come, now, Mr. Wiseman, you’re capable of exercising greater wisdom than you now manifest by your words and actions. Take ample time for consideration. You’re somewhat heated and excited, and when you’re in a more reflective mood, these matters will appear in an entirely different presentation.

Mr. W.—I’ve had all the time for consideration I need, and have made my decisions in accordance with the Word of God, and my soul is filled with His burning love.

Mr. K.—It’s evident that you’re actuated and influenced by a wrong spirit, or you would never leave the church which for so many years you’ve learned to love.

Mr. W.—I haven’t left the church, but just gotten into it.

It’s the one for which Jesus gave His life, it’s the church of God. Read Acts 20:28. I was born into it by a spiritual birth. It’s the sect to which I belonged, which you call a church, that I’m now free from and from which I’m endeavoring to sever the last cord of connection by having my name removed from the list.

Mr. K.—Brother, you know that in order to comply with your request it will be necessary to have it acted upon by conference. Our conference doesn’t meet for several weeks yet, and it will be necessary for you and your wife to be present to state your case before the conference committee. By the time it convenes you’ll have had ample time to consider and reconsider many things that have been disturbing your mind of late.

Mr. W.—Praise God for freedom! No, I shall not attend your conference in order to get out of your church; I’m already out of it.

Mr. K.—As you seem to be so persistent in the matter I would advise you to permit me to give you a church letter, which will enable you to go elsewhere and be received in full fellowship.

Mr. W.—With all due respect to you, I must decline the offer. I’m now in full fellowship with God and with the “saints in light,”* (Colossians 1:12) and am a branch in the true vine: so your letter would be of no use whatever to me. To whom would I present it? I couldn’t present it to the Lord, who is the head of the church, for getting salvation placed me in the church, and I’ve been a member in full fellowship ever since. I’m sure the preachers wouldn’t accept the letter as evidence of my eligibility to membership; so you needn’t go to the trouble of preparing a letter for me.

Mr. K.—Now, Brother Wiseman, see here: perhaps you didn’t know that our church has been considering the matter of making you a deacon in the church, whereby you’ll be more useful and influential.

Mr. W.—Thank you for the proposed honor, but these things don’t move me.

Mr. K.—But there’s one thing I’m sure you will appreciate, and that is, you and your wife have always been the main pillars in the church and considered to be the most spiritual members. Remain with us, brother, and let your light shine.

Mr. W.—If we were the most spiritual of your members, God pity the rest of them! The fact is, we haven’t been saved for nearly forty years. We lost our spirituality many years ago, under the influence of your “sin-you-must” teaching; but now we’re saved from sin and kept by the power of God. We only wish that you might be able to comprehend the truth and enjoy the blessings of full salvation.

Mr. K.—Those preachers ought to be stoned out of the country.

Mr. W.—That’s the way the Pharisees felt about Stephen when they stoned him to death.

Mr. K.—Well, I see it’s no use to waste words with you. Good-bye.

Mr. W.—Good-bye. I shall remember you in prayer, and I trust you’ll not continue to fight the truth and finally lose your soul.

Mrs. W.—These are some of the sad things we have to meet, but we shall continue to pray for his salvation as long as there’s hope. It’s too bad that such people are so blind spiritually.

Mr. W.—You remember, dear, how blind I was to the truth, and how self-willed; but God answered your prayers and saved me, so let us not become discouraged nor weary in well-doing. I feel strong in the faith. I’ve something else to tell you.

Mrs. W.—What is it? Anything serious?

Mr. W.—Somehow I have such a great love for Mr. Smith, for whom I had such hatred before.

Mrs. W.—Well, you know Jesus says we’re to love our enemies.

Mr. W.—The Lord surely put the love in my heart, and he’s taken out all the hatred. It has come to my mind that I must straighten up my wrong-doings. I intend to go as soon as possible, confess my wrong to Widow Perkins about her cow, and pay her the ten dollars I beat her out of, and I think I’ll add twenty dollars more to it for her benefit.

Mrs. W.—I’m sure it will please her, and the Lord, too.

Mr. W.—Then, there’s the man who rented the farm, and I raised the rent on him. I think I’ll confess to him and make him a present of the entire barley crop, which will more than make up for the loss. Also, I remember the horse trade, the hogs, and many other things, all of which must be adjusted as soon as possible.

Well, well—saved, sanctified, baptized, out of the sect, in the church of God—it is wonderful and marvelous!

Mrs. W.—It’s far better than our poor tongues can tell, and yet it’s still better on before. If we daily draw near to God the glory will increase. Let us do this, dear. Let us be fervent in spirit, praying without ceasing; live alone for God; and then when these bodies fail, the angels will bear us away to our eternal home.

Mr. W.—Yes, let us go on in the good way till our Master calls us home.