W. B. Godbey - Enter His Rest

contrast in that respect between the North and the South. In the former, I generally board myself, as a matter of
choice, because it does not seem convenient as a rule for the people' to entertain the preachers. In the latter, as a
rule, the members want the preacher to board with them and I have to adopt the style of the old-time school
teachers, who always boarded among the scholars.
In this case I was impressed with the exceptional phenomenon, as no one invited me to enjoy the hospitality so
characteristic of Southern people, but the pastor boarded me and my two stalwart, red-hot Kentuckians.
God has wonderfully blessed me with that gift of the Holy Ghost denominated “discernment of spirits.” I Cor.
12:8-11. As my coming had been thoroughly advertised, the people gave me a splendid curiosity congregation to
begin with. I always made it a rule to preach for conviction with all my might, praying incessantly that God
would send it before the curiosity had evanesced. If I could possibly couple conviction on to curiosity, I would
hold my congregation. In my general diagnosis of the large crowd that first looked me in the face, I found but
the smallest number of people who seemed to be walking in the light of God's countenance. Of course, many of
them had been saved in former years, but the Spirit had been grieved away and the darkness of condemnation
had again supervened. Satan, as he always does, had captured them with his favorite lassoes of dead legalism,
cold ritualism, lifeless formality and hollow hypocrisy.
As upon this early diagnosis, I found about nine-tenths of the people under condemnation, with but a few
enjoying the experience of full salvation, therefore the Spirit told me to take Mount Sinai for my pulpit, and He
would furnish the thunderbolts, lightning-shafts, earthquakes, cyclones and typhoons. Consequently I stood
before that crowded assembly, tossing Heaven's flaming artillery from the tips of my fingers, preaching for
conviction with all my might, and keeping in mind the homely maxim of Sam Jones, “Never try to scald hogs
till you get the water hot,” as in that case you will set the hair, so you cannot get it off. I was making no altar
calls, as I did not feel led to wear myself out on nominal seekers, insufficiently convicted for a really genuine
conversion. I was constantly shaking over Hell all the people in the churches or out of them indiscriminately,
who had not the clear witness of the Spirit to a bona fide Scriptural regeneration, actually knowing their
salvation as consciously as their very existence. My clear, straight and constant exegesis of real matter-of-fact,
know-so, personal salvation, was too high for many of the church members to appropriate, therefore they, along
with the outsiders, had to take their place under the black banner of condemnation, exposed to wrath and Hell,
world without end.
As the days went by, the audiences kept up splendidly, crowding the house and listening spellbound. At the end
of the week the pastor came to me with flowing tears and informed me that he would have to send me off, as his
official board had notified him that he could not retain me any longer. They had really gone back on me almost
from the beginning, and he knew it, but was so anxious for a revival that he had held on, hoping it would come
and relieve him. All of this time I had made no altar calls, but was preaching with all my might for conviction;
meanwhile I had a great deal of prayer, diligently testing my congregation and giving all who had grace enough
to exercise it in public an opportunity to glorify God in oral prayer. I also had testimony; giving all an
opportunity meekly to tell what God had done for their souls. When the pastor gave me my discharge, I
acquiesced without a word, pronouncing my blessing upon them, and proceeding at once to get ready for the
morning train, as they had but two a day going in the direction of my next appointment. It so happened that my
young men could not get their washing in time for the morning train, therefore we had to postpone till four
o'clock P. M. Meanwhile I was packing my trunk and fixing up to leave, when the pastor returned to my room,
accompanied by a fine looking gentleman in the prime of life, whom he introduced to me as his presiding elder.
He said, “Quit packing that trunk; if you go away from here in a month, it is as early as I expect.” I responded,
“The pastor who called me has already discharged me, and consequently I am preparing to go.” Then he said,
“As presiding elder of this district, I have rights as well as the pastor, and I am not willing to let you leave. I
want you to stay here a month yet, and then I have many places in my district where I want you to hold
meetings.” I asked him why he differed so widely from the pastor in reference to the continuance of my labors.
He responded, “When I drove into the city this morning, the members of our church, as fast as they saw me, ran
out of their business houses and halted me in my buggy and said, 'We are so glad you have come, we have been
wishing you would. “Why, what do you want?” Oh, we are in a heap of trouble; and so much need a revival.
Our pastor called a man to help us in a revival meeting, and he has actually ruined us all, he has preached away