* - H Six YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR SOUTH AMEBICA. BY REV. O. VON BARCIIWITZ-KRAUSER. PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY MCDONALD & GILL, OFFICE OF TIIK CHIUSTIAK WITNESS, 36 BROMFIELD ST., BOSTON, MASS. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1885, by O. VON BARCHWITZ-KRAUSER, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. INTRODUCTION. STEAMSHIP "!LO," PACIFIC OCEAN,) August, 1885. J FOE some time it has been my wish to tell the friends of Bishop Taylor, and those interested in the progress of his " Self-supporting Missions," what God has done for me, while I was so privileged to preach the Gospel in Chili, South America. The time seems to have come now, and although on board the steamer, yet it seems to be the proper time to say something on the subject. My heart is so full, and I must unburden myself to the honor and glory of God, as I trust it may be. Of course I was looking for a beginning; but so many thoughts of difficulties crowded into my mind, which, in- deed, seemed to baffle my intention from the beginning. One fact seemed to trouble me much, and this was : 4 INTRODUCTION. "You can't write in English, you have never studied that language, and you know nothing of the grammar and you might do in speaking it, but to write in English, you had better not do it." In all this I seemed to hear a whisper, and that whisper I did not like ; I thought I recognized the cloven foot, and the voice of the infernal one. So I knelt in prayer, and then the Comforter came, and a voice seemed to say : " Write ; I will bless thee. Write as best you can." Then the thought came to me : " There is so much said just now about Bishop Taylor and 'Self-supporting Missions,' that it might appear to be in time, if I, too, would say something of what God has done in Chili, to help along the cause, and, above all, glorify my Father which is in heaven. This being my sole object, this little work will, in every other respect, be quite unpre- tending. Now, in reading over what I have just written, I see that this might stand so, and answer as an introduc- tion. In the name of my Redeemer I shall go on, earnestly praying that the richest of blessings may at- INTRODUCTION. 5 tend the reading of this little book, and that the Sav- iour may be glorified in the face of all who wish to know how God blesses those who will trust Him for all things, and how He blessed me and kept me, soul and body, during the six years of self-supporting labor for Him. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. MY CALL, AND WORK AS AN EVANGELIST IK NORTH AMERICA. Pushed out on a self-supporting basis A church in great distress Holiness preaching How the Lord sends the supplies .----.-___ 11 CHAPTER II. SUMMER AND HARVEST-TIME REVIVALS. A remarkable answer to prayer A blind man with good eyes A wonderful experience He careth for us Midnight grace An experience in selecting a text How the Lord slew a Goliath Filling out a number of blank checks Martin Luther's ink-bottle a compar- ison -. 37 CHAPTER IIL MY FIRST MEETING WITH BISHOP TAYLOR IN 1879. DAYTON CAMP-MEETING. A visit to the place of my birth His grace all-sufficient Struck in the face; glory and praise In a prison Jus- tification and entire sanctification inside of fifteen minutes, 65 CHAPTER IV. MY CALL TO SOUTH AMERICA. A LETTER AND A VISIT FROM FATHER TAYLOR. A visit from William Taylor Leaving for South America The first revival in South America Life on the Isthmus On the great Pacific First money earned in Chili Bro. Smith preaches to the natives - 82 7 8 CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTEK V. ON THE BOKDEBS OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA. Landing on the field of battle My first German sermon The colony on Lake Llanquihue How my landsmen live The new idea : a holy man First signs of oppo- sition Their forlorn condition A conference - - 100 CHAPTER VI. THE COMMENCEMENT OF WOKK IN THE COLONIES. The first convert Taken prisoner A missionary's pleasant trip to a wedding The conversion of ten children A Roman Catholic family converted to God A trying change *A. sure way to get bad roads repaired - - 118 CHAPTER VII. A CHANGE TO THE CITY. A wonderful deliverance on horseback In Osorno My first funeral sermon Preaching to natives Among the children Polite with dogs - - 140 CHAPTER VIII. MY CALL, TO VALPARAISO. LEAVING THE COLONIES. Good common sense -- -- ---. 157 CHAPTER IX. A RICH MINE DISCOVERED. GOING TO WORK. Prayer-meeting in a bar-room Shot behind the counter Collared by a woman The main-top How God saved a rum-seller A remarkable conversion Good for a beginning Native work A native converted The priests after me ------.._ IQ% CHAPTER X. IN THE HOTBED OF VICE AND CRIME. A dancing-house proprietor in close quarters How to man- age Attempt to cut his throat Hunting souls A ter- rible death ------.___ jS CONTENTS. 9 PAGE CHAPTER XL TIMES OF SPECIAL, VISITATION. An aged drunkard converted Organization of a Good Tem- plars' Lodge A Sailors' Home is called into being An ex-rum-seller becomes the administrator of the Sailor's Home Opinions of some ship-masters A street meet- ing in front of a brothel A bit of advice How I paid a debt Tobacco experiences Prayer on a jibboom In the jaws of death Deciding for Christ on the gang- way Be sure your sin will find you out 196 CHAPTER XII. IN THE FlEEY FURNACE WITH JESUS. UNEXPECTED CHANGES. The Gospel for the natives Shadows of the valley A struggle for light My German Methodist Church A trip -o the old " Vaterland" One taken, the other left The Methodists in Uruguay and the Argentine Repub- lic Rio Janerio Thirteen years ago an infidel Days of power hi England _-.-... 223 CHAPTER XIIL ACROSS THE CHANNEL, HOMEWARD BOUND. THE REVIVAL, IN GERMANY. Heaviest trials and brightest sunshine My children, both gone to be with Jesus At the grave of my sainted mother Preaching in Berlin The power of love A remarkable feature Confession of sin A daughter brings home her wandering parents Ashamed of Christ The experience of a dressmaker Snatched from the burning Satan on development A remarkable experi- ence in fasting -- - - -_-- 242 CHAPTER XIV. EAST PRUSSIA. THE ANCIENT CITY OF THE KINGS. In the right spirit A Methodist old-fashioned meeting Rioters made friends The day of Pentecost had fully come The ancient city of the Kings Kant's city - 270 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XV. MY RETURN TO CHILI, TAKING WITH ME A GERMAN COLONY. The father of a large family of big " little ones " Crossing the Coast-Cordillera The new Colony Settling the Colonists in their new homes The needs of Valparaiso Divine services at the Colonies - - 284 CHAPTER XVI. THE FUTUKE OF CHILI. SOMETHING ABOUT THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE. Needed workers Bishop Taylor's mountain goats - - 296 CHAPTER XVII. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. WONDERFUL SALVATION. Early religious training The influence of my mother's life My infidelity shaken trying to get away from God A broken-hearted mother In America Sick and in rags Light from Calvary's cross A personal fight with Satan The terribleness of sin The discovery of a hidden enemy The repression theory The disap- pointment A prisoner gives me the " Guide to Holiness " A real inwrought holiness ----- - 310 CHAPTER I. MY CALL AND WORK AS AN EVANGELIST IN NORTH AMERICA. THE following extracts are from my journal, which I have kept from the day on which God called me to preach the Gospel as an evangelist, and long before I knew anything about William Taylor and his work. I read there the following : Indianapolis^ May 18, 1878. On the 18th of May, 1878, after earnest prayer, I felt called to go and preach the Gospel. When the Lord saved me from the jaws of death, and converted me so wonderfully in 1874, I promised Him that I would preach the Gospel. To-day Jesus came to claim me and take me at my word. I immediately left my occupation, and on speaking to a dear brother G. Haines about it, he told me that the Lord had also much impressed him for days, and that he had much thought about what the Saviour did when he sent out His apostles, " two by two." " I was waiting for some more definite instructions from the 11 12 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR Lord," said Bro. H., " when you just stepped in, and I believe the Lord would have us start out together." We rejoiced to be thus confirmed concerning the will of God, and, kneeling in prayer, we consecrated ourselves anew to God, waiting to be filled with the Holy Spirit for the work that was set before us. Oh, that precious hour ! How can we ever forget it ! There was no more fear ; if there had been any as to the certainty that God had called us to go out, it was certainly gone now. It was a moment of great import- ance to us. We felt it deeply, and our humiliation was complete. If ever we felt our own weakness, it was' now ; but God, our strength, appeared, the Lion of Judah on our side we felt, and were safe. At 12.40 p. M., the same day, we left for Z . In the train we talked together, and recounted the deal- ings of God with us in the days gone by, and we found to our great satisfaction and joy that the Lord did not send us on short notice ; but that He had tried and sifted us quite thoroughly in preparation for this dis- tinct call ; and no wonder that when it came we were found ready to say, " Lord, here am I, send me." PUSHED OUT ON A SELF-SUPPORTING BASIS Next came up a question which neither one of us had thought of until now, and that was our support ; to be sure it did not come to us as if it were questionable, IN SOUTH AMERICA. 13 although with some good people the devil gets a start on them thus far ; but it came in the shape of a joyful thought, to be " privileged " to trust the Lord and never to ask help ; and next, never to take up ,a collection. It took bnt a few moments to skip over that ground, and \ve were floating away in the land of perfect trust on that line. Bro. H., with a beaming face, told me then that he had but very little of the (to some people) eye-blinding or all-engrossing shining metal. I, being in possession of only forty cents, did not say a word, for fear (not the ashamed kind), of shouting outright in the cars. The Lord gave me plainly to understand, on starting out, that He would have me go on the apostolic line of self-support, the " faith line," as regards personal sup- port, traveling expenses, clothing, etc. The Lord gave me a " blank check " to all His provision stores, clothing-houses and hotels. I felt that I need only fill out the check and draw on Him for all my necessities. When this was pressed into my hand, it seemed tan- gible, and tears ran down my cheeks ; and silently I pressed the hand of my Bro. H., who sat at my side, drinking, as it appeared, at " the fountain deep and wide." As yet, we did not know how the Lord would lead us on our way to the people of Z . Indeed, we could not arrive at a definite plan, and had to give it up, be- 14 cause the train had just stopped ; and, leaving the depot, as by common consent, we made for the woods, which looked so inviting to us, at a little distance before. We concluded that there was the place for us to have a lit- tle conference with the Lord the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It was not long before we knew the triune God had come " our souls to greet," and, there in the woods, "glory crowned the mercy-seat." (It struck me then that some people don't know that, ac- cording to circumstances, the Father moves the mercy- seat into the woods.) When we arose, Bro. H. had his instruction. Look- ing at me he said : " Bro. Krauser, I remember having heard the name of the preacher in charge in this place, and if this is Bro. C., with whom I traveled fifteen years ago on the same circuit, we shall have no trouble to get a place for our meetings, and get the people, too." We went straight to the house of the preacher, hav- ing inquired of some one in the street as to its location ; but it was the house of the local preacher, who told us he thought it the wrong season of the year for pro- tracted meetings. We told him that we had received marching orders, and that we did not believe the Lord had made such a mistake as to send us in the wrong season of the year; but knowing the history of "re- vivals in their season," on the whole we did not mind what our good brother had to say, but begged him IN SOUTH AMERICA. 15 kindly, to conduct us to the house of Bro. C., which the man did. We soon found Bro. C.'s, the door opened, and the recognition of my partner and Bro. C. was mu- tual. They were, indeed, old acquaintances. The house was at once put in shape to keep us for a few days, and arrangements made for what was to be the first meeting on our evangelistic tour, and of course we were hopefully looking forward and upward to God to put His seal upon this, our first effort to save souls. Bro. C. had made us aware of the sad fact that it was a " stronghold of infidelity," so Bro. H. announced a "temperance meeting" for to-morrow (Saturday) night. The rest of the day we spent in prayer and reading the Scriptures. Saturday evening, May 19. My heart is lifted up to God. My soul rejoiceth in God my Saviour for this night's work. Bro. H. got off his temperance speech. The place was crowded, and the moment seemed to have come to preach the Gospel before closing the meet- ing. The Lord blessed me in delivering my message, and strong conviction was produced, as could be noticed if one but for a moment looked over that congregation. At the close I gave out meetings for the following day, which was Sunday. Three meetings were to be held at 10.30 A. M., 2. 30 P. M. (Gospel temperance meeting), and 7.30 p. M., (preaching). After the meeting many 16 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOE, came to me, and with tears, confessed how they had backslidden, and some said that they would like to be converted to God. The spirit of the meeting seemed to have taken them unawares, they appeared to be confounded and confessed that to-night they were not ready. Poor souls ! They then expressed a wish that we would remain, and that the Lord in mercy might lead them to repentance unto life. God grant it. Amen. Sunday, 20th (evening). What a glorious day! Early in the morning we retired to the woods, and there talked with God until it was time to open the church. I had selected for my text the words in Ex. xii. 13. How the beams from Calvary's cross laid open before me the unspeakable wisdom of God, as revealed to me in the " great book " I A storm was brewing, and every- body seemed to feel that soon a " break " must take place, and we were looking forward in faith and hope. No altar work had yet been introduced; but it was soon to come. The afternoon meeting was one of great power. Bro. H. preached a Gospel temperance sermon. Oh, how the power of darkness strove against light I I remarked to Bro. C. that I had never before felt such an opposing power prevail in the very atmosphere. It seemed he had felt it, too. But one soul found rest after a hard IN SOUTH AMERICA. 17 struggle for freedom. A drunkard came and yielded himself up, and also signed the pledge. The poor wife, who was sitting in the church, could not contain herself longer ; she arose, and coming up to the altar, fell about the neck of her husband and both wept tears of joy. It was a heart-melting time, and God was using this to melt the hearts of some who had become hardened. In the evening service, two stood up for prayers. Step by step, the ground had to be taken ; indeed, the stronghold of infidelity had to be assailed. On Monday, one sister came forward to the altar, and arose, praising the Lord for salvation found. Tuesday morning we retired again to the woods, and the Lord gave us a precious baptism of power, and as we had an- nounced meetings to be held during this entire week, and three meetings a day, we opened to-day at 10 A. M., and preached on Christian perfection. It was evident what was wrong in that church, and to-day it should not only be revealed, but the hurt was to be healed. While I preached to the members of the church, Bro. II. went into one corner of the church and there hid himself with God, and stayed during the en- tire service, and only came when the altar was crowded with seekers, to work among them. Among the seekers ofter holiness, was the pastor of that church and his wife. The dear brother had been preaching for thirty 18 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR years, but arose and confessed, that such manifestations he had never beheld before ; and with holy joy, and the imprint of a heavenly, perfect peace, beaming from his face, both he and his wife confessed to have obtained the blessing of a pure heart. Ten days we stayed in that town, and the blessings that now followed may easily be imagined. Several were freed from the power of sin of unbelief and the tower of the infidel was undermined ; and the best of all, our Bro. C. was now prepared to go 011 with his work, and we hope his church to-day is flourishing. Now, all this time we had not been asked, " Who sup- ports you ? " but as they had found out who sent us, we had no doubt but that the same would give us the money we needed to continue our journey. We also had not said a word to anybody on that subject, nor did we take up any collections. We had told Bro. C. that the next town, about five miles distant W. we had chosen for our field of operation. lie begged us to desist from it, and change our plan, and gave as his reason for advising us thus, that the poor brother who had been in charge of the church there up to only a few weeks ago, and who once enjoyed the grace of God, had sadly fallen, and the whole church was on the point of dissolving membership; and that the few re- maining faithful ones were completely discouraged. We were quiet not saying a word; but before start- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 19 ing for the railway station we once more made for our favorite spot in the woods, where the Saviour so often had met and communed with us, and told Mm all about W . The more we prayed, the more we became certain of going to that place. It had become evident to us that the poor people in "W had been quite for- saken, and in their extreme distress had not had the comfort of Christian counsel. However, God remem- bered His church in "W , for He had yet a few there, who had not bowed their knees to Baal. A CHURCH rsr GREAT DISTRESS. We hurried back to Bro. C. and told him we had or- ders to proceed at once to W . He bade us God- speed, and we departed. I took my very small hand- satchel, and felt in my pocket for the forty cents ; just ten cents lacking to pay a five-mile fare. I felt I could not ask Bro. II. to help me out ; and, besides, I knew he had but enough for himself ; and yet I knew I was to take that train that was to come around the bend in about ten minutes. "While Bro. G. was talking with some one on the street, I hurried on to the depot, deposited my satchel with the ticket-agent, telling him that I would be back in a few minutes, and opening the back door, I looked for a place to pray once more to God ; but finding an open space, I remained standing in the open door, and 20 SIX YEARS WETH WILLIAM TAYLOR crossing my hands behind me, I bowed my /head in prayer to Him who had told me that He would supply all my needs. I filled then and there a blank check, and presented it at His bank. I drew on it for only ten cents ; it was all I needed at the time. Suddenly I felt some one taking hold of my hands behind me ; and, making an effort to turn, I beheld Bro. C., the preacher of Z , and at the same time I felt him pressing something hard into my hands. With tears in my eyes I opened the hand, and in it was a bright new fifty-cent piece of silver, to pay my fare, the brother said and " I felt you needed something, and so I ran down before the train came to give it to you and there it comes now ; run and get your ticket ! " I had no time to say a word I only ran and got my ticket. Bro. H. got his just then, too. We got into the car, and with a hasty " good-by " and " God bless you, " the train started off again. This whole transaction took place in just the shortest possible time, so that not until the train had started did I begin to draw breath and look over the situation. It was a most pleasant one to be in, to be sure; and, praise the Lord, I could say, with all my heart, God had again sent us. Amen ! I had asked for ten cdnts, but the Lord sweetly humbled me by sending me fifty. In the cars I opened my satchel to arrange some things, and found that Sister C. had put in one new IN SOUTH AMERICA. 21 shirt and some other little things, she thought I needed. The Lord knew I had but two shirts, and one of these I wore at the time. Now, I thought, it is so sweet, and such a wonderful privilege thus to trust Jesus. We sang, " The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." >.'(, not any good thing will He withhold from them that trust Him ; how much more, then, shall He not withhold the things we need. Saturday it was when we arrived in "VV . We called at once on Bro. L, who was one of the officials. Found him much discouraged, indeed, and, like a drown- ing man, he took hold of this opportunity of reviving the church. Indeed, he was a faithful officer. We again retired to the solitude of a pine-tree forest, close at hand, and made our plans before the Lord, and His blessing attended us. That same evening we opened the church to the peo- ple, and at the close of the meeting we announced three meetings for the morrow Sabbath. A few trembling brothers and sisters hadtdared to come out. Also a few from the Lutheran church, who, however, manifested a considerable amount of earnest enmity and jealousy; for they, being afraid that the church might build up, threatened to burn the building if we continued preach- ing. We did not fear, but met again for service at 10.30 A. M. on Sunday. 13ro. Haines preached to a filled house. Thank 22 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR God, the people came out to hear, although sneered at by many standing outside, and crowding the door, who dared not come in. The season was one of great power. After preaching, Bro. H. asked me to exhort the people to come to the altar and seek the Lord ; and the disheart ened, or backslidden, to come and meet with us in ear- nest prayer. The Lord blessed this invitation, and sev- enteen persons came forward ! all seeking the Saviour. Bro. II. had preached from Rev. xxii. 14, and it seemed the tree of life was spreading its branches to receive the church back under its protecting shadow. What a meeting ! It is true, bitter tears of repentance flowed then, but it was a repentance not to be repented of, and two precious souls found the Lord, and soon were praising Him aloud for His goodness and mercy. An- other struggled hard, and truly in pity the Lord must have looked down upon that poor woman, for she was a great sinner, and she would not let go the Lord until He had blessed her. Surely such determination will meet with a determined Saviour,. In the afternoon I preached from Isaiah ix. : " The Wonderful." Three persons again came forward, and gave themselves to Jesus. The town was stirred thoroughly by this time. The Lord evidently meant business, and would build up that church in spite of Satan and his agents. Bro. Haines preached in the evening on " Eternal IN SOUTH AMERICA. 23 Life," and I followed with a few words from Exodus : " Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." Two persons came to the altar for prayers, and while they were praying for deliverance, a sister stood up in the congregation and declared that now, this moment, Jesus saved her from her sins. HOLINESS PREACHING. This meeting was one of the most powerful that we have had in this church. Tongues failed to express it during the meeting. Holiness as a definite blessing subsequent to conversion was now preached, and this seemed to be striking the keynote and lifting the dear people up and out of the misery of a half-consecrated life. The reason why the Lord had permitted them to be so sadly tried during the past, and why it seemed as though all hope was cut off, was made clear to all. The testimony of a blood-washed throng of seven precious souls rang up to heaven in one great hallelujah to God. The very foundation of the church in which we were pleading with God for never-dying souls, seemed to quiver and tremble because of power flooding the hearts of those precious brethren. Most had left, on that day, their work out in the field, wanting only to settle the question with the " Mighty to save." Oh, that day ! a day never to be forgotten in the annals of that church. Here are some of their testimonies : 24 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR SISTER L. : The blessed Jesus saves me now, this moment. Yes, He; doth give me a clean heart; I know it now. Amen. SISTER R., an aged sister: I have served God accord- ing to the best of my knowledge ; but oh, I never saw in all these years such wonderful light as at present. I always knew and felt there was something better for me than what I had ; but I never found just how to attain to such an experience as I possess now. Thanks be to God, to-day I see it plain, and now Jesus has released me from sin, and all fear is gone, and I know He saves me fully. Oh, what sweet peace has come to my soul ! Now it is all glory, glory, glory ! (This sister, while pleading at the altar with her Saviour, seemed to have left the body for a time ; then suddenly her face began to shine, as it were above the brightness of the sun. Just then I looked at her face, and I seemed unable to take my eyes off. I never saw such a glory upon a child of God before. She then clapped her hands and said softly, " Oh, Jesus, Jesus, blessed Jesus ! " Oh, how my soul magnified the Lord to be permitted to see the works of the Lord, who saved also me ; whose precious blood had also reached my own heart, and proved suffi- cient even in my case. I wept and laughed in turns be- cause of joy.) Next a Lutheran sister Sister E. got up and said : I have served God, or have been trying to serve Him, for IN SOUTH AMERICA. 25 many years ; but ever since my conversion I have been troubled with an unsacrificing spirit. It seemed a cross to testify for Christ. Soon I discovered other besetting sins. But now God has delivered me, and also cut loose my tongue. Now I shall praise God as long as I live, for this is new life I have received. Now, pray for my children, that they also may be saved. BRO. K. : I have known God many years. God con- verted me and pardoned the sins of my past life ; and I have enjoyed many seasons of rich blessing. To- day, dear brethren, I have got something I have never had before a clean heart. Jesus sets me entirely free. Oh, praise God for a complete deliverance from all sin ! I am now entirely His property. BRO. S. : God has kept me through all the storms of the last war, and then it was that I promised the Lord that I would serve Him if I should be spared long enough. Long afterwards, not far from the spot where I now stand, I gave my heart to Jesus. I served Him the best I knew how ; but when walking behind the plow in the field, if the horses would not go just right, I would often "fly off." Many times I was on the mountain-top, and next down again in the valley. I felt it to be a constant struggle, that seemed to be not of the right kind ; and then, when walking behind that plow, it would strike some hidden root, which caused the horses to be jerked back ; and while trying to clear 26 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR the plow the poor animals would step over the traces. Before getting them back I would " fly off " and get an- gry with the old stump, whip the horses, and then hide behind some tree in shame, and in tears ask God to for- give me. There was something wrong. I see it to-day. I never had heard of this doctrine before, this per- fect love heart purity ; although I longed for some- thing like it ; but to-day this talk just fitted me. I saw the light, and a clean heart I must have ; and thanks be to God, Jesus cleanses me now from all sin, takes away everything contrary to Himself. I can now fully trust Him to keep me from falling. (This brother wrote afterwards to the Harvester that the Lord had also saved him from the filthy use of tobacco.) BRO. U. : I remember with much pain how I used to hide from my class-leader or preacher, although attend- ing all the meetings, simply for the reason that I feared to stand up and testify. Now, can we call that enjoying religion ? I tell you it was a misery to me to live thus ; but to-day I thank God, He has given me a clean heart ; He takes away from me now this slavish, man-fearing spirit. I trust Him fully. Thank God ! - . Tuesday. The fire is still burning. Sister H. went out to buy some groceries, but could not pass the church, but " just came in for a little while." The Lord brought her to seek Hun, receive Him, and confess Him. The IN SOUTH AMERICA. 27 groceries got home somewhat late, but the precious soul got saved just in time. Another Lutheran sister gave her heart to Jesus. The meeting Avas closed, and when we reached our lodging, we heard a great noise in doors. Opening the door, I saAV a good woman laughing and weeping for joy, because she had just found Jesus, at home, while we were at church. In the evening we gave place to a temperance society which had existed some time in the place. However, I was invited to attend. The president was a professed unbeliever, and there were many attending that meet- ing who were not in the habit of attending religious meetings. That evening the Lord had something in store for them all. The sister whom the Lord had con- verted at her house, this afternoon, came to the temper- ance meeting ; and finding certain of her friends there, she was unable to be quiet. She went up to them, when they were seated, and, shouting and praising God with a loud voice, she told before the multitude what God had done for her. She was a young lady of seventeen. The temperance meeting was formally closed, and it was turned into a Holy Ghost meeting. Others began to praise the Lord with a loud voice, and at last I could not keep from shouting outright. It seemed that the Spirit of God had gotten hold of us, and if we had re- fiaiued from praising God, the very stones would imme- 28 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR diately have cried out. All prayed, and praised the wonderful Jesus, and all prayed, " God save the people." Thus closed the temperance meeting. Wednesday morning, at 10 A. M., we met again at the church, and the Lord graciously poured out His Spirit upon those assembled, and six persons came for- ward for prayer. Among those at the altar were two little girls of twelve years. In speaking to them, while kneeling, I was struck at hearing them clearly defining their condition. They knew what they wanted. I felt sure the. Lord would answer their prayer. Soon the power of God was manifested. One of them arose, praising Jesus for salvation just found, and walked about shaking hands with all present, and shouting aloud. The first time I ever heard a person of her age shout. It did me much good. We saw her then leave the church in haste, and while the others were yet speak- ing, giving their testimonies, our little sister returned, leading some one by the hand, and said : " This is my older sister. I ran home arid told her what the Lord had done for me, and that I wanted her to come and seek the Lord at once." Having thus spoken, they both knelt down to pray. The congregation, much affected by what they had witnessed, also knelt, and soon the other sister was made to rejoice in Christ her Saviour. A few days before both the parents of those girls were converted to God. We see here a clear fulfilment of LN SOUTH AMERICA. 29 the word, " The promise is to you and your children." Dear parents, lead the way, and your children will fol- low, if your conversion is genuine. One brother professed conversion, while his wife, kneeling beside him, praised God for a clean heart. But this poor brother, before we left W., had gone back to the world and why ? He had lost a cow, and be- gan to grumble, and lost his temper. His wife told me his farm and cattle had always been the man's besetting sin. Shall riches satisfy the soul? Oh that man might see what it profiteth to " gain the whole world and lose his own soul " ! An old cow had tripped him. The day will come when some who saw the wonderful work of God in this place, and wilfully neglected to improve the time of this special visitation of divine grace, would give gladly all they possess in tins world to get a berth, however small, in the old Noah's ark, which they now would not buy even for kindling wood if offered at auction. Some people talk about Judas. Why, some sell their master for a drink, or for the mere sake of appearances, or for oxen and sheep and fashion. One of the young ladies at the altar found it hard to give up fashion. Oh, how bewitching a thing it must Ix , if, in trying to take hold of Christ, this thing tor- ments them so ! AVe continued tin's meeting up to the following Sab- bath, and appointed a love-feast for Monday, when \ve 30 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR would take leave of the people and bid them farewell. At every meeting some were saved, and when we closed on Sunday evening, there were forty-three who had freely given their hearts to Jesus. By this time we had learned to love each other so, that it seemed hard to think of parting. We met once more, and for the last time, on Monday morning ; and then the story of love the love of Jesus was told again. Oh, that pre- cious hour ! Surely the angels looked down upon that company and listened in amazement to the wonderful testimonies that were given in honor of the name of Jesus and His power to save from sin. The shouts of victory went up to heaven from every heart. While the people gathered around the altar, I endeavored to read the ninety-first Psalm. We left them without a preacher to continue the work thus begun, but the Great Shepherd cf the sheep stood forth in the words just being read, and promised to shelter His little flock and hide them under His pro- tecting wings ; and while tears flowed freely tears of holy joy we bowed once more at the throne of God, and pledged ourselves anew to Him, who had so gra- ciously condescended to bless us, and had washed us in His most precious blood from all our sins. Some who had threatened to stop our work were standing near the door, and looked on and saw how Christians loved each other, and saw how Christians parted ; and while the IN SOUTH AMERICA. 31 ninety-first Psalm was being read, some of them came up a little closer and were seen weeping. I do not be- lieve the work stopped there. Eternity will reveal the result of that last meeting. Before closing the meeting we organized a holiness band, and a meeting for the promotion of Christian experience in holiness was ap- pointed to be held each week in the church, and Bro. S. was elected leader. We now sang once more, " Praise God from whom all blessings flow," and at the same time, I, with Bro. llaines, shook hands with all that were in the house. We had taken up no collections, nor was there a word spoken about finances during our stay among the peo- ple, either in private or in public ; but as we passed out of the church, several brethren and sisters pressed some- thing hard into our hands ; and looking at their faces satisfied us that " they gave cheerfully." How THE LORD SENDS THE SUPPLIES. I went to my lodging to prepare for departure. The train was to leave for T in two hours. While thus engaged I saw Bro. K. coming toward the house in great haste. I went out to meet him, and he, placing a five-dollar bill in my hand, said : " Brother, I had started for home on my wagon ; but when I got outside of the town, my good wife asked me whether I had given you some money, ' and I am sure he needs it,' she added. I 32 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR quickly jumped off the wagon, and here I am, to give this." The time had come to go to the station to meet the train. On my way there I met several who had waited to give me some money, with some pleasant words each. One little girl came and said: "Bro. K., I have saved thirty cents to buy you one of Sankey's hymn- books, and here it is. I have put my name inside." I could n't thank her in words, but I took her little hand in mine and wept. Was it not one of the Lord's little lambs ! Another little girl was at the station waiting to give fifty cents. We met many there who had come out to take a last look at Bro. H. and myself. Bidding them farewell, the train started off. My satchel looked a little more respectable now, as I thought. Some sister had put in a new shirt, some socks, and handkerchiefs. To be sure I needed such things, and that is why the Lord provided them for me. Bro. II. and I once more alone talked over some of the past experiences, and especially about an experience I had in seeing God's protecting hand ; when, about the second evening after commencing our work at W , I had been told that a crowd of young men in- tended to collect in front of the church to " give me a sound thrashing." After the close of the meeting, on my leaving the church, I had quite forgotten about the matter. The congregation had dispersed, Bro. II. had IN SOUTH AMERICA. 83 gone, and I alone remaining behind, as I had intended to have a word with the sexton. While this man was putting out the lights I talked with him. When the last light was extinguished I stepped outside. My eyes met the faces of over a dozen young men, and in a mo- ment I knew what they were about, but I took the first one by the hand, and so the second, third, and so on, until I had shaken hands with them all, with a pleasant word for each, then a hearty " God bless you all " and a M good night ' " I left them, as I noticed, quite con- founded. After reaching the corner of the next street, I could not help turning round to have a look at them, when I saw that each had taken a separate road to reach their homes. They felt ashamed of each other. The Lord had put them to shame. Walking through the midst of them, I went my way, unharmed. This, and many other blessings we had, in which we could plainly trace the guiding and protecting hand of the Almighty God. We laid the trophies down at Jesus' feet. (In 1882, while laboring in Chili, South America, I received the Harvester. To my great joy I read there that the work at W was still going on, and that they load a good preacher. In answer to their prayers, one had been sent soon after we left.) In T we found the home of Bro. R., a Baptist brother, who, after asking us to stop at his house, and offering the church of which he was the pastor, gave us his experience in the following words : 34 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOB " I received the blessing of a clean heart two years aero, and ever since I have been filled with God. I O ~ preach holiness to my people, for I cannot keep from preaching it, and, the best of all, living it. Now, the, day when I received this great blessing of a clean heart, while praising God I fell to the earth and was quite overshadowed with a flood of glory that filled my heart and threatened to overwhelm me. I thought I was ly- ing beneath a large vessel, filled with the new wine of the Gospel, and with my mouth to the faucet, it was turned on, and the contents flowing and flowing, until in the agony of despair, and in vain trying to stop the flow, I managed to cry out, ' Lord, stop, or enlarge my capac- ity I ' I awoke and found that the Lord indeed enlarged my capacity daily, and I never say any more, ' Lord, stop ! ' I believe," the brother said, in closing, " God can kill us with love." We opened the church next day for the people, and although there seemed much prejudice against us Meth- odists, yet the Lord poured out His Spirit and converted several, and sanctified some. We stayed three clays in the place. One day we were invited to dine at a Quaker house. Grand old people they were, and wholly consecrated, but a daughter was not. She, however, called me aside, and had an earnest talk with me con- cerning her eternal welfare. When I had finished she said : " Then I must now give myself to God, and I IN SOUTH AMERICA. 35 shall not arise from my knees until I have the definite witness of a clean heart." The result may easily he guessed. After tin's sister had prayed, she looked stead f astly to heaven, and if it had not been for the tears thai flowed down her cheeks, one beholding her might have thought a marble statue was there, beside the chair. Then she arose and praised God for the unspeakable gift of " love made perfect." The last meeting I held in the M. E. Church, the pre- siding elder being present. I preached from the sev- enth of Romans. After the sermon, a young man in the congregation arose and confessed that long he had been seeking the light of liberty, and now he had been enabled to see his own heart, and knew what ailed him, and that, by the help of God, he now accepted Christ as his Purifier. The presiding elder arose and said : " I want to warn the members of my church that, while the words of the young man who has preached sound very good, yet I must tell you that he has much perverted the word of God." Then, addressing the young man who had just testified, he said : " You in re- ality need nothing you only give way to the enemy too much, making you believe you are not what 3-011 ought to be; and if you will consider the matter, you will find that already you are in possession of just that- blessing of which the preacher has spoken in his dis- course." 36 SIX YEAHS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR This was a very sad interruption of the meeting. We closed in great sorrow, feeling deeply for the poor peo- ple and their presiding elder. But how many are there in the church of the same type, not growing, as those always suppose they do, and hindering the church from growing in the gKice of knowledge ? Next morning by rail to C , where they had had a blessed revival a few weeks ago. So we strengthened the brethren during four meetings, and had the joy of seeing some seeking and finding a clean heart. CHAPTER H. SUMMER AND HARVEST-TIME REVIVALS. BRO. HAINES now returned to Indianapolis to remain there, while I, having consecrated my entire time and life to God, laid my plans to strike out in another direc- tion. I felt sorry to leave Bro. H., hut it seemed the will of God. I accompanied this dear brother to his home, and before retiring for the night we pledged our- selves to pray for each other always. Lodging at a hotel for that night, before retiring I bowed in prayer, and while praying, I asked the Lord to make me a present of a Bagster's Bible, and I said : " You know, Lord, one of those with flexible covers, references, and a concord- ance." (Up to date I had been the proprietor of a small ten-cent Testament. I had used it in all my meetings, and it had gotten quite worn. I had seen some of those nice Teachers' Bibles, and my heart coveted one, and I had told the Lord all about it, and had begged Him for the book every night for two months.) I grew quite eloquent in my pleading for the book, and said : " Lord, now, give me that Bible." A REMARKABLE ANSWER TO PRAYER. Just then I thought a hand reached down to me, and behold. ! I saw the precious copy in that hand. Quick 37 38 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR as thought I jumped up, and at the same time I receiv- ed an overwhelming baptism of the Spirit ; and looking toward the corner of the room where that shining hand seemed to have disappeared, I clapped my hands, and heard myself saying, in a soft whisper, " I got the book ! I got the book ! " For hours I could not go to bed, but walking the room, I had but words of praise. " 1 got the book ! " I got the book ! " I would now and then exclaim. When I at last closed my eyes in sleep, my last words were : " I got the book ! " Full of faith and joy I arose the next morning, and I pressed the book to my heart in faith. I felt just as though I had it in my hand, and I found no time to look about me, or to think where it was to come from. After dressing, I walked toward the home of Bro. H., when I met him in the street on his way to my lodging, as he told me. He looked happy, and I thought the dear brother had something to tell me, and so it was. " Do you know, Bro. K.," he began, " I had a singular experience last night. A man who owed me seven dol- lars, who had borrowed the amount about two years ago, stopped in at my house and paid the debt. Just imag- ine my surprise ! As I had quite given up the money as lost, the more pleasant seemed the surprise. I looked at the money, and, thanking God for it, I said to myself : " I 've been long wanting one of those nice Teachers' IN SOUTH AMERICA. 39 Bibles, with, flexible cover, references and concordance ; but never could afford to buy one." " You have got the money now, and you had better get one," I said. (While this brother was thus talking, I nearly burst out with my experience of last night at the hotel, which seemed to correspond exactly with his ; but by an effort, I kept silent as yet.) He continued : " I thus stood and rejoiced in my heart over the fair prospect in view, when suddenly I thought of you and your ten-cent Testament, and that the new Bible belonged to you. I gave it up, and I came to meet you this morning, to take you to the book- store and get it at once." By this time my eyes had filled with tears of joy, and my heart was full to overflowing. I took my Bro. II. by the hand, but could not speak for some time, and then I told him my experience of last night. " Now, let 's hurry and get it," was all Bro. II. could say. That is how I got my Bible. Same day I left for F . My money would not al- low me to go farther. I inquired for the preacher in charge of the Methodist Church. Found lie was absent, but the officials opened the church for me, and I preach- ed the same evening to the people, it being Saturday. After service I was asked to stay over the Sabbath and preach. I promised I would. This pleasant Sabbath morning the Lord blessed us 40 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR greatly at the church, An invitation was extended to the people to come to the altar to seek pardon, and purity. The altar was crowded, not a spot left va- cant, and now all prayed earnestly, according to their several needs. The brother preacher just then returned from an appointment, and hearing that some- one was preaching in his church, came to hear ; and he heard and saw what God had wrought. Several pro- fessed to have obtained salvation, and there was great joy. After the meeting I consulted with the brethren, as to the continuance of the meeting; but the brother in charge thought it would be an unwise proceeding, as it was in the midst of harvest-time. I told them that I could praise God for " harvest-time revivals," - it did not matter at what time poor sinners came to God, He was always willing to accept them. But I could not change their minds. Now, there prevails a very unhealthy " idea in the churches " about " times and seasons." I don't wish to express my mind just now, but I do think, that when the Lord begins a Avork, and we see poor perishing souls will cluster around the mercy-seat and seek salva- tion, no man should undertake to raise his voice and smother the work. How often have opportunities been missed in just that way, and how many souls have gone down to perdition, only God knows. If some brethren have acted according to honest conviction, and walking IN SOUTH AMERICA. 41 in the light, it is all well, as far as they are personally concerned ; but I cannot help fearing, by judging from the words uttered and the appearance of some of the faces, that sometimes preachers and laymen are touched in their pride, because some one else was said to start the work. And then some do not believe in the doc- trine of holiness, as revealed in the Bible and as given in the Methodist Discipline. A BLIND MAN WITH GOOD EYES. Monday morning came, and I concluded to leave for Union City, Ind., but I had not a cent of money for the trip, and so I prayed about it. I was walking up and down in front of my lodging (a brother's house who had kindly invited me to stop with him), when I saw a blind man feeling his way across the street by means of a stick in his hands. I watched the man with some interest and sympathy, and saw how nicely he managed to find the way, although being without a leader. As he passed me, I bade him a " good morn- ing." The man stopped, and turning upon me, reached out his hand, and said : " Oh, is that the young man who preached to us yesterday? I think I recognize your voice." I shook his hand and told him that I was that man. " I am just out looking for you, and I am glad that I have met you," he continued, " and I want to give you some money." Smilingly he went on to 42 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR say : " I am only a poor man, and I have no money to give ; but when I heard this morning that the meetings were not to be continued, I thought of course you would soon leave the place, and while offering my morning prayers, I was much impressed concerning your needs. I did not know how to help you, but I thought to see you at once and hear from your lips something about your affairs." I could see that this dear brother possessed the mind of Christ, and that he had keen spiritual eyesight, " so that the Lord could use him." I then told him that I had just been praying to God to send me on my way, and to provide. The brother said : " I thought as much, and now I will go and get the money." He left, but soon returned with money in his hands, which he had collected from friends who had at- tended the meeting yesterday. On investigating, I found I had just enough to take me to Union City, and twenty-five cents left. Now, why was God pleased to use just this poor and blind brother ? It is not always the rich whom the Lord can use for such purposes. God, however, is able to save the rich and cause them to give of their wealth ; and, thanks be to God ! he has those among the rich who will let Him use their money. The Lord thus proved to me continually that He had engaged to provide for my every need in answer to simple childlike prayer. The arrangement for my sup- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 43 plies was complete when I started on the eighteenth of May. Praise and all glory be to God ! A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. The train left F late and I arrived in Union City at 11.20 P. M., near midnight. On starting from F 1 had not considered the question as to the time of my arrival in Union City, and had long forgotten the fact that I only possessed twenty-five cents, but I enjoyed perfect rest and looked to the source of all my blessings, and He had promised not to fail me, and trustingly I leaned on Him who has made the world. But few people were in the train, and soon they disappeared to sight, per- haps making their way to a snug little home, or to some fine hotel. Did I envy them? I, the child of a King? Oh, no, no, no ! a thousand times, no ! "With my heart filled with inexpressible joy, I looked up to God and said : " Lord, give me a stone for a pillow, the blue heavens for a covering, the Holy Spirit standing guard, and the world can have the palaces, the ease and com- fort ; but keep Thou me from sin." But the Lord had a place for me, and in deep humility and in that posi- tion, praising and adoring my Master, I desire to note down this wonderful experience which I was now gra- ciously permitted to pass through. I was walking up some street ; I did not kno^ just where I was going to ; but thought that somewhere I 44 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR might discover a light, for no lights were to be seen in this street, and the windows showed no sign that within any one was still awake ; only the moon had turned out in full. I had walked, say two or three squares, when I turned up to the left, and approaching the next cor- ner house, I saw a man sitting on some steps that led up to the door of the house, in a half slumber. I stepped up, and touching him on the shoulder, asked him to be kind enough to show me to some lodging- house. The poor fellow was frightened out of his wits, and I thought that moment that I might have been more careful in awakening him. He must have caught only my last words, for jumping up, he stumbled up the few steps and said " Lodging-house, sir ? Yes, this is one," at the same time thundering at the door with his fist with all his might. I wished almost I could have prevented him, for really I did not know that I wanted a hotel, remembering that twenty-five cents was all the money I had. Before I was able to say "Wait a moment ! " a voice was heard from within, and at the same time the light of a candle illuminated the window- panes nearest the door. It was too late now, to get out of the dilemma. I could but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. A peace that passeth knowledge possessed my heart, and I waited. " Who wishes to see me ? " I heard a pleasant voice inquire, and the next moment the door was opened, and, what I expected, to IN SOUTH AMERICA. 45 judge from the voice I had heard, a rather pleasant- looking man appeared in deepest negligee at the door. u Ah, a stranger ! Come in, sir, come. Excuse me, sir, for keeping you waiting so long, but I had just dozed off when I heard the knock at the door." MIDNIGHT GKACE. Now I thought the man manifested considerable grace to have so pleasant a face, when called to get up at such an hour of the night ; and then to beg to be excused for keeping me so long. I should have begged his pardon for disturbing him ; but I had no time to say anything. I only realized a home-like feeling creeping over me, and that my ringers were mechanically rummaging the waist-coat pocket for the twenty-five cents. " Yes, sir, I would like to have a bed for this night, but but but but, well " in a faltering voice, I brought out as much as "got only twen " I was cut short by the pleasant-looking man, with the words " Oh, my dear sir, don't mention that now ; I will take the light and you just follow me." And my twenty-five cents slid back into my pocket, and before I knew how, we had reached what was to be my bed-room. " Here you can sleep, sir," said the good man, and giving me the lighted candle, pressed my hand and bade me a good- night, and disappeared. For a few moments I stood, motionless in the center of the room ; all was so quiet 46 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR about me ; and. as it were, awaking from a dream, I put down my light on the washstand, hid my face in my hands, and wept. How long I stood there I cannot tell. I only know that my eyes fell on a little stand near the ' bed, and what met my gaze ? I was sure I could not be mistaken, it was a copy of the Bible, in a hotel ! Oh, that was too much for my poor heart to bear ! I pressed the precious book to my heart and sank down upon my knees ; but I could not utter a word. I fell flat on the floor, and I lay there long very long un- able to stir or utter a word. I was lost in God stand- ing in the cleft of the Hock Jesus and beholding the glory of God the Father. I arose and quietly laid down to rest. Scarcely had my head touched the soft pillow, when sleep closed my eyes. I feel utterly un- able to enlarge on the foregoing or to express what I felt and my eyes had seen. It passeth understanding. "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits ! " O that men would trust God, and believe what He says ! The following morning I arose much refreshed, and then I had a sweet hour of conversation with the Fa- ther, and Jesus, my Saviour. First, I thanked God that He had led me into the house of a Christian. It was now very plain to me that the proprietor must be a disciple of Jesus. The Bible on the stand in my room, explained much to ine. It explained to me the pleasant rsr SOUTH AMERICA. 47 face of the man, the hearty welcome, and his kindness The words of the Saviour then came to me : " Inasmuch as you have done this unto one of the least of My dis- ciples, you have done it unto Me ; " and I asked the Lord to bless the good man of the house. My plan was now to see, first the preacher in charge of the M. E. Church, for I made it a rule to go to my own people first, and if the doors were closed upon me, I turn to other denominations, preacliing the same free Gospel. Passing through the office, I desired, of course, to see the proprietor, and thank him for his kindness, but I found him very busily engaged, talking with some one. Thinking it wise not to disturb him, I stepped out on the street, and bidding him a good morning, said that I would be back shortly to have a talk with him. The man hastily broke his conversation, and, running to stop my progress, lie said, " Now, you are not going away without taking your breakfast. Just go down to the basement. There you find the dining-room; sit down, and orders have already been given." That was more than I had anticipated, for I had thought too fast that morning, and, stepping out to go at once to the parsonage, I had quite forgotten that, since 12 M., the previous day, I had taken nothing for the stomach's sake. With thankful heart I sat down to the table, and also asked God to bless the cheerful giver. How desir- ous I was to see that man, and to speak to him ! The 48 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR dear Lord, however, prevented me that morning, and, simply for the purpose of giving us both a full blessing, as I could see, to my great joy, a few hours later. My benefactor was still engaged in business, and, as I thought, making out some accounts with the same person that was with him half an hour before. This time I left the house without giving notice, but deter- mined to be back as soon as possible. Some person on the street pointed out to me the parsonage, and soon I was introduced. Bro. M., the pastor, seemed glad that I had come, and gave me the church for services, and any length of time I desired to continue the meetings. Then he gave me the name of a Bro. R., a shoemaker, and said it would be well to see him at once, and get him to make my arrangements concerning invitations, and visiting the people. I started out at once to see Bro. R., and had no trouble in finding him. Everybody seemed to know him. After a hearty greeting and a few words, I thought he might be the sort of man, " known and read of all men," for truly he was one of the Lord's " peculiar ones." Bro. R. had been praying for some one to come and give a start, for he was one of those who believe in a re- vival to last 365 days in the year. We soon were ready to start out to visit another brother who kept a livery- stable. When he knew who I was, he said : " Did 'nt you stay last night at the hotel of Bro. ? " I did IN SOUTH AMERICA. 49 not know, of course, whether it was the hotel of Bro. or not ; but I pointed out the place, which I dis- covered was close by, and the man said, " Yes, that is his place. Well," continued he, " Bro. has seen the pastor this morning, and he was told that a young man had just left, who asked to have the church, and that a series of meetings were to be held soon ; and by the description of the person, which the pastor gave him, and Bro. gave me just ten minutes ago, it must be you, sir. And now Bro. is in search for you. He would like very much to see you." I, of course, understood the whole, and hastened to meet this dear brother. We met, and great was our joy. Bro. said that he felt almost certain what I was, after he had taken me to my room last night, for he had seen, while speaking to me, part of my Bible looking out of my overcoat pocket, and he recognized it at once as " the book." He went on to say that he felt blessed all night, and all the morning, and especially, while I ate my breakfast, and that he felt as anxious to see me as I was to see him, only he could not manage to get away from the customer, when he saw me waiting at the door in the morning. We both praised the Lord for His wonderful blessings. His ways are paths of peace and joy. Who would deny it ? Though poor, I am rich, and with Habakkuk I rejoicingly say : " Al- though the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit 50 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR be in the vines ; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Amen, even so, Lord. Doing business for eternity, and investing in it, pays the largest and surest interest, our eternal weight of glory a crown that f adeth not away and a home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, prepared for them that love Him and serve Him in true holiness all the days of their life. Meetings were begun next day, at 7.30 p. M., and the altar work at once was taken up, and God set His seal to the work, and many were either converted or entirely sanctified. There was a great rattling of dry bones, thank God ! and Christ's touch brought life and beauty. Some who had no family prayer, and even feared to ask the blessing of God when at their meals, were enabled to take up their duties. They were members of the church for years, " in good standing." On the following Sabbath, the pastor himself intend- ed to preach to his congregation, and I accepted a call to preach at Mount Zion Church, about eight miles away. Bro. R. and I walked to our appointment amid rain, the road being very muddy ; but we went our way rejoicing. Notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, a good congregation had assembled in the neat little chapel, and three souls were brought to Jesus. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 51 During the following week the meetings were contin- ued in the Union City M. E. Church, under great'bless- ings, and for the following Sabbath I had again accepted an invitation to preach at Raper Chapel, about twelve miles away from Union City. A number of workers from the city accompanied me, and together, we bowed before God, entreating Him to give us the fullness of His Spirit for the work before us ; and as the disciples of old were waiting before Lord for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, so did we, and experienced the same gra- cious filling. However, as to the subject for considera- tion in the service, I was not permitted to see my way clear until just before reaching the house of meeting. Ax EXPERIENCE IN SELECTING A TEXT. My mind had been much exercised for several hours, and I could obtain no light whatever. I prayed to God with my open Bible before me, but to no effect, but with the exception that at last I arose with quiet peace in my soul, and confidence toward the Saviour, and it was plain that, for once at least, the Lord would give me the word just in time. Walking to the chapel with several of the brethren, not a word was spoken, but just as we were coming up to it, one of the party dropped a word concerning the Lord Jesus, when, clapping my hands, I could not help praising God aloud, and cried : " I have it now : It is finished, it is finished " ! And this was my 52 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR text for that day. Right from the beginning there was a remarkable feeling among the people and an almost anxious looking forward for a great baptism of the Spirit, and it did come, bursting like a mighty flood upon the whole congregation. I hardly said the last word, when there was a rush for the altar made by those stricken by the word, without waiting for an invitation to come forward. The Spirit of God was at work. Quick- er than I take down my notes, thirteen precious souls had fallen prostrate at the feet of Jesus, and many, in tears, were pleading with their God, for Christ's sake to pardon their sins, while others prayed for sanctification by faith, and again others, as they touched with their knees the floor, with bright and shining faces, while yet at the same time tears sparkled in their eyes, praised God at once for the great blessing of cleansing from all indwelling sin, that they just now experienced for them- selves. While I was busily engaged in putting my workers into position, here and there, to assist some struggling souls, I beheld, to my great joy, that all over the church, and in their seats, saints and sinners were on their knees, and one universal cry arose from their lips to heaven : " Lord, save ! Lord, save ! " It was wonder- ful ; we had a Pentecostal blessing. There was work to do for the brethren and sisters who had come with me from the city, and, thanks be to God ! most of them IN SOUTH AMERICA. 53 had experienced that the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin, and at this altar were enabled to do efficient ser- vice for the Master, in pointing out to the seekers of heart purity the way to Jesus. It was a grand sight to see those who had followed their Master faithfully, and according to the light they possessed, through the re- generation. How sweetly these dear souls entered " the valley of blessings." With some there was but little of confession, and but little struggle, they seemed to drink in the truth ; and, looking up to heaven, they simply received Jesus, and said '"Lord, now I am wholly Thine." Others, again, found that sin had been in- dulged, and that forgiveness must first be sought and obtained, and then passed right on to holiness entire. The workers understood their work, and did thorough altar service, which is of so much importance, as many seek the entire sanctification of their hearts, while in reality they need to be reclaimed from a half backslid- den state ; or some seek to be reclaimed, while they never before have possessed the knowledge of sins for- given. Only those " filled with all the fulness of God," are really fit to do altar or inquiry-room work. I low to work with seekers was never before made so plain to me, nor did I ever before feel such a tremendous weight of responsibility resting on me ; but, thanks be to God I seeing the light, I was enabled to shift its weight en the Master, and truly the result could be left with the 54 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR Mighty to save. This will be a day to be remembered in the history of Raper Chapel. The work did not close with that Sabbath service, but the holy fire was kindling hearts all over that sec- tion of the country round about Union City. Souls were inquiring the way everywhere, and desired meet- ings in their respective churches. On returning to the city, I opened meetings at the U. B. church. Pastor A. at first opposed the doctrine of holiness and did so for four or five days, rising at the close of each meeting and saying something to contra diet certain things. But on Saturday the Lord gave me a precious text " Go up and possess the land." God's Holy Spirit was present, and the long-looked-for breaks in the ice seemed to be not far off, and at the close of the sermon the " cracking " could be heard, caused by the pastor of the church himself. He arose and said that he was to preach on the morrow (Sunday) at an outside appointment, and, strange to say, he had chosen the same text, and prepared his sermon ; but, he continued, if the interpretation that I had given to the text was correct, then his entire sermon would be spoiled for him ; and then he went on to defend his sermon, falling in to the " common error," that the wilderness presented the life of God's people on earth, and " Canaan," heaven ; and he intended to encourage his flock to go on as they had hitherto, only, not to be IN SOUTH AMERICA. 55 discouraged, but wait till the Master calls them home to enter the valley of blessings so sweet. Sweet, in- deed, to listen to, especially to a good speaker, and he would succeed in getting his congregation to shed tears ; but, as the preacher disconnects the text from its con- nectional Scriptural meaning, so thus he leaves his peo- ple without the root of the matter, and if by feeling, simply, the poor souls must retain or rather manufac- ture courage, they will continue to be discouraged, and in the unequal fight with a wilderness experience, fall in the wilderness, their bones bleaching in the sun. Such have just enough religion to make them miserable. Now, up to date, not a soul had come to Jesus. It seemed that the Lord would now begin with the one who stood in the way of the sinner and the thirsting believer ; hence, with great joy the angels heard the half confession. But still the cloud hung heavily above us. It caused us to move closer up to the Redeemer, and faith wa strengthened. Prayer was soon to be an- swered, for our dear brother, the pastor. This was the Saturday morning meeting. How THE LORD SLEW A GOLIATH. In the afternoon meeting the blessing came, but not without one more sore trial for the Lord's people. After 1 had delivered my message, Bro. A. wished to speak. We were anxiously waiting to hear, and, holding our 56 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR breath, we all listened. But it was a sad beginning. The poor brother told the people to leave the church, and not come back to hear me any more, as I led the people astray. These were moments of great trial, and if the Lord had not been the General, His children should have been defeated that moment. Turning about while the brother was yet speaking, I said with a loud voice to the workers : " Brethren, pray, and have faith." Hardly had these words been uttered when the pastor turned upon us, and who would imagine what followed now ? I arose, and being filled with the Spirit, threw myself on his neck, and weeping bitterly, I cried : " Bro. A., the time has come when God shall open thine eyes and thon shalt see the light." The whole congre- gation, and all the brethren, were in tears. The salva- tion of God appeared at that moment, and Bro. A., just as though struck by lightning, fell down at Jesus' feet, and solemnly prayed God to help him to open his eyes ; and give him a clean heart a heart from sin set free "a heart in every part renewed a copy, Lord, of Thine." The lips that had just pronounced the ana- thema, now were pouring forth praise and blessings upon Him who had this moment done the work. All the workers on their knees about our dear brother, rose up, and while remaining in this position, we praised God with tears in our eyes, and our hearts overflowing for joy ; and embracing each other, we arose, greet- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 57 ing each with a holy kiss. Now, all this occurred in the sight of all the people, Some had left their scats, but remained at the door to look on and behold the sight. It was heaven on earth, and " God had come our souls to greet, and glory crowned the mercy-seat." A man who had much resisted God, had said to Bro. A., when he took the platform to speak, after I had closed : " That's right, Bro. A., now give it to him." He who had thus spoken, ran and left the church when the sudden change took place. So, many flee from God at a time when God would save them, and while they stand and watch and see others actually entering the pearly gates, they turn their backs on the scene, and enter the gates of hell. Is it possible ! Oh, poor de- luded souls ! bewitched by the devil ! shake off the viper that has fastened upon thy heart, shake it off into the fire of God's sin-consuming love, and let Him set you free from certain death. From that day the ice melted away, and a soft breeze from " over the river " began to refresh the faltering ones. The Lion of Judah came to loosen the bands of iniquity, and set the daughter of Zion free, and a mighty shout rose up to heaven from the hearts of scores who were gloriously saved from sin, during the meetings that now followed. When the people on the following day, heard Bro. A.'s message from his own lips, a heart- felt " Amen ! " rose up to God. 58 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR The following Sabbath the Lord sent us to Rose Hill and was pleased to save five precious souls at our first meeting, and in course of a few days the Lord had call- ed about forty souls, and the dead heard the voice of the Son of God, and His children were in healthy con- dition to remove the stones, and the called came forth ; yea, and parents were enabled to take off the " grave- clothes " that they had put on their children, and there was great joy all over the country. So many invitations came that we had to shape our movements, and begin upon a regular plan of battle. Meetings were arranged for in many different parts of the country, and the fire was burning everywhere round about us. That was now in July. FILLING OUT A NUMBER OF BLANK CHECKS. The weather had become quite warm, but I wore still the same suit of clothes that I wore on first setting out in the work, and it was made for winter. Doing considerable "knee work," my pantaloons were worn out at the knees, and quite thin thereabouts. Return- ing from Rose Hill I discovered a small rent across the knees, and also, that, on the whole, tilings in general would soon part company. It was the only suit of clothes that were in my possession, and until now had been sufficient. Seeing how matters stood, I made haste through some back streets, till I reached my lodg- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 59 ings, which was at the house of Bro. R., and quickly running up stairs, I bowed my knees once more before the Heavenly Father, and told him all about my panta- loons, and also told him to behold the plight I was in ; and I filled a blank check, for a whole suit of clothes. When I arose I knew the Lord had heard me, and hastened down stairs. Bro. R. said to me, stepping into the room, " I have just " met Bro. , from Mt. Zion. He handed me some money for you, and I 've been thinking you need a light coat, and so I went at once to buy some alpaca, and here it is, and my good wife will, with great pleasure, cut the pattern and make it for you at once." And, unrolling the pack- age he carried, I saw some very nice white stuff in the same parcel, and Bro. R., holding it up to me, said: "Now, you see, when I bought the coat, the clerk in the store asked, ' Is this for you, Bro. R. ? ' ' No,' I said, ' it is for Bro. Krauser.' ' Oh, then he must have a waist-coat, and I '11 measure it off, and please ac- cept it as a present.' There was Bro. in the store, who overheard our conversation, and stepping up he said, 4 If you give Bro. K. a white vest, he ought to have two, to change when the one is in the wash, so please measure off another, and I '11 pay for it.' You see, Bro. Krauser," continued Bro. R., "that is the way tilings come about." I did not say anything, my heart was too full. I 60 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR bade the good brother good-night, and again worship- ping the Lord, I poured out my heart, and felt truly thankful toward Him who had immediately answered my prayer. While I had been praying, the Lord had given orders at once ; now I said : " Lord, my panta- loons !" Meeting Bro. 's Sister R. in the morning, I found that this good sister had been working until quite late last night, and had finished the coat, and nearly finished one waist-coat. After breakfast and family prayer, I put on my new coat with thankful heart, and went to the post-office to mail some letters. Passing one of the stores a voice called me back. On turning I recognized dear Bro. , who took hold of my hands and said : "Glad to meet you this morning, and while you are handy we can settle the business at once. Bro. Krau- ser," he said, " I want to make you a present of a good pair of pantaloons. You select the cloth ; a tailor has already agreed to make them for you, free of charge, because I have spoken about it already." Now, what was I to do but to praise the Lord silently in my heart, and do as I was bidden. The following day I was in possession of the clothes ; but that same day, in the afternoon, I discovered, to my horror, that the top-leather of one of my boots had split, and the white stocking appeared for same reason to get a peep at the light of the day. It must have just occurred, for all IN SOUTH AMERICA. 61 was right a short time before. Well, long enough I had worn them, and why did I not at once include boots in my petition of two days ago, and the thing would not have happened. Looking at my foot in pity, I learned a lesson, and hurried home. MARTIN LUTHER'S INK-BOTTLE. A COMPARISON. I took to the ink-bottle, and tried my skill in paint- ing a certain white spot black. I succeeded pretty well, but in doing this I felt somewhat ashamed for not claim- ing a complete suit at once, a few days before. But I had not thought. The Lord give me a " clear mind and a large hand," always ! However, Satan also tried to have his say while I was " painting," suppose the ink drew him. " Now, you are nicely treated, if you go on preaching you '11 soon be in rags." As a good Dutchman, I was about to compare Luther's ink-bottle, with the one in my hands; but quickly the thought came that Satan's suggestion was not worth quite so much as to spoil our good brother's papered wall : and, throwing the black coat straight into his hideous face, it knocked him quite out of my sight. Crying, " Praise the Lord ! " I got my boots, too. I left the house with Bro. 11 , and preached that evening again at the church, and great blessing attended our efforts. Now, the next day came a blessing such as often \v;is 62 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR my portion, from the hands of my Heavenly Saviour. While up town I saw a wagon coming down the street, and I thought I recognized Bro. C., from Rose Hill, yes, it was he. Bro. C., who always smiled and shone, and who always had his mouth "full of the Canaan grapes," as he used to say, jumped off the wagon, and we greeted each other with a hearty shake of the hand, and a holy kiss. Then he said : " I have some busi- ness to attend to, and if you will accompany me I shall be very glad." I consented, and soon his business was finished. Going up the street he entered a boot and shoe store, and bought a pair of boots for himself ; and when he had put them on, he said : " Now, Bro. Krauser, you select a pair for yourself, and accept them as a present from me in the Lord." Then, soon after, when we were alone, I told Bro. C. my experience, and the prayers, and how God had been pleased to answer these petitions. We long stood and praised the Lord for His wonderful goodness and love towards His children, and the ways He leads those who will trust Him for everything. (Dear Bro. C. is now in South America, preaching and teaching in connection with Bishop Taylor's self-supporting mission. I wonder what he will say when he shall look back on this sweet experience of the past life, and see that the Lord has not forgotten his labors of love. " Praise the Lord ! " he will say, while his large blue eyes will fill with tears IN SOUTH AMERICA. 63 " Then scatter seeds of kindness, For the reaping by-and-by." To none living on earth were intimations of my needs made. The Lord only had been told, and He did an- swer in His own way. Praise the Lord, O my soul, for- ever ! The flow of supplies did, however, not stop here ; but, as with one common consent, the people brought shirts, stockings, handkerchiefs, and such things as I stood in need of. It- was now the ninth of July, and I received an in- vitation, together with some other brethren, to take charge of a camp-meeting at the W grove. The time for separation had come, and I bade my many friends, and those who had so cheerfully helped in the good work, a hasty farewell, such as Bros. Reynolds, Gebbhard, Colburn, Tansey, and others. No collection had been taken, nor had any person been asked to contribute a mite ; but the day when starting for the camp-meeting, I received from several sides gifts in money to go on my way, and it proved just sufficient to take me to the grounds. At B , in Ohio, stopped a few days, preaching, and on the twenty- fifth the meetings on the camp-ground were begun. The Lord blessed us much there, but not so many were brought to Jesus as we well might have expected. It seemed that the financial scheme had quite absorbed the attention of those leaders who had called the meet- 64 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR ing. There were church debts and preachers' salaries to be considered, and it much hindered the soul-saving work. It was hard work to break through, and all felt it so. Yet the Lord saved some. This meeting closed, and with it rny arrangements for the future. CHAPTER III. MY FIRST MEETING WITH BISHOP TAYLOR IN 1878. DAYTON CAMP-MEETING. I HAD no direct, fixed plans, made beforehand, as I always left open a space for the Spirit to pus"h in His voice ; and just before leaving the camp I retired to pray, and while talking with Jesus, it occurred to me to go to the Dayton Camp-meeting, to hear others preach, to strengthen my own heart, and gain experience by seeing others work ; and, of course, to do any work the Lord might wish me to do. When this question was settled, I arose, and heard at the same time some one calling out : " The last omnibus to the station ! " I ran to the tent, snatched up my satchel, and made for the omnibus, for it had already started, and just as I was jumping up behind, one inside took charge of my satchel, and another person running up to the moving omnibus, pressed something soft into my hand and hur- riedly left. The omnibus was soon briskly moving toward the railroad station, about ten miles away, and I soon opened my hand and found -that it was a five-dollar bill. Not until now did it occur to me that I had no other money, and that I had jumped on the omnibus without a cent in my pocket to pay my fare, and the 65 66 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR fare to Dayton. The Lord evidently knew, and accord- ingly provided, and what of it if He did choose to pro- vide "just in the nick of time?" My arrangement had been made with God, from the beginning, and it had become natural to me to trust like breathing the atmosphere ; and once clear as to what the Lord wanted me to do, I have often been thus wonderfully led to jump, as it were, at a moment's notice, into the omni- bus, the Lord kindly moving it for me, so as to take away even the thought of a doubt not giving me time except just to take hold, and see the salvation of God. It is hard I find it so, at least to explain such experience ; but I am entirely at a loss to express it. I only know thus it is, and trusting God, as He has led me to trust Him, is so simple and easy, so natural it is simply childlike ; and when He says Himself, " Take no thought," should I wonder if sometimes the Lord so completely hides me in Himself in such emergencies, and takes away thought for the time being? and then, in some way, I return to consciousness, and open- ing my hand, find, as in this case, a five-dollar bill in my hand. It is truly God in us, helping us in every way, to be " kept in perfect peace ; " and our minds are " stayed upon Him, because we trust Him." Yes, it seems to be a taking away from the reality outside, for a moment. The money I had received was just sufficient to take IN SOUTH AMERICA. 07 me to Dayton. It was there that I first saw William Taylor. He had recently returned from South Amer- ica, and he was illustrating his discourse from experi- ences gained in that country. (I had not heard of this man before ; but I listened with great attention to what he had to say, and I thought that he was a remarkable man, but never for a moment did I think of work in other lands.) The Dayton Camp-meeting was a great blessing to me, and I was privileged to preach several times on holiness, in the tent, and God owned the labors of His servant in a signal manner. Preachers and laymen came to seek the great blessing of sanctification of body and soul. One waiter-boy of seventeen used to stand behind a tree and listen whenever his duties did not call him ; " but," said he, on being asked concerning his soul, "I cannot give up the world." One day I called upon the brethren to go apart to some lonely spot, and there pray for that boy. We had prayed for about half an hour, when close behind me a trembling voice was heard to pray : " Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner ! " and soon tears of repentance flowed freely ; and as I turned to help the poor straggler, because he could pray no more, whom should I behold but the boy we had been praying for ? He was happily converted, and proved to be genuine after. One pastor came into our little circle, and kneeling 68 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR down, he said : " I shall not arise until God has, for Christ's sake, and with His own precious blood, cleansed my heart from all sin, and made me whole." He found peace and cleansing in believing. Then came days of power, and what the dear Lord has done there for the perishing world and lukewarm Christians, can never be told. Only, " Praise God ! " can I say, and, lost in astonishment and in admiration of Him who has come to seek and to save that which was lost, I go on my way rejoicing. A VISIT TO THE PLACE or MY BIRTH. When the meeting closed, I made a special request that the Lord might permit me to go to C , the place of my spiritual birth. I longed to see my old friends, and tell them what the Lord had done for me. " If, Lord, it is Thy will, send me the money to go to C ," were the last words in my prayer. Much as- sured that the Lord would grant me my petition, I arose and soon met several persons, who, taking leave and bidding me God-speed, pressed each some money into my hands again the amount necessary to permit me to go to C ; not anything above it. - On the seventh of August I arrived at C , and then soon met the brother who, under God, together with a good sister, were the instruments in leading me out of darkness into light, and from the power of Satan IX SOUTH AMERICA. 69 unto God. Both Bro. TV. and Sister J. were so glad to see me, and I was at once introduced to the pastor of N. Chapel, who, for the following Sabbath, engaged me to preach for him. My text was 1 Cor. iii. 1. Subject : " The carnal mind in believers." After the service had been closed, the dear pastor felt sure that I was altogether wrong in my views on that chapter. I felt exceedingly sorry ; but I was as sure as he, and did not change my opinion con cerning it. Thus battles were fought and victories won continually; but it always made me feel so heavy when dear Methodist preachers would tell me that they opposed the doctrine of perfect love. They were, as a rule, much older than myself, and so I could only pray God that the time would come when the Methodist clergy would, to say the least, abide by the M. E. Dis- cipline as touching the doctrine of holiness ; and God in His mercy would surely lead them to " search the Scriptures," as to whether these things be so, and sanc- tify and purify them, and endue them with power from on high. In the evening service this dear brother preached against the theory, and took for a text the words found in 1 Cor. ii. 9, which reads as follows : " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." From such a text to disprove the 70 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR possibility of the present enjoyment of perfect love, is always a failure ; and leaving the church, several dear people came to me and said : " Don't be troubled, dear brother, we also feel sorry that our dear pastor kept the cream, and gave us skim-milk, for he left out the pre- cious word of the following verse (v. 10), ' But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.' We will pray for him," continued the brethren. Was not this a noble Christian spirit ? Yes, pray for him. If it was not for such within the church who see better than their pastor, many a church would have been closed up and sold by auction in the different parts of the vineyard. They resolved to stand by this pastor and pray. That was a good resolution. Amen ! So may all do for the pastor who is not yet in the light of holiness. Many souls are being cheated by getting chaff instead of wheat. The Lord save His people, and give power to His saints to tell the story of complete deliverance, that others may hear and be glad. Bro. W. then invited me to attend the L Camp- meeting, which I did, His GRACE ALL-SUFFICIENT. The Lord there saw fit to permit a great trial to be- fall me, which in the end proved to be a good, which God intended for me. I had taken some meals with Bro. W. in a tent which was occupied by another Chris- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 71 tian family. One day I was not called to take my din- ner, but the good brother came out to me, and, handing me fifty cents, told me to go to the boarding-tent and get a meal there. He looked sad and he saw that I had noticed it, and before I asked a question, the brother took me aside and said : " The children of that family in the tent refuse to eat with you at the same table, be- cause they knew you before your conversion to have been a great sinner." I begged dear Bro. W. to leave me for a time. I de- sired to be alone. It was all that I could say. On what now passed between me and my God, I will draw a curtain, and say only this: I wept bitterly, oh, how bitterly ! My past life rose up before me, and the sins of that life rose up once more to my vision as in the days when I repented, some years ago. My heart bled, and I cried to God to keep me in perfect peace, and to give me a glorious victory. Yes, it was a victory beyond description. There was no feeling of ill-will toward those who refused to eat with me. Yes, I felt that I was the unworthiest of creatures, but through the pre- cious blood of Jesus, made the child of a King, and made to sit down in heavenly places. The hand of Jesus raised me up from my knees, and such sweet peace and joy entered my heart ! oh, so sweet and so comforting, that I was lost in wonder, and thanked God for the trial. It humbled me anew before God, and He 73 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR enabled me to see, through the dark cloud, the lesson, how good it is to be humbled at times, when we are in the midst of successful Christian work, and winning victories for Jesus on all sides. Oh, how I feel to thank the blessed Jesus for His goodness to me ! Only one question arose in my mind which made me sad again. It was, Are those poor souls in that tent the Lord's be- loved ? I trust and pray we may one day meet in heav- en around God's white throne, and meet as those who have come up out of great tribulation, and washed our robes white in the blood of the Lamb. The Lord had much work for rne in other parts of the camp-ground, and when on the following day I was hungry, I prayed to God for food, and, walking through the thousands of visitors, I cast my eyes for a moment to the ground, and just then I saw something glittering in the sun, and stooping down, I held in my hand a twenty-five cent piece. This was invested in food, and it being near the close of the meeting, I took leave of Bro. W. and walked to an Allbright camp-meeting. I desired to get acquainted with them. It was a days' journey from L , but I had just prayed the Lord to give me a pleasant journey, when a buggy passed by, and a pleasant-looking man asked me whether I wished to have a ride. Consent was given, and I found the man was not a Christian. When I told him how I had just been praying while walking along the road, the man IN SOUTH AMERICA. To was much affected, and expressed a desire to become a Christian. We rode together for some hours, and the Lord had a word for this man's soul. I trust to meet him in heaven. I soon was at the camp-ground, and the man with whom I rode had taken another road. I was well re- ceived by some of the brethren, but found the " cloth had been cut already." The time was taken up by workers of their own denomination, and no chance given me to preach. However, the Lord used me the follow- ing day to work at the altar. The day after I left the camp-ground, and making my way to the nearest railroad station, I there met Bro. W., of C , who paid my passage to C . Stopping there the second time, the Lord added many souls to His church. On the 25th of August I received a note to go to S , Bro. Birdsall's charge, to hold meetings there for the promotion of holiness, together with some other brother of the Ohio Holiness Alliance. Bro. B. had just accepted a call to South America, to the Isthmus, to work under AVilliam Taylor. I there heard more about Taylor's work, and one day Bro. B. asked me plainly : "Would you go to South America if you were called ? " " If called of God, I should obey," was my answer, " but as yet I do not know of such a call." The matter was dropped, and the meetings continued for some days. The Lord con- 74 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR verted and sanctified a few, and the hours with Bro. Birdsall and his good wife were seasons of great bless- ing. (Bro. B. went to the Isthmus of Panama. He was the first missionary that was sent to South America by William Taylor. He worked too hard, and God took him after he had been with his flock but a few months.) On the 4th of September there was a camp-meeting at M , which I attended, and the Lord used me there in various ways to lead seekers to Jesus, and give testi- mony for Him in the different meetings. STRUCK IN THE FACE. GLORY AND PRAISE. "While there, a woman who had been mightily con- victed of sin, came to me after the meeting and said : " Sir, I saw you looking at me in the hall, and I wanted to know whether you meant me with what you said, when you were preaching. Do you mean me, sir, or not ? " " My dear woman, I do not know you never met you before, but if you are ' hit ' I dare say the Lord intended His message for you, for, indeed, I preached to the unsaved, and surely meant them in particular who still live in sin." At this explanation the poor woman became quite angry, and before I knew it she had struck me with her fist. I threw up my hands, and clapping them, I shout- ed : " Glory to God ! Glory to God ! " and was, in the twinkling of an eye, so filled with joy that for a time I IN SOUTH AMERICA. 75 forgot rny surroundings. When I looked about me again I saw some of the brethren standing near, but the woman was gone. Poor thing ! got scared, no doubt ; perhaps she expected a fight, and in that case I believe she would have stood like a man, for she looked quite determined to make me answer ; but this was, evidently, too much for her she could not stand when God was speaking. Poor souj.: I was blessed and she was not. God be praised for a living Jesus within the soul. IN A PRISON. Towards the end of the meeting, out at the camp, the Lord called me to visit the county prison. Some sisters accompanied me, and God was with us in great power. From cell to cell we went and invited the poor captives out into the court-yard to hear the preaching of God's word. Some excused themselves, saying they needed nothing. Quite innocent, I presumed. Others were playing cards, others reading, however, some came out to hear us. While yet speaking I saw a tall, strongly-built man, leaning his forehead against the iron bars of a window, and soon I saw how hard he tried to conceal his features, for the tears were trickling down his cheeks, and wet the dingy pavement at his feet. When the meeting closed, and a sister offered the last prayer, loud sobs were heard to proceed from the quar- ter where the man stood. I walked up to him, but he 76 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR did not look up he wept. Then, placing my hand on his shoulder and trying to look into his eyes, he said : " Oh, do not look at me ! I am a poor, lost sinner." Then I told him that he was just the man whom Jesus came to save. His looks changed, and the poor man looked at me and exclaimed : " Oh, is this true ? Do you think God would have mercy on me now, while I am in prison ? " " Sin has brought you to this place, and God alone is able to bring you out of Satan's prison, and if you truly repent and believe the record that God gives concerning His Son, and make an unreserved sur- render of yourself to Him, He is willing to save you this moment." The man sank down upon his knees, and then, before we left the prison, was made to rejoice in the Saviour. (Just before leaving the country I received a letter from this man, in which he states that he had soon been dis- charged from prison, and obtained employment, and that he had connected himself with the church.) After once more preaching to the people at M , on the public square, from an old shoe-box, I received another call to go to Union City and Rose Hill. The work about there had been continued after my depart- ure, and the brethren wanted help for a season, for God had prepared the field. In the morning of the next day I attended the closing of a meeting, when I felt I must be going, if the train should not start without me. IX SOUTH AMERICA. 77 The brethren knew about my going, and so I arose from my knees during prayer offered by several workers, and on tip-toe, made my way through those kneeling about me. One sister seeing me go, took hold of my hand, and pressed a few bright dollars into it, and without rising from her knees or saying a word, we parted, and soon I sat in the cars. This sister had given me enough to pay my passage to Union City. Now, Lord, just in good time ! I had no money when I rose from prayer, but I had had a talk just then Avith Jesus, and I knew in some way He would provide ; however, I never thought it would come from any one engaged in prayer, and while kneeling ; but our thoughts are surely not God's thoughts in such tilings, and He often, in a most pleas- ant way, shames us if we have had any thoughts about the " how." The joy of meeting the loved ones once more, was great, and " to work," was the word again. To relate the experiences of this second campaign, is quite be- yond possibility. If we had blessings before, they came in greater power this time, and soon the Lord had thirty souls saved at Rose Hill, and five more in one day's meeting at Mount Zion Church. JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION INSIDE OF FIF- TEEN MINUTES. Here is the experience of a dear sister. For several 78 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOK days she had come to the altar, but could find no peace. When the meetings were closed at Rose Hill, she fol- lowed to a chapel some five miles distant. When there the altar was crowded with seekers, and she was one of them. But there she was enabled to make a full sur- render of herself to God, and was caused to rejoice ex- ceedingly. Speaking with her I found her very clear, and her testimony was the " shibboleth " unmistakably correct. Passing on to other seekers, and helping as far as I could, together with other workers, my attention was soon called to the other end of the bench, and I saw the sister just spoken of, in deep thought, her head hung upon her hands ; she was evidently troubled. Thinking that the enemy was trying to get the poor sister to doubt her acceptance, I bowed down and asked, " Sis- ter, what is it you are thinking about ? " Looking up, she said, solemnly : " Bro. K., you have been preaching holiness, and I have heard you so often ; and the Lord has just now been showing me, while here, the distinc- tion between sins forgiveli and sins cleansed, and it cor- responds with my inner condition ; and knowing pos- itively my sins forgiven, I now desire the cleansing from all indwelling corruption. I see it clearly, dear brother, and now tell me, can I not receive it now ? " and with tearful eyes she watched my reply. " Yes, God will do all He has engaged Himself to do for us, according to His promise. Ask and you shall IN SOUTH AMERICA. 79 receive, and the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin." This being the first case of the kind in my experience with seekers, I looked forward with some curiosity as to the outcome of this before me. I desired to see the salvation of the Lord, and accordingly said but little. However, there was no doubt raised with my feelings, and soon we all beheld what God could do for the hun- gry soul. God came to bless that sister. There was not that outward manifestation of great joy, as wit- nessed fifteen minutes ago, when this sister received the knowledge of sins forgiven ; but a deep peace took pos- session of her soul, and scarcely above a whisper she was heard to say, "Now the Lord also sanctifieth me wholly : His blood cleanseth me from all sin. Thanks be to God for a pure heart ! " Then, after a time, she broke out in tears of joy, and praised God with a loud voice. Now I believe this is God's intention, to first pardon and then cleanse ; and let no man set space of time, for God can and will save, if but the teaching on .those subjects be clear, and sinners receive both doctrines from the pulpit, and are properly assisted when seeking the Lord. Truly hath the Lord showed us His glory and His power to save. In March, 1879, when laboring in South America, I received a copy of the Harvester, where a Bro. W., 80 SIX YEAHS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR who was present at that meeting, made the same state- ments as above to that paper, and adds the following : " Here we have justification and sanctification both, in- side of fifteen minutes. A short growth, is it not? This winter this sister had bleeding of the lungs. While at her home I saw on one side of her bed, two sick children, while on the other lay the mother, gasp- ing for breath. Her lungs were fast filling with blood, and in a short time she could not breathe, and it took two of us to hold her. She finally sank back upon her pillow, and while we knelt in prayer, I could hear her clap those feeble hands and "whisper : ' Jesus ! Jesus ! Jesus ! ' On a similar occasion she was alone with a young lady, who ran out of doors. When the strug- gling could be heard no more, the young lady entered, supposing to find the sufferer dead ; but in astonish- ment found her alive. She asked her : ' Were you not afraid to die ? ' To this Sister C. replied : ' No, to die is gain for me. Glory to God ! ' Truly a holiness testimony. Amen." At the Dayton Camp-meeting, I met a woman who told me she had the blessing of holiness as revealed in the Bible at the moment of conversion ; but this good woman at times got so angry that some thought she needed her sins forgiven ; and then she contended that everybody gets angry, making it appear as though the Lord leaves at least that much of the carnal IN SOUTH AMERICA. 81 mind to trouble us. Now, thus to fight, and struggle, and live, some think to be the " Christian warfare," con- founding it with Paul's fight, " fight the good fight of faith." Thank God ! He can take away anger, and, under all circumstances under heaven, keep us saved, through the mighty baptism of perfect love. But it is a great pity that so many, like the son in the parable, instead of believing the word of the Father " Son, all that I have is thine," and taking it, they go out into the barn or pig-sty, pouting it out. Well, those who go in with the Father see how prodigals are brought home, and enjoy the feast. John was of the kind filled with love, and thus was blessed in bringing souls to Jesus, and seeing the wanderers' home, and then he could say : " I have no greater joy than to see my chil- dren walk in the truth." CHAPTER IV. MT CALL TO SOUTH AMERICA. A LETTER FROM WIL- LIAM TAYLOR. October, 1878. I was just about to make arrange- ment for other meetings, for a Bro. C. sent me word to take charge of a ten-days' meeting, and a German pastor asked me to preach in his church. For some time it had been my wish to preach in my native tongue, and I often wondered why it was that the Lord never opened the way for me to enter the German work ; but as it was, I had never yet preached in German, and for that reason my answer to this pastor was : " God will- ing, I shall come." To Bro. C. I wrote the same : " God willing, I shall come." But the Lord had made other arrangements for me. I was just making prepar- ations to attend the calls I had received, when, to my great surprise, I received a letter from the Rev. Wm. Taylor. The letter was read with the greatest care read and re-read. I could hardly believe my eyes. The letter was very short, and in substance contained the following : TORONTO, CANADA, Oct. 27. Dear Bro. Barchwitz-Krauser, The other day I sent the Rev. Mr. Birdsall to Aspinwall. He told me something about you, and after praying about the matter, I was satisfied that you are my man. 82 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 83 The Lord wants you to go to South America in my self-supporting missions, and preach on faith line to the Germans in the south of Chili, your own country people. Are you ordained an elder, or local preacher in the church ? Write. Yours in Christ, WM. TAYLOR. I at once suspended my preparations to go to my ap- pointments and gave myself to prayer for several days, prayer and fasting. It came so suddenly upon me so unexpectedly that I did not know how to look up- on or to face the question ; but the Lord helped me. The brethren were consulted, praying much over it. Had the Lord been preparing me for the self-supporting mis- sions of William Taylor? The question came to me again and again. Does God want me to go ? By prayer and fasting and waiting for God to speak to my soul, I received, after a hard struggle, a definite answer, and I believe that God had been preparing me for Taylor's self-supporting mission all the time, and I knew God wanted me to go. I wrote only a few lines to Will- iam Taylor, saying : Dear Dro. Taylor, I have prayed to God, and it is clear the Lord wants me to go. I say from the bottom of my heart, " Here, Lord, am I : send me." In a few days an answer came, and Bro. Taylor asked : " Do you need money to go to New York ? You must be there in November. Steamer Acapulco leaves the latter part of that month." 84 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR I wrote back : " (D. V.) shall be in New York in time. Do n't want you to send me any money. I had better keep on the self-supporting line, and pray God for the means to go, and accept it of Him as another token of His favor. I am a local preacher in theM. E. Church." A VISIT FROM WILLIAM TAYLOR. Soon another letter came to my hands, from William Taylor, stating that he was on a hasty trip to Indianap- olis, and would cut across to Union City, and there would wish to see me personally. The appointed time came, and Father Taylor emerged from the ear. I knew him because of seeing him at the Dayton camp-meeting, and so stepped up at once and took his hand. Father T. looked at me for a moment, and kissed me. " So you are my Dutchman?" he said. "And a child of the King," was my answer. Father Taylor was taken up to the house of one of the brethren, where he stopped over night. The time was spent in much useful conversation concerning South America. We also had much singing and prayer. The following morning, this, as I thought, remarkable man, took his departure. There was something in all his movements and man- ners, and in all he said or sang, that impressed me deep- ly, and something I had not noticed in any body else ; and yet he seemed so humble and childlike, though pos- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 85 sessed with a certain grandeur becoming to royalty, becoming to a son " of the man who made the world," as he used to say. To say it : I fell in love with Father Taylor. Now, when this thing was noised abroad, I received letters from many friends, with words of encouragement, and many gifts were sent to me, of such things as I needed, such as articles for wear. One good sister made me a present of homething very useful. It con- sisted of different kinds of thread, needles, pins, and buttons, and a neat cloth case, containing the whole. How the Lord blessed me in sending me these tokens of Christian love ! Also, I received sufficient money to take ine to New York, and on my arrival there had something left. The parting was very affecting ; but the light of the Spirit dispersed the gloom. On my ar- rival in New York, I found a letter addressed to me, which read as follows, in substance : Dear Sir and Brother, Understanding, through the periodicals, that the Rev. William Taylor lias engaged you to go to South Amer- ica, and presuming that no provision has been made to pay your pas- sage, I herewith enclose check for $333. I should be glad to hear from you at any time. Yours in Christ, Indiana. D. P. Father Taylor did not tell me how I would get my passage to South America, but he said that very prob- ably 1 should find some letter of further instruction at 86 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR 805 Broadway, New York ; and reading the foregoing letter, it is plain that Bro. T. did not know who was to be the instrument in God's hand to send the passage money ; and that when he engaged me, he had not the money in hand, no transit fund being in existence yet. Thus God prepared and called me to go to South America, under Bishop Taylor. While waiting in New York, I had the privilege of preaching in some of the churches, in the pulpits and class-rooms, and also to labor at the altar during meetings held by Mrs. VanCott, who was in New York at the time. There I was kept busily engaged up to the last evening before steamer sailing, I also received another letter from Father Taylor, in which he informs me that Mr. Henry Hoffman, of Berea, Ohio, and wife, were to go by same steamer to South America, and enter the German work, they to work in the ^Province of Llan- quihue, and I to the City of Valdivia. LEAVING FOR SOUTH AMERICA. The day for departure arrived, and Bro. Hoffman and wife came on board. Many friends came to see us off. Thus we embarked on board the Acapulco, on the 80th November, 1878, and as the steamer left the pier, we all sang, " I 've reached the land of corn and wine." We went to preach a full Gospel to the people of South America. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 87 The first three days out we encountered a terrific storm, and it was a grand sight to us. The mighty waves rose like mountains about us and beneath us, lifting the ship and tossing her, for a few moments, as it were, into the air, which caused her to tremble like a leaf ; but then she gracefully sunk down into the valley of the raging ocean, and then it would seem for a moment as if the mountains of water above us had combined to swallow up the ship and her living freight. But we were safe, and without fear we beheld the grand sight. Now and then a huge wave would sweep the decks. At such times we were out of harm's way. The cap- tain understood the weather, and by his orders we had then to remain below. Then came the fine weather, and warm, and just the day before anchoring in the harbor of Colon, the captain of our steamer permitted us to see a sight which greatly contributed to our con- fidence in him. The fire-bell was rung, and in a few minutes every man of the crew was at his post. Then we saw, when these exercises were over, how the cap- tain slyly cut one of the life-buoys, fastened to the rail- ing, and the signal followed : " Man overboard ! " Now followed the spectacle that was so interesting. In a surprisingly short time, one of the boats was lowered and manned, and shot out after the buoy, floating ni-ar the steamer, and as quickly brought it on board. Tliis was done in such a short time, that all on board felt 88 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOE satisfied it would not have given time to a person falling overboard to drown. So much for this captain and his crew, and how about the Captain of our salvation Jesus Christ ? Surely, He is not only willing to save, but He is ready, with His own hands, to save those who, without His saving presence, go down to the bottom of the sea of sin, into which so many of the victims have plunged, and, aside from Jesus, have no rope thrown to them, and see no rescuing boat nearing to save. And yet, outside of Christ, men and women sink, daily, into hell, for they will not call upon Jesus to save them. The following day we stepped on shore at Aspinwall a dreadfully filthy place built up in a swamp, breaking out in fevers ; and here we met the Rev. Bro. Birdsall, Bro. Taylor's first man in South America. We found him very happy, and in good health. Our steamer did not make connection at that time with the one on the Pacific side of the ocean, and we were com- pelled to stop in Aspinwall for about six days. OUR FIEST REVIVAL IN SOUTH AMEEICA. Bro. Birdsall suggested that we have a revival of the Lord's work in that place, and set out at once to invite the people. Bro. II. and myself responded with a hearty amen, and the meetings were begun in the church at once. Every evening we gathered a good IX. SOUTH AMERICA. 89 congregation, and the Lord graciously poured out the Holy Ghost, and daily many precious souls were sound- ly converted to God, and many among the believers sanctified wholly, and cleansed from inbred sin. These were days of refreshing among the whites and among the natives, both ; and we had no room to regret that we were delayed on the Isthmus of Panama. The last day in Aspinwall, as we walked down to the train that should take us to Panama, we saw a num- ber of colored men and women, who stood in the streets, and, with a loud voice, praised the Lord for salvation found. They were so filled that it was impossible for them to keep still. Our hearts were filled with thanks- giving, and we had every reason to believe that good numbers had been converted to God, and that one day we shall strike hands with scores of such who found the Saviour during our stay in Colon, when we reach the last outpost, and see each other face to face around the throne of God on high. It was my special privi- lege to often go apart with dear Bro. Birdsall and talk with him over the deep things of God. He loved so much to talk of those things that pertained to the teaching of holiness holy living. These hours have been the sweetest of my life, and I think I can never forget Bro. B.'sface, when, after having bathed togeth- er in the sunshine of God's marvellous truth, as it was revealed to us while talking, when in low strains 90 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR lie would begin to sing the sweet " Benlali hymn," his favorite, and then I would chime in. Xext I would take his hand, and, looking at him, would see the tears of joy steal to his eye. Dear Bro. Birdsall ! he has gone home to heaven since. Only a few weeks after I had left him, God took him home. When I read the notice, I could understand it all. I could now understand why he was thus talking and singing with me, and why he seemed so heavenly to me during such hours. God was preparing one of His saints to step into the chariot of fire. Glory to God ! Doubly sweet is the remembrance of those blessed hours to me to-day. How can I forget them now? They shall rise up before me when I shall hear the wheels of the chariot of fire. When I hear the tramping of Israel's steeds, I want to think of those hours, yes, and of the hours we had spent together in his charge, before he left the United States. Oh, how to-day I remember every word that ever passed between us ! It is wonderful, and I pray that God may grant me grace to always commune with those about me as in the face of eternity. My friend I my brother ! thou hast passed away. Oh, how my heart bled when I heard of it ! I hurried into the forest, to a beauti- ful spot overlooking a beautiful lake, with two snow-capped volcanoes standing with their feet in the lake, just opposite from where I knelt in prayer. There IN SOUTH AMERICA. 91 was the beautiful sunshine, and not a ripple on the water before me. Never did the panorama seem so grand ! And as, with tearful eyes, I looked up to God, I sang the verses we had so often sung together, " I look away, across the sea, Where mansions are prepared for me." All was so quiet about me only the sweet warbling of some birds in the distance ; but it seemed as if the great angelic choir joined with me in the sweet refrain. My brother ! my dearly beloved brother Birdsall ! soon soon I shall meet you there, with Jesus and all His loved ones. Glory to God itfthe highest ! Bro. Birdsall found a fine church-building at Colon, put up by the railroad company, and was permitted to use it for any religious services he might desire. His salary was made up by voluntary contribution by those living in the country, and not from the people or any society at home ; and I was expected to live the same way. Bro. B. told me that he received all the money necessary to carry on the work, and that they had no lack. Praise the Lord ! He not only preached in the city Colon but there was a negro settlement a few few miles to the southwest Monkey Hill which he visited regularly every Sunday. I preached once there, and had then several conversions. The people loved Bro. Birdsall, and he had conversions constantly. 92 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR LIFE ON THE ISTHMUS. A great deal of money seems to flow into tins port, as also at Panama ; and, accordingly, a great deal of vice is visible. Gambling is a prominent feature in those two places, and notwithstanding the bad climate, there is careless living noticeable, among foreigners especially, and the death-rate among them astonished me. I spoke to several who evidently enjoyed good health, and indeed had not been sick with the fever yet, although living on the Isthmus for two or three years. I took notice of what they told me about their mode of living. In the first plaJPthey rejected the idea that with every drink of water, brandy or whiskey or wine must be used, because the water is bad ; but they took good care that the water they drank had first been boiled, and drank it either pure, or in the shape of coffee or tea, either hot or cold. They thought that people who complained about the bad water, drank too little of it. Second, these wise people thought it to be of great importance to retire early, and have no " late nights," under any circumstances whatever, and eat moderately, and plenty of fruit early in the morning. I thought this explanation to be very reasonable, and am inclined to believe that this is the right mode of liv- ing in all such climates. Our good missionary brethren might learn from it, and I expect to take it to heart for IN SOUTH AMERICA. 93 my own benefit. One more point seemed clear to me, such was the moral condition of the people here, that no one man or woman seemed to be free from the danger of being slandered. Purity of life seems to be regarded as impossible on the Isthmus, and any one pre- tending to it is an object of ridicule. It may then be considered a hard field for a missionary, as the people seem not to hesitate to fling dirt on even a representa- tive of the Church of the living God. Now Bro. Bird- sail was married, and a peculiarly fit man for such a field ; with a sweet, amiable temper. I don't think I ever heard Bro. B. shout, or manifest much by outward demonstrations ; but I could read the joy of his soul in every feature of his face and every look of his eye, and so no doubt could others. The enemies of the Cross of course tried their hand ; but they could always behold with their own eyes that the dirt thrown fell off. It did not stick. On the whole, it seemed to me that only the most holy, God-fearing man, would and ought to work here, and that it certainly required great wisdom to work in this field. And not only so, but that in re- gard to the climate the same wisdom must be used in order to properly divide the time for work, or many precious lives may be sacrificed, and comparatively little accomplished. Now, those people who have fol- lowed secular business, and have lived here for two or three years, find it absolutely necessary to change cli- 94 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR mate for, say two months, every year. By as little work as possible, and very careful living, as above described, the wear and tear of the system is very great. Now, would it not be wise for missionaries and societies send- ing out men into this field, to remember this ? I do not know whether it is wise, under our self-supporting plans, to occupy such a field, where we shall probably be compelled to bring a missionary home once every year ; or, in many cases of sickness or death, to renew the outlay for passage money, which might be used to send men and women to other more healthy parts of South America, where workers are so much needed; yet, when I look at the wretchedness and the sinful condition of those residing here, I am asking myself the question, How can we give up the field ? It should be cared for. Am I prepared to say, It falls to the lot of the " Taylor Mission " ? May God in His love spare our man, and our men, who should be called to labor here ? The trip across the Isthmus was delightful. The train proceeding comparatively slow, I was enabled to take in the beautiful scenery that presented itself to my wondering eyes, and nature-loving heart. The veg- etation in this region is something wonderful. How- ever, the low parts, consisting of marshy swamps, have a somewhat melancholy aspect. One would naturally think of the hundreds who lost their lives in building IN SOUTH AMERICA. 95 this road through this beautiful-looking country, and think of the poisonous atmosphere of this region, which otherwise would be a Paradise. So I seemed to be enjoying it while passing by, without a desire to even linger for a Avhile. Something wanting. Ox THE GREAT PACIFIC. Of Panama I saw nothing. I hurried on to the wharf, where the steam-tug was waiting to receive passengers, and to take us on board the Oroya, for the South Pa- cific. The captain we found to be a very pleasant man, an American. Capt. Hall was the only American in the employ of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, and was the commodore of the fleet of that company, which consisted of about eighty steamers. We were Avell cared for. Being deck passengers, we put up a sort of tent on deck, the captain kindly furnishing us with the necessary canvas for that purpose. The weath- er was quite warm, and we enjoyed the trip to Callao, Peru, exceedingly. The beauty of the entrance of the Guayaquil River, and all the way up to the city, was delightful, and I thought it surpassed anything that I had ever seen before. There was not a ripple on the waters of the wide bay at the entrance of the river, and not a breeze stirred the air; and as the eye would pass over the soft surface of the waters, I could see, now and then, large pelicans plunge from a height into the 96 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR water about the ship, and in the distance, catching fish, in which they succeeded admirably. Then, as the ship took her course toward the city, the shores on either side drew nearer, and sometimes we would run so close to the banks of the river, that by some effort one might leap on shore. Both sides of the river are lined with beautiful meadows and well-stocked farms. Large or- ange orchards appeared, and trees covered with beauti- ful blossoms, and flowers of many colors. The cattle seemed very small, but well fed. Guayaquil is consid- ered very unhealthy during the rainy season, but the in- terior is not only naturally grand, but also very healthy. We stopped only a few hours in the harbor, and then, being once more privileged to watch the scenes described fade out of sight, we soon reached Callao. The coast south of Guayaquil presented a very sad face, not a shrub; nothing of all that gladdened our hearts in the way of scenery which we were accustomed to see almost anywhere where I had been travelling be- fore. A great desert of sand, stretching from here, all the way down to Callao, and farther south, as far as Val- paraiso, and even a little south of that city. Leaving Callao we reached Mollenda. There I visited the Rev. Magnus Smith and wife, two of William Taylor's people who had arrived there only a short time ago, and had not yet gotten fairly under way. At Iquique we found the Rev. John Collyer, who had just opened a school, IN SOUTH AMERICA. 97 and also preached on Sundays to the English residents. He was getting along well. " Plentiful," Bro. C. said, was the support he received financially, but the place was a hotbed of sin. " Drink is the general crime in this city," he said, " but by the help of God we will go on." His sister was on board with us as a cabin passenger. She had come out to help her brother in the work. Next we met Rev. Bro. Higgins at Coquimbo, doing a good work there, and travelling several circuits. THE FIRST MONEY EARNED IN CHILI. Bro. Hoffman and myself received there from Bro. Higgins the first money earned by him on South American soil. Bro. Higgins said: "Take that you will need it down South. The Lord provides us here with all I need, and," and, added he, " if only the people would be as willing to give their hearts to Christ as they are to give their money ! But," he said, he had had " a number of conversions, and a splendid Sunday-school." I was pleased to find our dear people so bright-looking and courageous. Several of the workers were stationed in inland towns, and these, of course, I could not see, such as Rev. J. P. Gilliland and wife, at the Lobos Islands, among the shipping ; Prof. Humphrey and wife at Tacna, and Rev. L. Smith and wife at Copiapo. All 98 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOli these, however, I heard were doing well, and being en- tirely supported by the people among whom they lab- ored. These reports, together with what I was able to see of the workers and the people, encouraged me very much, and my heart rejoiced to know that thus God was dealing with His missionaries. BEO. SMITH PEEACHES TO THE NATIVES. Bro. Smith, of Copiapo, I was told, although then only a few months in this country, was already preaching to the natives ; first writing his sermons and then reading them to his congregation, and he expected in a few months more to so master the language as to be able to take up that work in earnest, and establish a church. Amen and glory to God ! I would say from the heart. God bless the dear brethren in that great desert of Ata- cama, and make it a spiritual Eden. Much strengthened in spirit and body, I arrived in Valparaiso, on the fifth of January, 1879, where I had to lay over for another steamer to take me to my field, a few hundred miles further south, near the borders of Patagonia, where are several large German colonies. While waiting in Valparaiso, I was invited by Dr. T., of the Union Church, to preach on Sunday evening. The doctor has a fine church, aud the better class of the foreign population are his principal supporters. He has been working here for the last thirty-five years, and IN SOUTH AMERICA. 99 working much to distribute Spanish tracts and Bibles among the natives, to which end, also, a Bible Society has been called into life, which does great good all over the land. I also found a Presbyterian brother laboring among the natives exclusively, in school work and di- rect Gospel work. This brother had a short time ago bought the German church, which was sold by them to " quit the business," with hymn-books, etc. While I preached at the doctor's church, Bro. Hoff- mann had invited the Germans to hear him. I under- stand they turned out well, and it appeared that they only desired a godly preacher, and the work might be taken up again and carried to success. CHAPTER V. ON THE BORDERS OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA. OUR orders were to go to the south, and accordingly we prepared for the start. Before starting, however, we learned that the Gustav-Adolph Society, of Ger- many, had taken up the field south, and had sent two ministers, one to Osorno and the other to Puerto Montt, supplying at the same time a colony of a hundred fam- ilies, living at the Lake Llanquihue, situated about twelve miles inland, north of Puerto Montt. This somewhat perplexed us, and we changed our plans for operation somewhat, and we thought it wise, as Val- divia, a German settlement of about three thousand persons, alone was left unprovided, and Bro. Hoffmann, being a married man, should go to that city instead of myself, and I to proceed to the province of Llanquihue, and, if possible, make arrangements with the Lutheran pastor in charge of the Lake district, that I might take up that work at the Lake, which I thought quite enough work for one man, if he wishes to do his duty. The day for departure drew near, and we embarked for Valdivia and Puerto Montt. Valdivia had been de- scribed to me as a- modern Sodom and Gomorrah. 100 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 101 Thirty years ago this colony had been founded, and never, since that time, had they agreed to any arrange- ment to have the Gospel preached to them, and in these latter years expressed themselves to this effect, that they were glad to be without a preacher, as the cities of Osorno and Puerto Montt stood for a warning to them, because of the contention and strife among the people since the pastor from Germany had come to these settlements. I do not know how far true this is. Since laboring here, I am sorry to say, the people of Valdivia are not so much to be blamed for this excuse on these grounds. The people of Valdivia did not even get their children baptized, with the exception of a very few families, who had sent to Osorno, the place nearest them, to have the ordinance performed. Osorno can be reached from Valdivia in two days, on horseback. To this field Bro. H. decided to go, and there to pitch his tent. Bro. Hoffmann is a precious brother, and full of faith and the Holy Ghost. Praise the Lord! I never saw Bro. H. when he did not sing or praise the Lord with all his heart, and from the heart, and very seldom when he did not have a soul either by the hand or kneeling on the floor ; and I felt that if any man would be blessed of God, it might be he. "We separated at Valdivia " the city of lager beer " the Vanity Fair of Bunyau's Pilgrim's Progress, in the fullest sense of the word. 102 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR LANDING ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. The following day I landed at Puerto Montt. The navigation between the numerous islands of Chiloe is somewhat dangerous ; but what a sight for the traveler ! It is the archipelego of the Pacific. The pleasure of this trip surpasses all description, and I could only say : " Come and see." The inhabitants of these islands are poor but good-natured half-breeds, and excellent farm hands. The south and north of Chili are supplied with laborers from these islands. The Romish priests have done more for these people than perhaps for any other on the terra firma of Chili and the entire West Coast. Most of these people can read and write. But of course they are terribly superstitious, and never read any other books except such as are given them by the priest, and only those of lowest order. Leaving the steamer I went at once to the hotel, and gave myself wholly up to prayer. How I longed for a few days of seclusion after so long a sea-voyage ! I wanted to be alone with God, my soul was craving for God, to see Him alone, when no one was near to dis- turb or observe. I felt so peaceful, and I could commit myself and all into His hands, and talk with Him who had thus guided me. In my room I stood alone, but I knew God was with me. There was no invitation to a revival, with such an outlook as I had been accustomed IN SOUTH AMERICA. 103 to at home, not just in the same way ; but was it not the same Jesus, the same blessed promise beneath me ? Was the promise not the same to me to-day as ever, that " every place where my foot shall tread upon, had been given unto me," and that " As I was with Moses, so shall I be with thee" (Joshua i.) ? Ah, yes ! the text was applied, and, bless the Lord ! my soul looked up to the Mighty to Save, and for that cause I bowed my knees there and then, and there the Lord talked with me. MY FIRST GERMAN SERMON. In a few hours the whole village knew that I had ar- rived, and that I was a preacher, and very soon some one knocked at my door, and a kind-hearted, good- natured German stepped in and invited me to preach in the school-house "to-morrow," (this being Saturday). The good man told me that the pastor, Mr. S., had gone to the lake, and would stay there a few weeks, as he did four times every year, during which time he bap- tized and confirmed the children, and preached on the Sabbath. I consented at once that I would preach. Then I tried to find out all about the work in the town, and in the province; and by the time the man got through, I could look upon myself as a kind of intruder, although I could plainly see that the Lutheran brother could never do all the work that was to be done in the province of Llanquihue, nor that any two men could do 104 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR justice to the demands of the field ; but I well under- stood the German clergy, and- 1 betook myself to earnest prayer and meditation, that I might have wisdom to act wisely in the matter ; and, after prayer, I concluded to start out on Monday and meet Mr. S. at the Lake, where he now was, preaching. This was to be the first step. It being somewhat late, I dismissed my German lands- man, and prepared for bed. I had not talked so much German for six years as I had been compelled to this evening, and I found that it was hard for me. " How peculiar," I thought: " a* full-blooded Dutchman, and almost forgotten his mother tongue ! " I wondered how it would be in the morning, to preach to the people. I had never preached in the German language had never in my life handled a German Bible, nor a theo- logical book in that language. My head began to turn on its axis, and I gave up thought, and fell sweetly asleep in Jesus' arms of love. The morning came, and with it the certainty that I had to face a German congregation, for the first time since I was in the service of my Master. I felt the per- spiration starting through the pores of the skin about the forehead. It was different from that feeling which I often experienced before preaching to a congregation, and especially when persons are present who, I think, are so much better than myself, or know how to preach better than myself, or some such awkward feeling. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 105 This was quite a new experience. But I was still more confounded when I took up my German Bible and tried to think "in German," and at last, walking up and down in my room, tried to talk and get at it in that way ; but the best I could do was simply to break out in laughing aloud at myself, and throwing myself across the bed and laughing until I could laugh no more. But I made another manly effort : it was sim- ply ridiculous. The hour for preaching drew near, and I grew strangely serious. I then began to cry and weep and pray, and then it came to rne that I had been real foolish, and it seemed to whisper, " What are you fret- ting about ? " That put me to shame, and I felt that I blushed. I then took my English Bible, selected my text, " Naaman the Syrian," laid it down, and taking my German Bible, started for the school-house, where the people were already waiting, and had thronged the place. I went, simply trusting that God would fill my mouth, and placing myself, limber-like, in His hands, I now had rest ; and with a peaceful mind and leaning pretty hard on the Master, I read my lesson and pro- nounced my text, and then came the preaching. I think I shall never forget that hour. It seemed that I must have always been preaching in German. I was blessed, and evidently the people were blessed ; but one came to me and said: "Mr. K., you several times used entire English words, which I could not 106 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR make out." All right ! Praise the Lord ! The ice was broken, and after all there was no giant to scare me. THE COLONY ON LAKE LLANQTJIHTJE. The following morning a German came and offered me a horse to ride to the Lake, and while preparing for this, my first journey in Chili on terra firma, a letter from the pastor was handed to me, in which he invited me to meet him at a certain station at the Lake, from whence we would proceed to Osorno, to meet the pastor sta- tioned there, arid have a conference together, and see what arrangements could be made between us. Now, this looked encouraging, and sounded like business. So after another precious talk with Jesus, I started, and being mounted on a spirited little Indian pony, and ac- companied by a German guide, we soon reached the Lake. On the way out I stopped at nearly every house, greeting the people, reading Scripture, and praying be- fore leaving the house. These poor people had never seen any such proceedings, and I saw they had been en- tirely neglected. Many a warm grasp of the hand I felt, and many a tear glistening in the eyes of the older members of the different households. From this one visit new life and new hopes seemed to have been re- vived, and this journey was a blessed one to me and to all. Yet I felt the contest for the possession of that field would be hard, but God could give us the victory. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 107 From this out our road became very rough narrow paths, up and down hill, through numberless rivers and little streams, mud-holes, and closely-edging steep pre- cipices. Every half hour we found a colonist, either working near his house, or, with his peones, cutting down the dense forests, and burning the dried branches and trunks of trees, getting the soil ready for the re- ception of wheat. I saw splendid cattle and sheep and horses in abundance, and all the colonists, without any exception, seemed to do well. How MY LANDSMEN LIVE. The people were very kind and friendly. In every place they insisted that I should dismount, and either drink milk or wheat coffee, and eat black bread and German sausage. It seemed hard to refuse, and yet I could not make them believe that I was full " to split," but what should I do, even though I had to wait in one house and see how the good lady of the house emptied a bowl of dirty soap-water, and filling it with good beef soup, placed it before me, and delivered her lecture on the quality of the soup in most eloquent style ? I had better keep the secret to myself. I was struck with the untidiness of most of those farmers about the Lake ; things looked wild in many a household, and they seemed to take no pleasure in cleanliness and reasonable comfort. They might all have enjoyed both. IIn\v- 108 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR ever, they were glad when I read from the Bible to them, and prayed with them. I had the pleasure of meeting an Englishman, who owned a farm here. He had come over from Australia with a wife and five chil- dren, and bought this farm, and was doing very well. His wife I found to be a thorough Christian woman, but very sick. She had been confined to her bed for several years, yet she rejoiced in the Lord. She also tried to train her children in that way. The boys were grown, but were not Christians ; the girls were like their mother. After a day's ride on horseback, we had reached, late in the evening, a whiskey distillery, and my guide told me that here we must stay over night, and take up the road on to-morrow, and that we would meet the pastor, Mr. S., by to-morrow noon. I did not like the idea of lodging at this distillery very much. The room was filled with colonists, and a great deal of beer and whis- key was drank, and of course I was invited on every hand to partake of the cup. I pitied these poor people, when I noticed the looks of astonishment at my stout lefusal, and on cigars being offered I did the same. The people could not understand this at all. When I gave them my reasons for not drinking beer and not smoking cigars, they felt inclined to respect me for my total abstinence ; but thought it was a great pity, as their pastor knew how to enjoy both these IN SOUTH AMERICA. 109 things, they said. When, after a while, I had to refuse to play cards, they thought me to be "holy " an aw- ful thing among them. On the whole, they had never seen such a person before, especially a clergyman, who would not drink, nor smoke, nor play cards. I noticed the dear people were stumbling over it ; and thinking it was time to explain somewhat of the reason of the hope that was in me, I began to tell them some- thing about the eleventh commandment. That did its work, and they seemed to see the expediency of my mode of life from that standpoint, better than if I had brought up all the arguments in the world to prove my point. And when I added the testimony as to what Jesus did for me, they sat in silence, with open ears and eyes, and in the eyes of some of the older members of the company one could see the tears. These arose by and by, shook my hand, and said : " This did me good," and silently separated from the company, and went their way home. I was much pleased with this little inter- view with s'ome of the people, who, I hoped, would be my hearers in the near future. Early the next morning my guide and I were on our way to Puuto de los Chamchos, called so from the formation of a neck of land running out into the lake, resembling a "pig's head," and there, at a fanner's house, Mr. S. was waiting for me. It did not take us as long as I had thought. The horses were rested, ami 110 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR the road considerably better, so we reached our desti- nation about 10.30 A. M. The farmer, a sturdy, friendly-looking German, met me at the door, and was evidently glad to see me ; next came out wife, daughter, and son, all seemed to be glad to welcome me to their home ; last of all came my brother pastor. The reception was cold and entirely formal. However, I was not disappointed. I under- stood a young man had come over from the distillery, early this morning, a few hours before me, and had an- nounced my coming ; also giving a report of Avhat he had seen and heard there. THE NEW IDEA, "A HOLY MAN." The reverend gentleman had made up his mind to the fact that I must be a " holy man," and received me accordingly. Very little was said during the day, my friend trying very hard to impress me with the fact that he was " lording it " over the people, and he was a great deal more learned than they were ; which I, however, never disputed for a moment ; and also with the certainty that he could smoke more cigars and drink more beer than I could. The evening in the room was spent in relating something about my late travels, and gathering information respecting this country, and the colony in particular. The smoke from the Dutch pipes of my two friends the farmer and the parson IN SOUTH AMERICA. Ill threatened to suffocate me ; but I stood it in good grace, and had no complaints to make. But when every bit of pure air had been most effectually excluded from the low room, the good parson offered me a Havana, which was promptly refused, and I turned to wipe my " weeping eyes." There was not much emotion, but the smoke bit my eyes terribly. I noticed soon that this cigar had been simply offered to test the truthful- ness of this morning's messenger. I had, up to the time, carefully avoided any signs of disapproval as to the proceedings of the evening, and the German parson could not hold in any longer he must satisfy his curi- osity, and see for himself whether the report concern- ing me was true or not. I was then called upon to give a reason for my moderation, and in -the most charitable way I told these two men the story of love, of course, understanding that I dealt with two blind men, and sick at that, I dealt cautiously, and in the most loving way, about as the doctor would make castor oil go down easy, only T could not help the effect. FIRST SIGNS or OPPOSITION. I felt exceedingly sorry when I saw I had made my- self obnoxious to my friend, the parson. But I believe he felt more hurt that I knew my sins forgiven, than at anything else. He knew I would not join in his way of " passing away time," a fashionable term used by some 112 SIX YEAHS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR of the clergy and laity now-a-days, a sort of a " sheep- skin " suit, of course it is calculated to deceive : it is n't sheepskin after all, it 's only a whitewash, and used to paint over "sore spots," and makes those using the stuff only look worse. Poor deluded creatures ! God have mercy on poor sinners, and the blind leading the blind. The following morning my guide returned to his home, and mounting fresh horses, Mr. S. and myself left our hospitable friends and journeyed towards Osorno. We could riot reach it in one day, so we stopped over night at an inn, on the extreme northern shore of the lake. Several children were baptized there, and I made the acquaintance of nearly all the farmers in that neigh- borhood, for the Germans are very fond of spending their evenings at the inn, and do n't mind walking or riding for hours to reach it ; but more especially when the parson is announced to be there, as he was very fond of talking about cattle, beer, tobacco, and family affairs. The only good that I could see was done in those gatherings, was that they did their quarrelling and fighting at the inn, instead of aggrevating their poor, hard-worked wives and children at home. THEIR FORLORN CONDITTON. But those poor never-dying souls were left uncared for. Oh, how my heart yearned after them ! but I had IN SOUTH AMERICA. 113 seen enough to show me that the field would be a diffi- cult one; but, also, that preaching Christ crucified would finally reach the people. They seemed to be to- tally ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to actually save from sin, and that it was ob- ligatory to search the Scriptures to derive from them saving knowledge. I found these poor people had nev- er been disturbed, and on that ground I had some hope. Give them a fair chance, and they will seek the Saviour of the world. I felt from that hour that God had laid these precious souls upon my heart, and in His name I would go and preach the word of life. Many of the children of these colonists I found, who had grown up without religious training, and in, oh, how many cases ! hail not even learned to read or write ; and some of such had only just married, and in either case, as to the man or the woman, I found this to be a sad fact. If the condition of these was bad, what would in turn become of their children ? I did not wonder when the pastor himself informed me, as we rode on the next morning, that it was quite common among the people at the Lake, that sons and daughters would abuse and maltreat their old parents, having no respect for them. But alas ! he himself had never become acquainted with Jesus, and how could he lead this people ? I talked much with God that day, as we went on our way to Osorno, and entertained but little hope that the 114 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR man stationed there would be a different man, but felt I might be opposed by them, and the way should be closed against me to work at the Lake. My love for that people had already been kindled, and I was burn- ing to bring to them the word of Christ, and through it make them acquainted with a purer and truly noble life, and with a conscious indwelling holiness. After a ride of six hours, partly through dense for- ests, which I could not help but compare with the finest tropical forests, and in parts with an Indian jun- gle, we reached Osorno, a place where about 1500 Ger- mans live. It had the appearance of thrift, and I un- derstood the extensive cattle raising in these parts, and the large tanneries, gave the place a name in the south- ern parts of Chili. However, the number of breweries and whiskey distilleries astonished me. The Germans here have a large school and a neat little chapel. I was soon introduced to the Ilev. Mr. R., the preacher in charge, and also director of the school. I found him a very pleasant man, who received me warmly, and his kindness was genuine. I felt much encouraged, and hoped that matters would be satisfactorily arranged. We chatted on general subjects a few hours, and then we separated for the evening, in order to rest and re- fresh ourselves with sleep, and to meet in the morning of the following day for conference. There was no family altar in the house, and we left for our rooms IN SOUTH AMERICA. 115 without praying together. This did not impress me favorably ; and being alone, I poured out my heavy but trustful heart to my God. I thought of Bro. Hoffmann, whom I had left at Valdivia, and almost envied him for his position; and I remembered the words of an old man whom I met on his farm, at the Lake, who said, taking hold of my hand, and with tears in his eyes : " I wish you had come to us twenty years ago, before any other man began to preach here." Perhaps he was right. I truly believe that Christless ministers of the Gospel, who are not witnesses, do incalculable harm, both at home, and more especially, in mission fields. " I have called thee to be a minister and a witness." I like that word which came directly down from heaven. God does not want any ministers unless they are wit- nesses to the cleansing and purifying power of the blood of Jesus, for how can I lead souls nearer to God than I am myself? God make me to be a swift witness while I remain on earth, or else blot me out of the book of the ministry ! A CONFERENCE. Much refreshed after so much riding on horseback, I arose in the morning, and after my morning Scripture lesson and a sweet talk with Jesus, I met the two Luth- eran pastors in the study. I at once set to work and told them what I had come for, and that I thought Bro. S. had a great deal of work on hand, and if agreeable, 116 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR I should, with the help of God, go to work among the people at the Lake colony, as I thought the pastoral hurried visits of four times in the yea.r could never do justice to the wants of the people. I freely spoke out my impressions which I had received during my trip and by conversing with the people, with due respect, giving credit to the work that had been attempted by Mr. S. Bro. R. seconded all that I had to say. He said he knew the people, and had often thought they should be better cared for ; but that it was impossible for either one of them to do them justice, the distance being so great, and the colonists much scattered. He thought that a preacher should be stationed at the Lake, and furthermore he felt to congratulate Mr. S. upon my arrival, as he thought, just in time, and that my coming was of God. What Mr. R. said was thoroughly evan- gelical, and I liked the man very much, as I thought he had at least good feeling towards the people, and that he was more liberal than his colleague, who had all this time said nothing. When his turn came he raised many objections. He thought that I was too strict, and that his people at the Lake would never agree with me. In fact, he feared everything for me that he could think of. Yes, perhaps I thought he had good reason to fear, and I felt for him. It took a great deal of persuasion on the part of my evangelical friend, and at last he yielded, but reluctantly. I did not exactly like it much, to see IN SOUTH AMERICA. 117 that his heart was not in it ; but I hoped the man might be brought to see for himself. My position was, however, at best, not one that I much desired ; but what could I do ? The Lord had some work for me to do here, and He would stand by me ; so everything was committed to God, and I was determined to go on. The remainder of the day I spent in visiting some of the families in the town, and had precious experiences. In one house a young lady was brought under convic- tion for sin, and I believed the Lord would convert her. CHAPTER VI. THE COMMENCEMENT OF WORK IN THE COLONIES. I STAYED only a few days in the place, and then hur- ried back to the Lake, to take up my work at once. I visited now from house to house, reading Scripture and praying with the people. The results in many instances were most gratifying, and I saw that the Lord did a wonderful work of conviction for sin. Although they seemed to be so ignorant of Biblical truth, yet they un- derstood the testimony concerning an " every-day Christ ; and illustrating Scripture by personal experi- ence, brought on the deep conviction for "sin, and a burning desire to receive the same blessing of pardon followed. In every home I received a most hearty wel- come plenty to eat and a good feather-bed, as well as guides and fast horses, without paying for them. The two ministers in Osorno had told me that my support would be rather a slim affair, as the people at the Lake had pledged themselves for three years to raise a cer- tain sum every year to help support the work at Puerto Montt, of which place Mr. S. was the pastor, and with- out which support the mission at Puerto Montt could not get along. Mr. S., in yielding up the field to me, 118 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 119 would not let that part of the arrangement with the people slip, and thought that he would still now and then visit the people and baptize their children, and that if I could get a support among them outside of that, I should go on. Of course I agreed to that, and hoped that the Lord would open my way, and I would trust Him for my daily bread and clothing. There were no less than from five to six whiskey dis- tilleries around the Lake, and the owners of these mills were getting alarmed, and tried to hinder the work, and they found a man the pastor of Puerto Montt who now began to work against me with every possible means at his command. He knew I was a Methodist. Papers from Germany, such as were always full of slurs against that denomination, were imported and scattered among the people, and especially those who had a name among the colonists. I soon had those who held the money, and were able to buy up the wheat and the cat- tle, all against me, and there were hot fights every day. In the midst of all these oppositions, however, the Lord converted souls. Some found peace, and it stirred the neighborhood tremendously, and some of the people be- came almost infuriated against the work, being constant- ly fed with bad reports concerning the Methodists. But just then one of the whiskey distillers seemed to be friendly disposed, and offered me the free use of a house that was unoccupied at the time. I accepted the offer, 120 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR and took good courage, working hard every day, con- stantly visiting from house to house, and praying and preaching whenever an opportunity offered itself. The people were wonderfully wrought upon, and some were mad. After thus laboring for a few months, I visited Osor- no, and had an interview with the pastor. He had heard all about the mad persecutions instigated by Mr. S., and had already written to him ; but thought it would help nothing. Mr. S. had taken his stand against me, and now he would not yield in any point. Mr. S. had told him that the people turned crazy, and that the peace of the colony was much disturbed. I did not doubt it a moment. The devil had held sway at the Lake these many years, and now began to kick, the only hopeful sign for their souls, and, thanks be to God, some few had found the Saviour. THE FIRST CONVERT. I did some visiting in the town before I left, and found the young German lady mentioned before, trust- ing in the Saviour. Soon after I had left Osorno, after my first visit, she had found peace. It was the first con- vert in my work in South America. Praise the Lord ! She seemed wonderfully gifted in prayer, and manifested a child-like faith in the new-found Saviour. On my way back to the Lake, I made an arrangement with IN SOUTH AMERICA. 121 some of the people, who could not send their children to school because of the distance they had to go, that I would start a school at my house for boys and girls, and make arrangements to board and lodge them, provided that the parents furnish the bedding and a certain amount of flour or wheat and potatoes, and such veg- etables as would be necessary and convenient, to be sent each month in a boat across the Lake, to where I lived. They liked the idea, and I gave them a fixed time to think over it, and send me the names of the children, and the day when they should be sent. On my arrival home, I found a letter, which I recognized to be one from Bro. Hoffman ; but to my great surprise, read that he had just arrived at Puerto Montt, and that he had been compelled to leave Valdivia. My first object was to hurry on to Puerto Montt, and see what all this meant, for I hardly knew where to put Bro. H., when I knew he could not be supported here. I met him, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, yet sor- rowful that Valdivia had to be given up. He had suf- fered terribly there. He and dear Sister H. had been shamefully slandered, and in every conceivable way persecuted, until at last, although reluctantly, the place was given up. Bro. H. had called a meeting at the school-house, ir order to talk to the people and make some arrangement for his remaining in the city. Many came, exclusively 122 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR men, bringing with them their long German pipes, and sufficient tobacco and cigars to fill, in a short time, the room with smoke, to suffocation, and keeping up loud talking and such a noise that Bro. II. never had a chance to speak ; and although he asked those present to lend him an ear, they did not regard him. In fact, the men, to all intent, purposed to drive out Bro. Hoffman. Nothing could be accomplished, and Bro. II. left the room with a heavy heart ; however, not intending to give up the struggle so soon, they found a friendly fam- ily with whom they lived a short time, and the enemies of the Cross not being satisfied with their work of per- secuting Bro. H., turned upon all those who came in friendly contact with him, and their anger was kin- dled against those who had taken Bro. II. and wife to their house. Most shameful reports were spread con- cerning them, and at last they were compelled to ask Bro. Hoffman to leave the house. Bro. II. did all he could to remain and get a footing, but it seemed the Lord permitted these things. The people of Valdivia had an offer of salvation, and this time rejected it. Bro. II., without first writing to me about his inten- tions of coming to Puerto Montt, started at once, and thus we met again. On the south side of the Lake, the Lord had raised us up a friend, who offered to Bro. Hoff- man a small house which was not in use at the time, and told him to live there as long as he liked, and he would IN SOUTH AMERICA. 123 not charge him anything for rent. So it was decided that Bro. II. should move to the Lake, and do whatever the Lord might have for him to do, truly the harvest was ripe and the laborers but few. I returned to my post as soon as I had seen Bro. H. and wife sheltered, and I found that about six children had applied for admission to the school. It was a beginning, and I hoped the dear children would become true Christians, and I would have the means of a subsistence, and the Gospel take healthy root in the soil, and spread more and more in the neighborhood; and the same time thought Bro. H. would do the same. TAKEN PRISONER. Before opening my school, I again started for Osoruo, but this time on a more important errand, and a little different from the first. I had felt fcr some little time previous that some time or other I would have to take an important step toward settling down in life, and form a household of my own. After much prayer on the subject, I decided to take the step, and humbly asked God to bless me in the selection of my future partner in life. The one whom the Lord had given me as the first-fruit of my labors in Chili, I had selected, and I felt I loved her so dearly that I could ask her to become my wife. I cannot tell how I felt when journeying to the place, which contained what, next to God, and the souls 124 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR of the lost, I loved most on earth ; but I do know what I felt when, taking her hand, I asked her to become my wife, and when she said " I will." But I propose to keep it all to myself, what I then felt. In the evening I received an invitation from father and mother, and soon we all met in the happy family circle. Both parents blessed us, and then we knelt in prayer to receive the Heavenly Father's blessing, which was richly bestowed upon us all. The aged mother then said : " I have eight sons, but this is the only daughter; we love each other much; but take her. You are a man of God, and I need say no more. I shall rest." In two weeks after this event, we were united in holy matrimony, Bro. Hoffman officiating. It was a solemn hour, and God was with us. A MISSIONARY'S PLEASANT TRIP TO A WEDDING. I had gone to the north side of the Lake to meet Bro. Hoffman with his wife, and had hired horses to take them to Osorno. Bro. II. and his good wife were not accustomed to ride much on horseback, and Bro. Hoff- man behaved rather awkwardly in the saddle. I called his attention to the stirrup and the reins, and he jok- ingly remarked that I had better take care of myself ; and of course, between us the trip was much enjoyed, although I disturbed Bro. Hoffman's mind considerabty, and complimented him on his excellent (?) horsemanship ; IN SOUTH AMERICA. 125 but this all would have been endurable if the poor ani- mal had not stumbled " just a little," just then, and thrown poor Henry over its head, with force enough to send him about fifteen yards ahead, and completely rolled up and hid away in his large p.onsho a square woollen blanket with an opening in the centre to admit the head thus serving for a mantle, and a good pro- tection against dust or rain, a garment universally worn in South America. "While the good brother ex- tricated himself from his ponsho, I started in another direction to pick up his fine tall hat, and yonder the cover of the hat-box, and somewhere else the lower half of the box. After joining things a bit, and as soon as we could quit laughing and scramble into our saddles, we started again on our way, rejoicing that no bones had been broken, only the brass handle to the hat-box missing. All that Bro. H. said was, that he didn't know how in the world this could have happened, in fact, he didn't know how he got off the horse. I thought I had better not explain, and he did not show any resistance. We agreed to say nothing more about it, and the horse did not stumble any more. We soon reached an inn, and we were glad to rest for a short time, and refresh ourselves with some good milk, bread, and cheese. Half an hour later we had to pass a very bad place on the road a great mud-hole ; but being well ac- 126 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR quainted in these parts, I took the lead and bade my brother and sister follow in the same track. I got across all light, and dismounting, I turned and gave direc- tions to the two. Sister Katie followed, but she was xery timid, and I called to her to take firm hold on the saddle with one hand, and with the other the horse's mane. The horse was a very gentle little animal, and stepped very carefully, drawing out of the mud one leg after another, which, however, caused him to lean over a little on one side as he walked, and every time Sister Katie feared lest she should fall over into the mud. The animal was just placing the right foot on terra firma, when I heard a scream. Sister Katie let go her hold and fell right over, backwards, into the mud, head first, of course, and almost disappeared beneath the troubled waves, well, not waves either, the mud was a little too stiff for that, and it would seem too poetic. Really, it was not reminding of anything very poetic, when I jumped right after her, while Bro. II. remained on his horse like one " struck with an idea," and began fishing. Soon our tired horses were standing on firm ground, and we did not look pretty, no, decidedly not ; but we were alive, and while helping each other to scrape the mud off, we did good work biting our lips to keep from shouting outright, until we just concluded it was no use, and let come what would. Well, we pitied poor Sister Hoffman, and I did my best to comfort her, IN SOUTH AMERICA. 127 and tried to assure her in every way of my sympathy, although I did not succeed as well as I wished for. Then we tried to make our horses respectable looking, but that was rather hard work, and we gave it up. We men divested ourselves now of our ponshos, and wrap- ping them about our sister as well as I could, we then rode on, trying to reach Osorno as late as possible, and showing no desire for further investigation of the con- dition cf things along the road ; although a number of opportunities were offered. Sister Katie hoped she would soon learn to ride, and the comfort of such a thought seemed to do her good. After spending a week at the house of my father-in- law, I departed with my wife to the Lake, put our house in order, and now received our pupils. When school was opened I had ten children the youngest being twelve years old, and the oldest a girl of twenty- two a native, all o,f whom could not read or write. There was work to be done, indeed. There were at least fifty more of the same age, and not better taught. My good wife and I loved our children, and they learned well, but we had as yet not received anything to live upon; the children had brought the bedding, but nothing had come to eat, and for a little time we had nothing except what we received in direct answer to prayer. One day when we had nothing in the house, and had nothing to give to the children, and the boats 128 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOU not being able to come across the Lake, as was ex- pected, on account of stormy weather, we bowed to God in prayer, as we had done so often before, and while praying we heard a knock at the door, and opening the door we saw a good Bro. K., who had come a distance of two hours on horseback, and as he unpacked from his saddle-bags a good lot of provisions a large blad- der of butter, a ham, some smoked sausages, and two large loaves of bread, and some fruit he told us that in the morning he felt troubled in his heart concerning us, and following the impression he thus received, con- cluded that he would take with him these things and see us. When we told him that we had expected some- thing like it, he was much overjoyed, and was glad that he had come. Support came in very sparingly for Bro. Hoffman, and also for us ; but we never lacked anything. Bro. H. had a similar experience, an4 he also received his bread in direct answer to prayer. One day we received quite a boat-load of provisions from the parents of the children we had with us, and it was sufficient for a month ; but 110 money came in from our people here to buy us the necessary clothing. But we looked again to God, and in a few days we received $200 from some friends at Valparaiso half for Bro. H. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 129 THE CONVERSION OF TEN CHILDREN. The work of salvation was going on gloriously among our children, and every one of them professed conver- sion by this time, and all prayed as the Spirit gave them utterance, around the family altar. My wife had re- ceived a piano from her father, and she taught the chil- dren to sing the sweet songs of Zion, and when the peo- ple gathered on the Sabbath for public worship, they were much blessed in hearing these new hymns (I had translated some from the Moody and Sankey hymns). We had received some German hymn-books, which Bro. Hoffmann had brought with him from the States. It looked now, as far as the school was concerned, as though we should succeed. The children could give a reason for the hope that was within them, arid they boldly confessed the Saviour. But a storm was brewing. The persecutions from the outside were intensifying, and at last the time came when certain parties had so far succeeded as to cause some of rny patrons to take their children from the school. The poor children would cry, and lament, and they would not quit singing their beautiful hymns, nor would they neglect their prayers ; and a cry arose that the children were being led astray, and away from the old religion of the church. Times of great trial came upon us, and for a time the sky seemed very dark ; but 130 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOK in these seasons of affliction the Saviour never deserted us; we felt His presence more than ever; and then, when the time came that we felt the work had better cease, we did not understand it, but we would follow Jesus and He should lead us. We had at last only three children, and oh, how hard it seemed to part from them ! We felt as though they were our own ; but they said : " We will not forget or deny Jesus, and we '11 tell our parents about Jesus when we get home." So we sent them away to their homes, while my wife, with myself, prepared to visit Bro. Hoffman, in order that we might take counsel as to what was best to do. It was clear to my mind that one of us would have to leave the field. Bro. II. had passed through similar ex- periences ; but it was decided, he having no relatives in this country, that he should remain at the post, while I concluded to go to Osorno and remain at' my father-in- law's, and await answer from Valparaiso as to an open- ing there for a lasting work in which to finally establish ourselves and do work for God, if the people wanted us. Bro. Hoffman and I made another visiting tour around the Lake, and we met with blessed success. A ROMAN CATHOLIC FAMILY CONVERTED TO GOD. Visiting a Roman Catholic family where the Lord had, through Bro. H., converted the daughter, we found the mother, father, and a son, under conviction for sin. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 131 They invited us to stay over night. We accepted the invitation, and God wonderfully blessed our visit to that house. While kneeling in prayer, the mother could not hold back any longer, and after her daughter had prayed for her dear father and brother and mother, she burst out in tears, and making her humble confes- sion to God, accepted the Saviour to be her Saviour from sin. Bro. Hoffman, kneeling close to the son, eighteen years old asked him to come in prayer to God. His father heard it and said : " Oh, he is like his father ! he can't pray or say a word before strangers " ; but just then the son opened his mouth and poured forth his soul in such earnest prayer for the pardon of his sins, that we all wept with him ; and also, in the end, before rising with him, we could rejoice with him, for he found his Saviour. The boy's father was all broken up when he saw what was done, and he also stammered his plea for pardon. Somehow we had moved close up to each other on our knees, and there was a scene which angels love to behold. A whole family born again ! Glory to God ! There was great joy in that house. Truly God had done great things here. After much prayer, we concluded to visit the pastor at Puerto Montt, and ask him to cease his persecutions, and to relieve the people of their contract with him, so that Bro. H. could stay among the people and receive somo 132 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR support. We accordingly set out on our errand, and had a meeting with Mr. S. He felt very uneasy when he was confronted by us ; however, he tried to deny the charges brought against him ; but it was a vain attempt. But we did not desire to trouble him on that line ; but rather come to some arrangement concerning Bro. II. Mr. S. would not yield a point, and thought that we better both go, as this was liis field of labor. He was right in one sense, and we had a weak point there, cer- tainly ; but to prove to him that he could not do the work, and that two or three more men could be very useful in that field, we could not ; at any rate, to say the least, he felt convinced that we were not those two men who ought to do that work, or help him to do it. I then spoke to him about the result of our work, and asked him to compare it with the former work, or the condition of those professing conversion previous to our coming. There we touched a sore spot, and the poor man grew quite excited. He thought we were wolves in sheep's clothing, and deceiving the people, and only working to put him out of the way. Things looked very dark indeed, and we utterly failed to come to any terms with him. We took our departure, and Bro. Hoff- man told him that he should remain, although I would soon leave. Bro. Taylor had never been to this place when he vis- ited the West Coast of South America two years ago. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 133 He only heard from the colporteur of the Bible Society at Valparaiso ; who, being a German, had ten years ago visited these colonies, in the interest of his Society, and there met with success, both in preaching and the sell- ing of good books, and reported to William Taylor as he had found things then. Otherwise, these great troubles might have been avoided. However, many precious souls have found the Sav- iour, and I feel that for the experience I have had here, I am greatly strengthened, and hope to be more fit for future work in winning souls for the kingdom of God, than heretofore. I feel that I have to learn so much, and I pray to my God that all may redound to His glory, what here I was permitted to endure and undergo. Thanks be to God, who keepeth my soul in perfect peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Amen. A TRYING CHANGE. Thus I left Bro. Hoffman in this field, not with bright- est prospects of reconciling existing difficulties with his earnest and faithful labors ; but with a firm hope that something would give way, and peace be established and the work of God go on unhindered. Before leav- ing his home, however, I had the_ satisfaction of hearing the testimonies of the old man and his wife, who had permitted Bro. H. to occupy their house. They both had found the Saviour, and were conscious of a perfect 134 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR salvation from sin. Thus God was pleased to honor his servant along life's roughest road. Glory he to God in the highest ! Just then came a gift of $40 to each of us from Val- paraiso. The Lord knew what we stood in need of, and supplied us accordingly. Bro. Hoffman's experi- ence on the faith line was something wonderful, and we were a great comfort to each other while being privil- eged to spend a few days together. God had led us truly wonderfully, in these days of trouble and fiery persecu- tions ; but we had come out the brighter in experience and faith toward God. We separated. It seemed so hard. We wept on each other's necks. We had passed through deep waters in a comparatively short space of time. For a moment the past swept by once more, and in it all we could but see that the Lord had been with us, and that nothing was to be regretted. Another hearty shake of the hand a holy kiss and embrace and our horses gal- lopped rapidly across the pampas, over into the road leading to our home, which was soon to be vacated again. I loved the spot where our home stood about ^two-hundred feet above the level of the Lake at our feet, surrounded by beautiful trees of the forest, open towards the water ; and away across the beautiful Lake, directly opposite our house, arose the volcano Osorno 2500 metres above the waters of the Lake, covered rff SOUTH AMERICA. 135 with everlasting snow. I loved to watch the sunset right back of our house, casting its golden hues against the snow-fields of the volcano, transforming it into a mighty mass of glowing lava ; or the moon decking it with silvery carpet. Nature seems so lovely here ; but then the picture of sin rises to the front, with all its horrors, and dripping with the tears of those under the power of the prince of darkness. But in nature we had a Paradise. It is the spot that our feet did cover. There, with God, what could make its possession bitter ? And then we are reminded of God's word in Joshua i. 2, and that is the word, and it is our spiritual Paradise, heaven in the soul, God Jesus all. Amen. My last sermon was to be preached at the farm-house of one of the colonists, about a mile off. It was large, and would accommodate more people than our own. The following Sabbath we were to meet them, probably for the last time on earth. A SURE WAY TO GET BAD ROADS REPAIRED. The next day the justice of the peace came to me and said : " You are going to preach next Sunday at the house of Mr. S. ? " " Yes, I shall preach there." - " Well, you had better get him to repair the road lead- ing past his farm, and' you'll do a better thing than to be preaching nonsense to the people. I have been to Mr. S. very often about that road, but he refuses to 136 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR obey. That's the sort of people that want you to preach to them." This man was an unbeliever, and had often before laughed at the children who visited my school, and often asked them questions ; but the children would give such answers that he was put to shame, and gave up troubling them any more. Now he came to me and thought to make light of the power of the Gospel to make men new creatures. I told him, since he had giv- en Mr. S. up, the Lord would take him in hand, and the road would not only be fixed, but Mr. S. would be a happy man and a good neighbor. The infidel sneered at me, and said he would never see it done. I was much troubled concerning S. He had been to my meetings several times, and I knew him to be any- thing but a good neighbor, and he was very obstinate man; and I also was well acquainted with that bad road, for many times I feared that my horse would not be able to carry me over it. I prayed that day much for poor Mr. S., and in the afternoon my mind was made up to ride over and see him. However, I had no mes- sage to give him concerning the repairing of the road, but I did feel burdened about his soul ; and when I took him by the hand, and was alone with him, I told him that I had been much exercised about his soul all day, and that I came to tell him to give his heart to Jesus. I reminded him how that he had heard the IK SOUTH AMERICA. 137 word of God so often, and that now he had given his house for the last service to be held in this colony, and that I thought something was going on in his heart. I had noticed that while I was speaking to him, his head dropped ; and when he looked at me again, when I had finished, his eyes were filled with tears, and lie told me that he had been troubled all day, too, and that we might as well have a word of prayer now, and settle the question with the Lord. So we knelt down and prayed. First I prayed, and then he prayed for himself. The prayer was answered immediately, and he found peace and confessed it joyfully. My message was de- livered, and the Lord had taken care of the results, and we now parted, hoping to meet day after to-morrow, on the Sabbath. Sunday morning we rode over to what was now Bro. S. But what did we find before we reached the house ? Why, we hardly believed our eyes, we scarcely recog- nized the spot where once was the bad road. Trees and bushes had been cut down, a narrow bridge had been constructed to allow the water to run off freely, and great labor had evidently been spent here only re- cently, to put the road into proper shape. I guessed it all, and praised the Lord for what He had done. Bro. S. met us on the road, and reaching out both hands, bade us a hearty good morning, and then said : " Well, Bro. K., after ycu had left my house on Friday, I thought 138 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR it was high time to fix that road, and that you should travel over that road to my house on Sunday dry shod, and I experienced great pleasure in repairing it ; but, thanks be to God ! I really did it it to glorify God, for the people have been after me for some time about that road." When people get converted to God, they always will do right. That is just what religion will do for man. It will clean up filthy houses when the hearts are emptied of filthy sin. It will repair bad roads, if once the highway for the King has been cast up in the soul. Thanks be to God for a heartfelt religion I Amen. Praise the Lord ! We had a glorious Gospel feast that day, and the wife of Bro. S. was converted to God, and some others seemed to be convicted of sin. One old man said : " Oh, it is so hard to take hold of God after serving the devil so many years ! I have the Bible at my house, and am reading in it sometimes to appease my troubled conscience ; but I never was in real earnest, and the truth was not disclosed to me, and I know I am as far away from God as ever." Poor man ! He wept, but could not lay hold upon Christ. I left him in that con- dition ; but trust he will yet find pardon. How dan- gerous it is to wait and carelessly live in sin! The Lord will not be mocked ; what a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Scripture is terribly true, and it says (Prov. v. 21), " His own iniquities shall take the IN SOUTH AMERICA. 139 wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin." How hard it seems to break loose when we find how the cords of our sins bind us down ! Practice and habit who shall deliver us from the body of this death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus our Lord, and only through Him, we can be delivered. Without deliverance through Jesus we are ever wretched. The Lord save the people. CHAPTER VII. A CHANGE TO THE CITY. OUE, work was done in these parts, and precious seed had been sown to the last. What will the harvest be ? Thanks be to God, we knew the work of God did not end with our going. The promise that the word should accomplish that whereunto it had been sent, was just as good now as ever it was before. God is still the hus- bandman, and He who causes the birds of the air and the winds to carry the little grains of seed to the bare and rocky mountains, where in some way they germi- nate, strike root, and grow up to praise the Maker, will not suffer that one of His blessed words, bearing the germ of eternal life, should be lost. As storms, and rains, and cold, and heat, only seem to contribute to pre- serve the former until it has accomplished its design, so in the latter case, no odds, no human power nor devilish ragings, shall prevail against it. The storms of ages shall fan the spark to blazing fire. There I rest it with God. Praise His name ! We bade adieu to our cottage on the hill we waved our hand across the beautiful Lake, and the volcano had hid its form behind a pure white cloud. Our hearts 140 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 141 were sorely tried ; but thus our God permitted it all. One last look as we reached the northern extremes of the Lake, and then our road turned sharp to the west. In ten hours we reached Osorno. A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE ON HORSEBACK. , Ten hours on horseback ; but both my dear wife and I were tolerable riders, and we felt not over-tired, when, late that day it was 9.30 p. M. we reached the pa- rental homestead. However, before reaching the city, it being very dark, in crossing a bridge we did not ob- serve the defective condition of the same, and I had just passed across, when behind me I heard the bridge, with a loud crash, break down, beneath the weight of the horse and its precious burden. But just as I alighted from my horse to run to assist my poor wife, whom I supposed to be, at least, severely hurt, the horse and rider stood beside me as though nothing had occurred, She only in silence reached down her hand, which I sought with both of mine, and said : " I am safe, thank God ! " The horse, it appeared, had, on touching the ground, with one mighty leap regained the bank on my side of the ditch, and my wife had remained in the sad- dle, neither of them being hurt in the least. The whole was a work of a few seconds, and it seemed a miracu- lous deliverance. 142 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR IN OSORNO. While awaiting letters from Valparaiso from our brethren there, I was not resting and folding my arms. I found Mr. R., the pastor, preparing for his return to Eu- rope, and heard through him that another man would take his place, as he did not expect to return to this country. I began visiting the people, and found them in almost the same condition as those at the Lake. Mr. R. was a good man, but weak, and getting discouraged, he gave up the work and left the field. One day I vis- ited a man who was confined to his room. He was glad that I had come, but when I spoke to him concerning Jesus and his soul, he became so angry that he opened the door and asked me to leave his house as quick as possible. He said : " I cannot bear to hear that name." I did not doubt it a moment, and I asked him to permit me to pray with him, and then I would go. The man had no desire to yield to my wish, but, opening my Bi- ble, I began to read, and he shut the door ; then I prayed earnestly for his soul. When I arose I saw the man's face looked terrible. I could not help but think of Cain when the Lord asked him : " Why is thy coun- tenance fallen ? " The man again stepped to the door, and said : " Please leave me ; I cannot bear this." I deeply felt for the poor man, and thought, What will it be in the day of judgment, and is not this true, what IN SOUTH AMERICA. 143 the Lord of the living and the dead tells us concerning the rich man in hell ? How will the unsaved those who reject Christ on earth bear the sight of the great white throne ? not to speak of Him who sitteth thereon. How will they bear the songs of the redeem- ed how bear the testimonies of the blood-washed throng ? But last of all, how bear the memory of the past the remembrance of never-returning opportuni- ties, lost ? When heaven and earth shall pass away at the sight, will they be able to resist that irresistible, sweeping force, and not be carried away to their eternal doom ? Sin sinks into eternal misery. Away from God, oh, what a hell ! A Mr. Worldly-wise said once to me : " Oh, this busi- ness of ' hell ' has quit, it 's ' hades ' now." I told him, if he did n't repent he would be permitted to live in " hades," when he sinks into hell. The question of choice would then, perhaps, not come up in his mind. But thanks be to God, while we live we may choose " to-day," and in Jesus we find power " this day," to fix our eternal destiny. What wondrous power I " O wondrous grace ! O wondrous love I That called a Saviour from above To die on Calvary ! " Mr R. had left, and I applied for the church, and asked the privilege of preaching there. It was grunt 1 much afraid of anything that looks Methodistic, or is indicative of excitement ; and the work is somewhat hard under the circumstances. But the Lord is leading:, O" as in this case to-night. A prostitute was converted to God, and afterward entered an institution to become a worker for God. A man and wife sought pardon and were blessed, and one sister found the clean heart. The word of God spread in a remarkable manner. Souls were saved every day, and at every meeting that was held. The Sankey hymns, translated into German, had a wonderful effect on the people, and they fell in love with them. In each meeting I taught them some new hymns, and they learned surprisingly fast. It put new fire into our service, and hardened sinners were con- victed for sin and came confessing their sins. With most of those who were converted, I had an opportuni- ty to converse, as they came to my house and room, and there prayed with me. A REMARKABLE FEATURE. CONFESSION OF SINS. Something in this work was comparatively new to me ; it was that those who came to me felt that they must confess their sins, no matter what they were, and in each case I saw them entering the blessing of pardon or heart purity. I had those who kept back their sins for hours, and were not relieved until they confessed. It was terrible how Satan had precipitated souls into sin 252 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR and vice in this great city. Crimes of all sorts were shamelessly committed by males and females, but the power of God was so revealed to their souls, that, bro- ken up and in tears, they would often come from the streets, and confessing their sins, obtain pardon from God. In this way, liars, thieves, burglars and pick- pockets, and prostitutes; came and found peace, and I could easily see which conversions were genuine, and which were not. The struggle seemed fearful in some cases, so that it was very trying work to me, because of the feeling of sympathy that would go out from me for them ; but the Lord gave me strength for that kind of work, and blessed me much in preaching plain preach- ing. I seemed to have to do with the offscouring of society, and they came to Jesus. A lady came convicted for sin. She said: "I am so fond of dancing and the theatre, and the concert- garden ; and last night God brought me to see my sins. The devil told me I could never ^ive up the world, and that the Christian life is a hard life ; but I come to confess my sins and receive forgiveness for Jesus' sake. I believe Christ will save me and keep me." I had now established private-house meetings in many families. Those who were converted led the meetings, and such as had been convicted, not only came to my house, but attended these meetings, which were held every afternoon, in different parts of the IN SOUTH AMERICA. 253 city, these, answering in a measure for the inquiry- room, and were the means of doing incalculable good ; many being converted to God, and believers built up, and there these souls were taught to confess their Sav- 'iour and pray in public. These meetings became so popular that, in order that this blessed work might be extended, separate organizations took place. These were young ladies' meetings, women's meetings, and meetings for men, and in these meetings we had con- versions daily. A DAUGHTER BRINGS HOME HER WANDERING PARENTS. One young lady who had given herself over to the world was brought to Christ, and her mother tells me the following : " My daughter came home after one of the meetings, and I saw her manner had altered. When supper was served she sat down at the table and wept. I then spoke to her, thinking she was ill. She kissed me and her father, and begged us to permit her to ask the blessing at the table, and after supper she took up our old Bible, which had not been used for years, and we had family worship. She read and prayed. Oh, how I bless God that my daughter has found the Sav- iour ! it has been the means of bringing us to Christ ." Thus may a daughter confess Jesus in the family, sun I God will honor it, as in this case. When Peter was 254 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR ashamed of Jesus, lie fell; when he confessed the Sav- iour, he was blessed. " Blessed art thou ! " thus Christ pronounced the blessing upon the apostle, and upon this confession He will build His church. While in Berlin, the people among themselves collect- ed the money to pay the rents of our halls, which were hired for preaching ; and never was I in debt, although the rents were often high. The self-supporting plan worked here, as well as in Chili, and I believe it does the same in all the world. I had never to ask for any help it came in according to our needs. The redeem- ed of the Lord collected money in the private meetings, and putting it in an envelope, sent it to me, or hid it in my Bible, or in some way made me the recipient with- out my knowing whence it came. One day I found $15 between the leaves of my Bible. -Some one, prompted by the Spirit, had placed it there. Others made it a rule to send a certain sum every month ; but in such cases I would know only the person that gave me the collection, in case it was handed to me in person. Our expenses were high while we lived in Berlin, for we were compelled to board; but after paying our bill every month, there was always some " oil " left in the cruise. We never, at any time, ran dry. A mother came to pray with me for her lost daughter. She had been away for two years. I wrote a note in my journal, and the date on which prayer was made. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 255 Three days after, the mother came with a letter in hand, and while the tears of joy flowed freely, she read it to me. The lost daughter had written and asked : " Dear mother, will you forgive your daughter that has grieved you so much, since God has been merciful to me, and has forgiven me ? and may I come home ? " I asked this woman : " And what will you tell her ? " " Oh, that I forgive her, of course, and to come home at once ! " Is not this the Father's way, if a poor sinner comes ? Of course He will forgive, and is waiting for the weary one to come home. Is not the parable of the prodigal verified in thousands of households all over the world, and is God not true ? Another lady had ta- ken a sister, who was entirely given to the world, to the meetings. She was happily converted while listening to the preaching, while she who had brought her there, was not converted. She thought herself already " good," and Avhen she saw the joy of her sister, there was a strange feeling of jealousy manifested, and the poor girl seemed quite hardened after that. But God kept the saved one. Every day, now, I received one or more letters from such as had accepted the Saviour at their homes ; and these letters were above a hundred, ring- ing with the sweetest testimonies. However, some there were who felt to confess the Lord by letter, and were afraid to confess because of " friends " (?) SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR ASHAMED OF CHRIST. In the meetings I spoke to such, or rather, about such, not mentioning names, of course; telling them God would not honor such a confession, and that they had better throw off the bushel, or else they might soon go back to the world. Ashamed of Christ ! There are many who would like to " permit " Christ to save them from their dirty sins, but they will have hard times. They would very much like to be His servants, but not wear the livery. Ashamed of the livery of heaven ! yet they will go on wearing a mask, and every- body knows. Thousands are outside, weeping like Pe- ter, and thousands have dried their tears, and are not returned, they find out that to retain salvation, means to " confess Christ." A sister came to see me. She was full of joy, and said: "I thought you should be partaker of my joy, and so I tell you that God, for Christ's sake, has forgiv- en me all my sins." What a sweet sound confession is. We were both blessed, and while talking, a young man came in and stood weeping. He was hungering and thirsting for Christ. " All this week," he said, " I have been in this condition, and the enemy has kept me from coming to speak with you ; but I thank God that I am here. Will you pray with me ? " We then prayed, and the poor lost one prayed, and found his Christ before leaving the room. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 257 An infidel came to the night meeting, and afterwards came to ask for a Bible "for his wife"(?) With a prayer to God to bless the reading of the word to his own soul, a copy was given to him. Three souls were converted in the meeting. A woman who once had loved the Lord, came back to God after long years of bitter life. She said : " I married an ungodly man, but at the time, I thought he might be converted; but I was bitterly disappointed, and gradually I have fallen back myself. Soon I was no better than he. Thank God ! I am saved now." A young lady has no business to let herself go so far as to love an ungodly man, enough to marry him. God's girls need to move up closer to Jesus when they find it out, and pray for deliverance either in the conversion of the man, or the sanctification of their own hearts; for surely there is something wrong, because God does not agree with us. 2 Cor. vi. 14, and 1 Cor. xi. 30. Then these poor, deceived souls, think they "backslide," while really, they have not " slid forward " in time of their greatest need. Some have waited till their husbands or wives died, and then were converted. So in the case of this woman. They look back upon the lost years a wasted life and the last snuff of an expiring candle is offered to the Lord. When Joshua was commanded to lead the children of Israel over Jordan, he was told to observe the law of God. " Turn not thou to the right or to the left, thiit 258 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR thou inayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." It pays to take time to consult the word of God. A mo- ment with God saves us an eternity of misery and re- morse. After one of the evening meetings, my soul was much burdened for certain ones whom I knew to be convict- ed ; and coming home, I could not eat nor drink, and in the morning I felt the same. And so I bowed in prayer, and knew that I should remain there, fasting and pray- ing, and said : " Father, I cannot arise until the door opens and these precious souls come in.'' I knelt there until 10 o 'clock, A. M. ; then all was bright and clear. The burden had rolled away, and I could only praise God, but still on my knees. Then I heard the bell ring- ing, and there were two ; but not only they who had been long convicted, but others came and sought the Lord. After the first two, others followed, and all that day men and women came and went. A wonderful day I Some had been too troubled the night before to go to sleep, and in the morning they could find no peace until they sought it at Jesus' feet. At a meeting in the afternoon, at 3.30, three souls re- mained in the hall and were converted, and four more at another meeting at six o 'clock, before the preaching service in the large hall. A man living in adultery came, and, confessing his sin, obtained forgiveness. The following day he brought his poor, unhappy wife, who IN SOUTH AMERICA. 259 had almost despaired of ever being happy any more, and then it seemed as if new life had entered their souls, and, like as twenty years ago, when they knelt at the altar together, a purer and a nobler union was established between them. Yes, the life of Christ was theirs from that moment. (Since my return to South America, I received a letter from this family. They established a weekly meeting at their house, and to this day it is kept up, and God blesses them in the work of winning souls.) THE EXPERIENCE OF A DRESSMAKER. A dressmaker who had received money from many ladies to put " extras " on dresses, which " mother ' ' did not order, and who in many cases confessed that the money had been obtained under rather doubtful circum- stances, was so troubled about receiving such money, that after hearing the word, she must confess her sins to God, and was happily converted. She said then: " My work is all among the better class ; but, oh," said she, " you would be surprised how many of the most refined daughters of the best families commit this sin, and I believe mothers themselves, who wish so much that their daughters may look nice and neat, train them to steal money out of father's or mother's pocket- book ; and they do not suspect at all what harm they are doing by encouraging fashion." I do not doubt it a moment. Does it not remind one of the " chain-gang " SIX YEAHS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR already, to hear the tinkling of arm-bands of to-day on the wrists of the fair daughters of the land. This woman gave back the money she had of late received. The parties were ashamed and thunderstruck by her simple testimony for Jesus, and she lost her customers ; but she told me she got so much to do, as to occupy her all day. Others had been sending her work who would not steal from their fathers and mothers. SNATCHED FROM THE BURNING. A poor girl, who was persecuted by a German baron, came bitterly weeping, to seek the Saviour. She had just heard God's word, and it fastened in her heart like an arrow ; and when the tempter came, she fled from him. She could not sleep all the night following. She could but weep. God had preserved her from a dreadful fall. She came in the morning and said : " I must pray with you. I must find my Saviour this morning." I pitied her as she wept. It seemed there was something so dreadful about her trouble, and she manifested a dread to leave the room, and she would say : " I cannot go on the street without my Saviour : no, I will not ! I will not ! I must have Christ ! " I said : " Tell me what is in the way. You must be calm for a moment, and look to Christ, and He will save your soul, and your tormenting fears will all be gone." She sat down and seemed calm for a few minutes, and she said : " Ho IX SOUTH AMERICA. 261 will come back again to-day, and I see my awful sinful- ness and weakness. I must be God's this moment." She had become quite calm, and I could speak to her. She saw now clearly what she wanted, and in deep humiliation she lay at the feet of Jesus, and then the peace that filled her soul was wonderful. It was pictured on her face. She praised God for salvation through Christ. I met this person afterwards, and she said God had arranged everything wonderfully for her, and had spared her the bitter struggle of the meeting she had anticipated in the morning of her deliverance. The baron had fled to Italy, involved in other troubles. God delivereth the poor and needy, and them that cry unto Him. Glory be to God forever ! A few days after this occurrence, the lady brought her sister to the meetings, and she was converted to God, and leads a young ladies' meeting. Two women came to me for prayer and salvation. They had both lived in open rebellion against God and the laws of the country ; but eight years ago they had heard the word, and they were afraid to go on in sin. They concluded to leave the path of unrighteousness, and provide honestly for themselves in the sight of man and God, and attend church every Sunday. " For eight years we have been miserable," they said, " our conscience smote us all this time, and there was no peace within us. We tried everything to do right; but we have no peace with 262 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR God. We have attended the meetings in the city, and now see what we really want. We must be born again." I prayed with them, and they both prayed for them- selves, and before leaving me, had found what they had not found in all the eight years of trying to work out this salvation, when nothing was "in" to "workout," the pardon of their sin and the cleansing from in- dwelling sin. They knew all about the "repression theory," they had tried their hand at that these many years, and I could easily lead them immediately from pardon to purity. They saw their privileges in Christ, and accepted Him as their Justifier and Sanctifier by faith. I had preached on Rom. viii. 1. The following morning the postman brought me two letters from such as had, during the night, at home, found perfect love, and felt constrained to confess at once by letter. Another person came to my room, arid there found perfect rest from inbred sin. A mother brought her two children and a friend, all adults. The mother stepped into an adjoining room to pray there alone, while the three remained with me. Soon light came, and the son ran to meet his mother, and kissing her affectionately, cried out: "It is all right now, mother ! I am saved from sin ! " So, also, testified the other two, and it was a great blessing to my own heart to see those three happy souls, just saved, IX SOUTH AMERICA. 263 and a mother who saw her children brought to Christ. Also, that day, I received twelve letters bringing the glad news that as many souls had found the Saviour. Sept. 6, took train for Z , East Prussia, to hold a ten days' meeting, together with more friends from the south of Germany. SATAN ON DEVELOPMENT. First meeting, two souls remained after the meeting, and were converted to God. They were man and wife. Both had stood on the ground of " development " for years ; but found they had not developed out of sin yet, and let Christ save them. Satan likes this developing idea very much, and does not mind it if a person only stays there a good long time, in not believing that Christ can save from sin " now." This " to-day," if he could only scratch it out of the Bible, he would do good business, and hell would enlarge her borders. The meetings at Z were of great good. People from far and near attended the meetings, and these were a great blessing to the whole community. Many were converted to God. The wife of a clergyman could not find forgiveness, although praying with tears and in great agony. I discovered that she would not forgive some people who had sinned against her and her husband, speaking evil, and, as she thought, had neglected him in a severe sickness. So God could not 2G4 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR forgive her. She went away sorrowful, but un- saved. Returning to Berlin, the meetings were continued. I attended a lecture given by an infidel. He said among other foolish things concerning the development of lower life into higher life : " The eel will leave his watery bed and go into a field of green peas, of which he is very fond, and thus take upon him the nature of a snake ; or the robber-bee goes out and robs the bee- hives from an instinct, trusting to make an easier living, and develop a higher species of their kind." I left the place, and thought, the convicts in the penitentiary would not agree with him there. With them it has proved only true, in the development of a higher species of their kind, robbers, murderers, etc. But as man ? Here is Christ, who can save, change from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. A REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE IN FASTING. A man who had developed into a lower species of his kind through drink, was brought to God, and in tins wise : A woman came to me and requested prayer for her husband, who had been eight years a drunkard. I discovered that this praying wife was a most excellent Christian, tried in the fire of affliction ; but kept humble, and endued with wonderful patience. Patience had had her perfect work in her in the highest sense of the IN SOUTH AMERICA. 2G5 word. Not a cross word, on her part, with her husband all these years. She nursed him like a child, and cared for him as a wife only can, and yet no change. \Ve prayed for the poor drunkard, and taking up the Bible, I read to the woman : " This cometh not out but by prayer and fasting." She looked at me for a moment, and I told her it had just occurred to me, that along with the prayers there was another way opened, and as up to date everything had failed, then the Lord opened a way, left untried. This she listened to eagerly. ' She seemed to drink in every word, and a new light had dawned upon her. Then she said : " But how will I fast? My husband, if he sees I will not eat at the table with him, may get angry." " Dear sister," I said, " I would not dare make a commandment for you, and it would never do to make any arrangement with me here ; but you go to your home and pray, and let God direct you about it." " But how will I know ? " " Just go now and you shall know. God will remove every doubt about the matter, if this be the way for you to go." She left me. After eight days she came back, and looked so happy and fresh. Her eyes were not red, and the careworn look was not upon her face. She said : u My soul exalte th God for His wonderful mercy. When I returned home, I retired and prayed much to God for His divine direction in regard to my husband, and to my great grief he came home that night iutoxi- 266 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOB cated, and in the morning was unable to rise, lie was sick. It had now become clear to me I could fast unhindered. I attended him all day, but he did not speak to me. When dinner came I fasted, and when supper came I fasted ; but before going to bed I felt sick, and oh, so faint ! I craved something to eat. I knelt down in prayer for my husband, and while plead- ing with God, I received a baptism which I had not had before, and when I arose I had no desire for food ; and it did not come back, although I fasted all the next day also, even not taking any water to drink. My husband got very much worse, and I begged him to send for a doctor ; but he would get angry when I mentioned it to him. He would not speak to me, and gave me no answer to anything I asked him, and this was a sore trial; but I was much strengthened in prayer. The third day came, and he felt very sick, and I still fasted and prayed. I knew I had hold of Christ for my hus- band, and would not let go until He would answer me. That day I knew that God would save my husband. When evening came he sent for me. He called me by name, which he had not done for a long time. I had to restrain myself to keep from weeping. I sat down on the bed, and stroked his burning forehead. He took my hand, and for the first time for years I saw him shedding tears. Then he asked me to forgive him ; I knelt down beside the bed and held his dear hand in IN SOUTH AMEE r CA. 267 mine, and kissed him. I forgave him e\crything with all my heart. He then said, ' Oh that God might for- give me ! ' Now the Lord's time had come, and we prayed together. He gave up the cup from that hour, and we are happy once more, after eight years wander- ing. My husband is happy, and I am happy." She closed her affecting story by saying : " I have seen the glory of my God. Thanks be to Jesus, the mighty Saviour ! " A young merchant, who had been completely cap- tured by the theatre and fashion-devil, followed me in the cars four miles after a meeting, and then, at my house, spoke to me, and asked me, with tears in his eyes, not to part with him until he had found the Saviour. He spoke so touchingly, that I could not refrain from embracing him, and weeping with him. He came to my room with me, and there prayed, and God was merciful to this dear man. A portrait painter, in the same way, was -brought to Jesus. When Christmas came, I was surprised in a very pleasant manner. Those who had been converted in Berlin, conspired with my good wife to make me a nice present, and had asked her to give them one of our pictures. Christmas eve it was returned, and when I stepped into the room, I saw before me, in a beautiful frame, and under glass, a fine picture of myself and wife, five feet high. Our young painter did the work 268 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOK in crayon. This was a great surprise indeed. It did me much good to see the good will of those who had so recently given their hearts to God. About this time the Lord was working in saving power among the young men, and a large number were con- verted, and with these several Sunday-schools were opened in different parts of the city, and now our evangelistic meetings were opened in the same parts of and the city, conducted under remarkable signs of God's favor. The meetings now reminded me much of the times and seasons of special refreshing in the United States, such as I so often experienced during camp-meetings and revi- vals. Men and women were so powerfully wrought upon by the Spirit, that they could not leave the house after preaching. The " church " was much opposed to the idea of a revival, or after-meetings ; but the people would not go home, and I was willing that God should have His way about it ; and so, many who had been saved through grace, were ready for work, and did work. In a meet- ing which I held in a new district, God so blessed the people that all over the hall they were kneeling, seeking for God, and all the workers had work, praying with the seekers. Every chair was turned into an altar, and scores of precious souls were being saved. It was 11.80 when the lights were put out that evening. During the following day my house was filled with IN SOUTH AMERICA. 2G9 such as would seek the Lord ; continually going and coming, and the most remarkable conversions took place. A poor sin-stricken woman came and confessed that two years ago she had told lies at court, in order to save her brother from degradation ; but she could not rest since the word had been preached to her. The poor soul struggled hard, and the enemy seemed to have a particularly good servant in her. The lying devil is a mean devil, and hangs to men and women longest of anything else. God deliver the millions of the earth from lies! They believe lies, and tell lies. God have mercy ! CHAPTER XIV. EAST PKUSSIJi THE ANCIENT CITY OF THE KINGS. FOB the month of January I was invited to labor in East Prussia. I started for Elbing on the second, and an eighteen hours ride by rail brought me to the city. At 8 P. M., next day, I preached to an immense congre- gation in the largest hall of the city, from the text in Matthew xii. 45, 46, " the costly pearl." The religion of Jesus Christ is worth more than anything else in the world. It is like unto a merchantman seeking pearls, when he has found one of great price he selleth all that he hath to be the possessor. Can there be anything said to exceed this saying of our Master as to the worth of possessing Christ ? Three persons came to my room next day. One had been disappointed in his worldly career, had not sought after goodly pearls, but labored to find the counterfeit pearls. Another feared the ter- rors of death, and the third found it hard work to carry the world under one arm, and religion under the other. Poor soul ! he was tired out, and weary of this life. " Sell all," and possess the pearl of highest price. How many labor for that which satisfieth not ! Poor Agrippa, with his crown ! " Almost thou persuadest me," he 270 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 271 had not the pearl. Who was the real king ? Agrippa, with the crown upon his brow, or Paul, with the iron chain upon his wrists? Ahab in his marble palace, or the prophet before him, in camels-hair dress ? The rich man, faring sumptuously surrounded by the luxuries and comforts of life, or poor Lazarus, with the dogs licking his sores ? No ! no ! we cannot be mistaken in the answer. Sunday, Jan. 6, was a day of special outpouring of the the Holy Ghost. It was the last day of meeting with the people in this city. Scores had found the Saviour, and especially among the young people a blessed work was in progress. Three meetings had been held each day through the week, and at every meeting the Lord saved some. At 2 P. M., I called a children's meeting. The large hall was crowded, not a vacant place to be found. I spoke to them on John xiv. 1, 2. It seemed heaven on earth to be with these dear little lambs. At 4 P. M., meeting for adults. Preached on the five " cities of refuge." This meeting was one of great power. The 8 P. M. meeting was still more so. Preached on "Abraham and Lot," or the difference between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Many found Christ on that memorable evening, and I bade them farewell. 272 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT. The Countess v. G. of P , had invited me to preach in that place, and given two large halls in her mansion for that purpose. I accepted the invitation, and started for P , Monday forenoon. Every prep- aration had been made and the people invited for the first meeting at 5 P. M., of the same day. The house was filled with anxious hearers, and God condescended to pour out the spirit of conviction at the start, so that many felt constrained to inquire the way of salvation. The countess had been much in England, and was well acquainted with the modes of work during the Moody meetings, and so I had no trouble in inviting the people to the different adjoining apartments, turning them into inquiry rooms, and the countess as well as a sister of hers proved valuable helpers with the seekers. I fol- lowed the programme of the Evangelical Alliance, which was now in session all over the world. That spirit of union was felt in a remarkable degree in all the meetings of the week. A deaconess of the Luther- an Church in that place entered the inquiry room, and found a perfect salvation from all sin, by accepting sanctification by faith, thus fitting her for work in the inquiry room. The second day, seven souls rushed into the inquiry room; they were in great haste to get rid of sin and Satan. All prayed, and hearts were search- rs SOUTH -AMERICA. 273 ed, and confessions of sin made to the Lord. There was great joy in the house that day. God had surely visited His people. The holiness meetings in the after- noons proved to be of vital importance. God seemed then to prepare us for the work before us, and we were not mistaken. While many in these meetings were led to a full and complete surrender, and the undecided led to decision, we found that the presence of the Spirit of God, in the evangelistic services for the unconverted, was manifested in great power, and when the work be- gan among the seekers, the Lord's people were ready for it. They did not then come to " claim faith," but they came to " exercise faith ; " and not so much " to be helped " themselves, as to " help others." Thus our minds were bent on this one object, that God might be glorified so that we bear much fruit. There were no different desires among the workers we kept the " unity of the faith," and we understood this, and each other. Thus the powers of darkness gave way, and Christ was conqueror, and the recipients of His grace more than conquerors through Him that saved them from all sin. The meetings closed Sunday evening, Jan. 13; but to the last night the inquiry room was filled with seekers. Seven of the servants in this house had been converted to God, and the last man was the gardener, who had been addicted to drink, and came near losing his situation on that account. lie settled O 274 SIX YEAKS WITH ' WILLIAM TAYLOR the question forever by coming to Jesus, and was ac- cepted a member of the heavenly family. It was a blessing to me to see with my eyes -how his Christian wife, who had -been praying for him these many years, was filled with joy, and wept for joy on the neck of her husband. The next station where meetings had been announced, and hall rented, was was Heiligenbeil. The hall was rather crowded, and some chairs and benches were ta- ken out to give standing room. The Spirit of God had stirred the country round about, and fell in power upon them when the word was preached. I arrived at 6 P. M., and preached at 7 P. M., so I drove from the station im- mediately to the hall. The people were burning to hear the word. A METHODIST OLD-FASHIONED MEETING. Forty seekers remained after the meeting, and as we had no smaller rooms there, the brethren arranged an 'altar for the mourners. It was a good old-fashioned Methodist mourners' bench, but I had no time, however, to give it a name, or to explain. It was soon crowded, and the workers at work. One after another of the seekers arose, and confessed the Saviour. Such a meet- ing I had not seen for a long time : so many in one place praying to God for pardon. Not a soul was left behind, all- had found the Saviour. The enemy had IX SOUTH AMERICA. 275 been totally surprised and defeated; but lie tried a game. The hall-owner informed the committee after the meeting, that the hall could not be had for other meetings. We did not attempt to hold him to his contract, but before leaving the house, another man, having heard of it, came and offered his house without money and without price. The Lord opened a door, and who shall shut it ? Never fear, little flock the Lord is thy Shepherd. The following evening was the last meeting in this place, and seven others stood up before the close, and confessed the Saviour. Wednesday, 16th, proceeded to a farm-house in the country ; but the accommodations were too small. It being winter, I thought it must be very uncomfortable to those standing in the halls and doors; but they would rather remain than to go away. Now, to describe this meeting, would be utterly impossible. Among the number that here found Jesus was one young man who found the Saviour in entire sanctifica- tion after he had been reclaimed from a cold, half-alive condition. While he praised God on his knees, he prayed God to help him to be true to his conviction to preach the Gospel, when a wealthy farmer's wife said: " Yes, amen, and I will pay his way." Would to God more such women and men would say such "amens" with a substantial backing to it. Many, however, like .to say amen while others are praying, and never think 276 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR that God wants them to answer that prayer. They expect it from elsewhere. Thursday, left for Bladieu, a town not far away. When I arrived in the afternoon, I found the people waiting, and Satan, too, had come to do his work ; but we will see how the dear Lord stood by us. The meet- ing had been announced for seven o'clock, but the people had crowded the large hall ever since four in the afternoon. Carts and wagon-loads full of human freight were lining the streets on every side, and hundreds on foot crowded the entrance to the house. The hall was upstairs, and used for dancing when it was secured for our meeting. When time for meeting had come, several brethren accompanied me, and, as they said, " to make room for me to go up stairs." I let them work for awhile, but, bathed in perspiration, they came back and had not succeeded in clearing a passage, and there seemed a great noise in the hall upstairs. I asked the brethren to wait and see how the Lord would help. So I raised my voice above the din, and cried : " Friends I I am here, and come to preach ; just make room." In an instant the passage was cleared, and I was lifted up, and quicker than I ever got upstairs anywhere, I was set down inside the hall. Satan had sent some of his agents to work to frustrate our efforts that evening. Some infidels had collected together and offered to pay for a barrel of beer, if IX SOUTH AMERICA. 277 certain individuals, who now were trying to raise a disturbance upstairs, should succeed in stopping the progress of the meeting. The people had removed every chair and every bench, and even my table, from the room, and lifted the doors out of their hinges, O leading into other rooms adjoining our hall ; and thus tried to make more room ; but I thought they must feel uncomfortable, and would hurt our meeting. However, as I gave out the hymn : " There is a fountain filled with blood," I felt the Spirit's presence. RIOTERS MADE FRIENDS. Reading the hymn, five drunken men, those hired for the occasion, kept up a great noise, and began quarrelling with those around them, and used profane language. The people became restless, and seeing this, I commanded the brethren to pray, while I turned to those rough men and said to them : k ' Now, friends, I want to teach you this beautiful new hymn. I'll sing a verse. Now, watch and catch the tune." There was a dead silence in an instant, and I sang the first verse of that powerful hymn, with the chorus, " I do believe, I now believe." My five men, who had crowded about me, sang now the loudest, as I raised my finger asking all to join me in repeating the verse. Then I asked all the females to sing the same verse, and the men join in the chorus. When the latter did so, I saw two of tho 278 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR would-be disturbers make their way out of the hall, making an effort to leave unnoticed, but I saw them. The other two mixed up with those standing about and sang, and when the last verse was sung, one of the poor fellows wept like a child. Then followed the sermon. I stood on a small soap-box against the wall, but the Lord was there, and the word was wonderfully blessed to the hearers. It came down into their hearts in Pentecostal power. I preached from Ezek. xviii, 20 : " The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Near the close of the discourse I was constrained to cry out : " Who will take life ? " In an instant about thirty hands were up. It was of God, and I asked them to remain in that position until I counted them, in order to pray with them. Scarcely had I used the word "pray" when everybody knelt down, and the cries of those who desired life rose up to Heaven. Quickly the forces were collected and set to work, to help those dear souls in praying to God and pointing them to the Lamb of God. THE DAY OF PENTECOST HAD FULLY COME. When the meetings closed, there were so many who had riot been able to hear the word, I felt sorry for them ; they seemed to be hungering. I invited them for to-morrow, when three meetings were to be held. The house was rilled to overflowing, and several meet- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 279 ings liad to be held in succession. In the evening meet- ing, which was to be the last, I preached from Acts xxvi. : " Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." In the midst of the discourse I was interrupted by those who sought the Lord. It was time to go to work among them as the night before, and God was there to save. At 9 P. M., by the help of the brethren, we cleared the hall, so as to open a second meeting, and ad- mit those who had been waiting in the street stand- ing in the snow. I preached from 2 Cor. x. : " Be ye reconciled to God." The same power was manifested as in the first meeting. Some were praying aloud in the adjoining rooms, and others in the hallway leading down stairs. By this time the Lord had a strong band of noble workers in this town. Those who had been converted before, were now bringing in their friends, and praying with them. Thus closed our meetings here ; but to be continued from house to house by the saved ones. Zinten was my next place for work. The people had come out in great numbers, and our faith was tried. There was " no stir " in the congregation. Quite a dif- ference was visible. A brother asked me after tho meeting, " What do you think is the matter? " " That God is saving the people," was the answer; and I knew well it was so. How strange it seems that if workers in the Lord's vineyard have had times of refreshing, 280 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR they are so easily led to question when the outward manifestations suddenly change! "What is the mat- ter?" There is a doubt in this question expressed, and it sounds as though we had not the same God of yester- day to deal with. " Not in my way, but in Thy way." Let us calmly and sweetly wait upon God " the same yesterday, to-day, and forever " the same God ! Hal- lelujah ! " It is not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord." Zinten was a small place, with big sins, and when the Sabbath came we opened- the hall at 5 P. M. I had been very sick during the night, with a high fever, and was no better at four in the afternoon. Three of the brethren came to my bed and said : " The people expect you to preach ; what shall we tell them?" "I will tell them the word of God at five o'clock ; and now, dear brethren, pray, if so be the will of God, I shall arise as soon as you leave the room." The three brethren prayed to God, and then left the room. I arose and dressed, and once more I bowed before my great Heavenly Father, and com- mitting myself body and soul into His hands, I asked Him, for Jesus' sake, to give me the victory over the body, and then I praised Him aloud for the victory we were going to have at the meeting. When I met the brethren, I was quite strong to preach. My text for the afternoon was Luke xix. 10. We had not to wait very long before the glory of the Df SOUTH AMERICA. 281 Lord appeared and filled the house. The cry for par- don rose to heaven from many hearts, and the sermon was brought to a timely close ; and dismissing the con- gregation, I invited all those to remain who were in real earnest about the salvation of their immortal souls ; but insisted that all others should retire. Thirty-five unconverted men and women remained in the hall, and after a short exhortation to them, we bowed to pray. I asked all to pray for themselves. A wonderful blessing prevailed then. The prayers were clear, and souls made sure. The victory was complete, and the bulwarks of the enemy had been stormed, and the banner of Jesus unfurled, and the shout of victory went up to heaven from the hearts of all who had sought and found the Lord. Monday, the meeting was continued. I preached on Naaman the Syrian, and after the sermon, again an invi- tation was extended to seekers, and again the Lord glo- rified His name in the salvation of many who remained and sought the Lord. This was the last meeting at Z . Before leaving for Konigsberg, the saved ones had started a praise meeting, and I heard the testimonies they gave in honor of the Redeemer. 282 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM- TAYLOR THE ANCIENT CITY OF THE KINGS. KANT'S CITY. Konigsberg has a large population, and a hall was se- cured to seat from 2500 to 3000 persons. It had a stage and niches, very suitable for our meetings. The meet- ings were to last three days, and three meetings each day. The day meetings. were not appreciated, but the evening meetings were good, and the hall filled. After each meeting an invitation was given for seekers to re- tire to the niches, and we met with a hearty and healthy response. Thanks be to God for those who from this place shall meet in heaven ! I returned to Berlin after the meetings had been closed, and I could praise the Lord for His wonderful manifestation of love and power during my time in East Prussia, and I could see how in so many different ways the same results had been obtained. The last- meetings at K were not accompanied with the same outward signs as those in other places, but the number converted stood not behind any of the others. Oh, how much do we learn, if but our eyes be stayed on Jesus I I can afford to wait on Him, and He never failed to show me His glory in due time. Praise His name, oh my soul, for He is worthy to be praised ! On the way to Berlin, I had to visit one other small town, to preach there, and the Lord blessed me there very much, and a number of souls were converted to IN SOUTH AMERICA. 283 God. One father brought his two sons both married to the inquiry room. Both seemed sincere, and con- fessing their sins, confessed the Saviour. I stopped over night with a brother, and I was just retiring, when I heard some one knocking against the window-pane. I opened the door to see who it was. One of those two sons, who had confessed the Saviour at the meeting, wanted to see me. He was in great sorrow, and wept. He begged me to hear him. He felt he must pour out his heart to some one, and pray once more with me, for the enemy had been sore pressing him. I prayed with him, and he was so filled, that, weeping for joy, he threw himself on my neck and kissed me. Truly God spoke peace to my soul, and gave him the victory over sin and death. Saturday, the 26th, I returned to Berlin. My dear wife seemed to have completely recovered her health. The nine months in Europe had, thanks to God, not been without effect upon her, although for a time it seemed that the loss of our children would take away all hope for her recovery. CHAPTER XV. MY RETURN TO CHILI, TAKING WITH ME A GERMAN COLONY. WE had long given up the idea of returning to the United States, but ever since our darling children had gone to God, our thoughts had wandered back to our beloved Chili, only we did not expect to return to Valparaiso, fearing that the old trouble would come back. We hoped and prayed that the Lord would open a field in the more southern part of Chili. Our prayers soon were to be answered. Through the Chilian minis- ter at Berlin, we received a letter from Paris, from an agent of the same government, who asked me whether I would return to Chili, and if so, try to take with me a German Colony, and in this case I should receive a free passage for myself and wife to Chili. We prayed over the. matter, and it appeared clear that God might use me to bring to Chili a good colony of Christian and industrious people. Our minds were soon settled on the question, and I made my intention known to some of the people in Berlin and East Prussia. I re- ceived many letters from such as were willing to go, taking good care to select Christian people, and in the colony to represent every trade, as well as farmers. 284 IX SOUTH AMERICA. 285 Twenty-six families were to meet me in Hamburg, and twenty-seven more at Bordeaux, and about eighty more were to follow after the rainy season, seven months la- ter, as they could not get ready for the ship. Those going by the way of Hamburg, were to meet me there on Thursday, the 7th of February. As I was packing our trunk, quite unsuspectingly, a police officer entered the room and arrested me in the name of the king. On inquiry, I found that I had, unknowingly, violated one of Bismarck's laws concerning emigration. It had been forbidden, and yet I had engaged those families. This was a great trial, and rather a sad parting impres- sion upon me on leaving my " Fatherland " ; but I must obey the law, and pay the penalty. I was fined 8200. Some friends who had heard about it in visiting my good wife, collected at once, and raised more than was necessary. Countess W. contributed $200, and a grandchild of the old Marshall " Vornarts "-Blucher, gave $100 more. Surely, some trials and afflictions await us everywhere, and while the Lord permitted this to befall me, I feel to pray God for more wisdom, and an open eye, and make no complaint. Many times we bring trials upon ourselves, when God had nothing to with it. The Lord will bring.it about and then we have the Lord's deliverance ; but He will not forsake us even in the former case only we feel like a child which puts its finger into the fire to find out what it is. 286 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR Father won't punish it, but tells us, "Don't do it again." This delayed us in Berlin two days. When we ar- rived in Hamburg, we had only just time to visit once more the graves of our children. We realized so fully God's presence, that while the tears flowed, sweet peace and comfort reigned within. We had ordered two marble slabs, and when we stood at the graves they had already been placed upon them. The words in- scribed were only these : " John xvi. 16 : A little while." Leaving the spot, probably never to look upon it again, I pressed the hand of my precious companion and whis- pered : " A little while." " Yes, a little while," she re- plied, " and all is well." Then we entered a coach and drove back to the city, and to the wharf where the steamer was ready to take us to England, there to meet our steamer for South America. Our colonists were all on board in due time, and happy. THE FATHER OF A LARGE FAMILY OF BIG LITTLE ONES. Thousands of questions were asked, and I felt happy to answer all I could ; sometimes, however, it was im- possible to do that. Then the children would come and ask me questions, and I had to stand it all ; sometimes I thought they were more inquisitive than the " big children." The big ones would know all about the Ar- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 287 auco Indians, while the little ones were satisfied to know that we had plenty of nice " dolls " in that coun- try. A boarding-house had been secured for them here, and I had also cabled to England and arranged every- thing for their reception there, and I was held responsi- ble by some, for all the " poor dishes," bitter coffee, and stale bread, and hard beds, and a lot of other things that I never found out ; but things went on splendidly after all. I found sufficient opportunity " to do " for them. We soon had embarked, and were under way, no baggage missing. Half-way across the Channel, many were sea-sick. Some thought it was the steamer's fault ; others, the rough weather ; again, some thought " I did it " ; but when we stepped on shore, all were happy again. Only two days we need wait in Liverpool. The Chilian Government provided us with a free pass to Chili, and also contracted to give to each family, one yoke of oxen, with cart and American plow ; one hun- dred boards for building purposes ; forty kilogrames nails ; one cow, with calf ; fifteen dollars per month for one year, and physician free for two years ; and to each family, 120 acres of good land ; and sixty acres more for each male member above twelve years. Conditions: That what each colonist received in cash, or cattle, ami the passage money, is to be paid for in eight years, with- 288 out interest. The government has fulfilled her con- tract to the letter. We embarked for Chili on the 13th of February, 1884, on board the CotopaxL The passage across the ocean was a splendid one, and the emigrants be- haved well. Services were held every Sabbath on deck. In Bordeaux, we received the rest of our party for Chili. One little child died before reach- ing Brazil, and one was born into the world. The pa- rents called the little girl " Cotopaxi." In Rio Janeiro, myself and wife, as well as a number of colonists, vis- ited the city. I called on some of the missionaries and spent the evening with them. The steamer left the fol- lowing day, at noon. Before returning to the ship, we took lunch at the same hotel where we stopped about a year ago. The same waiter was there, and he recogniz- ed us at once. His first question was : " And where are your nice little boys ? " " They are with Jesus, my friend, God has taken them home." My wife smiled, but her eyes filled with tears. She told me af- terwards : " I suppose we can never be spared the ques- tion, and it pains ; but oh, God is good ! They are with Jesus." Once more we passed through the Straits of Magel- lan ; but they were as dismal and gloomy looking as a year ago ; and passing out at the west entrance, we en- countered a heavy head gale, and the steamer worked heavily not making five miles an hour. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 289 In five days more we landed on the 28th of March in Talcalmana, to discharge our human freight. All were safely landed. None were ill, and all looked hap- py. Some had brought money with them, and I ex- changed it and got a good price for it. The govern- ment officials conducted us to the railroad station, and we took train for the interior. The first stopping place was Concepcion. The colonists staid at the soldiers' barracks. This was trying to some, but could not be helped ; and, besides, they understood all before leaving their old home, and but little complaint was made. Soon we were on our way to Angol, where we received our outfits and guides. CROSSING THE COAST-CORDILLERA. THE NEW COLONY. After a long rest of fifteen days, each family took charge of their carts and oxen, stowed their baggage and provisions, and now the whole train started on a three days' journey to the interior. Many of these good people had never driven oxen, and the men got out of patience with these docile animals. The chil- dren would cry, and the mothers lose patience, so in a sense they were all children. However, we safely reached our destination our new home, a beautiful spot, on the western slopes of the Coast-Cordillera of Nahuelbuta, and on the map called Contulmo, situated 290 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR neai a lake seven leagues long, but only one league in breadth. We found some natives there who had rented some land from the government. The huts, or ranchos, they lived in, had been bought for the colonists, so we found shelter at once, the natives moving to other parts in the country. I had gone out with them intending to stay in the colony, if so be the Lord's will, and accept land for myself, and commence school and mission work at the earliest possible date. Besides this, I desired to make arrangements for other families who desired to come over from Germany, but could not get ready for the" first expedition. There were about eighty families in East Prussia who desired to come, besides many of the relatives of those with me now. We were to form, how- ever, the only colony in those parts, and found that all those coming after us were to be settled a day's journey from Contulmo, to the south, and on the eastern side of the Coast-Cordillera, so as to place that mountain range between us and them. I at first felt a little un- comfortable about that arrangement, as I thought it would limit my field of labor too much to labor a lifetime among so few. But I thought to utilize our forces for mission work something at the back for future development of the work among natives. The farm was to be the source of supplies for myself and family; accordingly I put my hand to the plow, and IN SOUTH AMERICA. 291 with the help of a native, wiili whom I contracted, put in the seeds for next year's harvest. During the succeeding months, it became clear to me that I could not do farming work, pastoral work, and teaching day-school, all alone. The government promised to build a school-house, and I told them that I would send for a teacher. They desired me, however, to assume the responsibility of the school, to which I consented. Accordingly I sent for a teacher, who arrived from the United States in due season. In the meantime the Lord had visited our house with a great blessing. In the month of July, a daughter was born to us. SETTLING THE COLONISTS IN THEIR NEW HOMES. Services were begun from the first, and a weekly prayer-meeting established, to be held in different places each Wednesday evening. Both meetings were well attended, according to circumstances. The school- house was almost finished, and the colonists had done their field-work long ago, and harvest-time had come close to hand. Things looked cheerful, with one exception. Among the number of people we had brought with us, were some whom I designated " black sheep," and they caused us great trouble. I was not so much disappointed, as I felt sorry for them ; but we would look to God and pray. However, a community 292 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR is never without such. We learned that lesson in OUT turn. When the teacher at last arrived, the government made an arrangement with him to pay him out of the treasury, $1.50 per child ; but less than fifteen in school at a time. Only a few weeks for consideration was given, when our teacher thought this not to be the place for .his work, nor a school, and that he might be able to do more good in the city. This was a great trial. He received a call to our college at Concepcion. When we were alone once more, I saw that I could not take upon myself the work, and a trip to Santiago, our mission headquarters, became necessary, and there the brethren were consulted. Considering the circum- stances, it was thought best to abandon the field at present, allowing the colonists to develop a self-support- ing work among themselves, after two years more work on their farms, and then send a man to them. But I myself was to be sent back to my old field of labor at Valparaiso. My dear wife had completely recovered her health, and since our return, had improved, so as to justify my return to Valparaiso, even in consideration of that question. THE NEEDS OF VALPARAISO. In order now to put the work there on a firm footing, and to gather to a home my Methodist Church, and IN SOUTH AMERICA. 293 continue the work as I had done for three years, the incumbrances of those years, which kept the work from being properly organised on a broad platform, must be removed ; such as renting unsuitable halls too small, and not in the right location and paying high rents. Valparaiso is situated along the sea-shore, and in order to make room for streets and buildings, the hills back of it or rather, part of them being dumped into the sea, and the houses built thereupon. This accounts for the high coft of the ground, high rents, etc., in the best parts of the city. Business houses are chiefly erected on this " made ground," and no provision is made for large halls, if we could be ever so willing to pay high rents ; and such as would be rented are only large rooms, at best, badly located for Christian work. We must, then, call upon the friends of Bishop Taylor's missions in South America, to supply our "Building Fund Society," with means to put up our necessary buildings in Valparaiso, as we had done at Iquique, and Coquimbo, and Concepcion (just start- ing^ Valparaiso being the most important station on West Coast for a thoroughly Methodist work. When this was clear to cur minds, the brethren said : " Then, Bro. Krauser, you must go and tell the friends at home what the Lord is doing down here for us, but more especially in your work in Valparaiso, as it is for that place you require the money." After much prayer 294 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOK and fasting, during which latter exercise I experienced great blessings, it was made plain to me. My dear wife was consulted by letter, and she consented to the short separation for the Master, " and the glory of God," as she added in her written reply. "It seems so hard," she said, " but when I remember Jesus and the work here in Chili, I say, Yes." From Santiago I returned to our home, and made preparation for the journey. -.-* DIVIDE SERVICES AT THE COLOISTY. I preached in Contulmo once more before leaving Chili, and I had the great satisfaction, after the service was closed, to have a brother and sister come up to me and say : " We will continue our Sunday services. We will, by the help of God, go and hold meetings wherever we are invited." The first appointment for the following Sabbath was made in my presence. God will be with them, for both are soundly converted to God. They are now waiting for the time to come that they shall be able to call upon us to send them the right man in due season. Before returning to Santiago, I visited those colonists who had since arrived from Germany, and I found about one hundred families, nearly all from the East of Ger- many. The most of that number had either heard me preach the Gospel on my visit to East Prussia, or IK SOUTH AMERICA. 295 through others heard my name in connection with this project of colonization, so I felt at home among them, and they were glad to see me. All were willing to sup- port a preacher as soon as they would be settled, and in some way open a market for their produce. CHAPTER XVI. THE FUTURE OF CHILL SOMETHING ABOUT THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE. IN a few years these regions will present a very dif- ferent look. Towns and villages are springing up all over the Araucanian territory, so that even now the farmer finds a market. A railroad through this same country will be completed in 1887, connecting the in- terior with the larger cities of the land, and with all the seaports on the West Coast. Then it will be the time for us to take up this work in the interior, not only among the foreigners, but also among the natives, and the country will produce abundant resources for our self-supporting missions among the people. The people of Chili, religiously, are in a sad condi- tion. Three hundred years ago the Spaniards brought with them the Roman priests, the worst calamity that can befal any nation. The people have been priest- ridden ever since, and the result to-day is, that the poor are terribly degraded, and in the lowest sense, supersti- tious, and with but little sense of honor; while the middle classes and the rich are marching fast toward infidelity. They are nothing. They are not Catholics ; 29(3 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 297 but from the standpoint of Romanism, as having seen it practised by its representatives for three hundred years, they judge the religion of Jesus Christ, and ''the Christ" himself. These facts make the work a hard one more difficult than the work among the heathen of other lands. And yet, Chili is one of the most lib- eral countries in South America, and foremost in inter- nal development, and most settled in government ; and the recent changes that have taken place the intro- duction of the civil marriage law, the legalizing of re- ligious worship of the different branches of the Pro- testant Church all speak well for Chili; but if any one has watched closely the recent struggles of the " Liberal party " to separate church and state, one could not help but see that it was not simply an effort to get rid of Romanism, but to get rid of all religious obliga- tions to get rid of Jesus Christ to get rid of God, as one has said, " I defy God " ! Next to nothing has been done by missionary soci- eties to avoid this tide of infidelity which bade fair to sweep a nation out of existence into hell. A few noble men, like Dr. T. of Valparaiso, and Dr. S. of the Amer- ican Bible Society, have exercised an influence for good that should not be underrated, and helped on the coin- ing of the recent remarkable events in the history of Chili. When seven years ago this grand and brave and God- 298 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR fearing and God-trusting man, William Taylor, sent down to the coast of South America, forty-five noble workers preachers and teachers, he placed them into a workshop to do the hardest kind of work that ever missionaries were called upon to do ; but a work that could be done yes can be done in the name of Jesus. I say the hardest kind of work, considering the resources at hand. Not the resources of an India. With a transient foreign population, changing every few years, and not even caring to have their children edu- cated in this country, although now an otter was made to establish good schools, because of the bad influence their children were exposed to the influence of badly-managed native children the influence of the corruption that foreigners themselves introduced into the country. Here we found no English laws or English language, and foreigners not expecting nor in- tending to make this country their home, and a country thoroughly Romanized. Now, we have been working hard to get the children of foreigners into our schools, for a beginning ; and next, to offer to natives the chances for a liberal education, in which we have grandly succeeded; and have mostly natives now in our schools. Considering the aforesaid, William Taylor, as well as his workers, soon found it to be necessary to establish good schools everywhere, and use them as an entering wedge, to do in the future an aggressive reli- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 299 gious work. Can any one imagine with what careful- ness, wisdom, and patience, we needed to do this work? No, I think our friends cannot fully realize this feature in its every aspect; but one who has been observing the untiring, incessant, hard labor of that noble band in Copiapo, Iquique, Coquimbo, Santiago, and Concep- cion, will well understand why the work has been car- ried on in the way and on plans, as it has been carried on. But the time has now come that the dear Lord will relieve us a bit, " striking with the same old sledge," the same " old wedge," that we placed in position seven years ago. The wedge is in to its very head, and things will split, and we must make room for it we must en- large our borders enlarge the sphere of our useful- ness. The wedge has done its work, and that band of workers has to face the turning-point of our work in South America, and with heavy, yet wonderfully strong and trusting and hopeful hearts, stand waiting to see the salvation of the Lord in moving the hearts of thousands of our dear friends in the United States, to give, and to liberally give, to our " building, fund," to line this coast with forts for Jesus, for the preaching of the Gospel. When Bishop Taylor was working in Coquimbo, ma- king a full hand at the carpenters' bench, he felt for his noble worl^rs he felt for his beloved South America and its millions of unsaved souls; and laying down the 300 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR chisel and the plane, hastened to the States. Not only Coquimbo should possess a school, but other posts of more importance must have the same. When that man of God organized the " Transit and Building Fund So- ciety of the Taylor Self-supporting Missions," South America was uppermost in his thought. He understood the odds against us there; he knew something of the efforts put forth to maintain the field ; he knew what tremendous rents we had to pay for our schools, halls, and parsonages ; he knew how hard teachers were work- ed on half the salary that others were getting. Bro. Taylor knew something about how unfortunate we have been in getting out proper men and women for our "self-supporting work," two-thirds not understanding, evidently, the meaning of " self-supporting " ; and he knew what dark hours we passed through, and what monies had to be raised among the workers, to ship the unfit back home. I am not here to judge whose fault it is, or who is to be blamed for sending persons into our field who are not fit, or returned in a few years, not able to stand the financial pressure ; but I must say they are those " who sent themselves." But, thanks be to God ! we have a remnant left of those who were among the first sent out by William Taylor, who have passed through deep waters ; but, by the grace of God, have surmounted every obstacle ; and, tried in the fiery fur- nace of affliction, and polished by the Spirit of burning IN SOUTH AMERICA. 801 and faith, they stand ready, on the banks of the great Pacific, to work and to die for the land that God has given them to go up and possess. Have we not the first claim on the generosity of our friends at home ? If not for our sakes, for the sake of Jesus our Sav- iour, and the millions of the people of South America, come and help us. We want $25,000 for our Valpar- aiso chapel, parsonage, and Seamen's Coffee and Reading- room, and $50,000 for our Santiago College. These are indispensable. If we expect to carry on our work suc- cessfully, these sums must be forthcoming ; and laying down our request at Jesus' feet, we believe that we shall have them. There is Bro. Baxter, working hard at Callao an important station, but with the same incumbrance of paying high rents, and at the same time not getting suitable houses to carry on his noble work on shore, and among seamen in that great harbor. We believe " Our Father is rich in houses and lands, and holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands," and that He has laid aside a portion of that wealth for our work in South America, and I know God is sending me to the States at this time to help gather it in, according to our pres- ent need. NEEDED WORKERS. What will follow next, is the demand for that class of godly men and women that such a work naturally 302 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR would call for, and I am moved to say that, those being called upon to go out, should help our committee to avoid serious mistakes, as none of us are perfect in judgment, and most seriously consider the matter of coming and probably remaining for life, and to remain poor (for so it might be) from a financial point of view. Many have come, thinking to find a ready work, and were disappointed. Many have missed the comforts of daily life, and did not wait for things to change ; but if the experience of those who have stood from the begin- ning can help us, I think something might and ought to be said. There has been one young man who has worked but a few months, and is making only a little above his board. " How would you board ? " a strange question, no doubt ; but not to a Taylor missionary. Put in a straw tick, and wooden chair ; dispense with " courses," and a cheap and healthful fare may be obtained. That will do for a beginning. But doubtless these things do not occur to all people's minds, and they might as well be spoken of and things called up by names, and price- list furnished. BISHOP TAYLOR'S MOUNTAIN OATS. The Bishop wrote to me one day something about " mountain goats living on the rocks, and sniffing the air." My heartfelt reply was that I had no objections IN SOUTH AMERICA. 303 whatever to the bill of fare, except that I thought I would not grow very fat upon it. After all, it may not be a good condition to be in, for a " Taylor missionary self-supporting basis." When I first began in Valpa- raiso, I had no bedstead to put my bed on, but I man- aged to " borrow " one after a while, for down here a man must first build up a credit, before being able to " borrow." In nine months, however, things were paid for; and now, after laboring in South America since December '78, I am graciously permitted to take steer- age passage to return home to raise money. Glory to God for such a privilege I Now, if any good first-class missionary cannot recon- cile himself to these facts, he or she had better not come. However, as to the continuancy of those ** close- corners," I might add it is but for a season. " Have ye lacked anything?" Bishop Taylor asked me one day. " No, brother, never ! " was the joyful answer. These be sweet morsels, and not one of us would per- mit any one to take them from us for all the world. God doubtless has such at home, who will come and enter upon faithful work in our field, and help take this coast for Jesus ; and while the Church at home is straining every nerve io raise a million for missions, let us raise two, one on each side. Furnish the money for our nec- essary buildings, and we will engage to get our living among the people where we labor. 304 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR The foreign population, such as North Americans, Germans, and English, for the most, do not intend to make this country their home. It is true that some have lived here from twenty to thirty years, engaged in business; but these are exceptions. Others leave this country when they have money sufficient to secure them a comfortable living in the old country. Some go on account of their children, if not grown up be- fore the parents are able to return to Europe or the United States, they send their children to school to those countries, much preferring to have them educated cut of the country, because of the influence of the na- tives, which is not the best. However, the natives to- day are more sensible to the needs of a liberal educa- tion, and while they strive to get it, and thus encour- age that work among them, they will soon stand on a higher platform, and the foreign element will feel a higher interest in educational and Christian work than they have shown hitherto. But few consider Chili their home, and their beneficence is much regulated by it. Large sums might be invested, to enable other so- cieties to put up their churches and mission rooms ; and but for this the means might be raised in the country itself, for all the buildings we need. The Roman Cath- olics cannot be asked to help us, and to wait until they are duly prepared to give large sums, would cause the work to be limited incalculably. TN SOUTH AMERICA. 305 Bishop Taylor, in his book, " Our South American Cousins," gives a very interesting report on that line, which will prove the correct statement of the aforesaid. (Chap. xv. p. 213. It is given in the words of the first pastor who came to Chili in 1845 Rev. Dr. Tram- bull). He says as follows: "Being ordained for the ministry in Valparaiso in 1845, 1 sailed for that place in August, and arrived on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The prospect was anything but encouraging. It was impos- sible for six months to secure a room for a chapel, until at last we obtained a dark and diminutive bedego (store- house). This has been our trouble during my tune in Valparaiso"; but he goes on to state another fact, which corresponds exactly to my experience in 1880-83. He says : " At the end of six months, however, the din- ing-room of the Chili hotel was offered, which was com- modious for an audience of a hundred. At the end of a year orders came from the owners in Santiago to va- cate the place, ou religious grounds." Now, thus the priests used their influence in just that direction ; and in my time 1880-83 we were ejected in the same way, or exorbitant rents asked. Now Dr. Trumluill built a church, but not until he had labored nine y-;n-s among the English. In my work the people are ready now to move into a home, if I had one to offer them. However, this first church was so small, that in 18G9 another was built, and the old place sold to the Ger- 306 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR mans. The cost of the new church was $57,000, Chili money, and out of that sum $26,000 was paid for the lot alone, and 837,000 expended for the building. It is found, then, that land is extremely high, and the folio AV- ing will show something of the reason. Bishop Taylor, in his book, says (Chap, xv.) : " It is a city built on more than 'seven hills,' and precipitous bluffs facing the ocean. The city has but two or three level streets (near the ship-landing and the business part of the city). This level land, on which stand all the public buildings, and most of the business houses, was mainly recovered from the sea." At this present time, there is an extensive work of that kind going on, and several acres of ground will be gained ; but the prices for land will be very high, and on it we must build, in order to make the movement in some degree attractive. Now, money should not be the object to keep us from carrying on that work in Valparaiso. We must, by all means, save some ; and if we can add to the numbers of the church by raising a home for the mission, we are bound to go ahead, and in the name of God, get the money. There was a time when men said it was unsafe for any one to go to the " Maintop," for they were sure to be caught by the parson, and rumsellers did poor business. Now, I thank God for that spirit among the people. I feel we must improve it until that part of the Lord's vine- yard is cleansed of those terrible dens of vice. We de- IX SOUTH AMERICA. 307- sire to make it proverbial, as in the time when a thief stole the horse of a Methodist preacher, and he, mount- ing with a few farmers, overtook the thief, who, when he was bound, and heard that the horse belonged to a Methodist preacher, said: "If he had known tins fact he'd never have touched the horse, for he knew that they would be after him to the end of the world, and into hell to get hold of him." Amen ! praise the Lord ! May God intensify the desire of Christians at home, to help put missionaries in the way of doing more work for God in reaching souls, by giving to such an object as this 011 my hands now. I never felt so in my life, as I feel at present, since I am away for a season from Chili. I desire to hasten back, for I love that work it has become a part of myself. Yes, I must look after my family. It is true that I have often been in danger ; but oh, how at home I feel in this work ! It is the work God called me to, and I do love it. I never loved it so much until one evening, while calling at different gambling and dancing houses, I saw a suspicious-looking individual following me close behind. He was a tall, powerful native, and I noticed he was closely watching me. I did not like the way he acted ; but never dreamed of what he really in- tended to do. When I walked down a narrow, dark passage, to reach the mission-room, to open my meeting, I was suddenly confronted, and the man drew a long 308 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR knife, about one foot long, and made the attempt to plunge it into my heart. I wore an overcoat at the , time, because in it I had five large pockets, purposely * made to carry quantities of tracts, in as many different languages; and when the man struck, he seemed to know where the heart was ; but the knife met a large package of tracts that were in my pocket, and the shock I received caused me to stagger back a little dis- tance/ Just then I heard the shriek of a woman, and in the next moment the galloping of a horse close by ; and in that moment, when the ruffian ran toward me for another trial, he was suddenly struck down by a policeman on horseback. Now, this was done quicker than I am able to*write it down, and during that time, when first the man stood in front of me, until now, not a word had escaped my lips. A woman just turning a corner, stepped into the passage where I was struck, gave the signal to a policeman, who was halting on his horse, close by in the next street; and he, quick as lightning, put the spur to his horse, and appeared " just in time." The knife fell from the grasp of the assas- sin, and the woman picked it up and handed it to me, and I could see it was a terrible weapon. Before the man recovered, he was bound with thongs and tied to the saddle of the horse. Then the policeman request- ed me to follow him at once to the police station ; but being well known to him, I just gave him my card, and IX SOUTH AMERICA. 309 told him that I had a meeting at the room, and that the men were waiting for me. He ordered me to appear the following morning at court. The unfortunate prisoner was dragged off, and I hur- ried off to my little mission-room. It was filled with anxious souls none knew what had passed outside ; but when I told them that God had spared me to come, and once more bring the message of salvation, as one risen from the dead, the power of God came down up- on those assembled, in such a wondrous way as was never witnessed in our room before. It was the most solemn hour of my life, and the Lord saved five precious souls that night. From that night I have a different experience in my feelings toward tlfat work. Oh, if I could be able to frame it in language ! but I cannot. I will say this : my soul is united to that work in Valpa- raiso, and I must hasten back. I love it; yes, Lord, Thou knowest I love Thee and it; for thou hast surely called me to do that work. Glory be to His precious name the name of Jesus ! The next day the poor prisoner was sent to the pen- itentiary. He made no excuse, except that he said I had attempted to stab him first. CHAPTER XVII. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. WONDERFUL SALVATION. MY soul has been drinking all the while from the in- exhaustible fountain of God's mighty love, and I am already amply repaid for the work I have undertaken ; but others must drink and know my God, and what His glory is. And if by means of this book the Lord has opened to me a way for the support of my family while away from Chili, and to pay my own travelling expen- ses while in this country, it is only the one side of what it is to accomplish, and my Jesus and my Saviour will take care of the whole. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for his mercy en- dureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy ; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in ; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them ; then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitations. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the chil- dren of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hun- gry soul with goodness. "O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with 310 IN SOUTH AMERICA. 311 my sjlory. Awake, psaltery and harp, I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great above the heav- ens, and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Yea, I will tell what the Lord has done for my soul." EARLY RELIGIOUS TRAINING. In February, 1875, I heard for the first time the Gos- pel preached to sinners, in this country. My early re- ligious training, if training it could be called, I received under the hands of a minister of the Lutheran Church, in Germany. He was an eloquent man, but Christless ; and I do not remember a single sentence of any of his sermons preached in my hearing. They were, however, few, as I attended the public services perhaps only three times in the eighteen years of my life in "Germany. Thus my religious " training " consisted of one hour a week, during a period of six weeks prior to my " con- firmation." When the pastor laid his hands upon my head to bless me, and I partook of the sacred cup, I was already a hardened and careless sinner ; but the music of the organ, together with the solemnity of the occasion, caused tears to start to my eyes for a moment ; then all was gone, never to return again for many years. I do not even remember the verse of Scripture that was given me before leaving the altar, and the certificate was soon lost. When I returned to an uncle's house, I received some cigars, with the words : " Now you are a 312 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR man, and are allowed to smoke openly before men, with- out fear of being punished." I felt proud, and that was all ; the day of confirmation had passed, and I en- tered upon a career of unrestrained pleasure and sinful- ness, and outspoken infidelity. THE INFLUENCE OF MY MOTHER'S LIFE. My poor mother was much grieved because of my conduct, and often wept, although it was long before I knew it. My mother I loved dearly, but her wonderful patience, her noble character, together with her high so- cial refinement, were unbearable to me. In her pres- ence alone I could be good, I thought ; yet I did not wish to be in her presence. With irresistible force it drove me away, to my pleasures, to my companions. There came a time when I looked upon my mother in wonder. I could not understand how a human being could be so good, so pure, so gentle, as she was ; and I envied her, and a longing after such a life would spring up in my soul ; so that often, upon my bed, I caught myself bitterly weeping, only for a moment, however, as soon as I became conscious of the state of my feelings, I tore myself away with an effort. Then I would for some time shun the eyes of my mother. I feared she would see what was going on within me. The time came when I found out that she prayed, at times. I feared her now, that is, I strove hard to IN SOUTH AMERICA. hide my bad conduct from her ; yet I knew that she was only too well acquainted with me, and I would at times feel, oh, if only mother would come to me and tell me something about myself ! if she would only tell me to my face that I could not deceive her ! I suffered now for years, untold torments, for I felt I loved her, and I would not have grieved her for anything in the world ; and yet, I could not resist sin. I stood alone, without God, without Christ, without hope in the world. I had never heard her utter a harsh word ; I had never seen her impatient ; but when, one day, I had grieved her very much, she came toward me with such a care- worn look upon her, looking at me with such piercing eyes, yet so imploringly, it seemed I could not bear it, and bitter remorse gripped my soul. Before I could turn away, she was at my side, and had caught my hand and held it in both hers. I did not dare look her in the face, for I thought her to be an angel in the form of my own dear mother. She softly called my name, " Oscar I " and I looked up into her eyes. Oh, that moment ! It stands before my soul to-day. When I looked into those blue eyes, so full of grief, and filled with tears to overflowing, and the hot drops falling down upon my hand as she held it in her dear hands, I wished my si- If dead. Yes, I wished then I had died. I was so sick at heart so tired of life. Why was it that God did not send me a ray of light then ? But not a word dropped 314 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR from her lips. My hand dropped, lifeless, almost, to my side, and my mother had turned and left the room. I stood alone. MY INFIDELITY SHAKEN, TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM GOD. In that hour I knew there was a God, and this was burned down deep into my soul. The life of my mother stood in living flames of fire before me. I was crushed to the earth by the mighty evidence it furnished, and now I strove, oh, so hard, day and night, to free myself from this weight of conviction which threatened to madden my brain. I drowned my feverish heart in the cooling ocean of pleasures, but only to increase the raging of the flames within. Dissatisfied with everybody and myself, I rushed headlong down the road to destruction. My home became too small for me I had no rest. Day and night my mother seemed to stand before me, and I must look upon her wherever I stood, wherever I went, and then the force of the fact, " There is a God ! " I could not abate it. Miserable and sick at heart, and my infidel reasoning not able to cure the wound that I had received, and angry with the world because of its miserable weakness, I made a resolve, as a last remedy, to flee away from God to abandon myself entirely; but not at home not so, that my poor mother should IN SOUTH AMERICA. 315 ever know what had become of her unhappy boy, whom she loved dearest on earth. I would go to North America. I stopped only a moment to think, " What will she say?" and then I struck the cruel blow. I left the city, and then I wrote a letter, for I did not dare to look at her face. To my great astonishment, the answer was in the affirmative. I did not know what to make of it. Was it pride ? I did not know. Was it that her love to me was no longer the same ? Oh, I was so miserable once more ; for while I thought a mother still loved me, I .might bear to live, if even in sin and shame. I hurried home. Preparations had already been made. Everything that such a mother could do had already been done for me, and my trunk stood ready. But the love of my mother had increased. When I saw her she had faded away, and how loving and kind she was ! I felt the hardness of my heart, and for a time I was afraid of myself. But soon an effort set me on my feet again, and I thought I was strong : then a faint glimmer of a desire would spring up to be a better man ; but only to relapse into thoughts of self. A BROKEN-HEARTED MOTHER. The day of departure arrived. Father and mother accompanied me to the station, Berlin to Hamburg. I bade them good-by, as I felt it to be forever, or rather, thought nothiiig concerning my ever coming back. As 316 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR the train moved, my mother reached out her hands once more and said : " My Oscar, be a better boy ! " Then she looked upward, but fainted, and sank in the arms of my father. These were her last words on earth to me, and thus I saw her for the last time this side of heaven. I heard the words, and I saw her faint ; but I had no tears, and I strove in vain to seek relief. On the 5th of August, 1872, I arrived in Liverpool, and on the 10th I embarked on the steamship St. Louis for New Orleans, La., where we arrived safely on the 1st of September. I found, of course, things much different from what I expected, and work I would not, for a long time. But at last, when all my resources had been exhausted, and no hope of obtaining money without work could be entertained, I walked forty miles, down the Mississippi River, and began work on a sugar plantation. A German of my type had induced me to go with him, promising me employment through a friend, in the sugar-house. I had been deceived, how- ever, and I was compelled to work in the field. In three days after, I was thrown out of the lodging-house, sick with the fever, and unable to work. Somehow, I managed to reach New Orleans, and I was picked up on the street and sent to the hospital. A most miserable life followed now. For more than a year I was in the hospital, off and on. I had become totally unfit for any kind of work ; every three or four weeks I was D* SOUTH AMERICA. 317 taken to the hospital again, where I stayed, perhaps a week or more. Only half restored, I left the hospital, for I had no rest, and upon my bed the most horrible thoughts tormented me. I felt I was forsaken and alone. I thought above all other things, about my mother, so far away from me. Memory was consuming me with a slow fire, and yet I was not relieved, I still lived. IN AMERICA. SICK AND IN RAGS. In those hours I thought death would be a relief, I mean those hours when I wished to work and could not, and when I walked like a shadow through the streets of the city, and my eyes fell by and by on ragged clothing and torn boots, I mean those hours when I looked into the yards of private dwellings, to see whether wood was piled up there, that I might work for a bit of food. It is true I had not much appetite, but just enough to desire to quench the craving of hunger. Just a little was necessary ; but I was too proud to ask for it. Then those moments when I did begin to cut wood, and the axe would sink from my grasp, and I fell down on the heap, bitterly weeping, and unable to rise. Then a charitable hand would touch me, and lead me to the street, and send me again to the hospital. And in those hours, when I \\islu.l for death, what if God had then cut me off? Oli, how my soul blesses the God of heaven that in 318 SIX YEAES WITH WILLIAM TAYLOK mercy He permitted me to live at all, and when He permitted me to sink so deep in degradation and sin, to finally raise me up, to give me life and peace and joy, and entrust to me the oracles of God, to preach the everlasting Gospel. It is to the glory of Jesus, my Saviour, for ever and ever ! And how could I regain health and strength again ? I had given up all hope of ever recovering, those terrible fevers would not loose their hold on me ; and how did I spend my nights ? Oh, wretched life of sin, away from God, no one pitied me I I thought I needed sympath} 7 - human sympathy - and I cursed mankind. My nights were spent in the empty cars on the railroad track, shaking with ague, and nothing but rags to cover my frame. The hand of God was heavy upon me, but He knew me best. God knew best what was in me He knew to apply the medicine. It was bitter, and I was farther away from God than ever, and yet wanted it so. I wanted to get away from Him, but I did not want to suffer like that. I did not want to believe in Him, but I cursed Him to His face ! I did not want to know anything of God, but I blamed Him for the misery in which I was now, and cast up to Him my education, my breeding ; and now to be so shamefully reduced ! Oh, I found it hard to fight against God ! I would rage, and by force shake off my weakness and disease ; but my sins and my deserted home rose now IN SOUTH AMERICA. 319 like mountains up before me, and I sank back in despair. But at last I made an effort to escape this terrible climate. Sick at heart, and feeble in body, [ left this State, walking on foot, but now and then, during the night, trying to get on some train, and sitting outside as best I could, between the cars, until I was detected by some one, and compelled to walk again. Thus I reached the State of O. : and now deliverance should come. May I be spared the bitter remembrance of the past; but notwithstanding, God must be glorified, and His sweet presence stills the tears, and causes me in the midst of them, to rejoice with joy and singing. If so be that the fountains of the deep break up once more, the floods of heavenly glory are overwhelmingly precious, and I join the chorus of fire, Redeemed, redeemed, yes, redeemed through the blood, the precious blood of the Lamb Christ Jesus, from all the filthiness and sins of my life, and cleansed from all indwelling corruption through sanctification by faith. LIGHT FROM CALVARY'S CROSS. Suffice it, then, to say: the Gospel of Jesus was brought to me. Curiosity led me to hear "common people " preach, and to see a woman pray. Dear Fa- ther Webb, dear Sister Joice, how can I help mention- ing their names, that are so dear to me on earth I with my tears I would burn them into these pages; for has 320 SIX YEAKS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR not God found them worthy in the Lamb's book of life, and shall I not look upon them once more in the pres- ence of my God, on His white throne ? Shall I not be there when they shall bear me in their arms and lay me down, a trophy, down at Jesus' feet, as a brand plucked from the fire ? The former was an employee of one of the railroad companies at C , and the dear sister a companion in the labors of love. After six long weeks, I felt constrained to bow down for the first time before God. I could not keep away from the meetings. I must go to hear, although others laughed at me and mocked me. But while I look up to God with thankful heart for this help, I bless His name for the hour when first I knelt down in prayer, after the brother had spoken on Christ's death on the cross. I could bear it all ; but when he told how that Christ had said : " Father, forgive these murderers, for they know not what they do," I could bear it no longer, I turned, smitten to the heart, to see whether I could rise and go away, to be alone. But just then Sister J. knelt down right beside me, and all present were asked to join in prayer. She prayed, and it seemed she prayed for me alone. I felt it, yes, I was not mistaken she named me to God. Oh, how I felt the eye of God piercing me that moment, when this sister prayed : " O God ! save this young man ! save him now, and put Thine everlasting arm beneath him ! " IN SOUTH AMERICA. 321 My heart was broken to pieces under the stroke of the hammer of God's wondrous love. Still there was darkness, but I seemed to stretch out my hand and grope, yet quickly I would withdraw my hand and say: "You are not meant, don't think it for a moment." Then my sins came rushing forward. I could bear it no longer. I started to my feet and made for my room. But the brother had watched me well. lie met me just in time in front of the door, and taking one of my hands, he asked, imploringly : " Young man, will you be a Christian?" When I was able to look up, I seemed that moment to understand the question. Like a flash it crossed my darkened soul ; but I had caught it. It was that I had tried to grasp during prayer a moment ago. Yes, glory to God ! I knew, now, Christ had died for me, and stood to break down the middle wall of partition in my behalf. I saw in flaming letters before me, the words of myvown Saviour, " It is finished I " I firmly grasped the brother's hand, and said : " By the help of God, I will ! " Oh, how I wished that moment that the good brother would wait and talk with me ; but the Lord knew better what was wanted, he was prevent- ed, and left me to myself ; only saying these words, which I will not forget any more: "Remember, every night at twelve o 'clock I am on my knees praying for you. Until next Sunday I am nighMvatch all the week, in the station. 322 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR A PERSONAL FIGHT WITH SATAN. THE TERRIBLE- NESS OF SIN. I entered my room and thought to pray for the first time earnestly to pray that God for Christ's sake might forgive me my sins. When I knelt down, it ^cein- ed I could not speak the name of God, and great dark- ness fell upon me. The load of sin was too great for me, and I was in agony, and struggled for utterance, but the more I struggled to pray, the more terrible ap- peared my sins. I began again to bemoan myself, and wept because I was so miserable and unhappy. Still my sins rose up before me again, and brought before me the fact that these were the cause of all, and. that I must have peace with God. Thus I wrestled and pray- ed, and agonized, yet no light came. I could not bring myself to the point to exercise faith, and perhaps I was not quite letting myself go, or had not yet, from my heart, renounced the world. I was not yet humble, and God, in His mercy, smote me still. I cried out : " Slay me, but save me ! " I lay thus in my room until Friday afternoon, at four p. M. I had taken but little food all this time, and I felt my strength giving way. But I was determined not to let go. I said to myself, continually : " Better die than live a moment in sin." I was feeble in body ; I could not bear any more strain, weary and tired, I IN SOUTH AMEKICA. 823 sat on my bed, when once more I knelt in prayer, and then, as never before, I cried out to God in the words of the Scripture which I had so often heard: "God ho merciful to me, a sinner!" and like a flood of light it dawned upon me, and I added: " Yes, Lord, right now I believe ! I believe ! " The work was done. The load of sin was lifted off. I was free, and I knew it. I jumped up front where I was kneeling, and praised God with a loud voice, so loud that all in the house could hear me, and I was so happy that I laughed and wept at the same time. Some of the people in the house looked at me in aston- ishment. Then I heard one young man say: "Oh, he is crazy! He '11 be all right soon, and we'll have him back among the old friends." I replied at once, and said : " No, never ! You may have all the friends, all the world, and all that is in the world, but I have Christ ; and, thanks be to God, I have Him now ! " I was converted: I belonged to God, and more, I had said on my knees, " Lord, I will preach Thy Gospel to every creature ! " and the Lord held me to my word. Every day for about three weeks, I had been pi-runt- ed to read the Bible and exhort the prisoners at the county jail in the city. God blessed me in these laliors, and gave me many precious souls. Thus the Lord pit- pared me to work among the lost and the lowest, right from the beginning of my Christian course. The Bible, 324 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR which had never come to my hand before, was my com- panion day and night now, and I devoured its contents. My soul was full of joy and praises to God. One day, however, a former companion provoked me to anger, and oh, how miserable I was when I felt it spring up within me I I prayed to God at once, to help me, and I was helped instantly, so that the young man did not perceive what was going on within me. But when he continued troubling me, the same uprising came back and I felt sorry. I prayed, but I found it would overcome me. I did not know what to do, yet I prayed. But there came a moment, suddenly, and quicker than I can tell, when I raised my hand and struck the man in his face. Long I had withstood the rising of my temper, and now I was unhappy again, under condemnation. I hurried to my room and there prayed, and repented of what I had done. I felt terri- bly, for I thought nothing should ever come up between me and my God any more. I would serve Him who had done so much for me, to the end of my life, cost what it may. I was happy and satisfied once more, al- though I felt ashamed and grieved that I had so soon offended the loving Saviour, and I prayed 'earnestly that I might be kept watching, and looking to Jesus. I read about Peter on the water, walking, and I thought this stood for a warning to me not to do like him ; but that by faith I could be kept up, looking to Jesus. IN SOUTH AMERICA. 325 THE DISCOVERY OF A HIDDEN KNE.MY. However, I had now constant trouble with my tem- per, and trouble with so many other things. Those came of pride in the same way; and evil thinking, and I would pray and wrestle with God, and in tears I would cry out : " O Lord, Thou k no west I do not want those things in me ! Thou knowest I hate the very appearance of evil I I want to be all Thine ! I want to be holy and pure ! " From this time I experi- enced such intense hungering and thirsting for more of God, and to be a better Christian, as I termed it in my prayers, that I was almost constantly praying ; and 3*0: this terrible light going on within me all the time. Nc one knew what was going on within me. My outward life did but show the strictest consistency with the teachings of the Scriptures. . I carried my New Testa- ment about with me to every place, and if I had but one minute's time, I would look into it, and re-ad, and compare my own heart with it, and as I drank in every word, the hunger for a far different life a higher and purer life, only increased. Not that I was conscious of anything wrong that I had done all this time, since I struck the young man, either in word or deed ; but these inward troubles, these evil uprisings, these nmv- ings in my own heart, oh, they tormented me so much I Day and night I was praying, and sometimes my heart 326 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOE was so full of joy that I wept, and clapped my hands, and praised God for hours in my room ; and then those constant victories that I had "over myself, strengthened me wonderfully ; for never had the evil yet gotten the upper hand ; but I had so much grace given me that I could keep it all down. Still there was this gnawing in my heart for something, I did not know what, and I could not find it out, except that I felt bad when those evils rose within me, and I was blessed again in a few minutes after. Sometimes, though, I would be so grieved that I wept for hours, and prayed, because I seemed to be wrapt up entirely in self. Now, along with all this, I would sometimes lie awake upon my bed a long time and weep for joy, and clap my hands, and meditate upon my blessed Saviour and His wonderful word. It seemed as though I could then penetrate the meaning of Scripture better than ever, and the grandest and sweetest Christian life would loom up before me, and I would stretch out my hand to God as though trying to pull down to me, with all my might, this something that I wanted to make me well-pleasing in His sight. The morning came, and it was the same again. This lasted for four long, long, weary months. I was happy, but oh, I wanted some- thing ; and I knew now that the state of my inner man kept me from possessing God entirely, as I thought. But then, I was comforted again by hearing the testi- IN SOUTH AMERICA. 327 monies of others. They seemed to be happy, too, and lived a Christian life, and they even sometimes spoke of these things that so troubled me ; but this was some- thing I could not do. I could not speak of it, for when I heard them speak of these things, I felt more ashamed and was more sure that this was wrong in me, and I thought I could never really glorify my Father. Then grief intensified, and new struggles ensued. THE REPRESSION THEORY. THE DISAPPOINTMENT. But at last I got hold of something that brought rest to me, in a certain way ; that is, I " would not " trouble so much as I used to, and bear as others bore ; and that was this : I seemed to gather from the experiences of others, that this way was "the Christian's warfare." I took hold of this as a drowning man would a straw. If others, older in experience, and so many in number, have the same experience, then of course it is this way with everybody. The idea gave me some comfort, and now my mind was quite made up to fight the good fight of faith to work out my salvation with fear and trem- bling and.fight, and fight, the evil in me, till the last breath of life. By the help of God, I should ! Yes - I was determined to be and remain a Christian, and more so now than ever. So this was, then, the Chris- tian warfare, and I settled down on that, and sail t myself, " Now, you might have saved yourself a good 328 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR deal of trouble." This was all settled on an evening when quite alone with God, and my heart was overflow- ing with gratitude toward my Heavenly Father for re- vealing to me His wondrous love, mercy, and longsuf- fering. I know the Lord had much patience with me, and the feeling of humility at this time was sweet. That night I shall never forget, because in it all my new hopes had vanished away, and all my old fears had revived. The same troubles, the same uprisings ; and no matter how strongly I would plead the idea of the " Christian warfare," my inner man did not pay any at- tention to it, and I found that Christ did not reconcile Himself to the sin within me. Everything would now come up ; but especially with the lust of the flesh was 1 troubled, and the enemy would trouble me in a way and with thoughts of things that I never had when ac- tually living in sin. I threw myself across my bed. I wet the pillows with my tears, and told the Saviour the old story : " Thou knowest I hate these things from the bottom of my inmost soul. I do not want anything filthy in my heart. I want Thee, and only Thee, to reign in my soul." There was no confession to outward sin, for God kept me from yielding to any temptation ; but I knew that those things did not arise from the out- side. I knew only too we, 11 they came from within, and I cried again to God to give me a pure and holy heart. I was well nigh worn out in body. My strong crying IN SOUTH AMERICA. upon my bed, and my burning desire for more of (;,,! to the cleansing of my heart, was so intense that I thought I would be ill, and I asked God in earnest prayer, and in faith, for light and help. Now, I had not only testified for Jesus in jails, but also spoke in the name of Christ in the penitentiary of this State, to the prisoners there ; and one day, after leaving the chapel, I noticed a prisoner walking up to an officer on guard, close by where I stood talking with him. The officer gave me a sign to stop, and the prisoner turned toward me and handed me a little pamphlet. His eyes were full upon me, and filled with tears. It seemed like a dream to me. Before I could tell what I had received, the prisoner had left me, for he was just permitted to give me this paper after the officer had examined it, but was not allowed to speak to me. Somehow, I felt it was something for me, and I could hardly awa4t the time to see what it contained. A PRISONER GIVES ME THE" GUIDE TO HOLINESS." Once more I stood just over my bed, for I had taken no time to sit down to read ; and then with trembling hand, I unfolded the pamphlet and read the Guide to Holiness. I was struck with the "Holiness/' I had not seen this particular word in such large letters before, and I hastily turned over the first leaf, and th.-iv once more I read " Holiness unto the Lord." So many 330 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR thoughts now crowded my mind. This book in the penitentiary ! Somehow it had found its way there, and then, those tearful eyes, that man in the prison- yard, so full of emotion and love, it seemed. With an effort I drove away these pictures, and I read part of the " Experience of Hester Ann Rogers," and another part of Fletcher. I had never heard those names before, and I did not care who they were ; but what I read there thrilled my soul, and with trembling hands did I hold that blessed little paper, and with quivering lips, and with a heart full to overflowing, I perused those lines again. "My own experience!" "My own desire!" " My own experience ! " I could only cry out again and again. " O my God ! " I cried, and completely overcome with this wonderful power that flooded my soul, I fell on the floor, the book had dropped from my grasp. I felt the color of my face change, and a tremor ran through my entire frame ^ and then, stretch- ing out my arms to heaven, my eyes fixed on Jesus, in Person, as it seemed, and " O my great Redeemer ! my blessed Jesus ! " was all I could say for a time. Then burst forth that long pent-up desire of my soul, the light had come, and now I lay drinking, drinking from the fountain of life. I opened my soul to God, and said, now, simply : "All, all is mine, blessed Jesus ! I now believe ! I now believe Thou dost cleanse me from my sin ! " IN SOUTU AMEKICA. 331 The lines that spoke concerning Fletcher, hud the text from John, "And the blood of Jesus Ch:i>t His Son cleanseth 'me just now' from all sin." It was written in that way, and the words "me just now" fastened themselves upon me, and thus I stood before God. " The blood just now cleanseth me from all my sins." A REAL INWROUGHT HOLINESS. It seems now as though I cannot go on to say more. How can I say more ? I arose quietly, as though I dare not disturb the so- lemnity of the moments. I felt as though the room was filled with the angelic host, looking on in wonder and amazement to behold the mighty work of a cruci- fied Redeemer, whose name is " Wonderful, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Scarcely touching the floor with my feet, I walked slowly to and fro in the room, silently pressing my hands upon each other again and again. All was so quiet about me, and heavenly peace seemed to reign. There was not that same outward nanifestation of joy as at the time of my conversion, T)ut a peace, calm as a river, flowing deep down in my inmost soul a peace that passed all understanding. I /annot explain it, but I knew it was there. I possess- ed a real, inwrought holiness. Without a sound scarce- ly, proceeding from my lips, I merely whispered: "Glory to God! glory, glory, glory!" Then I 332 SIX YEARS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR. down upon my bed, intoxicated with Divine love. Then my physical man called for his rights, and when my head touched the pillow, I fell asleep, and oh, what a sleep ! like a man who had not beeft able to sleep for weeks, and dreaded the coming of the night, but had suddenly been healed and rested in sleep from a long and weary sickness. Sweet, refreshing sleep. Thus the peace of God settled down into my soul, and when I awoke late in the evening, it was there the same blessed, real holiness, the love of God made perfect in my soul ; and as I write down these lines, I find it is there still, but deeper, and sweeter, and more precious than ever before. Wondrous love ! Won- drous keeping power of the mighty Christ ! Glory be to His dear name ! To Him belongeth all the glory ; and if, in reading these lines, a soul is helped, a soul is rescued, a soul is filled with all the fullness of God and the power of a holy life, then the glory of God shall shine but brighter, and next we meet around the throne in glory, to crown HIM Lord of all. THE CHKISTIAN WITNESS AND ADVOCATE OF BIBLE HOLINESS. EDITED BY Eevs. W. McDonald, Joshua Gill, and G. D. Watson, D.D. PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH. 1 a Tear, postage Included. To Clergymen, 75 cU. In addition to the editorial management of the above, besides articles from some of the best writers on Holiness, the WITNESS contains letter from Missionaries in nearly every part of the world. BISHOP WM. TAYLOR is one of oar regular contributors, and others of his African party will keep our readers posted on the great African Mission. Bishop Taylor's Transit Fund is regularly reported in our col- umns. In fact, we intend that The WITNESS shall take the lead in the dissemination of information regarding the progress in all parts of the world of the great Self-Supporting Mission movement, while at the same time, the main idea, "TO SPREAD SCRIPTURAL HOUNESS OVER THESE LANDS," hall be prosecuted vigorously. SAMPLE COPY FREE I SONGS OF JOT AND GLADNESS. A new Singing Book, by W. MCDONALD, JOSHUA GILL, J. R. SWENEY, and W. J. KIRKPATRICK. 271 hymns: about 75 new, and the remainder the cream of other books. 40 cts. single; 4 per doz.; $30 per hundred. LIFE OF REV. JOHN S. INSKIP, President of the National Camp-meeting Association. By W. MCDONALD and J. E. SEARLES. Illustrated with portrait of Mr. Inskip, and lithograph of the chapel in which he was converted. Price $1.25. CATECHISM ON CHRISTIAN PEREECTION. By Ilev. E. T. CURNICK, A.M. Price 50c. CHRISTIAN PERFECTION AS TAUGHT BY WESLEY. By Rev. J. A. 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