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

to discover it almost immediately. And yet it has taken years for us to reach it, helped by the
guidance of God.
"April 11, 1907, marked an important epoch in the history of the holiness movement in America.
Then, amidst tears, and laughter, and shouts, and every possible manifestation of holy joy, the
Pentecostal Association of America united with the Church of the Nazarene. It was a scene which
time can not efface from the memory of the participants. This marks the beginning of the era of
organic unity among the various branches of organized holiness in the United States. Christ's prayer
was being answered, and God was pleased. He showed His good pleasure in the most unmistakable
way. From that time on, the sessions of the Annual Meeting grew in power. God freshly anointed
His saints over and over again, and the marvelous Pentecost culminated at the love feast on Sunday
morning, April 14. From the very beginning an unearthly power was felt. It was truly heavenly. Great
tides of salvation rolled in and around and over us. The waves of glory almost swept us off our feet.
We were immersed and inundated in rivers of love. I received the greatest anointing of my life. It
seemed as if the Holy Spirit laughed within our souls. With me, during most of the meeting, it was
really 'joy unspeakable and full of glory.' I was melted by the ecstatic, thrilling love of God, who so
swept his fingers over the chords of my soul as to cause me to weep and laugh at the same time. With
me, as I believe with most of God's people, this is the highest possible physical expression of the
rapture caused by intimate fellowship with God.
"After the love feast, Dr. Bresee preached from the 6th chapter of Isaiah, with unction and force.
The saints drank in the glorious truths of the message with the keenest delight. There was salvation
at all the services of the day. Dr. Bresee, Brother Brown, and Brother Ruth were at their best,
spiritually at least, during the Annual Meeting, and preached with power. They won the hearts of the
Pentecostal brethren, and did much by their kindness and tact to make the union of the churches
unanimous. The General Assembly will meet in Chicago, October 10th.
"From this time forward, we all belong to the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene."
The Basis Of Union
During the Annual Meeting of the Pentecostal brethren, at Brooklyn, the basis of union of the two
churches was prepared by what was called the Joint Commission. This commission consisted of
Brothers Bresee, Brown, Ruth, and Girvin for the Church of the Nazarene, and Brothers Hoople,
Hosley, Norris, Short, Norberry, Bearse, and Riggs for the Pentecostal Association. The report of
the commission was written by Dr. Bresee, acting as one of a subcommittee of four, and was adopted
unanimously by the commission. As already stated, it was received with the utmost unanimity and
joy by the Pentecostal brethren at their Annual Meeting. The report is as follows:
"It is agreed that the two churches are one, in the doctrines considered essential to salvation,
especially the doctrines of justification by faith, and entire sanctification, subsequent to justification,
also by faith, and as a result, have the precious experience of entire sanctification as a normal
condition of the churches.