KNEE WORK | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 27, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 35.

KNEE WORK.

Dr. J. A. DUNCAN had, on an important occasion, delivered a sermon of wonderful intellectual and spiritual power. He was asked, “What is the secret of such a sermon as that?” He replied, “The secret of that sermon is thirteen hours of prayer.”

Charles H. Spurgeon, when asked for the explanation of his success, said, “Knee work, knee work!”

David Livingston, on two occasions, preached a sermon of wonderful power. At each time five hundred persons were convicted. Both sermons were preceded by a whole night spent in prayer.

C. G. Finney, after spending a whole day in the woods, fasting and praying, preached at night to a phenomenally irreligious congregation. The sermon was accompanied by such divine power that the whole congregation, except one man, an elder in the church, fell prostrate on the floor, and voiced their agony under conviction in such loud cries that the preacher was forced to stop.

Rev. Daniel Steele said: “Down upon your knees. I wish I had the power to reach every Methodist on the round earth. I would say, Cease living on the heroism of your fathers; quit glorying in numbers, sacrificing to statistics, and burning incense to the General Minutes; down upon your knees, and seek and find yourself the secret of the power of the fathers—a clean heart, and the endowment of power from on high; and then rise and unfurl the banner of salvation free and full, and a common-sense theology.”—Selected.