Testimonies: How They Entered Canaan

"Canaan" is symbolic for living a holy life under the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. I intend to provide several testimonies from well known Christians that experienced this deeper walk with God. Today, we hear from Samuel Logan Brengle:

In seeking to be sanctified wholly, Samuel Logan Brengle saw the contrast between himself in his carnal condition and the Lord in His immaculate purity:
"I saw the humility of Jesus, and my pride; the meekness of Jesus, and my temper; the lowliness of Jesus, and my ambition; the purity of Jesus, and my unclean heart; the faithfulness of Jesus, and the deceitfulness of my heart; the unselfishness of Jesus, and my selfishness; the trust and faith of Jesus, and my doubts and unbelief; the holiness of Jesus, and my unholiness. I got my eyes off every body but Jesus and myself, and I came to loathe myself."

Brengle had to die to his carnal ambition to be a great, eloquent preacher, a powerful orator. He was Divinely humbled before he was Divinely empowered: "I was willing to appear a big blunder and a complete failure if only He would cleanse me and dwell in me!"

When the humbling process was complete, the Spirit applied First John 1:9 to his heart: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He became personally conscious of being cleansed from all unrighteousness, and the Divinely wrought change registered noticeably on his countenance. Twenty minutes after this personal experience, a fellow student looked upon him and remarked: ""Sam what is the matter? You look so different!" Two mornings later, the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ filled and flooded his soul:

"I awoke that morning hungering and thirsting just to live this life of fellowship with God, never again to sin in thought or word or deed against Him, with an unmeasurable desire to be a holy man, acceptable unto God. Getting out of bed about six o'clock with that desire, I opened my Bible and, while reading some of the words of Jesus, He gave me such a blessing as I never had dreamed a man could have this side of heaven. It was an unutterable revelation. It was a heaven of love that came into my heart. My soul melted like wax before fire. I sobbed and sobbed. I loathed myself that I had ever sinned against Him or doubted Him or lived for myself and not for His glory. Every ambition for self was now gone. The pure flame of love burned it like a blazing fire would burn a moth."