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

"With unspeakable thankfulness for the way God has led us in the past, and for the gracious
outlook as we turn our eyes toward the future, and with earnest prayer for divine guidance, we enter
upon the duties of this providential Assembly. May His anointings be upon us, and His wisdom
direct us in all things."
The Joint Legislative Commission
The work done by this commission before and during the sessions of the Assembly, was very
great and far-reaching. It was composed of the following fourteen brethren, seven of them
representing each of the two great organizations whose union had been so blessedly brought about:
P. F. Bresee, J. C. Bearse, W. H. Hoople, C. E. Cornell, H. B. Hosley, J. H. Norris, H. D. Brown J.
N. Short, E. E. Angell, T. H. Agnew, John Norberry, C. W. Ruth, L. B. Kent, and E. A. Girvin. C.
V. LaFontaine was added to the commission at Chicago.
I quote the following from an account of the Assembly written by Rev. Isaiah Reid:
Blessed Unity
"Never in all the great holiness gatherings in the middle west, have we had such a representation.
Certainly the time is nearing when the Savior's prayer 'that they all be one,' shall be true of the
holiness people. At any rate, here meet and mingle in blessed unity and fellowship, a multitude of
people once divided in many ways, but now merged into a harmonized body of saints. Bless God for
His marvelous doings among the children of men!
"Here, as not manifest in any of our Association gatherings, is the 'missing link,' we have so long
felt the need of--spiritual and suitable, heaven-born, organic unity. This is for ever impossible in our
interdenominational association plan, as in the association there necessarily remains the 'tie that
binds' us to the inimical ecclesiasticism, and by which we are necessarily limited.
"Take into consideration with these, the unctuous experiences, the anointed lives, the splendid
conquering faith, the real spiritual freedom, the Wesleyan theology, the middle ground organization
polity, the flowing together of men and women of like faith from fields of great usefulness in many
denominations, and, added to all, the deep-rooted conviction that without the real baptism of the
Holy Spirit, nothing can be wrought, we have in fact, already in motion and on victorious march,
God's best human agency for the promotion of the conquering gospel. I came away from the
Assembly younger than I went."
The Opening Service
This great service, on October 11th, was full of holy joy and triumph. The flood of divine joy
swept high, and the saints were filled with the rapture that comes only from the heart of God. The
occasion was the reception of the fraternal delegates from the different holiness bodies from Texas
and other parts of the South. Sister Libbie Beach Brown, sang a song, written by herself and entitled,
'Holiness is Moving On.' The other delegates from the Northwest united with her in the chorus in
such a way as to take the vast audience by storm.