22. Holiness Unto the Lord
Holiness Unto the Lord As I have carefully and prayerfully gone over the facts and incidents and experiences in the life of my dear friend, I am impressed that the one great characteristic of John Hyde was holiness. I do not mention prayerfulness now, for prayer was his lifework. I do not especially call attention to soul-winning, for his power as a soul-winner was due to his Christlikeness. God says, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," and we may scripturally say without holiness no man shall be a great soul-winner. Mr. Hyde himself said in substance, "Self must not only be dead but buried out of sight, for the stench of the unburied self-life will frighten souls away from Jesus."
It does not seem that John Hyde preached much about his own personal experience of sancti- fication, but he lived the sanctified life. His life preached. Just as he did not say very much about prayer. He prayed. His life was a witness to the power of Jesus’ Blood to cleanse from all sin.
Read these testimonies that have come to me from a number of sources. Further search would no doubt reveal scores of other witnesses to the saintliness of this beloved servant of Jesus Christ, and man of prayer. From a publication in this country: "The Bishop of Oxford says of personal holiness: ’There is no power in the world so irrepressible as the power of personal holiness. A man’s gifts may lack opportunity, his efforts be misunderstood and resisted, but the spiritual power of a consecrated will needs no opportunity and can enter where doors are shut. In this strange and tangled busi- ness of human life there is no energy that so steadily does its work as the mysterious, uncon- scious, silent, unobtrusive, impenetrable influence which comes from a man who has done with all self-seeking. And herein lay John Hyde’s mystical power and great influence. Multitudes have been brought to their knees by prayer he uttered when filled with the Spirit.’ " This from a letter written to Mr. Hyde’s sister, "If ever there was a godly man, forgetful of himself and devoted to the Master’s service, your brother was that one." A native of India, "The marvelous spirituality of Mr. Hyde had for some time been so great that all who saw it were filled with wonder." These words are by a missionary in India: "His loss will be sadly felt in this country, especially by the Indian Christians. He was one of the holiest men I have ever known, and his life exerted a great influence."
One of his classmates writes, "No saint of the church was ever beyond him in holiness. He verily gave his life for Christ and India."
Another missionary in India wrote, "He revealed a Christ-possessed prayer-life. He talked with Christ as with a friend, spending hours with him. His inmost being was made radiant by Christ’s abiding presence, and whereever he went Christ was revealed." The Indian Witness says this: "He has had a very remarkable influence in the Indian Church. A year ago last autumn his addresses at the Sialkot Convention produced a profound impression. He was an acceptable speaker in Urdu, Punjabi and in English and it was always the man of holiness and power back of an address which made it indeed a message."
Another India missionary writes, "He had become a real prophet of God. He was truly one who spoke for God. Thoughtful men would sit for hours during a day listening to his wonderful expos- ition of truth, as he slowly, quietly, and clearly set forth what the Spirit of God had taught him from His Word." Not only was his the word of a prophet, but his life had been sanctified by the truth. One day a missionary was talking to a young Hindu who had become acquainted with Mr. Hyde, when the Hindu said: "Do you know, Sir, that Mr. Hyde seems to me like God." He was not far from the truth, for in a sense unknown to his Hindu understanding this man had become an incarnation. I quote from a postal card written by John to his sister while he was at Clifton Springs, N. Y., dated October 27th, 1911, "Am still in bed or wheel chair getting a fine rest and doing a lot of the ministry of intercession, and having not a few opportunities of personal work. How the radi- ance of holiness shone out in Jesus’ every u’ord and deed!" Yes, dear heart, and we can truth- fully and reverently say, "How the radiance of holiness shone out in John Hyde’s every word and deed."