W. B. Godbey - Enter His Rest

who they were. “Oh, that man with the gray clothes is a Methodist steward, and the gentleman in blue is a
Baptist deacon.” I found my pastor in perfect harmony with all, and so appreciative with the Roman Catholics
that I actually wondered why he did not join them.
He tried in vain to get me to join him in the celebration of some of their days.
Having reconnoitered the situation thoroughly, I found that nothing but straight, red-hot Gospel dynamite would
amount to anything in the prosecution of the contemplated siege. Therefore I opened fire on the enemy's works
all along the line, sparing nothing, but bombarding every citadel which Diabolus had fortified for the protection
of his people, not only throughout “Vanity Fair,” but in all the churches as well. The Lord wonderfully helped
me to do my best. I fought like a dog in a yellow jacket's nest, wielding my gattling gun without distinction or
mercy. The Holy Spirit signally used His Word.
After several days of bombardment, I opened the altar, which was crowded and filled with seekers. I
immediately found myself lassoed by Satan through the instrumentality of a cultured, high toned pastor, who
seemed to be utterly destitute of spiritual illumination. Electrified with the splendid audience, and thrilled with
encouragement when he saw them crowd the altar, he, thinking, “Now is the time for me to augment the
membership of my church,” availing himself of his pastoral prerogative, as soon as I got the altar filled with
penitents, instead of working to get them saved, proceeded at once to exhort them all to join the Church, and
gave them an urgent invitation.
The result was that he broke up the altar service, and got no joiners, because convicted people do not feel like
joining the Church, on the contrary they realize their utter unworthiness to take that step.
He persisted however in his church-joining enterprise, though receiving no encouragement in the way of
response.
Thus I was actually caught in Satan's trap, and manacled by the irresistible authority of the pastor.
Of course, I could do nothing but turn the trouble over to God, who sent in the presiding elder of the district to
cut the gordian knot and set the meeting free. I found him at the opposite pole of the battery, the very reverse of
the pastor; exceedingly humble, good, sensible, and in full sympathy with the Wesleyan doctrine of
sanctification, he was earnestly seeking the blessing but was not clear in the experience.
In a private interview, having posted him in reference to the dilemma, he told me to go ahead, preach, and throw
the altar open and make my full calculation upon having my own way – he would attend to the pastor.
Sure enough, when they crowded the altar, the pastor got up to give his invitation again, taking it for granted
that all who came to the altar ought to join the Church, holding the exceedingly superficial view of the Spirit's
work which led him to conclude that the very fact of their coming to the altar was ample evidence that they were
in good fix to join the Church, whereas the awful Sinai preaching that I was giving them brought such a
conviction that they would never join the Church until they got converted, which is certainly the normal
economy of Gospel grace.
When the pastor was about to open the doors of his church, the presiding elder walked up, put his hand on his
shoulder and said, “My dear brother, as presiding elder of this district, I feel that I have some official rights,
among which I claim the privilege of controlling this meeting.” Then the pastor very politely responded, “All
right, brother, I turn it all over to you and shall have nothing more to do with the management of it; it is now in
your hands.” Then, in the presence of the pastor, the presiding elder said to me; “Now, Brother Godbey, the
control of the meeting is in my hands.
Therefore I turn it all over to you, now you are monarch of all you survey. Your rights there are none to dispute.”
Then of course the brakes were forever gone, and we had a wonderful soul-saving time.
There were people of all denominations and outsiders crowding the altar, praying through to God and rising to
witness to His mighty power to save. Before the meeting was over, we saw the glorious Christian union about
which I had spoken to the pastor. Whereas before it had been Satan's union in his kingdom, we saw that union
now wonderfully verified in the kingdom of God.