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

Phineas F. Bresee
A PRINCE IN ISRAEL
By E. A. Girvin
CHAPTER 32
The Work in San Francisco -- Pasadena -- Berkeley -- On the Wing -- The Oakland Church
-- The San Francisco District Assembly -- Alameda -- San Francisco -- The Great Earthquake
-- Another Trip to the Northwest and East -- Meetings in Portland -- North Yakima -- The
District Assembly at Spokane -- The Home Campmeeting There
The Work In San Francisco
In January, 1906, Rev. C. B. Langdon took charge of the work in San Francisco, which up to that
time was in a very weak condition. Brother Langdon, who was a converted locomotive engineer, was
a man of the most heroic and self-sacrificing mold. He never asked about a salary, or the
probabilities of receiving support, but seemed to delight in doing the hardest kind of pioneer work.
He was one of the brightest, happiest men it has ever been my privilege to meet. He lived and thrived
where most men would starve, maintained constant victory, and laid firm foundations for others to
build on. His preaching was earnest, spiritual, and expository, and full of sparkling and strikingly
original illustrations and applications of the truth. Under his leadership, the little church in San
Francisco took on strength and numbers. Shortly prior to the great earthquake and fire in San
Francisco, the Lord gave Brother Langdon a vision of the city as it was being destroyed by a mighty
conflagration, and when a little later he saw it in flames, he plainly recognized many things that he
had seen in his dream.
Brother Langdon did not often put his ideas in print, but in the issue of the Nazarene Messenger
of February 22, 1906, I find an article from his pen, from which I quote in part:
"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Praise His name; we have seen a
few souls seeking the Lord, and a few real godly saints have united with us to help push the battle
on to victory; we also realize that 'Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain; except the
Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.' But we feel safe, and confident, and can make
no mistake while we preach repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and holiness
unto the Lord, a clean heart for believers, according to the sermon on the Mount. But many are
running to and fro, seeking rest and finding none; others are feeding on all kinds of doctrines and
new fads, until they have some sort of a spiritual grout, that keeps them from reaching their post of
duty on time when they are most needed, resulting in Sunday headache, and unmistakable symptoms
of backsliding in heart. Some, kin to Esau, run about hunting venison, while Jacob stayed home,
swept his own door-yard, and received the blessing. So my own experience and work as an
evangelist and pastor has been, wherever we find a humble little band of blood-washed saints, that
love God with all their heart, and love one another out of a pure heard fervently, the Lord is always
in the midst, and that to bless, always resulting in the conversion of sinners and sanctification of
believers. We believe that we shall see greater things in the near future, if we go deep enough and
keep humble. Pray for us."