Smith Wigglesworth APOSTLE of FAITH

Smith Wigglesworth APOSTLE OF FAITH STANLEY HOWARD FRODSHAM GOSPEL PUBLISHING HOUSE Springfield, MO 65802-1894 © 1948, 1990, 2010 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers. CONTENTS Foreword Acknowledgment and Tribute I. “First the Blade” II. “An Helpmeet for Him” III. “Then the Ear” IV. “Endued from on High” V. After Receiving the Baptism VI. The Ministry of Healing VII. In Labors More Abundant Miracles in Australia and New Zealand IX. Visits to Switzerland and Sweden X. His Secret of Spiritual Strength XI. The Challenger XII. Freedom from Covetousness A Great Fight of Faith A Life of Joy XV. The Full Corn in the Ear Yet Speaking FOREWORD DEDICATED CHRISTIANS say it in different ways: Above all else, they wish that during their lifetime their words and examples might nudge others toward the Savior, that others might discover the forgiveness, joy, and peace they did. The ultimate hope of such Christians is that even after death they would continue bearing fruit, through either their converts or their writings. Smith Wigglesworth—one of the best-known Pentecostal evangelists of the early 20th century—lived with these noble goals. He was always ready to nudge others toward the Savior and faith in the Word of God. Some would even say his nudges were more like shoves, so intent was he on having people believe in the Lord. Be that as it may, his biography continues in print more than 60 years after his death, indicating this generation has a high regard for Wigglesworth’s inspiring life of faith. Other books written about him attest to this regard. Good historians are more than couriers of the past, They search out apparently dull facts most of us would overlook. Working like a detective, they analyze information and come to conclusions about their subject. That is the way Stanley H. Frodsham looked at the life of his dear friend Smith Wigglesworth. The result is an inspiring and insightful biography, a classic rags-to-riches (in faith) story. Wigglesworth’s first 48 years were anything but world- shaking. He was a plumber. He could hardly read until after he married and his wife began to tutor him. True, he was personable and had a reputation as an aggressive witness for Christ. And he helped in a local mission. But his wife did the preaching. There is one thing that might have indicated Smith Wigglesworth would someday be known beyond his Bradford, England. One thing did suggest he might command the attention of audiences in faraway Australia, South Africa, and North America. When he prayed for people who were ill or diseased, they got healed. Even so, his vocation-changing experience did not come until he was baptized in the Holy Spirit under the ministry of Anglican leaders, Alexander and Mary Boddy. For the next 40 years his name was linked with salvation- healing meetings around the world. His ministry boosted churches and affected entire regions for the Kingdom. The former plumber of Bradford, England, became known as the Apostle of Faith. Now, more than a generation after his death, Smith Wigglesworth continues to bless and inspire believers. Through books such as this, he is still nudging—or shoving— people toward the Savior and faith in God’s Word. He was that kind of Christian. WAYNE WARNER, DIRECTOR ASSEMBLIES OF GOD ARCHIVES 1990 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND TRIBUTE SMITH WIGGLESWORTH constantly acknowledged how much he owed under God to a wonderful wife, but he was also equally grateful for a remarkable daughter. We first visited his home in 1909 when Alice Wigglesworth was spending her first term in Africa. The constant theme of his conversation from morning until night was “our Alice.” After the home going of Mrs. Wigglesworth in 1913—Alice Wigglesworth, who was later married to James Salter—in large manner took the place of her mother, traveling constantly with her father in his many journeys to different countries. Especially was this so during the last years of his life. Mrs. Salter herself had an inspiring ministry like her mother’s, and Mr. Wigglesworth encouraged her constantly to stir up the saints with her fiery message before he himself gave forth the Word. Again and again James Salter unselfishly returned to his missionary labors in the Belgian Congo alone, because he knew how much Smith Wigglesworth appreciated the companionship of his daughter Alice. Mr. Salter also made many trips with his father-in-law, relieving him of all business matters and supplementing the Wigglesworth campaigns with his own unique and inspiring missionary messages. Smith Wigglesworth owed more than we can ever estimate to these two loyal helpers, and incidentally, this book owes its existence to the large amount of information they have supplied. They really should have written this volume themselves, but they insisted that another should have the credit for producing it. The one who is named as author, who edited the material supplied, desires to acknowledge the fact that the credit for the contents of this book rightfully belongs to his friends JAMES AND ALICE SALTER. STANLEY HOWARD FRODSHAM Springfield, Mo., U.S.A. I “FIRST THE BLADE” THE YEAR 1859 is known as that of the great Irish revival. Two years previously, a mighty awakening had come to America. Prayer meetings had been held in every large city, and were attended by thousands of people. As men called on God, the Spirit of the Lord mightily worked, and it was estimated that every month fifty thousand souls were converted. The news of the revival of 1857 in the U.S.A. and of the revival of 1859 in Ireland, set the people of Britain to praying. Soon revival fires began to burn throughout that country. Spurgeon preached to vast throngs in London and at every service many received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. In Wales, Christmas Evans was engaged in a wonderful evangelistic ministry. His converts became so exuberantly happy that they would dance for joy in his meetings, and Evans would not restrain them. Because of this, scores of sinners sought Christ in order to receive the same “joy unspeakable.” At the same time, the hearts of many who were attending the Wesleyan Methodist churches throughout Great Britain were “strangely warmed.” One of their evangelists, William Booth, was singularly used. In 1859 he broke with the Wesleyan church to give himself entirely to the work of evangelism and was led to choose the slums of the east end of London as his first place of ministry. The worst of sinners were transformed into the greatest of saints and went preaching the gospel throughout the land. Booth later founded the Salvation Army. It was in this revival year of 1859, in a humble shack in Menston, in Yorkshire, England, that Smith Wigglesworth was born. One day when he was holding a meeting in Riverside, California, we said to him: “Tell us your story.” He related to us the following: Wigglesworth Tells of Early Life My father was very poor and worked long hours for little pay in order to support Mother and us three boys and one girl. I can remember one cold frosty day when my father had been given the job of digging a ditch seven yards long and a yard deep, and filling it up again, for the sum of three shillings and six pence (about eighty-seven cents). My mother said that if he would only wait a bit, it might thaw and his task would be easier. But he needed that money for food, for there was none in the house. So he set to work with a pickaxe. The frost was a full yard deep, but underneath the hard ground was some soft wet clay. As he threw up some of this, a robin suddenly appeared, picked up a worm, ate it, flew to a branch of a nearby tree, and from there sent out a song of joyous praise. Up to now, Father had been very despondent, but he was so entranced by the robin’s lovely song of thanksgiving that he took fresh courage and began to dig with renewed vigor- saying to himself, “If that robin can sing like that for a worm, surely I can work like a father for my good wife and my four fine children!” When 1 was six years of age, I got work in the field, pulling and cleaning turnips, and I can remember how sore my tiny hands became pulling turnips from morning until night. At seven years of age, my older brother and I went to work in a woolen mill. My father obtained employment in the same mill as a weaver. Things were easier in our house from that time on, and food became more plentiful. My father was a great lover of birds and at one time he had sixteen song birds in our home. Like my father I had a great love for birds and at every opportunity I would be out looking for their nests. I always knew where there were some eighty or ninety of them. One time I found a nest full of fledglings, and thinking they were abandoned, I adopted them, taking them home and making a place for them in my bedroom. Somehow the parent birds discovered them and would fly in through the open window and feed their young ones.

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