The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1907-10-23
A Card.
Editor THE ADVERTISER

N'SO go AZ 1oHN
l beg leave to occupy a little space in
your paper, that 1 may make a state
ment in regard to various rumors that
have gone out in the communities where
| held meetings this past summer, to
the effect that l was sick, or stricken
with paralysis, or struck dumb, or had
gone crazy and had asked the people to
pray for me, that God would forgive
me for preaching Pentecost, or the
baptism of the Holy Ghost and speak
ing in unknown tongues. l do not
know how or whence these reports have
originated, but, praise God, I believe l
can say, in the words of the old apostle,
"None of these things move me-" And
| would not even undertake to correct
them, but for the fact that the enemy
is using them to try to lnjure the cause
of Christ. And so / would like to say,
in correction of these errors, that as a
matter of fact | have not been sick a
day this summer; that | have never
been paralyzed in my life; have never
been struck dumb for a moment, and
have never been consciously crazy-
myself being the judge in the matter.
have never ceased to preach Pente-
cost, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost
evidenced by speaking in tongues, and
have never asked anyone to pray that
| might be forgiven for preaching it.
But, on the other hand, l want to say,
to the praise and glory of God, that He
has given me strength and grace to
preach it all the summer, and has per-
mittcd me to see more of the marvel
lous manifestations Of His supernatural
power in these past few months than |
have ever witnessed in all my previous
life. Indeed my experience in the mat
ter, of Gods immediate dealings with
me in a personal way, has been so won
derful that | could not for a moment
doubt the truth of this Pentecostal bap-
tism or its divine authority in its di-
rect ministration by Jesus Christ, with
the Holy Ghost, as it was on the day
of Pentecost. In addition to this, |
most gladly bear witness that | have
seen quite a number of the best Of the
Lords people receive the baptism with
the Holy Ghost, with the very same
evidence that the Jews who went with
Peter to the house of Cornelius had,
that the Gentiles received the HOLY
Ghost as well as they: "For they heard
them speak with tongues and magnify
God. Acts x. 46. l have also seen
large numbers who have received this
Pentecostal baptism, and were speak
ing with other tongues as the Spirit
gave them u]tterance.
My health has been indeed better
than common this summer, and | have
been rejoicing every day in the praises
of God that have been continuously ris-
ing in my heart. ] have at different
times been in such close communion
with God, and so under the power of
the Holy Spirit that my body has been
still before Him several hours at a
time, except as the Holy Spirit himself
moved it, which he has done in marvel
GUS ways at different times; but even
at these times / have always been con-
scious not only of the Spirits opera
tions, but of everything around me,
and could at any time control myself at
will, and so vas never at any time
dumb or paralyzed, but always ~rejoic-
ing in the presence and the power of
God. 1t may be that the enemy has
taken the testimonies which I have
given of these manifestations of God
and twisted them about into the reports
that have gone out, thus making it APP
pear that I was under the Judgment of