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

Phineas F. Bresee
A PRINCE IN ISRAEL
By E. A. Girvin
CHAPTER 16
A Review of the First Two Years -- Salvation of the Aged -- A Month of Victory -- A
Significant Incident -- The Praying Meeting -- The Holiness Meeting -- The Young People --
Company E -- The Brotherhood of St. Stephen -- The Sabbath Services -- A Pen Picture of the
Early Church of the Nazarene
A Review Of The First Two Years
In the issue of "The Nazarene," of January, 1898, Dr. Bresee thus summarizes what God had
wrought up to that time: "It is now somewhat more than two years since, under a peculiar yet
unmistakable call of God, the Nazarenes, putting the old things behind them, went out to follow in
the footsteps of Him whose name they bear--to bring comfort to the sorrowing, help to the downcast,
a message of help to the brokenhearted, and to carry the gospel of peace to lives burdened with sin.
They went out as a feeble band to a new and untried field of labor, taking as their especial work the
neglected quarters of our city--yet soon finding that there are hungry hearts and neglected lives in
homes that the world does not call poor, and so the work has broadened out beyond the field
originally selected, until now they feel that the call is to go wherever lives are burdened with sin, and
hearts crying out, 'What shall I do to be saved?' Surely the seal of Divine approval has been upon the
work. From the first day in that h all upon Main street, a revival fire has kept burning that has spread
and broadened, until now the Nazarenes are organized, and have their places of worship, on Los
Angeles street, in Elysian Heights, in East Los Angeles; in South Pasadena; and in Berkeley and
Oakland. Only the lack of available leaders has delayed the opening of the work at other points from
which a call has come."
Attention is called in the same issue to the number of conversions among people of advanced
years. In Oakland, a lady of seventy-five gave herself to the Lord, and found peace during the June
meeting. In the December meeting, her husband, who was in his eighty-second year, was also saved.
He said in his testimony: "I have been looking for fifteen years to find a Church of the Nazarene."
In a meeting at South Pasadena, a man in his ninetieth year gave himself to God. In the parent
church, in Los Angeles, there were many conversions of persons between the ages of sixty and
seventy years. And all these marvelous cases occurred prior to 1898.
A Month Of Victory
How the work prospered in those days, is indicated by the following paragraph, in the issue of
March, 1898: "The past month has been one of especial blessing. At the close of every month we feel
that we have more to praise God for than ever before. It has been one blessed tide of salvation all
through the month. Nearly every service is crowned with the salvation of souls and the sanctification
of believers. Last Sabbath--the last Sabbath of the month--was a day of special victory. We have
never seen the church so crowded, morning and evening, and a large meeting in the afternoon. And