Phineas F. Bresee - A Prince In Israel - Media Sabda Org

division to be trailed in the dust, or allow defeat to come to that department of the service, I am of
no value to the army, and, in spite of my general interest, am virtually a deserter or traitor. In answer
to earnest prayer, God will put every one in a place where He most needs him, and where He can
most glorify Him. Then there is one thing to do, and that is to see that the division where he is
placed, pushes on to victory. These are days when there are more or less of those who belong no
where, who run here and there, wherever they hear the loudest firing. They are somewhat interested,
but they are not absorbed. They are not the people who make circumstances and conditions, and
bring things to pass. One soldier is worth a battalion of such. God calls us to the rank and file; to the
forward march; to the personal encounter; to the wresting of victory out of the hands of the enemy.
It is possible to have such a general interest as to be good for nothing. God calls us to stand in our
lot, to be good for something. And He will enable every faithful one who seeketh not his own in any
sense, but the things which are Jesus Christ's, to be a conquering hero in the place where He has put
him, and to say at last: 'I have fought a good fight."'
Personal Influence
In the same issue, Dr. Bresee says: "I would that every one might feel that those who are won to
Jesus Christ are won generally by personal influence; that, if people are now reached, it must be by
the effort of some anointed soul, who can get close enough to them to take such a hold upon them
that he can draw them to Calvary. In this way every one is to be a missionary. We have a center
glowing with celestial heat, where, when we bring souls, we are sure there will be burning words and
melting testimonies and triumphant songs, and where there will be many to unite their faith and
efforts with ours to bring them to Christ. You can find some family that does not go to the house of
the Lord, or some soul that is far away, and you can compass the getting of them there. You can
introduce them to other workers; you can pray for the awakening Spirit to come upon them; at a
proper moment you can urge them to the altars of God, or kneel with them in their seats; you can
hold on to them and see them safe in the fold. Let us not tarry; the time is too short; the King's
business requires haste. Nothing but the indwelling Christ will give the soul-passion and power we
need. Open wide the door, and He will come in and fill you with the Holy Ghost, and to win souls
will be the passion of your being."
In "The Nazarene," September 21,1899, Dr. Bresee wrote, under the head, "Unction."
"This is a strange word, but no other will quite express it. It is a word full of mystery, also full of
meaning. It is that peculiarity of human speech which manifests forth the presence of the Holy Ghost.
It is the power of God in human utterance. It is the promised power in testimony and ministry that
was to come when the Holy Ghost fell upon us. It may be impossible to describe it, but every one
recognizes it when it is present. It is that, without which attempts at preaching and testimony are
vain. Nothing reaches the soul of men through human agency in conviction, either for pardon or
purity, without it. Without it all our efforts are sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. The presentation
of truth is nothing without this divine presence, which lifts Godward, which awakens, impels and
saves. We must have it. We do well to stop all machinery and cry to God--well, to do nothing else
until into our souls comes this personal fountain of life to pour Himself through us to His glory. We
must have unction; it is the sword that pierces between soul and spirit; the hammer that breaks the
hearts of men, and leads them unto the cross; the word that stirs up believers and impels and leads