Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-07-19
CONTINUED from last week.

After the meetings had been going
on for several weeks l began to feel
worn and feared l would have to
bring them to close unless help
could he had. / had been compelled
to provide a new sermon every day
for long time and in view of my
ignorance and inexperience it was a
tax on my energies that none but
those who have been placed in like
circumstances can appreciate. The
drain was beginning to tell on my
health and l felt that something
must be done to relieve the strain.
So i sent to Maquoketa, where the
Rev. William Lease was pastor, and
urged him to come over into my
Macedonia and help me. He kindly
consented to do so, and was with me
for three or four nights, preaching
each evening and otherwise assisting
in the meetings, thus giving me
much needed rest. But it soon be-
came apparent to him, and indeed to
others, that it was not great sermons
that was needed in that meeting, for
the interest suddenly began to sag
and the work was stayed in large
measure. Brother Lease, whose
heart was in the work, easily recog-
nized the situation, and explaining
it to me declared that he thought he
was doing us no good and the wisest
thing for him to do would be to re-
dissuade him, but without avail and
he took his departure, leaving the
meetings entirely on our hands
again. Then il came to pass that
the christian workers, who had to
some extent ceased their efforts
while he was with us, thinking they
new hold and the glorious work
several important things. 1t was rich
several important things, 1t was rich
in its related fruitage. First, there
was the large number of conversions
in sparcely settled country, where
attendants were compelled to travel
long distances. Some of the conver-
sions were very remarkable as to the
character of the persons saved as
well as the far reaching results to
their families and friends. The
question of politics which had dis
turbed and divided the community so
long was for the time being relegat-
ed to the rear. A new adjustment
was made in the matter of line
fences so that they no longer divided
families as well as farms. A new
church was built to take the place
of the old school house as house
of worship, and what to ME person
ally was of supreme importance was
that had received my answer to the
great question that had so troubled
me during the preceding year. For
all time there could no longer be any
question in my mind as to my call
TO the WOTh Ol u minister Ol the GUS
pei. On that question | was at rest
and from that time to this | have
never been distured about it. If i
had been a great preacher or an ex-
perienced evangelist there might
have been room for doubt. but in my
case there could be none whatever,
for that revival was clearly the work
of God and God alone, and to him
only have | ever ascribed 1t. | say
now as l have ever said, that con-
sidering the condition of things as
they had existed in that community
for years, that first Thursday even
ing prayer meeting when so many
strangers who were not in the habit
of attending Divine worship any
where were present, without any APP
parent special reason for being
there; the unusual beginning of the
meeting, the strange finding of the
text and the remarkable results fol-
lowing; all these things have ever
tended to humble me as an instru-