Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874)

I had always thought of the doctrine of faith as difficult. Now I saw that it is only to believe heartily what, in fact, I had always professed to believe ... that is, that the Bible is the Word of God, just as truly as though I could hear Him speaking in tones of thunder from Sinai's Mount, and faith is to believe it.

It was at this point that the covenant was consummated between God and my soul that I would live a life of faith; that however diversified life's current might roll ... though I might be called to endure more complicated and long continued trials of my faith than were ever before conceived of, or even brought to a climax where, as with the father of the faithful, commands and promises might seem to conflict ... I would still believe, though I might die in the effort. I would hold on in the death struggle. In the strength of Omnipotence, I laid hold on the word, 'I will receive you.'

Faith apprehended the written word, not as a dead letter, but as the living voice of the living God. The Holy Scriptures were intensified to my mind as the lively or living oracles ... the voice of God to me as truly as though I could every moment hear Him speaking in tones of thunder from Sinai. And now that, through the in-working of the Holy Spirit, I had presented all my redeemed powers to God, through Christ, how could I doubt His immutable word, "I will receive you?" Oh, with what light, clearness and power were the words invested, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth!"

Between the hours of eight and nine, while pleading at the throne of grace for a present fulfillment of the exceeding great and precious promises ... pleading also the fullness and freeness of the Atonement, its unbounded efficacy, and making an entire surrender of body, soul and spirit, time, talents and influence, and also of the dearest ties of my nature, my earthly all ... I received the assurance that God the Father, through the atoning Lamb, accepted the sacrifice. My heart was emptied of self, and cleansed of all idols, from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and I realized that I dwelt in God, and felt that He had all upon the altar. I had retained it, by keeping all upon the altar, 'a living sacrifice.' So long as it remained there, I perceived that both the faithfulness and the justice of God stood pledged for its acceptance.