Yorkshire. [December 1908]

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Written November 1908. Originally published in Confidence, December 1908.

Written November 1908.
Published in Confidence, December 15, 1908.

Manningham, Bradford, Nov. 1908.

My dear brother,

After twelve months of this blessed fullness I desire to witness to the truth of the anointing with power for service. There is an affinity and unity with the blessed Holy Spirit as never before, and a fearlessness, or a clothing with a consciousness that the source is his, and the results are his, and I am one channel only. It is now, without fear, a vessel unto honor for the Master’s sake. Then there is the presence of the Holy Spirit abiding—the anointing received abideth [1Jn 2.27]—as it is an unction from the Holy One, thus renewing the spirit of our mind. [Ep 4.23] Thinking about the pure and holy things, the epistle to the Romans being fulfilled. “Conformed to the image of his Son,” [Ro 8.29] growing up into him, our living Head. First it is power with God and then it is power with man. First stripped, then the clothing from above. No longer seeking our own but his. Responsibilities and results are his.

The yoke is on his shoulder; He sees to thee, O son of man. Can the Acts of the Apostles be renewed? Lord, thou knowest. The given faith stands and says: Let it be so an the workings are mighty. Our position is to see that we are clothed with the Spirit. The Spirit led Philip to the wilderness, and the Eunuch was already waiting. [Ac 8.26-28] Samaria also was ready. [Ac 8.5-8] The secret was that Philip was in the power of the Spirit. He increases when we decrease; we cannot do both and be fruitful. All the glory must be Christ’s, and then it will be the same as of old—“the sword of the Lord and Gideon.” [Jg 7.20]

Speaking with tongues is an external evidence that God has done something, and it is always done when the motives are pure and the life cleansed. The blood meets the poor, needy soul and it enters through the gate into the city and begins to share in divine privileges of power, of lifting burdens, of weeping with discouraged souls, of bringing health to sick and weary ones, “as he is so are we.” [1Jn 4.17] As God dwelt in him and did the work, now he dwells in us and teaches us by the Holy Spirit how to do the work and it is done. We are daily witnessing to the work being done. Demons are cast out, the sick are healed, and sinners turn to Jesus. Saints are becoming more saintly. Speaking with “tongues” brings me into a deeper sense of his abiding presence; it much resembles the Shekinah glory over the Ark. The divine glory is right over me day by day. The messages are with power; never lacking power and zeal. Of a truth God is with us. I admit that the price to pay is much, and you may have to lose as good friends as Elijah, but, praise God, there is a mantle of power just to meet your need.

David speaks in the 23rd Psalm of the valley of the shadow of death. [Ps 23.4] It was a day in the life of David of separation. Notice that as soon as he got there the table was spread. [v5] Brothers, it will be a destruction of the flesh—a real death—but God has another food, another robe for you, another power, another glorious victory, but it is through the valley, where God spreads the table. He knows best what the spirit life requires, so he spreads the table.

We are getting much blessing, remarkable evidence, and discernment. Faith and charity are right in this work. The mighty things will soon occur—interpretations are getting much clearer. The power of the Holy Ghost is making the dry bones feel the need.

Everywhere we go with this truth in the power of the spirit we have to deal with sin in believers. The filthy acts of the self-life have to be dealt with, and men cannot always stand the purging. I have never heard or seen God baptizing an unclean or fleshly life. There is only one life, only one way, only one thing. Reality can move the holy wind, and it is crying out for a clean heart. As the blood is applied through separation and holy surrender, the fire falls, the spirit’s clothing comes on to a pure spirit. What I am, what I have been, must be lost in him.

 

Note by Editor of Confidence: “We are most thankful to learn that Mr. and Mrs. Smith Wigglesworth have recently been a blessing in the following places: Penge, Mitcham, and in London at 20 Sudbourne Road, 9 Gloucester Place W.; 73 Upper Street, Islington; 14 Akerman Road, Brixton; and the Bethel Hall.”

Healings in Australia. [April 1922]

by Winnie Andrews.

	Written in February, 1922. Published in Confidence, April-June, 1922.

To Rev. A.A. Boddy,
All Saints’ Vicarage, Sunderland, England.

Our dear Brother Wigglesworth arrived in Melbourne last Thursday, February 16th, and he had a meeting that night, when many came to hear his blessed message, and—glory to God!—many dear sick ones were delivered in answer to the prayer of faith. Some of those who attended the meeting had come many hundreds of miles for the purpose, and were addressed by the evangelist from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Ye are my witnesses.” [Is 43.10]

Testimony of Smith Wigglesworth. [October 1908]

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Written in November, 1907. Published in Confidence, October, 1908.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Boddy,*

After seven full days of the glorious presence of the glory of God resting upon me, I send you this testimony for the glory of God. For three months I have been exercised about the full Pentecost. I had the clear witness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit 14 years ago last July, and this brought a marvelous manifestation of God in special gifts to sick ones, and a constant living and seeking to bring others to Jesus.

Bradford. [May 1908]

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Originally published in Confidence, May, 1908.

Bro. Smith Wigglesworth of Bowland Street Mission reports:

 

The Lord is mightily blessing us. The results are that sinners are being saved and saints being filled with the fullness of the Holy Ghost with the signs.

We are realizing the blessing that comes to us through pleading the blood. There is certain victory if the pleader keeps the precious Jesus before him. Then the Holy Ghost commences to plead through him. This is the commencement of signs.

Report from Yorkshire. [April 1908]

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Originally published in Confidence, April, 1908.

This is the earliest published item from Wigglesworth that I have found so far. Confidence was a magazine published by All Saints Church in Sunderland, where Wigglesworth received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1907. —KWL

 

Bowland Street Mission, Bradford, has had many days of God’s right hand, and has won many trophies of the cross and seen much of the working of the mighty hands of God, but none of the past days resemble those of the present. Thank God, we are in the midst of that which might be called the soul’s awakening.

After ye have received—power.

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Or “The ‘Go Ye’ of the Holy Ghost.” Preached in Chicago, October 29, 1922. Originally published in the Latter Rain Evangel, November, 1922.

Let me read to you from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. [Ac 1] The word of God is wonderful and I believe that God wants to fill us with his word. He wants us to be so filled with it that no matter where we are, the word will be lived out in us. The word is power, the word is life, the word of God is faith, the word is Jesus and the word of God is everlasting life to him that believeth. “He that [hath] my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life.” [Jn 5.24] And we need to be careful in reading the word; I believe it is too precious to rush over; we have need to “rightly [divide] the word of truth.” [2Ti 2.15] I want to speak to you tonight of the power given by God. Oh the power of the Holy Ghost! the power that quickens, the revealing power, the travailing power! The power that lives and moves! the power that brings about exactly what Jesus said, “When you receive… ye shall have power.” [Ac 1.8, para.] I love to think that Jesus wanted all his people to have power, that he wanted all men to be overcomers. It is the joy God brings within a human life that transforms it by his word and brings it into the place where it knows it is above all, and brings to naught the things that are, because God is in the word. Nothing but this power will do it. Power over sin, power over sickness, power over the devil, power over all the powers of the devil! I know that Jesus revealed by his word these truths—“after that ye shall have power.” [Ac 1.8, para.] I think there is nothing more beautiful to look at than to look at the Jordan in our experiences. The moment that Jesus was baptized in the Holy Ghost there was a manifestation that never appeared in the world before or since. Right there by the Jordan was the Son of God, directly on the Son was the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove, and in the heavens above was the voice of God. [Lk 3.22] It is beautiful to think of how the Trinity is interested in humanity.

How to be transformed.

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Originally published in the Pentecostal Evangel, July 14, 1945.

Jacob was on his way to the land of his fathers, but he was very troubled at the thought of meeting his brother Esau. Years before, Jacob and his mother had formed a plan to secure the blessing that Isaac was going to give Esau. How inglorious was the fulfilling of this carnal plan! It resulted in Esau’s hating Jacob and saying in his heart, “(When my father is dead), then will I slay my brother Jacob.” [Ge 27.41] Our own plans lead us frequently into disaster.

Have faith in God.

by Smith Wigglesworth.

	Ever Increasing Faith, 1924. Chapter 1. Preached at the Springfield Assembly, Springfield, Mo. Originally published in the Pentecostal Evangel, December 9, 1922.

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” [Mk 11.23-24]

Apostle of Faith 9: Visits to Switzerland and Sweden.

by Stanley Howard Frodsham.
Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith, 1924.

 

In the year 1920 our Greatheart labored for six months in different parts of Europe. He ministered for a short while in France and then went on to Switzerland. The following account of his labors is part of an address given by Madam Debat of Paris, who acted as his interpreter in France and in French Switzerland.

At Chatres in the French Alps we had a convention. Four ministers came to spy out the land in order to speak against this work of God. But all four are now convinced that this Pentecostal work is truly of God. One cried out, “I am under an open heaven.”

Apostle of Faith 8: Miracles in Australia and New Zealand.

by Stanley Howard Frodsham.
Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith, 1924.

 

It was in the early part of 1922 that our Greatheart made his first visit to Australia.

We quote from a letter (which appeared in the English paper, Confidence) written by Miss Winnie Andrews of Victoria:

Our dear Brother Wigglesworth arrived in Melbourne last Thursday, and he had a meeting that night—and although he made it quite plain and clear to his hearers that he would rather see one sinner saved than ten thousand people healed of bodily ailments, he invited any who were in pain to come forward for prayer—Among those who came forward were several who later declared they had received remarkable and instantaneous healings.