He leadeth me : or, The personal narrative, religious experience, and Christian labor of Rev. E. Davies

Front matter

OR, THE

PERSONAL NARRATIVE, RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE, AND CHRISTIAN LABORS

OF

Introduction

Dear Keader, — I have been requested at different times, and by different persons, to write out and publish my religious experience, personal labors, etc. I never seemed to find time to do so till now, and I do it now as the measure of the privilege is the measure of the responsibility. I have penned the following lines as time would allow. They have been written in the heat of the summer, and while I had charge of a large church, and in the midst of many other pressing duties and responsibilities.

The Lord has made the writing of this book a blessing to my soul, and 1 have not the least doubt but he will make the reading of it a blessing to your soul, and that will wonderfully pay me for the incessant care and toil of preparing it.

You will find no attempt at anything great, but a simple narrative of God's dealings with me, and of my labors for him and the cause of Christ I love so well.

There are, no doubt, mistakes that may have escaped my eye in review, but Jesus' blood covers them, and so let your mantle of charity be thrown over them; catch the spirit of the book, and pray for the author, that he may live at least twenty years longer to do battle for God and humanity, and win one hundred thousand souls Christ. Amen and amen. E. D.

East Cambridge.

Contents

CHAPTEE I.

Birth in England, near Dudley castle — Historic facts of the castle — Mother's prayers and tears — Sabbath-school instructions— Convicted of sin — Broken vows — Rev. Thomas Collins my spiritual father — Rapturous joy — Resisted temptation— Joined the class — Parley with Satan — Was overcome— Sad experience — Was almost in despair — Again convicted— Three months' struggle — Firm resolution — Light dawning — First cross — Began to work for Jesus. . . .Page 13

Chapter II

Gaining strength by labor — Tract distribution — Good results — Call to preach — God's signs — Spirit of prayer — Entire sanctification — Memoirs of holy men and women — Best qualification for a Methodist minister — Was fully sanctified — Preparing to preach — Teaching in Sabbath school — Redeeming lost time 20

Chapter III

Exhorter's license — Failures — Removal to Birmingham — Conquered my enemies — Attempt to preach — Man and wife converted — Sent out to preach — Critical woman — Became a local preacher — Preaching nearly every Sabbath — Newton Row — Special consecration and answer to prayer — Dr.

V1U CONTENTS.

Dixon's advice to go to America — Decided to come — Preparations— Kevival in the ladies' boarding school — Young men's improvement society— Parting presents— Left the railway carriage factory — Revival the first day— Heavenly encouragements — Long farewells — On to Liverpool — Homesick and cure — Sabbath in Liverpool— On the ocean — Storm at sea — Working for Jesus — Dreams of home and of New York 26

Chapter IV

Hearing Rev. J. B. Wakeley in New York — Showed my letters — Kind hospitality — Preachers' meeting — Openings to preach — Calls of presiding elders — Dr. Stevens' special kindness — Sent my letter to Bishop Janes — Ordered to Maine — Preaching in Portland — Tears in the graveyard — New temptations — Convert the first Sabbath — All kinds of treatment — Backslider — Holiness meetings — Lecture appointments— Quarterly Conference — Would stop the mission— God overruled — Rev. Thomas Greenhalgh — Cornish — Reformation all the year — First baptism — Repairing meeting-house— South Hiram — Prayer of faith — Reformation spreading — Glorious year — Was married — Scarborough — good work — Meeting-house repaired — Returned the second year — Sudden death of wife and child — Stationed at Pownal, North Yarmouth, and Danville — Married again 36

Chapter V

Large circuit — Danville run down — Meeting-house repaired — Charles Cobb and family converted — Robinson families — Dance hall forsaken — Young people's meeting in the woods — Rev. C. E. Libby — The whole town blessed — Pownal meeting-house repaired — Reformation — Mrs. Wescot — Sad story, a warning— North Yarmouth — Ammi Loring — Davis family — Two sisters— Two ministers . ... 48

CONTENTS. IX

Chapter VI

Bethel — No central point to the Methodist church — Young lady converted — A meeting-house started on Bethel Hill — Bemoval to Theological Seminary, Concord, N. H. — Graduated in three years — Plenty of work — Revival at Auburn — Hookset revival — Allenstown revival — Incidents — Warner revival — Incidents — The good I gained at the seminary — Sheepscot Bridge, Maine — Summer revival — Harrison Stevens — Carrie Houdlette — Munsey town revival — Incidents— West and Jackson families , 59

Chapter VII

Damariscotta Mills — Revival incidents — Lincoln family — Rev. Horace Bray — Donnel family — Rockland revival incidents — Simeon Blood — H. Howard — Incidents 74

Chapter VIII

Moved to Union — Ware family — Good charge — Northport camp-meeting — New boarded tent — Revival followed — North Union — Time for study — Writing books — Life insurance— Moved to Dresden — Repaired meeting-house — Revival on Blynn Hill — South Dresden — National camp-meetings — Wonderfully saved — Spread the fire — ' Resources of the universe ' — ' Lacked ye anything ? ' 85

Chapter IX

Went to Rockland Conference — Good health — God fixed the appointments — Moving down East — Machiasport — Drive to the parsonage — Whiting village — Dark look — Union meeting-house— Unpleasantness — Rev. Alfred Adams — Grove meeting — Speculations about it— Order of exercises — Suggestions— Alvra Hanscom — God's power manifest — Foster

CONTENTS.

family— Hoyt neighborhood — Edmunds — Lubec— Pembroke— Cutler— Baptisms— Blessed results— One new minister and meeting-house 98

CHAPTEK X.

What followed the grove meeting— Incidents concerning the meeting-house — God helped — Baptized into the work of an Evangelist — Reformation at Lubec — Northfield blessed — Incidents — One hour with God every morning — Mighty work of God — Moose Paver — Victory the first night — Glorious work — South Lubec — Incidents — Eastport — Suffered at the baptism — Finishing the meeting-house — Dedication — 'This is your home' — Whitneyville — Blessed meetings — Incidents — Converts — Stealing converts — Wesley — Mighty work — One hundred converted or reclaimed 118

Chapter XI

Evangelical labors continued — Machias revival — Speculations — Crowded house — First converts — Annie Allen — Congregationalists — Incidents — Milltown, forty miles in the rain — Dark look — Baptism of the Holy Ghost the first Sabbath — More than one hundred forward for prayers in two weeks — Incidents — Moved to Whiting — Spent my Conference week at Milltown — Marshfield — Summer revival — Fifty converts— Hadley's Lake 139

Chapter XII

Cutler and the regions around — Cutler meeting house — Hard work — God took the curse off— It was finished, dedicated, and sold — Great victory — Round Lake National camp-meeting, 1871 — Niagara Falls— Rev. William P. Ray — Three hours' talk very profitable — ' Lacked ye anything ? ' — Whit-

CONTENTS. XI

ing blessed — Our children saved — Richmond camp-meeting — Northport camp-meeting — Earnest efforts for sinners — East Machias camp-meeting — Children's meetings — Holiness meetings — Parting scene — Northfield grove meeting — Conversions — Sacrament — Whiting grove meeting — Baptism of the Holy Ghost — Milltown grove meeting — Hard fight — Filled the programme — Victory or death — Willie Rodger's victory — Silent prayer — Many converts — Mercy drops at Whiting — Columbia Falls — Pembroke 154

Chapter XIII

Resting — East Machias — South Pembroke — Machiasport — Victory — A real pentecost at Addison — A week at home — Mighty work in Whitneyville — Machias blessed — Addison, Indian River — Addison Point — Hall district — Enlarging the parsonage 174

Chapter XIV

Good news from Addison — Notes from my jcarnal — Good news from Milltown — Visit to General Conference — Letter from Weston — Glorious meeting in the Aroostook county — Reformation — Conference — Letter to the cabinet — Invitation to supply the pulpit of Trinity M. E. church, East Cambridge — Experience on the steamer — Good work at East Cambridge — Summer revivals — A consumptive saved — Mr. Sloane saved — Man converted at the parsonage — Dr. Steele — Rev. A. B. Earle — His mantle on me— Yarmouth camp-meeting — Hamilton camp-meeting — Children's meet- :ngs — Young people's meetings — Partner with Jesus — Jesus gives me a home— Personal abuse — Wiliimar b'c camp-meeting — Mothers' prayers answered — Excb aug<? / ite, Rev. P. Wood— Last Sabbath at East Cambridge M*

XU CONTENTS.

CHAPTEK XV.

A gracious providence leads me to Hagaman's Mills, Central New York— Kev. A. Osborn and wife—Blessed baptisms of the Holy Ghost— West Galway— Heavenly season— Brother Newman's confession — Incidents — Results 222

CHAPTEE XVI.

Holiness Convention at Bath — A precious season — God poured out his Spirit — Conversion — 'I will satiate the souls of the priests ' — Pittston— Settling difficulties 236

HE LEADETH ME.

CHAPTER I. 4 Where shall my wondering soul begin?

How shall I all to heaven aspire ? A slave redeemed from death and sin,

A brand pluck'd from eternal fire, — How shall I equal triumphs raise, Or sing my great Deliverer's praise?'

I first saw the light of the sun in the center of England, in the town called Dudley, which is noted for the castle of the same name, which rears its majestic head far into the heavens, on a hill covered with the finest trees, walks, and the ruins of the ancient stone buildings, that serve as a connecting link between this and the ages past. In this castle money was made, and tradition says that the buildings were burned down some one hundred and thirty years ago ; and it is well known that Oliver Cromwell planted his cannon on what is called ' Kate's hill,' and battered away at this ancient fortress. It is a place of constant resort from the regions around,

and has some of the finest carriage drives, walks, court-vard, and romantic scenery to be found in the whole land. It is now in the hands of Lord Dudley Ward, who keeps it in good order by a company of men called keepers, who live within its bounds. The public are admitted by tickets, and are at liberty to range about its whole length, and breathe at pleasure its salubrious air. And many a happy day have I spent in its pleasant precincts. It is about three or four miles round, and is well walled in. A river runs right underneath it, and canal boats are constantly carrying away the best kind of limestone, which is found so plenteously in the bounds of this mighty castle hill. Just at the foot of this castle I began to lean upon my mother's breast March 27, 1830. Soon after memory began to dawn I was blessed with the tears and prayers of that now sainted mother. How those tears fell upon my cheeks as I lay in my little bed, and how hard I found it to go against the wishes of her who loved me so well.

I soon found my way to the Sabbath school, and was blessed with devoted teachers. Here I committed to memory the whole of catechisms Nos. 1 and 2, containing all the doctrines of the church, and the Scripture proofs. This was quite a drill, and required much pains, but was an everlasting benefit. How well I remember the definitions of justification and faith, of the soul and of the body, of heaven and of hell. How the tears would start

EARLY EXPERIENCE. ID

in my eyes as the superintendent would pray so fervently for us. How I would resolve to be good and seek religion : and the first davs of the week I would remember my vows, but would need to re?iew them. So I went on till one Sabbath night I heard Rev. Thomas Collins preach, and my heart was touched by the Holy Spirit. I remember in the prayer-meeting many went forward for prayers. I stayed in my seat till some one came after me. Then I went to the altar and bowed amidst the prayers and shouts of seeking sinners and new-born souls. I did just as they told me, looked away to Jesus as my only hope, and found him precious to my soul. I went home at nearly ten o'clock at night to make a mother's heart dance for joy, realizing

' How happy are they, Who the Saviour obey,

And have laid up their treasures above ; Tongue can never express The sweet comfort and peace Of a soul in its earliest love.'

The next Sabbath morning I went to the class-meeting, and my little heart fluttered as the leader came round to speak to me, but I told him my short experience, received good counsel, and had my name enrolled with the people of God.

' Oh, the rapturous height Of that holy delight,

Which I felt in the life-giving blood. Of my Saviour possessed I was perfectly blessed,

As if filled with the fullness of God.'

For a few months I went on my way rejoicing, and resisted the temptations, and suffered some persecution. But one Sunday morning on my way to class-meeting, Satan met me and seemed to resist me at every step, and tempted me to go and spend the time among my old associates. I pushed my way on to the class-meeting ; still I began to yield, and, instead of going right into the class-room, I stood near the door and began to parley. At length I turned away and wasted my hour in the company of the unconverted, still I was fully purposed to go to class the next Sabbath morning ; but alas, alas, I had broken my solemn vows, and brought guilt upon my conscience, and I was ashamed to go back and tell them the truth. Miserable years followed this course. I fell into sin more and more,, till I hated to have the class-leader come anywhere near me ; still I continued in the Sabbath school and attended regularly Sabbath worship, but my poor heart was sad, while I felt to cry out

' What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,

How sweet their memory still; But they have left an aching void The world can never fill.'

EARLY EXPERIENCE. 17

This sad experience put me into sympathy with the poor backsliders of every time and place. I was wretched indeed, and almost in despair at times ; the only thing that comforted me was the fond hope that I should some day return to my Father's house, otherwise the pains of hell had got hold of me. I have often felt and said if hell is any worse than my poor soul, the Lord deliver me from going therein.

But, thank God, this did not always continue. I was led to seek again the pardoning favor of God by a sermon on the judgment. How could I face the Judge whose blood I had trampled under my feet, whose mercy I had slighted ? I went forward for prayers, but found no peace for three long months. I was almost ready to conclude there was no hope for me, still I hoped on, and the dear Christians still prayed for me. Many others were converted at that time, but my heart was desolate.

At length one night a dear brother, Siveter, took me by the hand and showed me the way of faith more perfectly. That faith must go before feeling ; that God was infinitely willing to save me just then, if I would only believe his promises. I said, when he left me, if that is the way to be saved, I might as well come at one time as at another. So I resolved fully that I would never go into that house again till I had found salvation. I went almost to the door, and turned away to wander about the streets and to look up to God for salvation, at nearly ten o'clock that damp October night ; but I felt it was a matter of life and death, and it had been death long enough, now I must have life or perish. I began to expect salvation and to trust in Jesus, and, at length, there sprang up in my heart a little of the heavenly peace, iust a little rill of salvation, and immediately the Holy Spirit made known to me my duty to go to the house of a dear brother where the Christians were met and tell them of this blessed share of God's peace. This was a mighty cross. I could hardly dare to undertake it, but I was sensible I must do it or lose my Ijope. I started, but went a most roundabout way ; but at length I stood before the door trembling, and just at that moment I thought I heard some one in the garden. In a moment the suggestion came, * if that had been a man with a gun and had shot you dead, where would your soul have been ? At once I replied, ' I am trusting in Jesus, and I believe he would save me.' Then I knocked at the door, and soon it was open and I was on my knees with the praying band, and soon it was manifest that I had fallen among friends in the interpreter's house, and they showed me the subtle temptations of the adversary, and how to resist them.

I left that house strengthened and encouraged, and almost biting my teeth with decision that I

EARLY EXPERIENCE. 19

would never backslide any more. I went back to my class-meetings. I went round among my neighbors, and prayed with them from house to house. One night I found a party playing at cards ; as soon as they saw me the cards were gathered up and hid away. I asked them if I might have those cards to do as I pleased with them, and I would pay for their value. They said I might, so I put them into the fire, and went home for the money to pay for them. They refused to take it. I read and prayed with them, and warned them of the evil of their way. The Lord touched their hearts, and I gained some of them to go to class-meeting with me. Glory to God ! for the courage he gave me at that time.

CHAPTER II. ' If you cannot in the harvest

Garner up the richest sheaves, Many a grain both ripe and golden

Will the careless reapers leave.

Go and glean among the briers,

Growing rank against the wall ; For it may be that their shadow

Hides the heaviest wheat of all.'

Having lost my peace by unfaithfulness, I now resolved to be faithful in everything ; to enter every open door, and to even ' glean among the briers.' We had a system of tract distribution, by which a packet of tracts were put in our hands, and the same number of houses assigned us, so that with twenty tracts we could go to nineteen houses, and the next Sabbath take the twentieth tract to the first house in exchange for the tract they had had a week, and take that tract to exchange at the next house ; and this plan brought us to every door every Sabbath, and whenever opportunity served, we would enter the houses and talk with the people, visit the sick, and lead them to Jesus.

CALL TO PREACH. 21

My district was about the worst part of a city of thirty thousand inhabitants. I began in good faith, and one soul found peace ori her dying bed, and passed on to glory as the result of tract distribution, leaving a request that I should attend the funeral. So that I was pressed by necessity to read the Scriptures, make some remarks, and sing and pray at a funeral service, and so coming events cast their shadows beforehand.

CALL TO PREACH.

I soon found that it was the will of God that I should preach his gospel to my perishing fellow men. I had already preached from house to house, but the Holy Ghost pressed me to make my labors more public.

As a preparation for this work, I needed almost everything except true piety, and a -sense of duty. I reasoned every way against it, and asked for one sign after another. ' Give me the salvation of that young man, that I may be sure it is my duty to preach ; ' and the young man was converted, and became a local preacher, class-leader, Sabbath-school superintendent, etc. How my heart thrilled with joy, when I found he had been converted ! The Lord gave me so many similar answers to prayer, that I could doubt him no more, and I began to look the great duty in the face, and to think what I needed to carry it out.

SPIRIT OF PRAYER.

Before I liad much idea of preaching, I had found it hard to praj in our Sunday-night prayer-meetings, as we had a laree church of four hundred members ; but I had read of devoted Christians fasting and praying for the spirit of prayer. I gave myself to this holy exercise, and God graciously poured this spirit upon me, till I delighted' to pray anywhere, and could have gone into the pulpit of that large church and could have prayed if the church had been full of bishops. This was a special baptism of the Holy Ghost, and prepared me to pray in any place, and at any time. Would that all young Christians would seek the same heavenly gift.

ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION.

Immediately after I was reclaimed, I read the memoirs of holy men and women, as Bramwell, Fletcher, Longden, Henley, Smith, Mrs.. Fletcher, Hester Ann Rogers, etc. I found they had a spirit of devotion that I had not ; that they were more willing to sacrifice for God and his cause ; had more power with God and man. I began to feel my need of this entire devotion. At length, at home one night in the presence of an only brother, I asked an old class-leader ' what was the best qualification for a Methodist minister ? ' He replied, ' A sanctified heart.' This was plain and specific, and sent me at

ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION. 23

once to my closet, satisfied that if I could not have any other qualification, I might have this, for it was the will of God, even my sanctification ; and if this

' as

was the best qualification, then I could be qualified. I began to fast and pray, to mortify the deeds of the body and to humble myself before God, and to make an entire consecration of myself to Jesus and his blessed cause. At length I reached a point of desperation, where I felt that I must have the blessing, and have it now. I tarried to pray while others retired to rest, and I continued in devotion till about eleven o'clock p. m., when there came into my soul such a heaven of peace and purity, such a sweetness of communion and fellowship with God, that I knew my prayer was heard, and there was a spirit-voice to my spirit-ear, by which I was sweetly assured that my prayers were answered. It was, —

* A sacred awe that dared not move, And all the silent heaven of love.'

As spontaneously as from a boiling spring there welled up in my soul a constant stream of ' Praise the Lord ! ' ' Praise the Lord ! ' What an hour of holy transport ! My whole being felt the mighty change ; it was a glorious transformation into the divine image. I was filled with the fullness of God. It was a distinct work of the Holy Ghost, received by faith, and received in a moment. It was not a growth, but a gift; not a development, but an implantation. Glory ! Glory ! ! Glory ! ! ! that I ever learned this way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

I retired to rest with this living stream of praise flowing right out of my soul, and the first conscious thought in the morning was, ' Praise the Lord,' and so I continued through the day. So great was the change that I seemed to be walking on a carpet while about my work. How often I found my way to my closet, and how sweet was this fellowship with God, the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Now I was ready for every good word and work, to enter every open door, to sow beside all waters, to go on any little errands for Jesus, and I found enough to do.

All this time I was reading everything I could by way of preparation for the pulpit, as Wesley's Sermons, Watson's Institutes, Fletcher's Appeal, etc. I had a large class in the Sabbath school, and my daily prayer was, that God save every one of those dear boys, and I had faith that he would. One of them was a hard boy to manage, always ready to disturb the class. Sickness seized upon him, conscience condemned, he sent for his teacher, the penitent prayer was offered, Jesus blessed him, and he was the first of all my class to reach the port of eternal peace ; and when I gain heaven, I expect they will all be there to meet me.

REDEEMING LOST TIME. 25

' Oh how sweet it will be, In that beautiful land,

So free from all sorrow and pain ; With songs on our lips, And with harps in our hands,

To meet one another again.'

So I filled up my spare moments in doing good in every possible way, for I had lost five years of my life in backsliding, and now I was fully determined to redeem myself, and if possible to make up for lost time. * I had alreadv learned that

' Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.'

So I would be diligent, never be unemployed, never be triflingly employed. From seven o'clock on the Sabbath morning till nine at night I was at prayer or class-meeting, at preaching or Sabbath school, distributing tracts or visiting the sick, or looking after my scholars of the Sabbath school.

' Betwixt the mount and multitude Doing and receiving good.'

CHAPTER III. 'By thy unerring Spirit led

I shall not in the desert stray; I shall not full direction need,

Or miss my providential way ; As far from danger as from fear, While love, Almighty love, is near.*

It pleased the church to give me an exhorter's license, and I made some attempts to preach, but they were so near to failures, that I was almost readyto give up, and was tried very much, and I met with discouragements from others. That was sad ; still the conviction of duty remained, and I was purposed to persevere.

About this time I was called to live in the suburbs of the city of Birmingham, and attended Belmont Row Chapel. I was then at work at railway carriage building, with about four hundred men, many of whom seemed disposed to persecute me, and try in various ways to make me angry. I had to be very watchful and prayerful, that I might not stumble in their presence, and I thank God I was ena-

ATTEMPT TO PREACH. 27

bled to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand ; to stand till my enemies were at peace with me, and not one would move the hand or tongue against me.

I held some meetings in a private house and some souls were saved, and one Sunday afternoon the local preacher did not come, and I had gathered a congregation, so I conducted the services myself, and attempted to preach from ' God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' There was but little preach in it, but thank God there was some power. In the congregation was a man and wife that I had invited to go to meeting. They appeared to be interested, and invited me to go to supper with them. I did so, and took pains to plead with them to come to Jesus, and they went with me to the evening meeting, and, Glory to God! before they reached home they found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and thev became faithful members of the church of God.

I had not told mf convictions of duty as to preaching to the ministers in Birmingham ; but one Good Friday, when I was thinking what I should do for Jesus, who had done so much for me, I felt constrained to write to the superintendent of the circuit, and tell him all my heart. He gave me appointments to preach in different places, and sent local preachers to hear me, and they kindly criticised my efforts and reported them. Then I became a local preacher on trial, and began to preach frequently.

There was at one appointment a woman who

loved to make remarks about young ministers, and their feelings were often hurt. In time I had to go to the same place, and I had a little of the fear of a woman ; but I made it a matter of prayer, and the Lord gave me a complete victory, so that the mountain was no more than a mole-hill, and ' the mountains and hills broke forth before me into singing, and all the trees of the field clapped their hands.' I went out with joy, and was led forth with peace.' Glory to God !