The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-24
How Brother Grccnl0W Became
Preacher.

"Mr. J. Grccnhow, an elderly Mctho'
dist minister from England, now resid'
ing in Ilorncllsvillc, New York, writes
this au,obiorrarhical experience to the
Boston Banur of LjM, the Spiritual
ISIS organ:
81 Joined the Methodist Church when
was seventeen, and ! am now seventy.
three wears old. When youth would
be sitting reading and praying in my
bed. room after all my felix's had gone TO
bed. and there would come noise rs Of
the running OF some one, sounding as
ncavy as the tread of horse, from my
parents bedside up to my room door. |
ut first thought it was my father running
for me to go for doctor, my mother
having been taken sick. Judge OF my
astonishment to find them fast asleep.
could not help going in two or three
nights, but soon found it best not to do
so, as my mother would only give me
talking to for being up so late. finally
made point Of going to bed every night
when the noise came. spent half AN
hour each noon in my closet alone in
reading my prayer. At length ] got
quite miserable over the impression tina,
must preach but wEcthcri il was the ilo.
ly Ghost or tic Devil that gave me this
immersion WAS at loss to find out. So
one noon prayed that if il was Gods
will might open my Bible at some par
ticular place to convince me OF 1t. On
opcning the book the first words that met
MY eyes were: "Thc spirit of the Lord
is upon me, for the Lord has annointcd
ME 10 preach glad iidings TO the poor
and the opening Of tho prison to them
that they are bound This was very
satisfactory till Sunday came, for then,
when heard the man preach, thought
it was impossible for me to do that, and
it must be the Devil filling me with
pride.
81 went on awhile, still getting more
miserable on the preaching question. ]
then prayed that if it was the will OF
God that should preach, some perfect
stranger should tell me SO; then | would
be satisfied. 1t was customary for the
class to meet ut cur house. One evening
stranger from birmingham came, and
after class meeting he said 'rrothcr
Grcenhow, am q stranger in Liverpool,
to Evcrton.' AS soon as we got out he
must preach, and want TO give you a
little advice: Have your mind well
stored with Scripture, but take no
thought what you will say This an
swercd very well till Sunday came, and
while hearing the man preach | made up
my mind that it was impossible for me
to do that, and it must be the devil that
was after me.
still got more uneasy and restless on
the question. One day while ut prayer
it came into my mind that if was to
preach | should have been appointed!
and know nothing about it have Meth
cr text nor sermon, and if it WAS not the
will Of God, that | might be utterly con
founded. A few Sundays after, when il
had entirely left my mind, we wcro sit
ting in church No preacher came, and
we were wondering how it was, when
ono of tho class leader. came to mo and
said: brother Grccnhow, didn't you
know you were to preach to-day
answered negatively. He continued
Brother Story was appointed at the
leaders meeting to tell you. | suppose
we shall have 10 have n prayer meeting
now | at once said: NO; | will
PREACH And arose from my seat and
went into the pulpit. The exercises
reached the last verse of the second
hymn before got Il text when these
words came to my mind, AS the Lord
liveth, and ~ thy soul livcth, there is
but step between mo and death.
There, that's the text, thought but
how am going to find it now? We'll,
there is but ono way to do; must tell
them that if they read their bibles rs
they ought to they would find my text
without my telling them where it WIS.
opened the Bible; it WAS upside down /;
on turning it round tho first words saw
were those of my text. knew not n
word said, and after got through |
was ashamed to come out of the pulpit,
and thought would sit down until the
congregation had all gone out but in
stead OF going out, they came singing up
to tho communion with peni,cnts; 80,
having to leave tho pulpit. nudged IL
person TO follow me. and slipped into
tho vestry. inquired what had said,
when he assured mo they never heard
such sermon before. was then np-
pointed to preach every Sunday evening" !"