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

Gift of Expression and Literary Style
He was gifted as a writer, and had a literary style of rare purity, power, and originality. In some
of his editorials he reached a height of nobility and grandeur which will bear comparison with the
greatest utterances of Milton, Bunyan, and our own Lincoln. He had a marvelous genius of
expression, and coined many phrases which came into very general use in holiness circles. Among
these are: "The quick tomorrows;" "bring things to pass;" "we went out under the stars;" "Holy Ghost
intensity;" "get heaven open;" "the sun never sets in the morning;" "the eastern gate;" "the inner
temple;" and "the unseen holy."
A Poet in Soul
He loved nature, was in touch with her in all her moods, and could truly interpret them. Although
entirely unconscious of the fact, he was a real poet. He never made a study of versification, or
attempted metrical composition of any kind, but his sermons were full of true poesy, and many of
his writings were poetical gems. He was a master of pathos, and instinctively knew all the avenues
that reach the human heart. The following are a few of the almost innumerable passages that I could
quote from his writings and sermons, which are fragrant with the sweetest flowers of poetry:
"Have you nothing but earth, no love, no joy, no hope that flows from the upper springs, that
never dry up? A great inheritance awaits you. Come to the Father's house. Infinite love and home and
heaven may be yours."
"A word fitly spoken, a joyous, happy word, that scatters sunlight all around. A word that is a seed
of truth in a human heart, that will live and grow and be a beauty and a joy forever. A word that will
point to higher ways and greater success, and some blessed triumphs. A word that should live in the
memory--a golden band to the heart that uttered it for ever. How great the privilege to speak kind,
sweet, loving words, to bless human hearts and make the world seem bright. But words not fitly
spoken--how sad, how keen, hour cruel they are"
"It must be back to Christ--the Christ of the dusty highways; the Christ of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief; the Christ of the poor, the downcast, the friendless; the Christ who reached out to the
'woman who was a sinner;' and then the Christ who, in that last prayer, cried for His church, "Father,
make them holy through thy truth."'
"You are so absorbed in your own thought or experience, or in the special work that the Lord has
given you to do, that you forget to stretch out your hands and speak a kindly word to that one you
pass by. Not that you do not feel kindly toward him or her, but you are absorbed. There are those
who have heard your testimony, who have been drawn to you, and are willing for you to say some
sweet word out of your heart to them--but you pass on, and they are disappointed, and finally
grieved. They are disappointed in you, and you have become a trial, and possibly, a stumbling-block
in their way. That kind word and sweet look which were not given to them, personally become your
loss for ever. I beseech you, dear friends, to be careful and break the bread of life through your own
care for hungry ones, the hunger of whose souls you have not seen. Those whose hands you have not
pressed, and into whose eyes you have not really looked."