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

The glory of God fell upon the people in an indescribable way. Who can tell the mighty power of the
fountains of life which thus burst forth? The holy fire and mighty triumph of that hour can never be
forgotten by any one who had the privilege of being present. It seemed a repetition of the scene in
the upper chamber. The word that stood out with glorious emphasis amidst the shouts and tears, was
'Victory'--'Victory.' Thank God for such an hour on earth. It tells a little of the possibilities of
heaven."
July 4,1900, was one of the great days in the old tabernacle. Although Dr. Bresee was present and
really took charge of all the services, he did not preach. The messages were given by Dr. Bowers in
the morning, Rev. C. B. Eby in the afternoon, and Rev. Thomas Fluck in the evening. There were
altar services following each sermon, and during the day twelve seekers pressed their way forward,
some of whom were gloriously saved. Conspicuous among the seekers was Brother Lewis, who was
marvelously sanctified, transformed, and raised up as one of the most glowing witnesses of holiness
that I have ever known. In the evening the young boys filled the platform, and gave their testimonies
preceding the sermon. Mrs. A. P. Baldwin, leader of the Boys' Praying Band, sat on the platform with
them, and spoke briefly of the work among the boys. Brother and Sister Leslie F. Gay sang with great
spiritual power.
The progress of the church in the month of July, 1900, is thus summarized in the Nazarene
Messenger: "The month has been a memorable one in the annals of the Church of the Nazarene.
From the all-day meeting on the 4th, there has been a great tide of blessing. Many souls have been
saved and sanctified. But the last Sabbath was the crowning day of all. It was the greatest day, taken
as a whole, that the church has ever seen. The Sabbath school opened with impressive services, many
of the children leading in earnest prayers. The house was crowded at the eleven o'clock service.
Many of the saints had been led out in special prayer for the morning service. Heaven seemed open
from the beginning. There were songs of triumph, prayer, and a few testimonies. Dr. Bresee preached
in the morning, taking for his text St. John 6:21: 'And immediately the ship was at the land whither
they went.' The tide kept rising, and when the sermon was perhaps three-quarters through, there came
such a cloud-burst of glory falling all over the congregation, that the preacher could not be heard,
and he cleared the way for seekers to come to the altar. Before the meeting was over, there were three
or four altar services in different parts of the church, and souls swept into the kingdom. The
afternoon service was led by Brother C. E. McKee. Brother Clark preached a short but blessed
sermon from the prayer of Jesus: 'Sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy word is truth.' There were
many testimonies. In the evening Dr. Bresee preached on Hell. The altar was filled with seekers, and
the Lord was present to save."
It seemed as if this mighty, pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Ghost was in some sense
preparatory for the severe trial which was soon to come upon the church, and which even at this time
was so close at hand that the people all unconsciously were in the shadow of it. But God knew what
was going to happen, and graciously reinforced and undergirded his saints, so that when the blow
fell they would not yield to discouragement. I refer to the terrible accident which befell Dr. Bresee
and those who were with him in his carriage, as he was driving home from the prayermeeting, on the
evening of August 8, 1900. A full account of this tragic event appears in the next chapter.