Directed by the Spirit

Spring advanced in the neighborhood of Steele’s Crossing, and with it came the busy times with all the farmers. Joe and Alfred were both busy with their spring work. A number of visits had been exchanged between them and the Myers family, and Alfred and Tillie expressed themselves that they felt the Myers family an unusual one. Although Alfred had the oversight of the little congregation who worshiped in the schoolhouse, and often addressed them from the pulpit, he recognized a power about Mr. Myers that he knew he did not possess. Many pleasant hours were spent together reasoning on the things of God.

One day in the latter part of the month of May, Joe and Alfred were plowing in different fields. The weather had been unfavorable for some time, and now each was pushing his work along as rapidly as possible. They worked early and late trying to complete their spring work, getting the ground ready for planting.

About mid-afternoon Joe hitched his horses to a fence post and started across the field toward the place where Alfred was plowing. He had gone but a short distance when he noticed Alfred’s team was also standing and Alfred was coming to meet him. The two soon met and each asked the other, “What is wrong?”

It did not take Joe long to explain. He said, “I guess there is nothing wrong so far as I can see, but it seems that I am unable to work in peace this afternoon, for Bill Myers is continually on my mind. I have tried to dismiss him from my mind, but he only comes back all the more forcibly. I left the team and went into that little woods yonder several times and prayed for him but I just can’t dismiss him from my mind. I concluded at last there must be something wrong with him and he may be needing help, and if so, do you not think it would be best for us to go see about him? I know we are very busy but I think we can spare a few hours of the afternoon to see what is wrong. I am sure if he is sick or in need of our assistance in any way he would appreciate our coming to see about him. But why are you leaving your team and coming to meet me?”

Alfred looked at Joe in amazement for some time, and then spoke, “Joe, I am sure the Lord is trying to get something to us, for you have only spoken my feelings for this entire afternoon. I have scarcely been able to collect my thoughts sufficiently to keep at my work, and it seems that I cannot accomplish anything. I, too, have been very much impressed about Brother Myers and was coming to ask you if you did not think you could spare me from my work for a few hours that I might go to see about him.”

“We shall go together,” said Joe as he turned to get his team and then went to the house to inform Susie what he and Alfred had decided to do, and the impression each had had which led them to action. As Susie needed some things from the grocery store, she asked the men to stop on their way through Newton and bring back the groceries with them. There were some things which must be done about the barn before they could leave. After completing these chores they hitched a team to the carriage and started to Newton, and from thence to the Myers home, a distance of about eight miles.

Before leaving, Joe thought best to take some plow points with him to have sharpened at the blacksmith shop while in Newton, and thus spare him this trouble the following Saturday afternoon. He waited at the blacksmith’s shop for the work to be finished, after getting the groceries which Susie had ordered, for there were several orders for work at the shop which must be completed before the blacksmith could do Joe’s work. The sun had set and twilight come on before his points were ready. Placing them in the carriage the two men then started on toward the Myers home, but night overtook them before they reached their destination. As they approached the house they saw it was well lighted; a lighted lantern hung on a nail just outside the door. They also noted quite a number of wagons and carriages about the place. Alfred said, “What do you suppose is wrong?”

“That remains to be seen,” replied Joe, as he hitched the team, and the two started for the house. Nearing the gate they saw a large crowd congregated at the door and at each window. As they came near the door they heard singing; the old, familiar song “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” was being sung, and it dawned upon each of them what the crowd gathered there meant. Joe thought of the experience of the afternoon, and although he had always been very quiet when in services, as he approached the door he cried out, “Praise the Lord.” Immediately the crowd separated and Alfred and Joe walked into the room. As soon as Mr. Myers caught sight of them he too cried out, “Praise the Lord,” and made his way to them.

The singing went on while these three made a few explanations. Mr. Myers told Alfred and Joe that the evangelist who conducted the meeting in the arbor when he was saved had come to his place that day, and Myers had asked him to preach for them that night, that he had consented to do so, and Myers had gone among the neighbors, telling them there would be services at his place that evening, and it seemed that everybody in the community had come. “I wanted to get word to you two,” said Mr. Myers, “but after going around here in this neighborhood I could not go so far, so I just asked the Lord to some way move on you two that you would come over here anyhow, and here you are.” This of course called for an explanation from Alfred and Joe, and as they told Mr. Myers of their experience of the afternoon all were moved to tears as they realized God had been talking to Alfred and Joe that afternoon, and they had come to the Myers home through direction of God’s Holy Spirit.

After a few more songs and prayer the evangelist arose to address those present. From the first word all sat as if spellbound, for he spoke with ease and as one having authority. “I have come before you this evening,” said he, “to give you reasons for being what I am, and why I believe as I do. No one is anything in this world without first having some reason for being such. The farmer has a reason for tilling the land, else he would not do so. The merchant, the groceryman, the mechanic, the bookkeeper, the lumberman, and even the rag-picker of the alley all have a reason for being what they are, and if you should listen to the reason for which they are such as they are, I believe they could present logic sufficient to convince us their desire or their belief is all right for them, although we might not think it would fit in our particular case. Each of them has a reason for being what he is. And I have a reason for being what I am and for believing as I do. That is what I want to speak to you about this evening.

“I am a holiness preacher, and I want to give you several reasons tonight why I believe in holiness, and I trust you will all receive it with the same courtesy you would receive the reasons of the farmer, the merchant, the groceryman, the mechanic, the bookkeeper, the lumberman, or the rag-picker, even though you might not think that it just exactly fits your case. I have several reasons why I believe in holiness, and these I shall give you this evening.

First: I believe in holiness because it is the only way that God has. We read in Isaiah 35:8: ‘And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.’ After reading this scripture I could not believe otherwise, for I find that God’s way is a way of holiness, and no unclean thing shall pass over it; so if I want to travel on the way the Lord has, I must be clean and I must be holy.

“Second: I believe in holiness because it is an attribute of God. In Exodus 15:11 I read, ‘Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?’ I believe in holiness because the Lord whom I serve is holy. And if He be holy, that which He imparts to us, and all that we get from Him in this world must be holy also. Man is not holy of himself, neither can he cleanse himself, but the Lord cleanses, and when He gives of Himself to the children of men, that which He gives to them is holy, for holiness is an attribute of God.

“Third: I believe in holiness because I cannot worship the Lord in any other way. In Psalm 29:2 we find these words, ‘Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.’ I want to worship the Lord, and therefore I must believe in holiness, for that is the worship that He desires.

“Fourth: I believe in holiness and I desire it for it is the only becoming thing for a Christian. In Psalm 93:5 I shall read again, ‘Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.’ It is natural for mankind to desire that which is most becoming to them. In making selection of any article of dress we try to select the one which is most becoming to us, and it is only natural that we should do so. I believe in holiness and have attired myself in it because I find that God says it is the only becoming thing in which His house can be clothed. Not only in the time of David was this meant, but the Word says it becometh the house of God forever. Anything that is becoming will attract someone else. When one is attired in holiness it is going to be so becoming to him that sinners will be attracted to him and then be won to Christ. The only becoming thing for a Christian is a life of holiness.

“Fifth: I believe in holiness because God calls us to it. In 1 Thessalonians 4:7 Paul says, ‘For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.’ So you see God has called us to obtain the experience of holiness and I must believe in it because it is a call from God. As many as God calls He calls to holiness, and the call is universal, for Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ So the call is to all who labor and are heavy laden, and it is a call unto holiness.

“Sixth: God demands holiness of us. In 1 Peter 1:15-16 we have these words: ‘But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.’ When our Lord was being tempted in the wilderness, and the enemy put before Him, at the time He was an hungered, if He be the Son of God to command the stones to become bread, Jesus said to him, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’* (Matthew 4:4) If we take the Word of God as our guide and live by every word that proceedeth from His mouth, we then must be holy and believe in holiness, for as He is holy, we must be holy also.

“Seventh: I believe in holiness because it is the fulfillment of the oath which God swore to Abraham. I shall read from the gospel recorded by Luke, in Luke 1:73-75: ‘The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.’ I thank God that not only did God grant this experience unto us, but made it possible for us to serve Him in holiness all the days of our life. So it must mean to serve Him here. Some folks think it will be all right to serve the Lord in holiness after they enter heaven, but God expects us to serve Him in holiness in this present world, and every day of our life.

“Eighth: I believe in holiness because it is the fruit that should be borne in every Christian life. In Romans 6:22 I shall read what the Apostle Paul says: ‘But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.’ I want my fruit to be such that the end shall be everlasting life, and to do so the fruit of my life must bear the marks of holiness.

“Ninth: Not only do I believe in holiness, but I believe in more holiness, in a perfected holiness. For support of this reason I shall read 2 Corinthians 7:1: ‘Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.’ I believe in a perfected holiness. When man first comes to God convicted for his sins, and godly sorrow grips his soul, how careful he is in his life to do those things that he knows God requires him to do. When God for Christ’s sake speaks peace to his soul, pardoning his sins, he then enters into holiness, but when the Holy Ghost comes into his soul he has a perfected holiness. So we see holiness begins in conviction, is entered into in justification, and is perfected in sanctification. For further evidence of this latter point I refer you to Hebrews 10:14: ‘For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.’

“Tenth: And now my tenth and greatest reason why I believe in holiness and strive for it is because I want to see God. In Hebrews 12:14 Paul says, ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ I want to see the Lord and meet Him in peace, and therefore I follow in the path of holiness. I am sure that we all want to see God, so let us put on the becoming robe of holiness, which is the garment God designed for all His true children.”

Many more remarks were made upon the reasons for believing in holiness, and the hands of the clock ticked off two hours before the speaker closed his discourse for the evening. Joe and Alfred sat spellbound under the sound of the speaker’s voice. Many times they were moved to tears as some wonderful truth of God’s Word was revealed to them. At other times they would give vent to their feelings by an “amen,” or “praise the Lord.” The sermon for the evening was what was needed to better establish them in the truths of God. Joe had been convinced there was such an experience as sanctification and was earnestly seeking God to fill him with His Holy Spirit. Each day had found him in the room of his granary calling upon God to fill him with the Holy Spirit, and the more he sought the Lord the hungrier he was for more of God. How he rejoiced because he knew God had directed him to come to the Myers home that night, in answer to the prayers of Bill Myers. More and more he could see God directing him.

At the close of the service Alfred and Joe met the evangelist, who was passing through the country on his way to a little town in northern Indiana where he was to begin a meeting the following Sunday, and from thence to a camp meeting in Michigan. Upon the urgent request of the evangelist, Joe and Alfred promised to try to be at the campmeeting.

They started for home at a late hour, very tired from their labor in the field and the drive to the Myers home, but happy to know the Spirit of God had directed them there that night to receive food for their souls. How they rejoiced as they drove along in the stillness of night. God was pouring His blessing down upon their souls and they felt a nearness to each other such as they had never felt before. The experience of the afternoon brought greater confidence and love for each other, and as they drove along they conversed on the goodness of God. As they neared home Joe said, “Alfred, there is one thing that I mean to do from now on. When I feel a moving in my soul such as I had this afternoon I mean to give heed to it, for I am sure God wants to lead me into the things for which I am searching. I want you to be with me. Can I depend on you?”

At this Alfred grasped Joe’s hand and said, “Joe, do not fear for me, for I am as hungry for the things of God as you are, and I shall ever keep my heart open that I may hear the voice of God and be directed by His Spirit.”