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

Phineas F. Bresee
A PRINCE IN ISRAEL
By E. A. Girvin
CHAPTER 13
Is Forced to Withdraw From the Conference -- Is Given a Comforting Scripture -- The Peniel
Mission -- Events Preceding the Organization of the Church of the Nazarene -- Notice of First
Meeting -- Dr. J. P. Widney -- The First Church of the Nazarene -- Removal to Another Hall
-- Conditions Necessitating Erection of Tabernacle
Is Forced To Withdraw From The Conference
"The action of the Conference placed me in a position where I could not remain one of its
members and go on with the work for which I had arranged, without transgressing the law of the
church. So, after a night of prayer and thought, I told my Presiding Elder that he might ask for me
a location. This he did, and it was granted without apparent reluctance. It seemed as though the
Conference felt that it was relieving itself of the responsibility of this great question, when in fact,
it was assuming it in a far more vital way.
"I was now out of the Conference. I had been a member of an annual Conference from the time
of my boyhood, having united with the Iowa Annual Conference when I was 18 years of age. I had
thus held my membership for a period of 37 years. I scarcely knew any other home relationship in
the church than the annual conference, and when I laid it down that day, it seemed to me that I laid
down everything pertaining to the church which I had so loved and labored for. My heart was full
of almost unbearable sadness. The night was spent in much prayer, and with many tears.
Is Given A Comforting Scripture
"In the morning when I arose and went into the sitting room, I took up my Bible, and asked the
Lord to give me some message from its sacred pages which would comfort and strengthen me. It had
not been my custom to look for random readings in the Bible, having been taught to search the Word
of God for His truths and teachings; however, I asked God to guide me at once to a helpful portion.
I opened the Bible to the 66th chapter of Isaiah, and the 5th verse, which I read, and which was
applied to my heart greatly to my comfort and peace. That verse is as follows: 'Hear the word of the
Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake,
said, Let the Lord be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed."'
As has been already stated, the Peniel Mission building was dedicated on the second Sabbath after
the annual Conference. The intermediate Sabbath was spent at Redlands, in the Methodist church,
in a great all-day service, conducted by Dr. Bresee, at which about seventy-five persons were at the
altar, seeking the Lord, most of them for entire sanctification. In connection with this service,
arrangements were made for Rev. Joseph H. Smith to hold a meeting in Redlands in the not distant
future, finally resulting in his removal to that city, where he resided for a number of years.