Grafton, N. D., July 30, 1895.
My dear
I will have little time to write today, but I want to write you a few lines before taking up other things. I feel that I have very serious work on hand for tonight, and I want to be as free for it as possible. We have afternoon and evening meetings and this does not leave much time for other things.
Yesterday afternoon we had a few out, not many. Among these were the mother and brother of Mrs. A.-both Catholics. They were about to take the train to go and see the father who has been in the insane asylum for years, and who is now not expected to live. They came in in the forenoon and took dinner. I had a long talk with them after dinner — more directly with the young man. Both are exercised, but the young man much more than the mother. I look for him soon to be free. He told his sister yesterday that he was done trying to save himself by his good works. They both seemed deeply interested at the meeting in the afternoon.
In the evening about 20 or 30 were in at the hour, and I gave out a hymn which we were singing, when others began coming in, and within five or ten minutes about 150 or more were in the room. We had seats for over 150 I think, and some stood. I did not understand it but went on and preached from Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7) — “In whom we have redemption...,” etc. The attention was good, save that ten or a dozen young fellows got up and went out. When I stopped speaking, a man, near the front, got up and said he understood me to say that the reason why people did not become Christians was because they did not believe the Bible, and he wanted to know if I would not preach a sermon tonight giving my reasons why I believed the Bible was true and to be received. I told him I had no objection to speaking on that line of things and would do so, though I did not wish to get into any discussion. He said he had been preaching for two nights to the laboring classes, and had been trying to show them that the Bible was like any other book, and he had been influential in getting a lot of these people to come in to this meeting and if I would preach as indicated they would come back again tonight. Well you understand what this means. It is meeting the infidel question, and this in its lowest, grossest form. I understand this is an infidel town, and this man is an infidel who is seeking to curry favor with the laboring classes for political ends. I am satisfied he has been digging a pit for me, and expects me to fall into it. We feel, on the other hand, that God will overrule this effort of the enemy for blessing to souls — use it as a means to get the truth before some who might not otherwise hear it, and perhaps to some extent enlist the sympathy of Christians in the place. I have not the slightest idea what will be the outcome of the matter, but quietly await God’s working. He will take care of His own truth. It is possible that I may be detained here longer than this week, but I cannot tell. There were a number of Christians there last night, whose sympathies were evidently enlisted. Well, God is above all the confusion and above all the reasonings of men and the machinations of the enemy, and we desire to be found standing with Him in the confidence that He is for us, and for His people.
R. and wife and daughter were in yesterday afternoon, and stayed ‘till after the evening meeting. They all hope to be in tonight. Well, I will not try to write more today. Will try to send you a line tomorrow as to how things turn tonight....