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Rev. N. J. Holmes, (Nickolas J. Holmes)
Rev. N. J. Holmes was a first generation Pentecostal with a heart full of faith a great vision for the lost. Educated as a lawyer, he left the promise of plenty to seek God’s "better country." His journey lead him beyond his Presbyterian roots and past his associates within the "Holiness" awakening. Holmes received the full Gospel and Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost. The school that he founded is reported to be the oldest Pentecostal Bible College in North America. A little known excerpt of his writing is posted below. (There were no paragraphs in the published text, therefore, I have inserted a few. J. Thorpe) Pentecostal gifts in Dr. Holmes’ text below:
Life Sketches and Sermons ,By Rev. N. J. Holmes and Wife 135 Chapter XXI PRAYER AND PENTECOST In the Institute while at Columbia in the term of 1904-1905, a spirit of prayer came upon us for a world revival, and for a month or so, we almost suspended the daily studies under the burden of protracted prayer. We prayed for a revival, for the manifestation of the Holy Ghost in Pentecostal power for the gifts of the Spirit as promised in I Cor. 12; and the signs following as in Mark 16. We saw these things in the Bible, and believed they were for the church now, but did not know how to look for the fulfillment, or realize what Pentecost was. We believed that we had received the baptism with the Holy Ghost in sanctification and that it was all one, and what we were praying for was not Pentecost or the baptism with the Spirit, but the gifts of the Spirit and the signs following. God blessed us in our prayers, and answered them, as far as we met the conditions of the promises at that time. But the real answer in part at least came to us some years later on the mountain when we had learned more of the real Promise of Pentecost, and the conditions of the promise. We had at intervals continued to pray, and wait upon God for greater power and greater results in our work. 136 In the fall of 1906 we saw from some of our religious papers, especially "The Way of Faith," edited by Reverend J. M. Pike, Columbia, South Carolina, that some of the Lord's people at Los Angeles, California and other places, had been praying to God as we had; only they seemed to be more definite in their petition, for Pentecost with the manifestation of Pentecost -- for the baptism with the Holy Ghost with the manifestation of speaking in tongues, as it was on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:4.) After they had fasted and prayed and waited on God for the promise of the Father they, or some of them, received the Pentecostal baptism, and spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, As we read of this wonderful work of God, my heart became more hungry for the manifestation of His power, and we began to pray more earnestly for the signs, though we still thought we had received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, yet without the sign of tongues. While we were praying one day in the Bible class, one of the young women of the class, began to praise God with all her heart and soul, and in a minute was up on her feet praising God, and suddenly began talking in an unknown tongue. We were all in a quiver in a moment, hardly knowing what it was, or what to do. A sort of panic came over us, and we were all confused, not knowing that "this is that," which was spoken of by Peter on the 137 PRAYER AND PENTECOST day of Pentecost. Some of us, however, recovered enough to join in a measure in the praise for what had come to us. This sister went right on Praising God, and shouting, and talking in tongues. I was glad and rejoiced that something marvelous had come to pass, and yet I was frightened too, not knowing whether that was really Pentecost or not. Our uncertainty and fear, and holding back on the part of some, caused us all to halt for a little season. And so it was a month or so before another one received another sign or manifestation. In the meantime, we learned that Reverend G. B. Cashwell, a minister in North Carolina, had gone to Los Angeles to learn about the work, that was going on there. He received the baptism with the manifestation of tongues, and came back praising God for it, and began preaching the baptism with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, as it was on the day of Pentecost. He came to East Union, South Carolina, and I went to hear him. Others were there who had received the Pentecostal baptism, and were talking in tongues, Miss Pinkie Blake who had received, led the service. The power of the Holy Ghost came on her, and she talked in tongues and sang in tongues some of the sweetest and most heavenly music. I was amazed at what I saw and heard. I saw she had something that we did not have. I became hungry for it, but did not know how 138 to get it. When Brother Cashwell called to the altar for prayer, he asked those who wanted to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues to come. I thought and testified that I had already received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and I could not seek what I believed I already had, so I did not go. Though I was hungry for the manifestation, for I knew I had not received that. I thought I should receive the signs or manifestation now, as I had already received the baptism with the Spirit. He said, no, the manifestation was a part of the baptism, and the evidence of it, so I got nothing from the meeting, but some light which I could then hardly receive. I went back home, but before leaving I asked Miss Pinkie Blake to come up on the mountain, if the Lord should lead. When I reached home I told the Institute about it, I tried to explain what they preached, and my own position. We were pretty much all one in claiming that we had received the baptism with the Spirit, and did not see how we could go back. In the meantime another one of our teachers came, Miss Lila Purkey, who had also gone to the West Union meeting, after I did, and received the baptism and came in speaking in tongues. Now we had two in the Institute speaking in other tongues. Not long after this in the early part of April 1907, Miss Pinkie Blake, her step mother, and two brothers came 139 PRAYER AND PENTECOST up and spent a few days. We had service the night they came, and they testified to their experience, three of them, and talked in tongues and magnified God. We enjoyed their testimonies and saw from their experience that they manifested the power of God, but we were trying to reconcile our theological differences, and we studied our Bible, and consulted Greek, and would read some of the passages in the service to present the difficulty. They would say, we do not know about the theology, but we have the experience. After the third day Sister Blake said to me, "Well Brother Holmes we feel that the Lord would have us go. We have done all we know to do, and feel that the Holy Spirit is grieved. The responsibility of this Institute and this truth of Pentecost is on you." I asked them to stay longer, and said, I felt sure I had no heart to grieve the Holy Ghost, that we only wanted to see the truth as it was in the Bible, and not give up our experience if it is right. She said, "No, we feel that the Lord would have us go, and that He is not pleased some how, I do not know." When they were gone I told the Institute that I felt that we should go on with the prayer services, and that we should fast and pray for the Lord to open up the truth. For my own part I was getting disturbed about my theology. I fasted for three days without eating or drinking anything; and 140 then for three days more with only one meal a day; and then two days more with two meals a day. During these days we were praying, and leading and studying our Bible on the subject of Pentecost, whether it was the same or a different experience from sanctification. We had held that it was the same, but it seemed, then that, as the light of the Scriptures was turned on, that God was undermining that position, and I became unsettled in the matter, and as I did not know at the time where I stood, in fact, I felt that I was not standing much anywhere. I felt unfit to teach or preach, or do anything until I could settle down some way, somewhere. I read over the first and second chapters of the Acts, and the last part of the last chapter of Luke, and some verses from the eighth, tenth, and nineteenth chapters of Acts, in the light of what I had heard in the preaching, and testimonies of these friends and Brother Cashwell, and what I had read in "The Way of Faith," and began to think that if that was the Pentecostal baptism with the Spirit I had not received' it. Acts 2:4 says, "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." I read it, and I said, Is this Pentecost Is speaking in tongues a part of Pentecost? Did the Holy Ghost when He filled them cause them to speak in tongues? If that is the baptism, then 141 PRAYER AND PENTECOST. I have not received it. I said, now Lord I do not know, I ask thee to show me the truth, I will put all my theology up on the shelf, and let it stay there until you show me what to take down. Give me the truth as it is in Christ. One night in the prayer service when I was standing up, and a sister sitting right in front of me began speaking in tongues, and then looked right at me and said this is the message or interpretation, "Get the Holy Ghost, get the Holy Ghost, get the Holy Ghost," three times. I took it to myself. I said Lord have I not the Holy Ghost? Then I prayed that if I did not, that He would show me, and give Him to me with the Pentecostal evidence. I soon reached the point where I could see that sanctification was not Pentecost, and that what I had received was the Holy Spirit in sanctifying grace and power, but not the Pentecostal enduement. Then I could begin to seek for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I could see something of the difference between that and sanctification. The disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost in the upper chamber in Jerusalem, sanctification was without the gate at the cross. "Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the gate." (Heb. 13:12) Sanctification was through the blood, Pentecost was the filling with the Spirit and speaking in tongues. Sanctification is the crucifixion and death of the old 142 man, and the resurrection life in Jesus. Pentecost is the receiving the promise of the Father, the enduement with power from on high. Sanctification is a funeral procession, a grave yard scene, with, however, the joy of the resurrection following. Pentecost is returning from the ascension mount to Jerusalem with great joy, and continuing in the temple blessing and praising God, and abiding in the upper chamber with one accord in prayer and supplication, waiting for the fulfillment of the Promise of the Father, the gift of the Holy Ghost. The sign and seal of sanctification is the fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy and peace, filling the heart and shining out The sign and sealing of Pentecost, was the filling with the Holy Ghost, and speaking in other tongues -- enduement with power from on high. Sanctification is love, character. The baptism with the Holy Ghost is power, service. These days of waiting, prayer and study of the Word were days of varied experiences. It was a time of much heart searching to find out anything that might hinder. I had settled the question of sin in my sanctification, but there were other things that would come up which though not sinful were or might be hindrances to receiving the baptism. There were things pertaining to self that had to be dealt with. I found that in many things I was self willed, wanted things my way, that I considered myself, 143 PRAYER AND PENTECOST. my work and other things concerning myself too much, and not as soberly as the Word of God enjoins. I had doubts and fears that should [be put away. At times everything was dark, so dark that everything in my experience seemed to go away, as if I had no experience. I could not grasp any truth or see any light on the Word at all. Yet I was not conscious of any sin. I lust seemed to be groping in darkness. Then again, the light would shine in and I would rejoice and praise God. It would again seem that the enemy would suggest more things to tangle me up, to divert my mind from the real subject: at hand, and hinder my Progress in seeking the Holy Spirit, than I could get, or keep out of the way. But the Lord helped and led me on the way and at last helped me through. One night (the twenty-second of April, 1907 I went into the prayer service, and felt as if I just, must pray. I asked some one to take the service, and I got off in a corner, down on my knees and began praying in a low tone, and gradually a little higher. I was called upon to pray, and it seemed that the spirit of prayer and praise, and exhortation all came upon me. I Prayed and my heart got fuller of it, and then I raised God, and my heart got fuller of that, and rose up on my feet and prayed and praised, and exhorted until I seemed to be in an atmosphere of heaven. It seemed to me that a bundle of 144 things mentioned above as pertaining to myself slipped away from within me, as if some mysterious power pulled it away right through my side. Then as my heart was going up for the Holy Ghost, it seemed that the whole room was filled with a mist of heaven, and my whole body was being permeated by it. And a great roll of mist above my head as a waterfall, only it was still not falling. As I prayed for the gifts of the Spirit, they seemed to stand out before me in bold relief just as if they were waiting to be received, and when I came to the word faith, it seemed to stand out in large capital letters, and I felt that I almost had then and would have them, but not at that moment. I thought, surely this is indeed Pentecost. I felt the power of God upon me, I felt strong and bold and courageous. I felt just at that moment that I could face men and devils and stand for the truth. When I opened my eyes it looked as if the mist still filled the room, and the rays of light from the lamps on the shelf penetrated and radiated through the mist, and I felt that Pentecost had come to the school, and I looked around to see them talk in tongues, but all was still. I sat down and called on Brother Graham to pray, as he began to pray, I felt my tongue slightly moving up and down, the motion growing stronger and stronger. I was Conscious that it was not I that did it, and I was sure that it 145 PRAYER AND PENTECOST. was the Holy Ghost, and immediately my teeth began to chatter without my effort or control and continued for some time. I recognized the presence and power of the Holy Ghost in all this, and as soon as I recovered the control of my mouth I testified and praised God for Pentecost -- the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost came to abide within me. He gave me at that time only the very rudiments of language, the motioning of my tongue and chattering of my teeth. Afterwards I jabbered and then spoke words. I had the witness with my tongue to the baptism, but not the gift of tongues, neither do I claim the gift of tongues yet, though I speak in tongues. The gift of tongues (I Cor.21), is Of diverse kinds, of tongues according to the Greek, births of tongues, languages born in you. This is I believe a permanent gift, and may or may not be exercised at will, but whether at will or not it is all under the Power of the Holy Ghost, for no man can speak a language unknown to him in his own power. It must be the supernatural power of God that enables him to speak, even though he speaks at will. Another one of the students, Brother Oscar Taylor, received the baptism two days later. He had about the same manifestation of tongues that I did. Then it was some time in the next month, when Brother L. R. Graham another 146 teacher received. He too had been earnestly studying the Word and comparing Scripture, to get his Pentecost upon a solid Scriptural foundation. God had rewarded our searching and led us along the way of truth. The term of the Institute closed on the second day of June, 1907, commencement exercises occupied a week with prayer and devotional exercises. The Lord sent us be with us our brother Reverend G. F. Taylor, principal of the Falcon School, North Carolina, and author of "The Spirit and the Bride." He had received Pentecost a few months before. He gave us a message each day during the week, and we had a blessed season of prayer, and devotion, but no special manifestation of Pentecost. On Sunday morning he gave us a message from the Word. (John 7:37-39) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his inmost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, Which they that believe in him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." His message was simple, but in the Power and demonstration of the Spirit. It went direct to the hearts of the students, and turned in the light so that it brought conviction for the experience of Pentecost, as 147 PRAYER AND PENTECOST they had not had before. When he closed, he said, "If any of you would like to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost, come and kneel at the altar and pray. You may afford to do without it, I could not. The students went to the altar with an earnestness that they had not manifested before. The Holy Spirit began working immediately. They began to pray and praise God, and in a short time the Spirit was manifested in marvelous ways, some of them here and there in the tent began to rise up speaking in tongues. Some began to write in unknown language, some were singing in other tongues, others dancing and others playing on the organ under the power of the Spirit. Pentecost had indeed come to Altamont. I had already received, so I could look on, but in wonder and amazement. It was indeed the most blessed the most heavenly scene I had ever beheld. We did not Stop for dinner or supper, those who desired, retired and ate their meals and returned. During the day there were fifteen, who received the baptism and spoke in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. There was no confusion and no disorder, but the harmony and freedom of the Spirit prevailed. A sister went right from the altar across the tent and preached to her brother in tongues, and others going about the tent doing and speaking as the Spirit led, with faces and eyes beaming with the light of 148 heaven. That was surely one of the heavenly places that Paul speaks of in Ephesians. My wife was seeking too, but she became so interested in the wonderful manifestations of the others that she failed to Press on herself; but she received the next morning in our room. We asked Brother Taylor to come up, and we prayed, and she began to praise God and was soon speaking in other tongues. So we had a marvelous closing of the term of the Institute. There were some of the students who still stood out against Pentecost as we then saw it, claiming still that they had already received the baptism, when they were sanctified. But some of them saw the truth later on, and received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues. 149 CHAPTER XXII IN PENTECOSTAL MEETINGS. We went out in the summer 1907 holding tent meetings at different places, preaching this blessed truth. We found it as in the days of the apostles, some believed and entered in, and some doubted and went away rejecting the truth. Some even went so far as to attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil. Let us hope, however, that they did it in ignorance lest the judgment spoken of in the Word be upon them. It is a dangerous thing to fight against God's truth, or criticize his work. It is a sure way to backslide in heart and life from the experience one has, to oppose a deeper or better experience in others. One of the places we went to was Clinton, with Brother Cashwell, where we had a blessed meeting, a good number were saved, some sanctified, and some received their Pentecost. One of the number was Brother S, A, Bishop, one of our students, who had stood back at Altamont He was wonderfully shaken up and filled up and spoke in tongues. He has not failed to declare the truth since, and God is blessing his work where he goes. We went: from Clinton, to Falcon, North Carolina, to attend a Pentecostal Camp Meeting, 150 where we met numbers of the Lord's people, who had received their Pentecost, for they were gathered from many points, and the Lord gave a blessed season of fellowship, and worship in the Spirit. Many hungry souls entered into the Pentecostal experience and praised God in many ways. Pentecostal people are not confined to any one or any set method of praising God. Some praise Him in prayer and with song as Paul says. Sometimes in the Spirit, or in tongues; and sometimes with the understanding, or in their own tongue; sometimes with instruments under the power of the Spirit; sometimes praising Him in tongues; and sometimes in the dance. Why not praise God in the dance? Why should Satan control this method of expressing joy and praise. When God delivered Israel from Pharaoh, and overwhelmed the Egyptians, Miriam and the women praised God with timbrels and with dances. (Ex. 15:20) When Jephthae returned home in victory, his daughter met him in praises to God with timbrels and with dances. (Judges 11:34) When David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came singing and dancing to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy and instruments of music. (I Sam. 18:6) When Israel returned to God, He said, "Again I will build thee and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt 151 IN PENTECOSTAL MEETINGS again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry." (Jer. 3I:4; Ps. 68:24, 25) David danced before the Lord in praise for the return of the ark. (II Sam. 6:14-16) He said in the Psalms, "Let them praise His name in the dance: let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp." (Ps. 149:3) Again He said, "Praise him with the timbrel and dance." (Ps. 150:4) Solomon said, "A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a rime to dance." (Eccl. 3:4) In Lamentations 5:15 it is said, "The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning." David said of the Lord, "Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." (Ps. 30:11) When the prodigal returned to his father's house there was dancing and great joy. (Luke 15:25) From Falcon we came back to Laurens, South Carolina, for another meeting. Had a good meeting. Some were filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 152 CHAPTER XXIIII GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL We returned to Altamont in time for the opening of the Bible School, the middle of Oct., 1907. The opening had been postponed for two weeks, so that I could attend the annual convention of the Pentecostal Mission at Nashville, Tennessee which I had attended for several years, and had blessed fellowship with my brethren, Reverend J. O. McClurkan, the president of the mission, J. T. Benson, Tim. H. Moore and others. This time we differed in our views on Pentecost. They still claimed that they received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost in sanctification, as I myself had formerly held with them; but we differed in love, and we leave it with God to work it all out for His glory. When we returned to Altmont for the opening of the Institute I found a few of the students had already come in, among them a man and his wife, who during a prayer service the night before the opening, both received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Thus the term began, and from the beginning to end it was a continuous lesson of God's grace, love, providence and supernatural manifestation of His divine power. It was to me, and I believe 153 GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL. to many others, the most blessed and soul inspiring season, I had ever passed through. To be so near to God and see and feel so much of His supernatural power. There was. hardly a day from the beginning to the close, eight months, but there was some visible or perceptible manifestation of the blessed Holy Ghost. We had about fifty students and teachers and nearly all of them had received their Pentecost before they came, or received it after they came. The manifestation of God's presence and power was indeed marvelous to our eyes, and our ears. Some of them were so beautiful, so blessed and so heavenly, that we could not but feel that it was one of the heavenly places spoken of in Ephesians. Sometimes it was talking in tongues, praying or testifying, or preaching, or singing, alt in tongues that none of us understood, not even the one speaking except as the Lord gave the interpretation, which He did in a measure to a very few of the students. Sometimes several talking or singing at the same time, but without confusion. Sometimes different ones playing on different instruments of music at the same time, music unknown. to them, and they in some cases unaccustomed to the instruments, and yet all in harmony and accord with each other. Sometimes numbers of them under the power of the Holy Ghost were dancing in seeming rapture with eyes closed and upturned faces beaming 154 with heavenly joy and praise to God. And I have seen one or more gliding swiftly, but safely with a dancing step, over the floor in the large dining hall with closed eyes, bright faces, with posts standing about, and chairs and tables, and they would pass around and between these, and rarely touch them, turning corners and avoiding every hindrance, under the power and guidance of the Holy Ghost. One of them told me that she felt distinctly some power turning her body at certain points, and had no fear of striking any object though her eyes were closed. Sometimes numbers of them under the power of the Holy Ghost would shake in their bodies, and their hands quivering and shaking with a peculiar motion would begin to move, as if playing on certain instruments, with the motion peculiar to that particular instrument as moved and guided by some mysterious invisible power, for it is so unlike the natural movements of the body. Some of the movements indicated that they were playing as it were, upon invisible and unknown instruments, and all the time their faces beaming with the light of heaven, and sometimes with accompanying songs in other tongues, in the sweetest and most heavenly music. Sometimes several under the power of the Holy Ghost would carry on seemingly a regular conversation with each other, just as if each understood every word spoken, yet, perhaps 155 GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL. no one understood the other. On one occasion in our room after much manifestation of the power and presence of the Holy Ghost upon many of the students or teachers, there were about a dozen of them drawn together, and standing in a group talking to each other in an intensely interested manner, and they would refer to passages in the Bible and show them to each other, and speak as though referring to or discussing them, and when we looked at the passages referred to the verse all referring to missions. Some spoke in other tongues, just as if they understood what each other said; and yet they could not understand it, only they seemed to know that they were talking about missions work in some heathen land, I believe China, and some were though to be speaking the Chinese language. The power of the Holy Ghost would come on different ones at different times, and places, sometimes in the service, sometimes in their room or closet praying. Sometimes in the class room in the midst of the class, sometimes in the kitchen cooking, sometimes at the table while eating. One night in the dining room either during. or after supper in the service, the power of the Holy Ghost came in la great measure on a number, and after other marvelous things had transpired, some one went to the black board, and wrote over it in unknown language, and 156 immediately another one took the chalk and dotted all between the lines, as for music. Then half a dozen others took up different instruments, and sat down before the board and another took his stand by the board, as if to direct, and began talking in tongues, and immediately those with their instruments began to play and sing in tongues, as if playing and singing just what was on the board, all of them in harmony and accord. When they had seemingly played and sung it, all of them stopped. Someone else would fill the board again, and they would follow over it all again just as though a book with the music and English words set before them, and yet they did not understand a word or a note. Sometimes some would talk in the deaf and dumb language on their hands, sometimes with two hands, and sometimes with one hand, the fingers moving as rapidly as if they had practiced it for years; and, yet, they knew nothing of the language at all. When these things were going on the very place and atmosphere seemed charged with a divine Presence, and those looking on seemed amazed and almost enrapted with a sacred awe and stillness, or else at times bursting out with shouts and praises to God for the wonderful things under our own eyes. Glory, Glory, Glory to God in the highest! I can not praise God enough day and night for what my eyes have seen and my ears have heard. 157 GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL And as Peter said to the Sanhedrin, after Pentecost: when he was commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, " We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard." "This is that, which was spoken by Joel the prophet," and which began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, and which will be perfected or fulfilled when Jesus comes back to earth. The Lord bestowed a partial gift of interpretation on a few of the students along during the term, so we received some of the things spoken in tongues given out in English. A great deal of it was on the second coming of Jesus Christ, some of it praising God, and some of it exhortation to others to live for God, in faithful humility and love. Sometimes the power to rebuke evil spirits would come on some of them, and we could realize the presence of the enemy, and feel that we were in the midst of a great conflict with the powers and principalities of darkness, and some could discern evil spirits themselves, and the battle would be as fierce as if we could see them face to face. We could realize that the Spirit of God was warring against the spirits of evil. Again at times the power for prayer, and healing the sick would come upon some and they would go and lay their hands upon the sick, or move them about over them and often they would be healed, and Praise God for His divine healing touch. It does draw one so close to 158 Jesus, and make him realize the hallowed presence of God in such a blessed and marvelous way. How can we but praise Him and love and adore Him? Nothing that has come into my life has enabled me to realize the presence and power of God, as Pentecost has. To have the Holy Ghost to come into my life with the manifestation of tongues, to speak in prayer to God in the consciousness that it was the Holy Ghost giving utterance, and then speak for Him in testimony as a sign of His divine operation, is edifying to me, whether I can understand or interpret it or not. As Paul says, "my spirit is edified, though my understanding be unfruitful." He says, (I Cor. 14:14-15) "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." That is to say I will pray in tongues, and then I will pray in my own tongue. I will sing in other tongues, and then I will sing with my own language. Thus I am edified in the spirit and in my understanding also. No wonder he said to the Corinthian Church (I Cor. 14:5) "I would that ye all spake with tongues," "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself."(1 Cor. 14:4) Then he said, (I Cor.14: 18.) 159 GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL "Thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all." This shows something of the estimate, which the Apostle Paul put upon speaking in tongues, and he wrote the fourteenth chapter of I Corinthians under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, to regulate the speaking in tongues, but not to abrogate it, as some seem to think. And in conclusion he says, " Forbid not to speak with tongues." Yet, this is just what some in the churches today, are endeavoring to do. The term closed the first day of June, 1908 with a week of school exercises and preaching services, during which time several received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, including a missionary from Korea. I feel sure that much of these blessed experiences mentioned here will be attributed by some people to fanaticism or the work of the devil; but as I have gone through these scenes, and some of these experiences with the peace of God filling my soul, and His divine love shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost given unto me; and with my Bible open before me, and often on my knees in prayer to my Father, who said He would not give me a stone for bread, a serpent for a fish, or a scorpion for an egg, but would give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. I have a deep consciousness that these things that we have spoken of are of God. I 160 feel so fixed and established in God that none of these criticisms or accusations move me. I am resting in God and holding fast His Word, and yielding myself as I can to the Holy Ghost in the faith, that He will keep those who trust Him from the traps and snares of the devil; and from all that is fanaticism in the mind of God. I do not hope or care to be kept from all that men, apart from God, call fanaticism. For many that worship God in the manner that pleases Him, will be charged with fanaticism by those who scarcely know what real fanaticism means. We are being constantly warned to beware of manifestations, lest we fall under the flesh or the devil. Well there are dangers to be avoided in these spiritual things as well as other things. We confront dangers in the physical, moral, and spiritual life. But we cannot cease to live, or act because of dangers that beset our pathway. It is the coward that will never move because of dangers. A brave man will move and accomplish something notwithstanding the danger, and even though he tremble at it. So in our spiritual, and in our Pentecostal experience especially, if we halt and fail to obey God, or to allow the Holy Ghost to manifest Himself in and through us, because we are afraid of the counterfeits orimitations of the devil, we will cease to have the manifestations of the Holy Ghost. And when we cease to have His manifestations, 161 GOD WORKS AT SCHOOL through disobedience or failure to yield to Him we will cease to exercise the power of the Holy Ghost, and then indeed will be in great danger of falling under the power of the enemy. The man that is closest to God, and most yielded to him is safest from the enemy -- shielded and protected by the presence and power of God. That is the man to brave the dangers and dare to obey God, and receive the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, even though others may stand Off and cry, "danger," "beware." We should indeed be circumspect, watchful and prayerful, and avoid real danger when we can; but any risk or any cost let us obey God, and yield to the manifestation of the blessed Holy Spirit. 162 CHAPTER XXIV MEETINGS OF 1908 After the close of the term for the four months vacation, my wife and I, with Brother Robert Pent, one of our teachers, and Miss Nellie Lane, one of the students, and Miss Clyde Cotton went to Atlanta, Georgia, to hold a meeting in the Pentecostal Mission. We enjoyed being with the brethren there, and the Lord blessed the meeting. We were cared for in the home of Sister E. A. Sexton, editor of the "Bridegroom's Messenger," a Pentecostal paper published in Atlanta, which we also enjoyed very much. This paper as well as "The Way of Faith," has been a great blessing to many souls who have been seeking light in regard to Pentecost. At the close of that meeting, Brother Pent returned to North Carolina, Sister Clyde Cotton went to Tennessee, and Mrs. Holmes and I with Sister Neltie Lane went up to Culbertson, North Carolina, and held a meeting where Miss Mamie Leopard, another one of our teachers, was teaching school for awhile. We preached there for a week in the school house, only one man saved, and that one on a bad rainy night when he was the only one Present besides Brother Carter, another preacher whom we met there, and myself. 163 MEETING OF 1908 That was a hard cold place in the mountains, where there were only about two people who believed in sanctification, Sister Anderson and Sister Massey. Sister Massey had also received her Pentecost and Sister Anderson was seeking it, but did not receive until after we left. We stayed with Brother Baker and his family who entertained us very kindly. While there one day I went up on a small mountain in a range of the Blue Ridge overlooking the town, and began praying, and praising God, and got to praising and praying and talking in tongues pretty loud, and while I was lying down praising and talking in tongues, a man with his gun in his hand came right up on me and called out, ('Hello here." I raised up and looked. He said, " What’s the matter here?" I said nothing only I am praising God. He said, "You are disturbing the town. Better look out." I said I did not know that I was disturbing the town, I had no desire to disturb the town. He turned and went down the mountain, and I went on praying and praising God, though not so loud. So it is, while one man is full and boiling over with the love and the praises of God, another stands cold, and heartless with his rifle to bring him down. The enemy's rifle of persecution, and criticism, and sport are heavily loaded and distributed through the world, and put into 164 the hands of the most efficient marksman, with; imperative orders to spare no one. When the meeting closed at that place, we were invited by Brother Carter, who lived up near Hayesville, North Carolina, to go up there and hold a meeting. My wife, the two young ladies and I went with him by train to Murphy, and then seventeen miles in a hack over and along the mountains and rivers to Hayesville, and preached in an old church a mile or so out from the town. Hayesville is an interesting little town in a most beautiful valley, mountains. rising up all around it. We were very well received there. One old man let us have the use of a vacant house free of rent for the ten days · we were there. It was the county seat, with a nice courthouse, and had been for years, and they had only had one murder case in court in the history of the county. The people came out in large crowds, but when we began to preach on Pentecost, and the young ladies testified and talked in tongues, they were frightened and scattered. It was all new to them and it took several days to get them to coming again, but when we left many were interested, and some were hungry for the experience of Pentecost. We preached to a good large crowd in the court house the last night of the meeting, from I Cor. 12:8-II, the gifts of the Spirit. The next day we returned to Murphy, and took train for home by way of 165 MEETING OF 1908 Ashville, North Carolina. Miss Mamie Leopard returned to Culberson. When we reached home we got our tent, and my wife and I, with Miss Nellie Lane, and Miss Lida Purkey, another one of our teachers, went to Simpsonville, and held another meeting before the Bible Institute opened. Brothers V. W. Kennedy and Oscar Taylor, students of the Institute, helped us also in that meeting. The tent was about a mile out from the town, near the home of Brother Owing, where we stayed most of the time. One day my wife and I went over from the tent to stay a day or so with Mrs. Dorson. While there I went out into the woods some distance from the house and began to pray, and praise God. After continuing for a season in prayer and praise, I began to talk in tongues, and was soon an my feet preaching aloud in tongues so that my wife and others at the house heard me, and came out into the yard and listened, and could hear the distinct words in other tongues. I think I must have preached for half an hour over there in the woods by the branch all alone. When we returned to the tent for Service, I spake a few words during the service which were interpreted by Brother Kennedy; who had received a partial gift of Interpretation. Some were blessed and helped along in that meeting, some saved and Some sanctified. From the Simpsonville meeting we went to 166 Birmingham, Alabama to help Brother M. M. Pinson in a tent meeting. This was the most largely attended, and the most far-reaching of any meeting we had during the summer. There were People there from different sections of the state, and even other states. Many were blessed, some saved, some sanctified, and some received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and spoke in other tongues. There were some remarkable manifestations of the Holy Spirit's work. The discerning power of the Spirit was manifested in one or more instances, in a marked degree. We remained there about ten days, and during that time the annual convention of the Alabama Pentecostal Association was held, and enlarged under the name of the Southern Pentecostal Association, which I joined and of which I was made President; and Brother M. M. Pinson, Vice President and traveling secretary; Mrs. T. E. Andrews, Secretary; and Brother O. N. Todd; Treasurer. The object of the Association was to promote the truths of the deeper Christian life, including sanctification, divine healing and Pentecost, and also to Promote the cause of missions in the foreign field, as well as the home land. 167 CHAPTER XXV DEEPER YET After the close of the Birmingham meeting, we returned to Altamont for the opening of the next term of the Bible and Missionary Institute, October 1, 1908. This term of the Institute opened with a large number of students, and some with a more advanced state of the Pentecostal experience. In some respect the term was very different from the last one. There was in some ways a deeper work of the Holy Ghost, at least it was brought out more through interpretation and discernment. We had a larger number of students than we had ever had, running up to about seventy at one time. If a man would show forth the power of the Pentecostal life he must not only come with a pure, clean character and receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost and thus get into the great current of God's divine operations, but he must abide there in a yielded obedience to the course of that current. There he may expect the uniform flow of this power, out through his life in the manifestations of the Holy Ghost into the lives of others. Sometimes messages were given in tongues and interpreted for the whole Institute. Often it would be encouraging and urging us to press on, and we would receive the gifts of the 168 Spirit. Sometimes the messages would be a rebuke or warning, for lack of unity or for disobedience or division or lack of faith. Sometimes different ones would fall to the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit, and lie for hours as though in a trance, and have visions of the unseen world, or of people and places of the heathen world; sometimes picturing the great blessings of the Gospel, and sometimes the awful judgment of the lost. They would not lose consciousness of the things about them entirely, but their thoughts were so wrapt in the intensity of the scenes of the vision, or the presence of the supernatural, that they were inattentive to their physical surroundings. When the supernatural power or presence had passed away, and they returned to the normal state, and the natural things around crowd in on their consciousness, the scenes of the vision would in a measure recede from their memory, though enough remained perchance to enable them to hold the blessed experience of the vision, yet they were not often able to relate very much of what they saw, though sometimes they could tell much of it. Personally I have never experienced anything of a real vision of things beyond, though I have been for hours in spiritual touch with the supernatural, lying in a state of blessed quiet repose of body, and stillness of soul, and mind absorbed in meditation upon the things of God, and while 169 DEEPER YET fully conscious of things and people around, my spirit would be in blessed fellowship and communion with God. How precious, how wonderful, how blessed. No wonder angels are happy, and indeed we may be here, and how much more when we shall meet our Savior in the air. When we shall " See Him face to face, and tell the story saved by grace." Sing it. " Some day the silver cord will break, Chorus. " Some day this earthly house will fall, " Some day when fades the golden sun, " Some day till then I'll watch and wait, 170 Many trials and testing came to us during this term. Many things we did not understand, and sometimes we halted and questioned some of the signs and manifestations as to whether they were of God or not. Sometimes the enemy got in some of his work in imitation of the work of the Spirit, and it took the discernment of the Holy Spirit to distinguish between the imitation and the real. Thank God, He knows, and can teach us the difference if we are obedient and attentive to him. The counterfeit need not discourage us for it proves the existence of the real, and if we are resting in God, He will not only reveal the real manifestation of the Holy Ghost, but expose the imitation of the enemy. We had some real fierce battles with the unseen powers of darkness, and sometimes feared we might be defeated, but by faith in God, He gave us the victory, and we came through the term rejoicing and praising God, for His marvelous works, and manifestation of His power in our midst. The term closed the last of May, 1909, with a week or ten days Bible Conference. A blessed season of fellowship and communion with God and His people. 171 CHAPTER XXVI TABERNACLE At the close of this term some of the students, and I, went down from the mountain to Greenville about nine miles, for the purpose of building a small tabernacle in which to preach the Gospel of full salvation. My wife and I had a good size lot, about an acre, in the north western part of the city, just between the city and two of the large cotton mills, where we might if the Lord willed, build a tabernacle for service, and eventually have a school or college where those who desired, might be taught the Full Gospel of Christ, along with other branches of learning. We went down and put up our little tents to live in while we worked. I had a small lot in another portion of the city which I traded to the West End Lumber Company. I got $400.00 for the lot, in lumber and then in the end added another hundred making the lumber cost $500.00. The original plan of the tabernacle, I believe was given me of the Lord some years ago, but I had not been able to locate and build. The plan was the shape of a cross thirty by sixty feet each way, but when we began we did not feel able to build as planned, and thought we would put up two sections of it and then in the future add the other two. 172 After we began work laying the foundations, one morning lying in my tent, something seemed to say to me, why not build to the original plan? Better to build now than to add on in the future. I felt that it was the Lord speaking. I said Lord I will. So we enlarged the foundations to the original plan. The students entered into the work with me, as unto the Lord. And a few friends in the city also helped some, but the principal part of the work was done by the students, and by the middle of July, we had it ready, and began a meeting in it, in which the Lord richly blessed us, and brought some into the light of the Gospel. We cut off three rooms in the rear end of the tabernacle, and added a porch and stove room. During the meeting my wife and I had some of the Institute young ladies with us to help in the meeting, and in the cooking, and other things needed to be done. 173 CHAPTER XXVII IN ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE After closing the meeting there, my wife and I with two of our teachers, Miss Mary Smithson and Miss Nina Cotton, went to Birmingham, Alabama, for a few days meeting, and from there to Franklin, Tennessee, where we held another meeting at the home of Brother T. E. Andrews. We had a tent put up in his lawn, and remained there for about two weeks. The meeting was a hard one, the people were hard to reach though there were a few saved, and some sanctified, and a few received the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Quite a number of us were entertained in the home of Brother Andrews. His wife had received her Pentecost, and several of her family, and she took great pains to carry the burden of the meeting, in looking after the guests, in their spiritual welfare as well as their temporal needs. In addition to Miss Mary Smithson, and Miss Nina Cotton, who were much used of the Lord in giving messages from the Word, and in other tongues and in testimonies, and in music, we had several other workers who were very helpful in the meeting, among them: Misses Annie Lamar, Janie Milton, and Anna Dean Cole, Sister Cole their mother with her heart overflowing with praises to God, Miss Ellen Trepard, and others. 174 After the close of this meeting Brother Pinson and family, Miss Annie Lamar, Miss Mary Smithson, Miss Nina Cotton, Mrs. Holmes and I left for another meeting at Dixon Springs, Tennessee. On our way through Nashville my wife and I with Miss Mary and Miss Nina were invited by Brother Tim H. Moore to stop over with him a day or so, and preach at a tent meeting he was holding there. We enjoyed our visit in his home, and also being at the meeting two nights. We reached Dixon Springs the next day, after a ride of some twenty miles in a hack. We were all entertained at the home of Brother Pete Gregory, about two miles from the place of meeting. Brother Gregory is a whole hearted Pentecostal man, and took good care of us all and we enjoyed being in his beautiful country home. ? The meeting was rather a time of seed sowing than reaping. The people were rather slow to receive the truth of sanctification and Pentecost as we preached it, but we felt the meeting was not without some good results. Brother Pinson and family with Sisters Annie Lamar, and Mary Smithson moved the tent two or three miles out from Dixson Springs for another meeting. My wife and I returned home Sister Nina Cotton came with us as far as Chattanooga, Tennessee, where we all stopped over for the night with Miss. Clyde Cotton, and attended a Pentecostal Prayer meeting, where we 175 IN ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE witnessed some marvelous manifestations of the Holy Spirit's work in speaking in tongues and interpretation. 'One person would speak a message in tongues, and sing In tongues, and as soon as he ceased someone would give out the whole message in English, and when he would come to the song would sing right out in English what had been sung in tongues with the same tune. I spoke a few words in tongues, which were immediately interpreted by some one. The next day Mrs. Holmes and I came on home to get ready for the opening of the next term of the Institute, the first of October, 1909. 176 CHAPTER VIII LOVED ONES BLESSED This' term began with the usual number of students, though a larger proportion of them were females. The teachers were nearly the same as the last term. A short time before the term opened I received a card from my brother to come down and see one of his sons, Zelotes Lee, who was quite ill with pleurisy of the lungs. My wife and I went down to see him at his home, several miles from Laurens. When we saw him, he was pale and thin and weak and almost gasping for breath, from the effects of the pleurisy He was sitting in a chair because he could not breath lying down. We prayed with him and asked God to heal his body and bless him, and sanctify him in his soul. God wonderfully blessed him in his spiritual life, and touched his body with a healing touch, and I believe he is being healed though gradually, not immediately. When we were leaving I asked him if he would not go back with us to the mountain. He said he would like to go if he could. The doctors were to meet there the next day to perform and operation to draw off the water which had accumulated on his lungs. Finally he said he would go, and sent word to the doctors not to come, and he came back with us to the mountain 177 LOVED ONES BLESSED when we got up to the Institute I said to him, "Zelotes, I am praying to God for three things. First, that He may perfectly heal your body; second, that He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and third, that, He will give you the Bible Institute." He said, "Well I have just been thinking of that myself." He has been with us since. I believe God is healing. He has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the witness of tongues, and I believe will abide in the Institute, and be used of the Lord to advance the work. We are still looking to the Lord for perfect deliverance for his body. He has already in a great measure recovered, without the operation. One of the teachers of last term, Miss Fay Watson was called to the mission field, and has just accompanied Reverend Richard Anderson and his wife who is a sister of Miss Fay, to Central America. They came home about a year ago on account of Brother Anderson's health. They came up to Altamont and both received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and Brother Anderson, we believe was healed of appendicitis. Miss Fay had already received the baptism with the Holy Ghost some two years ago, so they all returned with the Pentecostal blessing. I had the pleasure, I thought of saying, sad pleasure, of attending the farewell service at Greenwood, South Carolina, a few days ago. I 178 thought about feeling sad, but when I realized where they were going and why, there was no place for sadness, The joy of the Master's call and the salvation of the lost dispelled the sadness. that would have been at the going away of my kinsman. The students and teachers seemed to. realize more than usual, the importance of getting down to hard study and have made good progress. In the early part of the term there was much manifestation of the Spirit in rebuking the evil spirits that seemed to be working in the Institute, in different ways. One who seemed to have a special manifestation of the rebuking power was a Russian German Jew, Brother Lewis Sawgalsky, who was the first person saved in the Tabernacle at Greenville. He was saved on Saturday night, and sanctified on Sunday, and baptized with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues on Monday. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit for rebuking evil spirits seemed to be upon him in a great measure. Some of those who were rebuked received in meekness and were profited, others rejected. But altogether it has been one of the most profitable terms we have had in the Institute up to this time. And now a few days ago it was decided by a practically unanimous vote of the students and teachers to change the term from winter to summer. 179 LOVED ONES BLESSED So we are just about to close the term for two months vacation, and open again the first of May, 1910, and continue until December, 180 CHAPTER XXIX INTERPRETATIONS Some days ago one of our teachers, Miss Mary Smithson, wrote in an unknown tongue, some seventeen pages on letter paper. She did not know what she had written, and no one in the Institute at the time could interpret it. She sent it by mail to Mrs. Frank Bramblett, a lady in Laurens County, who had the gift of interpretation. In a few days she received it back with the following letter, and accompanying interpretation. I could not undertake to give a copy of the writing in the unknown language, but will give a copy of her letter, and interpretation which are as follows: "Dear Miss Smithson, Am returning your piece together with the interpretation of same. It seems to me that I never had any more liberty in any piece than I have in this one. I do not think I was more than ten minutes writing it. Glory ! Glory! Glory to Jesus forever. Nothing in me. Only Jesus. These verses are quoted in full in the piece, but I only put chapter and verse down, so you can hunt them up in the Bible, as I am pressed for time just now. Any time I can serve you, call on me. Your humble sister in Jesus, (MRS) AGNES A. BRAMBLETT. 181 INTERPRETATIONS Interpretation of writing and passages quoted! in tongues. "I Thes. 5:2-23; II Pet. 3:3, 4,10, 11, 12; Tit. 2: 13; I Tim. 6: 14, 15; I Jno. 3:2; Rev. 3: 11; Rev. 22 : 12-20. "You have no idle time to spend. Every breath you draw perishing souls are dropping into hell. The fields are white unto harvest, but where are the laborers Woe! be unto them that are at ease in Zion. Make haste to carry my Gospel to famishing souls. What is done must be done quickly. Continue to go on in my warfare, Yea, go into the thickest of the fight. The enemy of your soul will assail, but press faithfully on, for your Lord, your God until strengthen you and encourage your heart. Go on in battle for your God, ever watching, ever hoping for your Lord's return to earth again. And you take care to ever be found a faithful worker in His vineyard Amen." " Second coming of Christ. I Jno. 2:28; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Heb. 9:28; Jas. 5:7, 8, 9; Col. 3:4; I Thess. 2:19; Job 19:25; Mark 13:27-32, 35, 36 ; Jno. 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Cor. 1:7-8; Luke 21:27-31, 36; Mark 14:62; Luke 12:37-40; Matt. 24:3, 27, 30, 31 37, 38, 39; I Cor. 4:5; I Thess. 3: 13 ; I Pet. 5: 4; Rev. 1:7; Jude 14, 15; I Thess. 4: 15, 16, 17; Matt. 24: 42, 43, 44; Matt. 25: 13; Luke 18: 8; 2 Tim. 4: I-8." Just a day or two before the change in the 182 term of the Institute from winter to summer was decided on, during a season of fasting, one of the students, Miss M. McAlister, wrote four pages letter paper in an unknown tongue under the power of the Holy Spirit, and sent it to Mrs. Agnes Bramblett for interpretation. In a few days it was returned to her and proved to be a message for me, and as follows: "Dear Brother Holmes: You have been given the mind of Jesus about the fast. God hath chosen it, and good will be accomplished by changing your school. Glory to Jesus, Glory, Glory. Be diligent in all things, ever watching for your Lord's return to earth again. Be faithful in your work. God will strengthen thee and supply your needs. Be on the guard, for a ravenous wolf in sheep’s clothing will try to devour thee, but just look up to God. He will deliver thee. He will quickly show you the false from the true. Press on, and in the end receive the crown in store for you. Behold I come quickly. Amen" "Dear Sister: Would have sent earlier, but was away from home last week. Humbly serving, MRS. BRAMBLETT .J) About the same time that this was sent to Mrs. Bramblett, another one of the students sent a piece of writing that was written in tongues 183 INTERPRETATIONS under the power of the Holy Spirit sometime in the year 1909 by another student, and laid aside not knowing what it was. It was returned by the same mail with the piece written by Miss McAlister. It proved to be a message to me also, and the interpretation is as follows: "Altamont, S. C. To dear Brother Holmes. Greetings in Jesus' name. Blessings rest upon thine household, for God hath chosen this fast, to carry out a more divine purpose in His will. Dark Africa's millions. Who will go? Who will go to their rescue? The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. So make much haste Brother Holmes, and urge My saints to carry My glad tidings of salvation to this dark benighted land. I will honor this fast with great good. Ever remember to work while it is day for the hour cometh when no man can work the works of Him that sent you. Be faithful in the service of your God Amen." It was indeed a great comfort and blessing to me, to receive these two messages so unexpectedly on the same day, with the faith that they were the interpretations of what was written under the power of the Holy Spirit in other languages. It is blessed to know that God is dealing with His people in these days. God wrote on the wall at Belshazzar's feast with the fingers of a man's hand in another tongue. This message 184 was to the king which no man but Daniel could interpret. Then why should it seem incredible, that the Holy Ghost should write on the board or paper with the finger of a man's hand messages to individuals either for their weal or woe. Some of the messages which have been given in the Institute have been comforting, and encouraging, and others have been very solemn warnings, to those who disobey God. When these messages are written or spoken in tongues by one who does not know to whom, or what he has spoken, and another gives out the interpretation of what no one else understands at all, it makes me realize the presence, and operation of the supernatural Power of God."
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