AFTER much prayer I have finally concluded to make another effort at setting forth some incidents of my life — incidents that have been of great importance to me, and will be to those directly or indirectly touched by them. I hope that each one reading these incidents will read carefully this foreword, as it contains a very useful key to the book; for as soon as I ventured out from the mission work in Cincinnati, where I had spent several years, I began to realize that mine was not a feather-bed vocation. God had called me to labor among the poorest of people, but few of whom ever entered the church. So, from the start, mine was a life entirely of faith. I never took up an offering for myself, nor asked anyone else to, nor made my wants known, only to God. I never had any objection to those who did take up offerings; but as for me, I never could. Often I thought that I would, but when I reached the platform, I took an inventory of the crowd, and I said to myself, “Well, there is Brother Jones; he has that large family, and is not any too well. His little place is not paid for, so I couldn’t expect him to give anything. Next is Brother Smith; he lost a cow just last week, and of course he couldn’t spare anything. And next is Sister Bell with those four children to care for; she of course couldn’t give anything. And Brother Brown has seven mouths to feed, and backs to clothe; and his horse got hurt last week, and he had to hire a horse, so of course he couldn’t give anything.”

So I went all over the congregation, and excused everyone. Hence, it was a work of trusting God, all of which has enabled me to ferret out many cases that otherwise would have been turned down, overlooked, or classed as the impossible. So as these incidents occurred, I became impressed with their significance. I got a large book, and when I would come in for a little rest, I would write down the important incidents as a stimulus to my faith. Many a time, after coming in from a very hard pull, without money, and but little visible results, and feeling not the best, I dived into that book, and invariably was greatly encouraged. Several times when I was getting pretty low in faith, the records in that book lifted the clouds, and gave me great victory. Knowing that what God had done once He could do again, if conditions were met, I generally kept a pretty close watch on the conditions, to see that they were up to the standard.

Then, as several people got hold of these records, they insisted that I put them in book form. That was so far from my idea and ability that I paid little attention to it. Others kept at me until I did manage to bring the matter before God. At first I received great encouragement in the mentioning of it to my Father, until I just had to say “Yes,” but I had no money to live on while writing the book, nor any typewriter, and the publishers wanted it typewritten. So I dropped the matter; but the Lord kept at me, and soon the way was opened up for me to get a typewriter through Revelation John Fleming.

Well, one obstacle was removed; but still another, equally as large, confronted me — lack of money to write the book. It was not long until I was invited over from Ironton, Ohio, to Ashland, Ky., and I preached in the Ashland Heights Church, Saturday and Sunday. I was invited to the home of dear Brother and Sister Simpson. On Monday, Sister Simpson said, “Brother Bevington, here we have a houseful of children, and husband is away all day, and I have so much work to do that I am not caring for the children as I ought to. So we believe that God wants you in our home to live before these children.” After I had prayed over the matter, it seemed quite clear that I should stay with them.

Then I began writing. But when about half done, I got tired of such confinement, and went out for a few meetings. In the meantime dear Brother Fleming, Revelation John Fleming’s brother, wanted me to come to his home, then in Willard, Ky., and finish my book. This I did, but before the book was entirely finished, I was called out in meetings. Thinking that I would have a rest sometime, which would enable me to finish it, I just went along that way, waiting for a more favorable opportunity, until I guess the Lord got tired of my waiting, and the book was burned up, with all else that I had, while I was living at Rush, Ky.

The object in writing this foreword is to give a reason for the absence of names and dates. I drew my manuscript from the book of records which was burned. I had given up all idea of rewriting; but through the past winter and this spring, several told me that I ought to rewrite the story of my life.

Others have written me — some who knew nothing of the former book — and of late dear Brother Heins, of Kingswood, Ky., has importuned me to write. So I related to him all that I have said here relative to my first book, and told him that I had no record of names, dates, or places. He said that they are of little importance in such a work as this. So after praying over it, I concluded to rewrite the incidents. Read as impartially as you can, for all that follows is true.