HOW WE ESCAPED

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By Elmer Ellsworth Shelhamer and His Wife, Julia A. Shelhamer

1. HOW I ESCAPED

"Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler: the snare is broken and we are escaped." -- Ps. 123:7. Satan has set snares for all of us from infancy, but especially if he foresaw that we were destined to do his kingdom damage. While we do not accept the doctrine of unconditional election, yet we do believe that some are chosen of God to magnify his Grace more than others. Not because they are worthy, or because He arbitrarily wills their success, but because He finds in them more cooperation than in others -- hidden soul-soil that responds readily to His matchless touch.

Personally, this unworthy scribe has nothing of which to boast. Why God should pick me out of a family of nine and thrust me out across the continents, to preach and publish the Gospel in various lands is a wonder of wonders. My godly father called me the "black sheep of the family." On one occasion he came running into the blacksmith shop when I was beating a horse and cried, "Are you killing the animal?" I replied, "No, I am only teaching him some sense, to stand still while I put this shoe on him." He answered, "I would not be surprised if I should live to see you stand on the gallows with a rope around your neck." Our school teacher resigned because I was uncontrollable. A seven-round fight with a man was the last thing that broke my parents' hearts, just before my conversion at the age of sixteen.

2. HOW I ESCAPED A DRUNKARD'S HELL

I well remember when on that sad, but glorious day when I returned home from town in an old sled half drunk on hard cider. How good God was to keep me from freezing! (A schoolmate did freeze to death because of drink and exposure.) When my wicked brother-in-law saw me and I declared I intended to seek religion, he roared and laughed, saying, "You are the biggest devil in the whole country and no one will believe you. I dare you to go up to the mourners bench you are half drunk and that is why you talk religion."

"No, I mean it," I said.

"Well, I will go with you!" But when the time came he backed out and later died unsaved, I fear.

When it became known that the worst boy in the community was seeking religion, the whole country side was stirred. One day I prayed five hours until my voice was gone and I could only whisper. After three days of seeking, I was powerfully converted. The change was as great as though the blazing sun had burst in at midnight. At first many said, "It won't last long, the change is too great; he won't hold out." But they changed their tune and said, "He can't hold in!" Blessed be God, it has held out now fifty-seven years. Anything that will stand every test that long is worth having.

3. HOW I ESCAPED DROWNING

When a tall lad of twelve, I thought I could swim "Crooked Creek" if others could. One boy swam it and I followed, but when halfway across I gave out, for it was as broad as a river. "What shall I do, turn around, or go ahead? My strength is gone! Here goes -- I will drop down and walk the rest of the way." When I did it was chin deep. Had I stopped two feet sooner I would have drowned, for later I learned that this was the treacherous "fifteen-foot hole." How good God was to let me, a sinner, escape!

4. WABASH RIVER

Years afterward some forty preachers, myself included, on a hot sultry day went swimming in the dangerous Wabash, at Terre Haute, Indiana. We were diving, plunging, and playing when I was suddenly seized with cramps. When I first disappeared, no one thought it serious, but when I came up and called for help, a general cry went out, "Brother Shelhamer is drowning! Lord, save him!!" I was caught in the mad current and carried down stream; more than one had drowned in this same bend of the river. A one-armed preacher kept up with me lifting me in the air till I caught a breath, then down again I went. I could hear two voices: Satan said, "I have you this time and will drown you! I have tried different times and in different ways to get you to backslide and failed, but this time I will let you go to heaven, but will put a stop to your getting others to go." O, the gloom of the watery grave that surrounded me! But amid the darkness I could hear those dear boys pray, "Lord, save him! Lord, save him!!" This gave me confidence and I said to myself, "These prayers can never drown!" Just, then an old leaky boat was pushed out and I seized it only to have it sink with me. "Don't get into it, hang on outside!" With chin on edge of boat I was taken ashore, where I lay on the bank while the faithful lads rolled me and pumped the water out. It was a narrow, but blessed "escape" for which I will ever praise God.

5. HOW I ESCAPED THE PRECIPICE

In hot August it was great sport in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to hunt raccoons. They ruin valuable corn. A dozen or more men and boys quietly drew near a deep timber or cliff, adjacent to a cornfield. Here we lay down about 9:00 p. m. and waited until the dogs struck a "hot trail," and finally treed the coon. There would be a mad rush and a certain brave fellow climbed the tree with a torch, to shake down the coon. Now we saw a fierce fight, with the result -- a dead coon.

On one of these occasions while waiting for the dogs to start something, I fell asleep and when I awoke my crowd was gone. I yelled and ran and stumbled, not knowing which direction to pursue. In my haste I did not realize how near I came to that hundred foot precipice with ten feet of water beneath. To this day I shudder when I see that perpendicular cliff and how nearly I took the fatal step. I never would have been found and my poor soul would have been lost forever! I escaped by the "skin of my teeth!"

6. HOW I ESCAPED MARRYING THE WRONG GIRL

With that powerful conversion, I quit not only sinful things, as swearing, drinking, dancing, tobacco, and cards, but also joking, flirting and wearing of jewelry. The thought of girls hindered secret prayer. When in church I became too self-conscious if I perceived that they were looking at me. I soon flung this to the winds for I was too young to even think of matrimony and could not afford to trifle with another's affections. Of course it was natural to love someone, especially a sincere Christian, since I had severed with one stroke all connection with the world.

When I left home and went a long distance to college in quest of an education, I surely had a battle for six months with homesickness and the only relief was to write each week to mother and to one of those fine girls.

Finally after getting the victory over homesickness, I decided I did not need the "creature love" of a fair maiden. So, I requested her to stop writing, for a while at least. I saw that this friendship might ripen into an engagement and mar God's first plan. It now began to dawn upon me that I was not only to be a preacher but perhaps a publisher. If so, I must have a companion my equal or superior intellectually and spiritually. She, should be able to sing and speak well in public, as well as be a good housekeeper. I never dreamed then that God was about to thrust me out without salary, to edit a paper and publish over fifty books and millions of tracts and pamphlets costing over $75,000.00. Yes, I just escaped what many have fallen into -- a matrimonial snare that would have crippled me for life!' Oh, precious young people, let me exhort you! Avoid haste! Seek Godly counsel!! Above all, insist on each having a rich sanctified experience!

7. A TRIP TO COLLEGE AND BACK

Shortly after my conversion, one evening while reading and sitting around the big fireplace, I ventured to whisper to mother that I felt God would have me become a preacher. She replied, "O, Sonnie, that is a hard life, sleeping in damp beds and eating cold victuals." I paused, then answered, "Would you rather I backslid and died a drunkard?" "O, no, if that is the way you feel, go ahead!"

The next big question was, where I should go to prepare. The only place I knew of was the Wesleyan Methodist Seminary, at Wheaton, Illinois, hundreds of miles away. My big, unsaved brother overheard the conversation and in disgust said, "The silly goose! He has never been away from home and will be back in three weeks!" "No," said mother, "give him three months!" Those were some of the best words ever spoken to me. For during the first six months or more, I often cried myself to sleep because of homesickness. I would have walked home since I did not have the fare ($8.00), but for one thing: I could visualize myself entering the old, cozy home, dejected, and hearing my sneering brother say, I told you so! Here is the great preacher, just returned from college. After those awful months of loneliness I finally won the fight and my people did not see me for over three years. Now, when I returned home I was on top and in a different class. I did not feel proud, but God had lifted me up and given a saintly dignity and holy independence that I did not have before. What a narrow escape! Had I yielded to homesickness and returned too soon, I would have been sidetracked and missed God's first plan, as thousands of bright young people have done.

8. A STRANGE DOCTRINE

But how did I escape? Others fell into error while it seemed God had a special care over me. Only two weeks after I left home for College certain preachers came into that community and began preaching a strange doctrine. At first they taught the essentials, but reserved the "strong meat until the people could digest it. Then they became harsh and denunciatory toward those who did not readily receive it. The chief members of the church accepted it and the result was a "division" and "schism," the very thing they were denouncing.

They sent me their literature and later my own cousin came all the way west to "convert Elzie." I listened attentively, but the new doctrine did not appeal to me -- to "come out of all sects and at the same time form a more sectarian sect. Their members did not feel free to attend other services, except to "let their light shine." They could argue Scripture for hours, but took little interest in helping at the altar, unless it meant a new proselyte. It seemed to me that God's method was to take the narrow, sectarian spirit out of as, and make us lovable toward all of His saints, rather than take us out of a Holiness organization to form another, with a few tenants added. God in mercy did not let me return home until I could meet their arguments. When I did, a great revival broke out, but I had no cooperation from my former friends. They wept over me, they denounced me, and finally declared that I had rejected the "evening light" and had sinned against the Holy Ghost. They warned the people not to hear me, that I would have no more revivals; but after these many years, all their prophecies have failed. The thing that God hates in your church or mine, is sin and bigotry. The same accursed thing manifested itself in the disciples when they said, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name and we forbade him, because he followeth not us." Friend, you may be saved up to the point that you do not openly oppose those who are not of your little crowd, but you must go farther and bid him God's speed, if he is getting men genuinely converted. I fear few are saved to this extent.

9. HOW I WAS HEALED

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