The Heavenly Vision - Life Story of Herschel Murphy by W. v. Grant

8/2/2019 The Heavenly Vision - Life Story of Herschel Murphy by W. v. Grant

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THEI am going to send you 60 of my best faith books, on casting out devils,healing the sick, faith, Holy Ghost, prophecy, and almost every subject of theBible. You will be on my prayer list every day until Jesus comes. I'U pray that a . . .you will have a double portion ministry. Iwant you to be my partner and pray _for me. When you finish reading these books and filling out the test papers wewill send you a diploma which you can frame and have on your wall. It willremind you that I am praying for you every day, that you are my partner inprayer. If you are a minister you may receive a license to preach. There is nocharge for the packing, boxing, storage, shipping, postage, exam papers,grading, secretary expense, diplomas, or ordination papers. Your dues will bepaid up for life. (Others charge $12.00 per year and up). You can pay for them$.50 per week or send in the name of one new student per month, either one youyou choose. If you send one name per month all the textbooks are free. Q__ t--Dear TVD Staff: - c c : .o Please send the 60 W. V. Grant faith books. I will send 50 cen;::X: per week, or one name per month, of someone who, wants this course. V Q . . Io Put me on your prayer list. P'ray for me at a certain time each day. I'll b~

your partner. >o Iwant a license to preach when Ifinish the books. I understand the licensOcosts no money and my dues will be paid for life. (To forlle another's --lsignature is fraud.) --l

YOUR SIGNATURE 'UJADDRESS LL_CIT Y A ND ST AT E ZIP

EXCITING:cVa : : :UJZ

LIFE

STORY

OF

HERSCHEL

MURPHY

- 'N.V. Grant


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"AFl'ER THE WAY THEy CALL HERESY!""But this I confess unto thee, that after the way THEYcap heres~, so wors~ip I t~e God of my fathers, believingALLthings which are Written In the Law and in the prophets ..Acts 24-14. . ...

By: Evangelist Herschel MurphyI was born the FIRST time January 29th, 1903. Then,

I was born "Again" December 24th, 1918!. Corning from old "Holiness" stock, I had a good re-lIgIOUSbackground somewhat like the rich YoungRuler. Both parents had been members of a nominalchurch in the beginning, before Iwas ever born. Fathersmoked and chewed the weed, cursed and swore, drankand fought with the worst of them. He rode the GOATrather than followed the Lamb of God! My mother,also, was an addict to the filthy weed, brushing herteeth daily with a liheral portion of Levi's, and was amember of the "Western Star" auxiliary of father'ssecret order.Things moved along like this until an old-fashioned

Holiness tent meeting came to the little communitvwith the announced intention of staying a MONTII- .something unheard of in revival circles. Their "1'1"0-tracted" meetings usually ran a week or ten days, "'most. In fact, one of the natives, a villarr wis,: hoy,undertook to question the stammering and slllfft'I'in~evangelist thusly:"Say Mister, what's it gonna be 11('(',' /I 't'1l1.SHOW?""Y-v-v-v-ves S-s-s-sir, we're going to SI lOW III'oJlI~

how to get S-s-s-s-saved, that's what W("!'I" goilll-: ' I )d-d-d-do!""Well, now Mister, is that so? Whnt SOl" of i-hurchye belong to?""B-b-b-b-brothcr. wu'rr- l l-b-h-h-holinr-s-, tolks!""You don't say! W('II, I," nil' 'I'll YOIl som'" hing, Mis-

ter, there ain't. any l Iolinosx p"opl,' nnywlu-rr- aroundhere, thoro ain"!""W-w-w-w-WI'II, S-s-s-s Sir, B-h" Ih"o'h(',, THENwe'll just MAKt; SOIIlI', B-h-h-h-Bh'ss (;od!"

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Which they proceeded to do for the next 8 weeks-such a thing was unheard of-a "Protracted meeting"that protracted THAT long-two full months, right inthe Spring of the year, the busy farming season withthe farmers! Started in April and ran over the monthof May-and the crowds came=-each night at littleearlier, and if possible, a little closer to the front tosee the terrible carryings on. My Dad finally wentdown to see the SHOW and was horrified to behold hiswife one of the "standing" actors--shouting her hairdown, and otherwise disgracing the family. Then, he,too, fell in and was soundly converted and lined upwith the despised HOLINESS people. Immediately fol-lowing the two months revival, his local church held acalled business session to take care of the heresy.Turned out ten that day-eight others and my parents.The secretary inked his quill and wrote down in therecord: "We turned out of the church today 10 people-ei~ht for being too mean and two for being toogood!"Such is my religious heritage. Father immediatelydropped the OOAT riding and began to follow the

LAMB of God, laid aside his pipe and cigars, andMother found a different sort of "Pacifying powders"and began to love and serve the Lord with all herheart and soul.Then I came along-the 10th child of the family. A

child of PROMISE, for mother told dad before I wasever born that I would be a man-child and become apreacher. I was and am the only boy in our family!Then, when I was 28 days old, God saw fit to take myprecious Mother Home. She was rational and fully con-scious to the very end. Father told her she was dying,true to a promise they BOTH had made each otheryears previously. Did she get excited, call for the Doc-tor who lived just across the street? No! She beganto sing and to shout and to praise God and it neverlet up or abated for five long hours-until she was get-ting cold up to her knees and elbows, that preciouslittle mother of mine praised and worshipped her Lord.She had shouted ever since the Lord had saved herback under that old gospel tent years before - she

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shouted every time she got down to pray or got up totestify-small wonder that she shouted NOW?She told them all goodbye just like she was going

on a week-end journey and asked them to meet herin Heaven. Then she told her husband, my father,goodbye, then the oldest daughter and on down theline to the youngest, pledging ALL to serve the Lordand meet her in the skies. Finally, she asked someoneto bring her BABY, and some kind lady went andbrought in the little stranger, lying on a pillow, andplaced him by his mother's side. She prayed a prayer,the like of which they said they never heard beforeor since, it went something like this:"Lord Jesus, here is My baby boy that Thou hast

given me. and for which I so earnestly prayed, thatYou would give me a Man-Child. And now dear Lord,he is here, and I must die and leave him in a cold un-friendly world without a mother-Oh Jesus, if you canuse my baby boy to SINn the !;ospel. or to nreach thegospel, or to be a missionarv, or ANYTHING for Thee-let him live, if not, let him die with me!" (And Ilived.) Then she began to sing:

"Oh, to lean on Jesus' breast, while the tempestscome and go,

Here is blessed peace and rest, where THE HEAL-ING WATERS FLOW!"

She sang all the verses in a loud and clear voice, andso, fell asleep in Jesus, and went home to be with theLord that she had loved and served so well.Fifteen years went by and I was soundly conv:rted

at HOME. lying flat of my back in an old-fashionedfeather-bed! I had been praying fervently and earn~st-ly, with the hot, scalding, blistering, tears runningdown my cheeks and burning my neck as they wetthe pillow. Suddenly, I heard a VOICE ... so still, sosmall, so tender, and yet so penetrating, that I heldmy breath for fear that I would lose it! Itspoke thesewords to me ... and if I should live to be a hundred,I can NEVER forget them. AND there are not enoughmen on earth or devils in hell to make me doubt for onesecond but what I did hear them-

"Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee!"BROTHER, I needed nothing else-that was suffi-

cient, enough, plenty, and abundant. I sprang fromthat bed, taking the covers, sheets, pillows, and theFEATHER BED with me out in the middle' of thefloor, shouting at the top of my voice, and rushingback into the kitchen where the rest of the familywere, like a boy from another world, with my handshigh in the air, I shouted the praises of God! Truly,converted, regenerated, saved, born again, by the graceof God!I relate ALL this for a REASON-I want it distinctly

understood, that I had a good religious experience,BEFORE the Lord filled me with the Holy Ghost 33years later!I immediately began to attend a little Pentecostal

church seven miles from our home. Then I began toseek the Baptism! My father soon learned where I wasgoing, and what I was doing, and wrote off to ourFAVORITE preacher (who conducted the tent revivalyears before) and told him that "Herschel is attendinga Holy Roller church near here. He has just been con-verted, and I am afraid that he'll get tangled up withall this Pentecostal heresy arid fanaticism, what shallI do about it?" The good brother soon replied thatwhatever my father did, NOT to let me get tangled upwith the "Tongues" people. That it was AWFUL, andall a delusion and a snare of the DEVIL! So, being oftender years, and having the utmost confidence in thesaid brother, I obeyed my father's command, and forth-with forsook the Pentecostals. NOW, after nearly 35years have gone by-I sometimes shudder to thinkwhat God COULD, and probably WOULD have donewith me, if I had been permitted and allowed to go onTHEN and received my Baptism-instead of 21 monthsago! God was moving in a mighty way THEN-and Iwas only a 15 and 16 year old boy. Folk would comeand get me out of the bed to go and pray for the sick,and God would heal them! But, do you know whathappened? Folk told me that I had better "Leave thatoff, that it looked too much like the ''HoIY-lODers'' so

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I eventually quit praying for the sick! Another brotherwhom I knew personally, had a similar experience-he was healed of arthritis that had cemented his spine,and knotted his fingers. The Government was payinghim TOTAL Disability for his service in the MarineCorps. Well, God instantly healed him ... and he wentout in a blaze of power and glory to preach DIVINEHEALING in his revivals and devoted one night totelling his experience, and praying for the sick! The"Powers that be" finally "Lowered the boom" on himand suggested that he leave all that out of his cam-paigns . . . as it looked too much like the PENTE-'COSTALS! I told him if he left it off that he'd be sickagain . . . and he did leave it all off, and he is STILLsick-and reminded him of what I had warned himabout. He replied: "Yf'S. Herschel. but what can a fel-low do, when the AUmORITIES put the pressure onyou? Now I'm sick a~ain, and if I ever get well- Iguess I'll have to go somewhere and let the PENTE-COSTAL people pray for me!" (Isn't THAT a shame?)The poor fellow is STILL sick and not only so, but hashad domestic trouble and is now separated and di-vorced from his companion! Oh neople, it is better to"Obev God rather than man!" When we lay aside theCOMM!\.NDMENTS of God. that we may preach theTRADITIONS of men-watch out! Many folk. as Jesussaid, stand in the doorway of salvation but won't enterin, but try to prevent those who want to p,o in. fromdoinz so! God have mercy on these blind leaders ofthe blind.Itwas here in this little Pentecostal church some

35 years azo now that I first met Albert Bates andGuy Shields! I would walk seven miles in to churchalmost every night, tarry until after midnight andwalk the seven miles back home; many times arrivingthere just at day-break. One time, as I recall, I waswalking home from a great service tired and worn andweary. I could barely drag one foot after the otherwhen I decided that it was time to ask the Lord for aRIDE on home! This was how it worked out:"Lord, I am so tired and worn, weary, and exhausted.

I worked all day yesterday, and will have to go to

work when I get home. Please, Lord, have mercy onme, and send me a ride on home. (Thirty-five yearsago cars were NOT quite as thick as they are now.)Lord, do You see that big telephone pole about 100yards down the road? Well, I'm going to pray untilI get there--and not look back-then, Lord; by thetime I get to the telephone pole, will You please havea ride here for me?"Suffice to say, BEFORE I got to the designated spotI could HEAR that oldModel "T" Ford chugging along!Itwas about 2 o'clock in the morning, and the Good

Samaritan put me out at my front gate!By this time I was about to burn up to preach-so

one day I went in to the nearest town-Burkburnett,Texas-and got out on the street corner and preached!(Ihad seen the Salvation Army do this, and I thoughtif they could, I could.) Right in the middle of my dis-course (?) the city marshall tapped me on the shoulderand said that I couldn't preach there-it was againstthe law! Frightened half out of my wits, that I hadbroken the "Law"-I could see visions of myself instripes and behind prison bars--I could just imaginethe anguish of my poor old father as he came to visithis CONVICT son-I quickly closed the service with-out formal benediction, and scooted down the street indefeat and diszrace. Finding a convenient alley andsome old oil field equipment to hide behind I fell onmy knees and begin to pray and ask God WHY if Hehad called me to preach should my very FIRST publicattempt end so ouickly and in such utter humiliation?About then a half a dozen men came up the alley look-ing for me-(This is it, I thought) but they were notthe LAW, but oil well drillers, proverbial "Mule Skin-ners" oil field "Rough Necks" and such like-they hadhunted me UP to get me to come back and F1NISHMYSERMON! Would wonders never cease? I was will-ing, but still a little "Juberious" of that big clty mar-shall with the big star and the gun on his hip--and toldthe men so. But they assured me that T.III!.:Ywouldstand between me and all danger, and would "Takecare" of the Law, if he came back and interfered. So.

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I went back, this time with the conquering tread of aVictor, with my retinue of "Body Guards" all about me.The long arm of the Law reached for me again, but,true to their promise, those big-hearted, rough, tough,old oil field workers "Stood between me and all dan-ger" - offering to pay any fine that was assessedagainst me. When the service was over it began toRAIN MONEY-for the first and last time in my life!Money came sailing down from people in the upperstories of the buildings that Ididn't realize were listen-ing. Bills floated down through the air and fell at myfeet. Coins of all sizes bounced off the sidewalk androlled into the gutter and street-but Isteadfastly RE-FUSED to pick ANY of it up! "I wasn't preaching forMONEY, Isaid, and Iwasn't going to accept any of it-that Icould get along without ANY of their oldmoney." (But I long since got over THAT!) But theywould have none of it, THEY picked it all up andstuffed it in my pockets as Iput back on my overcoat,top-coat, and vest-when I left there I HAD MONEYINEVERY POCKET!Itwas about this time that we had an unusual ex-

perience=-it was SO amazing that forsome 20 years Inever told it publicly.We were at that time living at Butterfield, Arkansas,

about 60 miles west of Little Rock, between Mal-vern and Hot Springs. I was about 16 years old. ASTRANGER came to our humble dwelling a mile anda half up in the hills-just WHY that he should havechosen our poor log cabin, I do not know, but sufficeto say, he did. For three days and nights we reveledin his presence and blessing. A most peculiar person,he was. About six feet tall and weighing around 175pounds. Dark chestnut hair and beard made him astriking figure. His VOICE was the softest, most gentleand kind that I ever heard--and his eyes--how can Idescribe them? They were the most soft and tenderthat I had looked into, yet the most piercing and pene-trating that I had ever beheld. His handclasp wasFIRM as those eyes searched the depths of your very

soul. His question was always the same: uDo you lovethe Lord?" Itwas amazing at the strange answers thissimple question brought forth!He said that his name was LOVE! He never made it

quite clear WHERE he came from or where he wasgoing-c-or WHO he was!He and 1were walking home from the little villageof Butterfield one day when we met my INFIDEL

brother-in-law-s-that is, we were going t-o meet him,when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, looked longand earnestly at us, then wheeled and RAN out throughthe woods jumping over fallen logs and stumbling overthe rocks and underbrush like a wild man! He cameback into the road about a block behind us and kepttrotting down the road, looking back over his shoulderat this Brother LOVE and I! Not a word was said andIlater asked my infidel brother-in-law why he ran outthrough the woods like that, and he replied: "I didn'tlike the looks of that man with you!" Well, everyoneelse did! 1 noticed that all Christians fell in love withhim, and all sinners or backsliders were embarrassedand seemed afraid in -his presence. Itwas a most un-usual three days and nights while Brother LOVE waswith us. All but the most necessary work was sus-pended and we just TALKED almost day and night.We never tired of his teaching. Fields lay neglected,and just the chores around the barnlot were takencare of, everything else was forgotten. I even "Laidoff" my job at a saw mill for the full three days whileBrother LOVE was at our house!Brother LOVE told my father that the Lord had a

great work for his son to do. That God had His hand onhim for some special purpose. (How 1 wish NOW thatI could remember all that he said.)Finally, the glorious three days were over and our

visitor said that he must NOW be going (he neverdid make it clear WHERE) so we had prayers in thehouse, bid each other "Goodbye" then moved out intothe hallway and stopped for another 10 minutes offarewell handshakes and talk. Then managed to get out7 8


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on the front porch, and bogged down again. Then weall walked out into the front yard and stopped foranother 10or 15minutes of "Goodbyes" and "God blessyous" and so on to the front gate and outside the yard,and at last some 50 yards down the side of the hill-holding on to him all the way! My father and I begginghim to stay longer-but he gently, but firmly insisted,that he must be on his way-and I can still see his tallmajestic figure as he walked slowly down that hill asthough loath to go, finally at the bend in the trail, hestopped, turned and raised a hand in. blessing-andwalked out of our sight FOREVER! No one ever sawhim again. No neighbor saw him take a bus or trainout of the little village of Butterfield. No neighbor sawhim pass. (In Arkansas the hill people SEE you passtheir dwelling-you may not see them, but theywill see you.) He just vanished from the earth-disap-peared-and no one in Butterfield one and one-halfmiles away ever saw him, nor in Malvern, seve", miles,did anyone report they ever saw him again. We, likethe two on the road to Emmaus, inquired, our heartsdid do "Burn within us." After his departure we beganto "Put two and two together" and all agreed thatwe had been highly and signally honored with a visitfrom some Heavenly being-e-t'Be careful to entertainSTRANGERS, for some have entertained ANGELSunawares." We have often thought and talked about"BROTHER LOVE."Thirty-three years passed and I had long sinceaffiliated myself with a nominal "Second Blessing"Holiness Church-Church of the Nazarene. Ithad beencalled the PENTECOSTAL Church of the Nazarene,but away back in 1916 the church met in one of it'squadreniel General Assemblies and voted to drop theword "PENTECOSTAL" so as NOT to be confusedwith the despised "Tongues" people. (Iheard UncleCharlie Robinson say how that he attended that con-ference and VOTED with the rest in favor of droppingthe awful word: "Pentecostal.")I believe that I enjoyed above the average ministry.

God blessed me especially in the evangelistic fieldwhere I labored most of my ministerial career. I did,however, pastor several churches, viz: Borger, Texas,Jonesboro, Louisiana, Twin Falls, Idaho, and GraceChurch, San Antonio, Texas. Was elected for twoterms to serve as District Young Peoples Presidentover some 75 churches, and believe the record willstill show the progress made during my tenure of officeas District President of the Abilene (Texas) DistrictN.Y.P.S.-finance quadrupled the first year, and thenumber of "Standard Societies" increased from fourto 18! I am still proud of that record.The only complaint that I ever heard of against me

was that I was a wee bit too "Radical" in my preach-ing. I was never accused of being a compromiser ora soft-peddler of God's truth, on the other hand Ihave been brought on the proverbial Green Carpetat least once by the District Superintendent concern-ing my RADICAL preaching against sin and worldli-ness, hypocrisy and politics in church affairs. I wasadmonished to "Feed the sheep" and not to "Stonethem!" (The facts are-I was stoning the GOATSthat had somehow gotten into the fold.) Suffice to say,I was never fully accepted as one of the "Inner Cir-cle" of the "Elect." I was never quite able to gainentrance into the "Inner Sanctum Sanctorium!" Itwas, and still is, my proud boast that I had "Nevercompromised 1/16 of a chigger's track for any MANor his money, influence, or favor, or blessing!" I hadseen others come out of the brush and in five yearstime get to the top of the heap, but I couldn't stomachtheir methods of raising themselves by their own boot-straps! The oiling of the palm of the right peoplewith the greatest of all lubricants-the cold cash. Thebuying of suits of clothes, overcoats, shoes, steak andchicken dinners for the right people to "Feather their

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own nest" nauseated me. My very soul rebelled againstsuch a carnal display. The place and position etc.seemed to affect most preachers--everyone scratching!Most of the "Boys" had an awful urge to be a "Bigshot." They always managed to secure the services ofthe presiding General Superintendent over Sunday attheir local churches-thereby putting a feather intheir ecclesiastical cap. The good Bishop was not ex-pected to forget the liberal "Love offering" given himfor his two or three sermons! At the proper time hewould "Remember" (how could he be ALLOWED toforget?) this "Up and coming" young pastor! Oh,Brother, the sickening displays, the foot-races that Ihave witnessed the past 35 years! People selling theirbest friend "Down the river" for BREAD AND BUT-TER-(He told me so!)The ever-increasing DICTATORAL powers of the

"Powers that be" became more and more obvious. Theman who wouldn't bow, soon would find himselfslowly but surely being crowded to the wall-literallyFORCED out of the ministry. Strangely, there wereno "Openings" for him, but the very next day an"Opening" could be found for one of the favorite sonswho knew how to use the old banana oil, the apple-sauce, and taffy candy. My very soul cried out againstsuch injustice--a man's PERSONAL likes and dis-likes could make or break the ministry of one servingunder him! A man's income could be amputated-hecould be piaced on the "Shelf" against his win, retiredprematurely-and there was DO appeal or repeal of theverdict handed down-for was not he the Bishop'srivht hand man? What ever this man did the goodBishop would sanction. More-over, a man so "Black-balled" would find himself RUINF..D all over the na-tion-without an opportunity to defend himself!In March, 1951, I went to hear a Dr. T. M. Ander-

son one of the leading evangelists in our denomination.Fifteen months BEFORE he had a most unusual ex-perience with the Lord. Being professor in AsburyCollege in Wilmore, Ky., he discovered that he wasgiving God only 15 minutes a day in devotion and

prayer and the other 23 hours and 45 minutes werefor himself. Well, he made a vow to get up at 4 a.m.each morning and pray and seek the face of the Lord-which he did. Well, after several weeks or monthsof this-Jesus Christ appeared in his room one morn-ing and from that hour his whole ministry waschanged and revolutionized. From that hour he be-came a power for God! In one year's time he saw16,000 people bow at his altars, and between 25,000and 30,000 others were influenced by his ministry andfound the Lord in other revival meetings! He becamea "Seer!" He could and DID SEE things in folkspiritual lives and could tell them why they had novictory; things as far back in the past as 63 years-and never missed!Well, the old boy was at First Church in Lubbock,

Texas, on the corner of 14th and Avenue Q, for justthree nights-but I saw more people "Hit the altar"in those three nights than I'd seen in a three weeksrevival! He had a marvelous ministry-God reallyspoke through him.This preacher went home under mighty CON-VICTION. (It's AWFUL for a preacher to get under

conviction.) Didn't sleep any that night, but roamedthe highways in my car, parking by the roadside,and crying out to God: "Oh Lord, reveal yourselfto me like you did that old man-Dr. T. M. Anderson.What you did for him-do a little bit for me, Lord!"Wen, from that day I sought the Lord earnestly fornine straight months-I never stopped-I }'ASTEDand prayed and cried and begged God to do somethingfor ME! And He led me straight in to PENTECOST!In a covenant with the Lord I had VOWED to get upand pray every night if He would awaken me-well,he waked me every night after that-but it was AL-WAY3 on the hour or the half hour by my Bulovawrist watch-never a second early or late-but righton the hour 01' the half hour-from 12:30 to as lateas 5:00 a.m.!At last, in the good providence and mercy of God.

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we began to "HEAR" things. (How shall they HEARwithout a preacher, and how shall they Ipreach, exceptthey be sent?) We began to hear about a man "Sentfrom God" a man by the name of WILLIAM BRAN-HAM! Wife and I began to hear about great SAL-VATION-HEALING-DELIVERANCE revival cam-paigns being held all over the country-of totallyblind people being made to SEE, totally deaf peoplebeing made to HEAR, totally crippled folk being madeto WALK! Of cancers and tumors being healed instant-ly. Heart trouble, high blood pressure, T.B., arthritisand polio, gall stones and sugar diabetes, etc., etc., andETC! All these and MORE were being healed in an-swer to the prayer of faith-or the GIFTS of theSpirit in operation. I was very forcibly reminded ofmy own healings in my earry ministry 33 years ago!At first, however, I chucked the whole thing aside

as another of the wild publicity scnemes of the Pente-costals-("They'd do anything to draw a crowd!")They were ALWAYS going in tor the SENSATiONAL-trying to fool someone-so I didn't bother to attendfor a while.Then, a Brother Wm. A. Ward came to town and

preached for several weeks in the First Assembly' atGod church in my home town at Lunoock. 1was at-tracted to his services by an announcement ill thenewspaper of his "VIsIOnof hell" that lie was going torelate one SATURDAY night. So, wue and 1 suppeuin the first Pentecostal churcn we'd attended in years,and took the SECO:Nl) seat from tue back. l'J.'he oruyreason we didn't take the first seat rrom the back-it was already FULL.) We sat tuere more or lessuncomfortable but nnauy settled Gown as we OlS-covered there were none or our churcn toik tnere-s-and none of the Pentecostals knew us trom Adam, Isaid. Well, this Brother Ward came in the pulpit and

right out of a blue sky he said: "Well, I see that wehave a preacher with us tonight, for the Lord toldme back in the prayer room that we had a preacherout here tonight" and looked right at ME! If I couldhave sunk through the floor into the basement, or atleast crawled under the pew, I would have been happy.I tried to ignore the good Brother by looking at asong book. (Strange how interesting a song book canbecome in church-especially when the Spirit is mov-ing) but he was not one to be denied. Finally, hePOINTED IDS FINGER right at me and said: "Say,you back there, Brother, yes YOU there on the secondseat from the back, there--aren't you a preacher?"I gulped, and mumbled that I was-then, horror ofhorrors-he demanded that I stand up and give myname and the CHURCH I was from-which I did-my face crimson and my heart about to pound out ofme. Then, a Brother whom I knew spoke up and askedthat I sing a solo! Then the whole congregation beganto insist that I sing, forthwith. Seeing that I couldn'tget out of it, wife went to the piano and I staggeredup to the front and sang. Before the night was overI'd sung four songs! THAT was the beginning of theend! I found Brother Ward a highly intelligent man.Had spent 13 years in schools, colleges, and univer-sities. Had even taught in our own University of Texas,had several degrees-(Not at all the ignorant anduncouth type which I associated ALL "Tongues"people.) He was a polished, poised, Christian Gentle-man. He had the year before traveled in 35 countriesof the world! His knowledge captivated me and hisflood of silver-tongue oratory in the pulpit-togetherWith the power of the Holy Ghost caused me to realizethat HERE was no cheap, shoddy, unkempt, dirty,filthy. illiterate, scatter-br-ained PENTECOSTALpreacher! I realized that he had knowledge ANDthe Spirit to go with it. Here, certainly, was no "Zealwithout KNOWLEDGE"-for this man had the knowl-edge. He was my first Pentecostal that I had to sortof "Take my hat off to"-for he just lacked histhese having his Ph.D. degree! Despite all this, he wasmost human, kind, understanding, and approachable.

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I found my theory of Pentecostal being CHEAP andIGNORANT slipping away, as I listened to EvangelistWard preach with power. We became fast friends-and still are-and he was one of the first to open myeyes to the reality of Pentecost.Several months later Brother Ward came back to

Plainview, Texas, for a revival under his big tent, andwe drove the 46 miles up to attend his campaign forthree weeks. Infact, I got "fired" of my job selling in-surance for attending this revival! The District Man-ager, my good friend of some 20 years--said he hadto "let me go" as I was neglecting my job in attend-ing the "Holy-Roller" revival. (The true facts are, Ibelieve that he was a little "Peeved" that wife and Iwere attending Pentecostal meetings.)Itwas in this campaign that I got my first real

close-up view of the Salvation-Healing-Deliverancegospel IN ACTION. I saw blind and deaf and crippledfolk healed right before My eyes--thongh I admit Ireally "Felt sorry" for poor Brother Ward the firstcripple that two men t;AR~IED up to him in theprayer line. Most of the others had been headacheand toothache cases. or heart trouble, or high bloodpressure, or somethinrt you couldn't SEE or reallyknow if they were healed. or nnt-and I admit thatI was the "Doubting Thomas." When they carried theman up I said: "Well, the picnic is now over. AU thefun has stopped. This time there is no foolishness. Theold boy has certainly "Bit off more than he can chew."This crippled man is in for a bi= disappointme-vt." Butif the evangelist was worried about his HARD case,he didn't show it-and the man got up and walkedoff! You could have roped my eves with a p-Tape-vineas they "Buzzed out" at this miracle of God. Then awoman crippled with POJ~IO, who hadn't walked inyears--got up and walked all over the tent! Well,it was wonderful, but a bit too much for me and myweak faith. Such was the beginning and the strawskept piling up until they literally "Broke the back"of prejudice, unbelief, doubt and fear-and how I dopraise and thank God for it.

I ,I

Praising the Lord with UP-L1Fl'ED hands was asource of great annoyance to me. Frankly, I thoughtthey were over-doing it! Praising the Lord a halfdozen times in one service before the sermon was awaste of good and valuable time, I thought. Raisingone's hands, too, was downright silly, and I alwaysgave a sigh of relief when the over-exuburant sub-sided from one of those "Spells" of praising the Lord.I wanted them to "Go ahead with the worship" Ididn't know then that it WAS the worship! Poor,weak-minded and scatter-brained people, I thought.No one but morons would let themselves get so"Worked up." They surely didn't know any better.Gone completely daffy-gone over-board completely.Gone off the deep end, surely, and into fanaticism, be-yond all doubt. Itwas too bad, too, for they DIDseem to have some marvelous healings!WHY, oh WHY, couldn't they be NICE about it

all? Why did they have to RUIN it all with such achildish display of emotionalism and silly sentimental-ity? My proud spirit rebelled at all the recklessabandonment in seeking the Baptism-and all that"Glory, Glory" and "Glub, glub" and other senselessjargon-all that silly gibberish and "Goose-jabber" asI joking called it. My soul recoiled in horror from it all.Slowly but surely the blessed Spirit of God worked

me into a corner. Slowly but surely I found my inbornprejudice and HATRED just melting away like theicicles melting off the eaves of a house under thewarming rays of the rising sun. Slowly but surely Ifelt all of my mEOLOGY falling down around myears. And all that I thought I KNEW turned out to bebut HUSKS-and all the "Traditions of the Elders"and a'l the "Customs" of the people began to assumetheir real identity-and at last I saw myseH for whatI really was--a PROUD, HAUGHTY, ECCLESIAS-TICAL FOOL! Itwas a bitter pill to have to swallow-but the Spirit held my nose and poured it down me!Steeped in the doctrines dar to my heart, disregard-

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ing the plain Word of God-skipping hurriedly overActs 2-4! How I hated Acts 2-4! I had seen it onbridges, telephone poles, bill-boards, on cars, and onrocks by the roadside. How. I gritted my teeth a ndmuttered in righteous wrath at the "Zeal withoutknowledge" of the poor, deluded people who had plas-tered up the whole country-side with Acts 2-4. fI usedto put a PERIOD where the Bible only puts a COMMAin reading Acts 2-4.) I resented and almost hated thatverse in the Bible. I used to stop where it said: "Andthey were all filled with the Holy Ghost." If .I readthe balance of the verse I'd read it so FAST thatfew could understand me: "AndbegantospeakwithothertonguesastheSpiritga vethemutterance !"It didn't fit my THEOLOGY-it didn't coincide

with my preaching, and it didn't fit my experience--it made me uncomfortable--and it embarrassed me. Itput a question mark ('!) on my experience--I couldnot explain it away-so I just ignored it!Always in the back of my mind there lingered an

awful suspicion that the Pentecostal folk MIGHT beright-and if they were--where would I be?About the time that I'd be convinced in my MIND

about the blessing, then the devil would trot out a fewPENTECOSTAL SCARE CROWS to keep me out ofthe clover field. I'd see some inconsistent individual,or some half or quarter-wit would get up and "Testify"to having the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and talkingin tongues--forthwith I'd slide back into the abyss offear, and doubt, and unbelief. Oh, the marvelousSCARE CROWS that the enemy has all around PEN-TECOST to scare a great many sincere and hungrypeople away from the honey-jar! It took me a longwhile to finally realize that the Pentecostal folk donot have a monopoly on these scare crows--otherchurches have their full share--but somehow theydon't shine so potently!The final straw that broke the camel's back, was the

miraculous healing of my good wife. She had beensuffering from SUGAR-DIABETES, taking insulin

shots, and watching her diet, and was under the careof a physician to keep the blood sugar content in herblood as low as possible. It had been up to about 250.We heard through a friend that this "Man sent

from God" William Branham, was to be three days inShreveport, Louisiana. Wife wanted to drive the mere1.200 miles (Roundtrip) and have him pray for her.We had heard via long distance telephone of the won-derful things that had been taking place in his services.~eing in a revival myself at the time, it was impos-SIble for me to make the trip, so our son and a coupleof friends drove her down to Shreveport.The very last night of the special services the wife

managed to get a "Prayer card" and it just' "So hap-pened" that Branham called out the 25 or 30 prayercard numbers that he would "Take" that night-andher number just "Happened" to be the fourth in line!She has said many times since that if she had NEVERgot a card, or even missed being prayed for, it wouldhave been well worth the trip to see others thatwere healed and delivered in a most wonderful way.The "Discernment" ofthe man was marvelous, astound-ing, unbelieveable--the things that he told people intheir private lives was impossible--but for the mightyoperation of the nine gifts of the Spirit.When the wife came up to him in the line-he just

looked at her and "Diagnosed" her case-s-correctly, ofcourse,-and she was instantly delivered, along withtwo or three others--one, a man, away up in thebalcony! They all had sugar-diabetes!When the good wife came home healed-it just

about finished me. Her own doctor's laboratory testsconfirmed that she WAS healed-s-our own daughterwas a nurse in that same clinic!About that time there came forth three messages

in tongues with interpretations. They came at threediffrent times, given by six diffrent people. and hun-dreds of miles apart-yet if they had been taken downin shorthand, you couldn't have told but what they were

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the same message! The first time it came, wife nudgedme in the ribs and asked what I thought about it.Imumbled something and she replied that she thoughtthe message was for ME. I said: "Uh Huh!" and letit go at that. A few weeks later in another city. thesame messaxe came forth aaain! Wife said: "Thereit is again, Honey!" Isaid: "Yeah!" Then, a few weekslater and hundreds of miles away, it came the thirdtime, and wife nudzed me in the ribs and said: "There'syour message axain. dear!" By now Iwas convincedof it myself and had taken particular attention to thewords: "If you will humble yourself and get rid of thespirit that you have, and seek My face, and be filledwith My Spirit-then, Iwill bless you indeed, and makeyou a blessing. r will open doors that you neverdreamed possible, Iwill send vou places that you neverthought you would rro. Iwill hless you as no otherman has been blessed and I will send you around theworld with this glorious message of Deliverance."Well, it was too rrood to be true-1 iust couldn'tbelieve it was for ME--the most unworthy of all. Thefellow who had fought the Po-itecostal wav. fY'an.eInnof the manifestation of the Holy Ghost, preached ser-mons against the speaking in tongues--explained itall way. (?)Then, in Kansas City during one of William Bran-

ham's campaigns the power' of God hit me for theFIRST time in my life-1 shook and trembled for anhour. My knees were like water and shook likeBelshazzar's! Even my hands shook. Iwas so weakthat I could hardlv stand. If I had known mENwhat I know NOW I could have received my Bantisrseveral months before I did. I didn't realize what wasthe matter with me. Itwas a real visitation from theLord.From then on I was "Sold" on Pentecost and bezan

to seek the Lord in real earnestness and all sincerity.I was determined to have a little of what these peopleapparently had a great deal of!Wife and I drove 200 miles to Breckenridge, Texas,

to hear a little man by the name of W. V. Grant. A re-vival was being conducted in the city auditorium. Well,one night he walked over to where we were standing onthe front seats, and without a word slapped his handson my wife's head-and that was ALL, Brother! Shetook off like a F -86 Sabre jet, began to shout andscream at the top of her lungs with both hands high inthe air! She staggered 10 or 15 feet across the frontof the auditorium and then FELL flat of her backon the floor-something that I knew she would nothave done for a MILLION dollars! Then, she beganspeaking in another language, and Istood there al-most jumping up and down saying in my heart: "Hitme too, Lord! Smack me down good! Stretch me out!Let the power come on me too!" But Iwas a deadstump-v-I never felt a thing. Going back home thatnight in the car she took another spell speaking intongues. Ilooked over and saw her with both handstrying to hold her CHIN as the Spirit was movingher JAWS! So I reached over and jerked her handsdown saying: "Let it go! What do you want to holdit for any-way?" (I didn't yet have MY baptism, butIknew how that it should be done!)Ibecame quite confused at the altar with people on

every side, screaming instructions-"Hold on,Brother!" and "Turn loose, Brother!" Then someoneelse would yen in my ear: "Empty him, Lord!" andanother would say: "Fill him, Lord!" Someone wouldadvise me: "Let yourself go, Brother!" and then an-other would yell in my ear: "Pull yourself together,Mister!"-until I got so confused I didn't know whatwas expected of me. Really, I RESENTED a lot oftheir well-meant advice and instructions-but Ifinallygot to the place where Ididn't CARE what they saidor did!I prayed to see a "Ball of fire" when someone

testified to having seen one when THEY receivedTHEIR Baptism. Then I'd pray to go off in a"TRANCE" because I had heard someone tell aboutTHAT. After that I'd pray that I might see a "Vision"as I had heard somebody tell. Then I'd pray and beg

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God to knock me down under the power like He didPaul-but No! Finally, I got so HUNGRY and becameso DESPERATE that I became willing to receive myBaptism just anyway that the dear Lord saw fit togive it to me--and I was gloriously FILLED!I had resolved to fast and pray for 10 days just

like the Disciples and surely in that time, I'd receivethe Holy Ghost. I determined to get a hotel room andlock myself in-and never come out until I had re-ceived my Baptism. (The only thing was, I didn'thave the MONEY necessary for the 10 days in thehotel!) I had called and they quoted me the pricesfrom three different hotels and I didn't have the moneyfor the CHEAPEST one! You know WHY? Well, sinceI had begun to attend the Pentecostal revivals and toseek the Holy Ghost, my former church dropped melike a hot potato-then, the Pentecostal folk wouldn'tlet me hold revivals for TIlEM until I had receivedmy Baptism-so truly. r was between a ROCK and aHARD place. I just H..4Dto get the Baptism! I waslike an elevator-stuck between two floors--not downwhere I used to he, and not UP yet in Pentecost-I was in an awful fix!Well, I compromised bv going into my back bedroom and seeking God determined to fast and pray

the full 10 days. or until the Holy Ghost came, andI was filled. I lasted three days! On December 18,1951, at about 3:30 in the afternoon, lying flat of myback in bed (Again) it all opened up to me as clearas the noon-day sun-and I iust put up my hands and"Took off!" Itwas so EASY that I was surprised. Iasked: "Why didn't you folk tell me that it was soEASY to receive the Baptism?"For days I would speak in tongues while in my car.

I'd lean my head on the steering wheel and begin tospeak in a fluent and clear language that I had neverlearned. I'd be shaving and raise my hand, razor andall, above my head, and begin to praise God in aheavenly language!Well, 21 months have now gone by-s-and it has been

WONDERFUL what the dear Lord has done for meand for my family. Have just closed my thirtieth cam-paign since the Lord filled me with the precious HolyGhost-and they have been scattered from Seattle toNew Yor~ City, and to Canada. God is making goodthe pronuse that He made me in those three messages-doors are opening that I never had anything to dowith-or thought possible. I no longer have a "Slate"worked out for months ahead-I just hold one revivalat a time NOW, and leave the future entirely in Hishands!People have been healed of most everything I can

think of-as I have begun to take up again the Heal-ing Ministry that I discarded 33 years before forfear it looked to much like the Holy Rollers! ~d isconfirming His precious word with signs following-and the end is not yet! People have been healed ofparalyzed speech organs, due to stroke, sugar diabetes,heart trouble, deafness, dislocated vertebra since birthsinus, bleeding and protruding piles, rupture, lameleg, stiff neck and arm, arthritis, nervousness, gallbladder and gallstones, T.B.-etc.To God be ALL the glory! Ithas been wonderful,

marvelous beyond all words of description. Truly, Godis GOOD, great, wonderful, and MIGHTY. To me--who am less than the least-a poor stick upon whichto lean, a "Nobody" from "Nowhere"-I, who foughtthis way-has God delivered a part of this latter dayministry! I am thrilled! I am happy! I am on myPENTECOSTAL honeymoon-just let me alone-I'mall right.

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THE SMOKE OF THElR TORMENT

a cigarette, cigar, or worse yet, a PIPE, clutched desperatelybetween yellowing teeth, muttering profanely under youraromatic breath: "What rot is this?"I am further "Requested"-with appropriate apologies toAmos and Andy, with all this unmitigated tripe on the radioabout the respective merit (?) of this, that, and the otherbrand of poison. It is exactly like saying that one pile ofmanure smells "Less" than another pile of manure! It isjust as useless to chant about those deadly little white cylin-ders being: "So square, so loose, so sparingly packed, soslow and hard on the draw." The fact remain, they are NOT

sugar candy. Still, you see them stuck at various angles undermost everybody's nose. All this clap-trap about the addict be-ing willing, yea, eager to: "Walk a mile for a Dromedary" isone of the most fiagrant understatements. The poor dupewould gladly walk, even CRAWL many miles for one! Thisis the ONE thing they MUST have. Food, water, shelter, allcan wait, this must be obtained by fair means or foul--andI do mean FOUL. They must have their sedative, their pacify-ing powders, their shots, their hypo, THEIR SMOKE--comefrom what may. The writer has seen a jillion or so down-and-outers, but never yet has he observed one who COUldn'tpromote a smoke! They can arrange for a smoke whetherthey EAT or not. Isn't it the height of slavery, of .being downright SILLY? This is about the kindest thing to be said.I remember a certain woman because of her tobacco-in-spired tantrums. Otherwise, she was a normal, smiling, andbeautiful woman. BUT when the supply of NICOTINE waslow or exhausted, no one had to remind the family. Theycould always tell. For all Hades would immediately breakout and never abate until some one would gird up their loinsand hie them away to the village to replenish the stock.Then, like a dopehead, which after a fashion, she was, shewould begin to simmer down, become human, almost angelic,once the little Brown god took over!

Again, to loudly proclaim to the world and all smokersin particular, that there Is "Not a sneeze in a train load"doesn't mean a thing. Too, the so-called testimony (?) of 24,-481,659 nicotine-soaked physicians is 'not, within itself, an in-fallible indication that such proof is PROOF. To announcebrazenly that a certain brand of nicotine is good lor one's"E-Zone" doesn't make it so, by any manner of means. Forsome dwarf to "Call for Percival Horace" doesn't mean thatPercival will answer. The few youthful aspirants who aregiven opportunity to exhibit their musical talent and makegood in the entertainment world, are far outweighed by thedamage done to countless others so infiuenced to take up anexpensive and dirty habit. To declare that numerous athleteswon their competition through the smoking of a certainbrand of poison is the rankest of insults to one's native in-telligence. No coach in his right mind would permit it! .Justhow dumb do the- big Tobacco interests take us to be? Then,another brand BOO.thingly remarks: "TIlEY PACIFY!" Yea,but for how lQng? Flfteen minutes? Halt an hour? How longbefore one has to be "PACD'IED'" &1: IWl! How many m m -

"And the SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT ascendeth upforever and ever and they have no rest day nor night." Reve-lation 14-11.About the first that I ever heard of tobacco was a bit of

dogerel verse. Something about:"Tobacco is a filthy weed, the devil sowed the seed;Itadds to woes, and soils your clothes-And makes a smokestack of your nose!"Quite an illuminating bit of verse, I must say, and I DOsay. Then later I read in my history book about that epoch-making exchange between the early settlers and the Indians.I mean that notable barter of firewater and tobacco. No oneis really sure even today, as to just which of the two got thebest - rath~r the WORST - of that earth-shaking trade.Though the Iridian may have been swindled in that familiarswap of $24 worth of beads and calico for Manhattan Island,he certainly didn't fare so badly this time. So much for thefamily and early American history.Since that queer exchange of the bad habits of the Oldand the New World, the tobacco habit has grown to astound-ing proportions. It has exceeded all limits of e:"pecta~ion. Ithas far outstripped all confines of reason. One IS continuallyamazed at the ever-increasing cloud-and the word is used inthe literal sense-of cigarette smoke that befog and befoulthe horizon. Surely one would not be considered an old "Fud-dy" if the brutal evidence were pointed out? The veritablecloud of incense that ascends 24 hours a day from the altarof the Little Brown god of Nicotine? The multiplied millionsthat worship without shame at the shrine of the tobacco

habit? The many millions of dollars that annually go "Up insmoke?" The all too obvious complete disregard for the rightsof OTHERS?

A sure fire wager could be arranged that the acceptanceof this article by a secular periodical for publication, wouldbe passed upon by a harried individual with one. of .theproverbial "Coffin Nails" clutched tightly between his littlepinkies. Peradventure also, the linotype operator would tapout these fateful words of wisdom with the ever-present FAGhanging with supreme nonchalance at half mast betweenhis flabby lips. Me thinks, that the proof reader, too, wouldscan these lines with an "Unlucky Ball" srnouldering on theash tray before him. Ever the urchin screaming his waresout on the streets would take a puff ever and anon from aSNIPE filched from the gutter.

And so on down the assembly line to YOU-dear heartsand gentle people-the unsuspecting reader. You will join theprocession, doubtless, as you lazily pursue these words, with


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utes of dubious PEACE are you allowed trom the aU-demand-ing habit All this paci!ying reminds me ot the ladies andtheir PERMANENTS. For how long? A few weeks, or monthsat best? This is, indeed, a most brief permanency.

Now comes the "NEW GOLD" product with their modest(?) claims. There not being much left for them to emphasize,they content themselves by saying: "Not so much TAR,RESIN, etc." and climax the weak argument with the triteannouncement that they are "Not witch doctors, but smokingmen!" Not to be outdone, the "SmeD-weU (?) comes out withan olTering "One umpteenth of an inch longer" than allothers, so as to "FIlter" (?) the poisons on its way to yourthroat! They share this dubious distinction with "Chantfcleer"who also points out that their Giraffe's neck is longer thanany other GiralTe's neck! What matters, if one neck is longer?They are still very much NECK! It is to snicker, were it notso tragic. But it does illustrate the lengths, not to mentionthe DEPTHS, the tobacco interests will go to deceive. Onewould think-to hear the soft honeyed words of the an-nouncer, that tobacco was some sort of a delicious spreadfor sandwiches, instead of being one of the world's mostdeadly poisons. Something good for you, a sort of cure-all foralmost everything, from chilblains to ingrowing toenails. Also,fame and fortune, sex appeal-EVERYTIIING awaits yourt"'k;nR" un the habit. Joining ths- weary caravan that groanand wheeze their way to the shrine of Nicotine to assume theposition. Tobacco is supposed to mend everything from abroken heart to the break of day, or the crack of doom.Surely, it is the most wonderful POISON ever invented. Otherpoisons are not so honored. THEY must bear the tell-taleskull and cross bones of DANGER. No so big business' littlemoney-maker!

Have I mentioned the never-failing obedience of all thedevotees of the weed to prohibitive laws and SIGNS? Pardonme, my fault, I shall take care of that, too, immediately. Itis to laugh, though it is not one bit funny. A "NO SMOK-ING" signs means less than absolutely nothing to the averagesmoker! A conspicious sign at the front of the bus proclaimsto all and sundry that all smokers must occupy the rear seatsto woo lady Nicotine. BUT where do they invariably sit? Youare SO right. Up front, where they smoke and puff and blowaway at their heart's content. Blowing the offensive stenchinto everyone's face with the impunity born of long practice.Does the driver chide the offender, pointing a stern fingertoward the sign? Not on your life, Buster for he too hasa snipe between his fingers! In some state~ where 'laws' pro.hibit the smoking on the "Bluehounds" buses, it still makesno never mind. They sneak a smoke somehow behind thedriver's back. The tell-tale blue wisp can be seen queeringup from a number of seats. Does the driver sternly enforcethe State Law? Seldom, and even then with an apology-he doesn't make it stick. WHY? Because his heart isn't init. He understands the craving, being a fellow-ptlgrim. I'veseen them jump off the bus at every stop, often in zero

weather, just for the questionable pleasure of taking a cou-pIe of drags.

Read the papers. "Cigarette Causes big Blaze." Whatdoes it all matter if two hundred jillion barrels of gasolineare stored near by? They must smoke! What gives if theforest is dryas timber and ready for the torch? They smoke!Flipping the stub into the tall, dry, grass with a never abackward glance. What matters if hundreds of hotel guestsare parboiled, barbecued, or just plain roasted? They gottasmoke. Who cares if the "High Flyer" loaded with explosiveat the Texas City wharf, really flew high? They gotta take adrag, What of the hundreds of hospital and asylum patients,helpless, unable to escape, meet a most horrible death? Thecraving must be satisfied--or, rather pacified. Surely it affectstheir brains, if any!It would seem that EVERYONE smokes. And, come tothink of it, they do! Either first or second-hand. One has tobreathe, you know, so one smokes, like it or lump it. So Irepeat, they smoke-everywhere and any time. No place oranything is sacred. There is no escape. They will pull the

vile smoke into their mouths, suck it DEEP down into theirlungs, then bring it up and blow it with happy abandondirectly into anyone's face who has the misfortune to be near-by. Say, I contend that it.would be just as ethical. logical.courteous-or what have you-for ME to take a drink ofWATER, draw it into MY mouth, swish it round freely, thenswallow it down into MY-pardon me, STOMACH. Alterthat, 'belch it all up again, and spew it into the face of an-other. What's the REAL difference, pray tell? I'd guaranteeone thing; my contribution would SMELL better! Oh, I al-most forgot. I'm an old Iuddy-duddy. Excuse it, please. THATwas a blow, shall we say, BELOW THE BELT?They smoke! The milkman smokes as he delivers themilk. The Bakery man smokes as he brings the bread. Thedelivery boy smokes as he delivers the groceries. Uncle SamNephews smoke as they bring the mail. The physician smokesas he calls upon his patients and TELLS SOME OF THEMTO GIVE UP SMOKING! The attorney-at-law smokes as heprepares his brief. The court room is full of foul smokeas they try the case. The prisoner smokes as he waits in hiscell. The judge smokes as he prepares the charge to the jury.The jury, in turn, twelve good men and true, smoke as theydeliberate his fate. The condemned, on his way to the gallowsor electric chair, ask for ONE THING. Is it a last word to hiswife or mother? A visit from the chaplain or a word fromHoly Writ? Not on your life, son. A thousand times NO! He

wants a last cigarette before he DIES! The executionersmokes as he prepares for the ordeal. The witnesses smokeas they wait. Once over, the undertaker smokes as he carriesthe body away. The grave-digger smokes as he digs thegrave-and on, and on it goes, endlessly.The Constellation pilot smokes before the take-off. TheEngineer smokes as he takes the train along shining rails.


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The conductor smokes as he takes up the fares and the pas.sengers smoke as they ride along. The farmer smokes as hesows the seed or harvests the crops. The policeman smokesas he directs traffic. The cook smokes over thegriddle as heprepares the menu, letting the ashes fall where they may.(What of it, the diner will think it is pepper, no doubt.)The pernicious habit has invaded the house of God. Some,not ALL preachers, thank God, smoke as they pore overtheir sermons. Did I not say there was nothing sacred? Isaw one choir member stand in the doorway as they sang"Rock of Ages." Ever and anon between verses he wouldsneak a puff. Is that not about the last word? They light upa smoke as soon as they can get their noses safely outsidethe portals of the Sanctuary. Some even light up inside, un-thoughtedly. They smoke at the new made grave, scarcelywaiting for the minister's final "Amen." It has become ourNational and International shame and reproach.A person cannot wait for a bus or a train in peace. Thewhole waiting room is filled, saturated, with foul, blue fog-smoke from everyone's lungs. Is THAT sanitary, to say theleast? Once on the train you are no better off, you are ratherin a worse position-you are NOW sunk. You cannot getaway. There is no escape, Buddy, you take it. From locorno-

tive to rear Pullman the train soon becomes one continuousSMUDGE POT. AND if YOU don't like it,YOU can jump offthe train. Who are YOU anyway? On the bus you are worseoff still, if possible. Out of 40 passengers 38 are- smoking,and between the two, I'd take the bus exhaust. Death thenwould be quick, merciful, and no nicotine odor.A few months ago I rode a streamliner to California. Itwas a stainless steel, Vista dome Zephyr. Itwas a most beau.tiful train. I've always been wild about trains.Well, I arose early and bright after breakfast, went up intothe vista dome to enjoy the scenery. Itwas wonderful. BUTit was too good to last. I might have known there wold comea serpent into my Eden. Surely enough, there were at least

THREE, and they were at least THREE too many. Alas, alackand a day. In a few minutes other passengers began to climbthe stairs and file down the aisle. Then the inevitable cigar.ettes were lighted. "It won't be long now" I choked to my.self. Soon the air became foul despite all modem air condi-tioning, vents, and what not. I gritted my teeth, (They're stillmy own) held my nose, said a little prayer, determined tostick it out, if humanly possible. I did so want to see that Fa.mous "Feather River Canyon" the folders had been ravingabout all the way from Chicago. The Zephyrette had justmade the announcement over the loud speaker that we weresoon to behold this spectacle in full bloom . . . and now,THIS.I was doing quite well, holding my head down as lowas possible, when who should ascend the stairs but a gentle-man with an evil smelling pipe? By all the standards of de-cency, this pipe should have been buried months, maybe

YEARS, back. He soon added his contribution to the stench,

which I assure you, was a sizable one. But I was bound anddete~ined to see that famous "Feather River." AI~s, myBrother the River of Life would have been more attainable,under the present circumstances. The proverbial last strawwas soon added to my already sorely fractured back. I hadnot yet reached my Gethsemane. An~~er Ge~t c~me aboardarmed with a long, black, hideous, VICIOUS, tinking CI~AR.At once and forthwith he began laying down a veritablesmoke screen" adding his offering to the s~ffocatio~ process.Washington should be notified of the me.rlts of hIS talents.In mortal combat, I highly recommend hIS smoke screen tostop everything cold. Merciful HEAVENS! Human flesh canstand but so much. It was MURDER with a capital M. Itwasliterally "Suffocation without representation!" I surrenderedwithout further ado. I ran up the white flag of shame. Ishowed the white feather. I was THROUGH, kaput, finished,done for Not only for that day, but days to come. "FeatherRiver C~nyon" or no "Feather River Canyo~" th~ might,yAmazon. the MiSSissippi, the Thames or the Tiber-It wasn tworth the price.Staggering weakly down the stairs-funny how ramshacklethey had suddenly became. The sway of t~e train didn't helpmatters any either. Grasping th,: handrail despe;ate!y WIthboth hands, while my afore-mentioned stomach did flip-flops,cartwheels, and nose dives, I finally made the landing. SadlyI pondered if "This trip were Necessary." Or any subsequenttrips when one man's smoke becomes another man's POISON.At last we pulled into Frisco and I stepped down intoGod's good, clean, pure, fresh AIR!.Peace, it was wonderful,without a doubt.Sometime be the God Lord willing, I'd like to take awagon and team, ox cart, bicycle, or some other nice, quiet,clean. conveyance, and see that FAMOUS "FEATHER RIVERCANYON." What I saw of it, which was little was so obscuredand eclipsed by a thick, blue, smelly haze. I'm not too sure

that it wasn't the Blue Danube. I'm going to see that RIVERif it kills me. Which it probably will, if I ever have the au-dacity, the unmitigated gall, the supreme brass, and th~ lim-ited brains to EVER try and see it from a TRAIN agam!I repeat, Gentlemen of the Jury, have smokers no regardwhatsoever for OTHERS? Is chivalry entirely dead? Thereis not so much as "By your leave" any more. Little infants,aged grandmothers, the illand infirm, and quite a few justplain NONSMOKERS suffer in silence. That is, until NOW!Then the women. They try so hard to imitate the men.They also bow low and long before the Nicotine god. But,

I've never yet seen a woman who could smoke without ap-pearing self-conscious. No matter how much they tum andtwist and curve that cute little finger. And, further, con-sider the poor babes in arms. Of all the cigarette ashesdropped into their little faces and eyes. And all the foulbreath they have to endure. If I were a modern baby, and

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over it. But. not one peep do you hear about anyone "Goingcrazy over tobacco." Not even when he cuts the groceriesshort that he may lay in a goodly supply of his favoritebrand. Not even when he develops a heart condition or cancerof the lip, or T.B.-no one dares assume tobacco is to blame!Think of all the inconveniences caused innocent people.The spilled ashes over lovely furniture. The burned rugs andscorched tables, the smelly curtains and "Stunk-up" cars. For,one must admit that tobacco is NOT some lovely and frag-rant perfume. Itis most offensive to a lot of people, who haveto ENDURE it and practice the courtesy so lacking in thosewho indulge. Many people come home with their clothingsaturated with the fumes so that it takes days to rid the gar-ments of it. Is it gentlemanly or ladylike to impose sufferingon people continually because of one's own inborn selfishness?One final fling: can you, by any flights of the imagination,see any of the apostles smoking? Peter? James? John, theBeloved? Would you dare even think that Jesus would sopollute Himself Well, my friend, He left us an example tofollow in His steps, who did no sin. (Smoke)"Why spend your money for that which is not bread, oryour labor for that which satisfieth not?" Finally, it is aterrible WASTE of money. Even a pack a day ... which ismost conservative ... would amount to 365 packs a year and

at 25 cents a pack? This would buy one good suit or two suitsat a conservative figure. Over a period of a few years thea""'ount would run into thousands of dollars ... WASTED!Think of what some missionary could have done with all thisl..o.iey. 'j_ runk or the Shoes, food it would buy. A man andwife BOTH smoking would soon puff away enough to payfor a nice little home in their old age. It would educatetheir children. Itwould pay for a nice vacation abroad. BUTNO! Itgoes up in smoke from the altar of the little Browngod, Nicotine. A shameful, and I believe, sinful, waste.Surely, there is a BETTER way, my friend. God help youto find it.

could be born all over again, I'd put up one awful howl to bea BOTTLE BABY, believe me.Poor deluded females. Traded their birthright for a messof pottage, and I do mean MESS. Succumbed to a fate "Worsethan death" no less. Such a thin chested, holly-cheeked, sun-ken eyed lot. Bony fingers clutching a smouldering cigarette.Sallow skin, dead "Fish" eyes that stare unseeing out of adeath's head. No sparkle or twinkle of the joy of living. Theflame forever extinguished. Living from one cigarette untilthe next. The little hand that NOW rocks the cradle . . .

provided she hasn't been made BARREN by nicotine . . .is stained an Indelible walnut BROWN ... the trade mark,with which King Nicotine brands ALL his slaves. The fabledpearly white teeth are now scaley with nicotine's adamantcrust. The sweet breath, once the inspiration of poets andsages, smells to high heaven of the lowest sewers, and thatonce pretty cupid-bow mouth and those rosy lips? Alas, mysister, they are now merely the outlet, the EXHAUST for asmoking machine. And that cute little turned up pug nose?Ithas long since degenerated into a mere FUNNEL for theescaping cigarette fumes. What a shame that a poor unsus-pecting country boy can no longer kiss his sweetheart with-out smelling a Dromedary! Goats run and hide and skunkshurriedly resign in utter confusion and chagrin ... the smokeris winner in the STINK contest "Two to one!" Another thing;the manner in which nearly all smokers RESENT anythingsaid about their little Brown god convinces me they areon the wrong side of the question. You may curse theiraged father or grandfather, slap their gray-haired mother orgrandmother, insult their sweet sisters, but you "Darest"open your mouth about his little Brown god! Not one in ahundred will "Take" anything said . . . especially from thepulpit about the tobacco habit.

I once heard a noted temperance lecturer say: "When youask the Holy Spirit to live in a nicotine saturated BODY, youare asking Him to live in a TOBACCO BARN ... " I Cbrin-thians 3:16-18 makes it VERY clear that the body is HOLYand is the HOUSE that the Holy Spirit lives in.One big tobacco company came out recently with thestatement that enough of their product has been manufac-tured, sold, and consumed, in the United States alone, thatevery man, woman, and child could have had nearly 150packs each! They further declared that they could doubletheir capacity. It has been said that they want to put a cigar-ette in every high school student's mouth. Passing by theschool ground nowdways one would feel that they have aboutaccomplished this goal.

Take just a logical common sense view. If a person had ahabit ... any habit __ . that demanded so much and gave solittle (NOTHING) it would be foolish to continue. If a fel-low had to run and wash his face and hands about every halfhour ... he would soon be the laughing stock of the commu-nity. If a fellow had a teerrible appetite for anything that hehad to attend to it every 15 minutes or so, day and night, peo-ple everywhere would declare that he was "Going crazy"

REV.HERSCHEL MURPHY

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MRS.HERSCHELL MURPHY

30HERSCHEL MURPHY

AT AGE 18

Documents

The Heavenly Vision - Life Story of Herschel Murphy by W. v. Grant