p. 11 | Obedience Better Than Sacrifice by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 6, 1907

Obedience Better Than Sacrifice

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

No amount of sacrifice will atone for headstrong disobedience. The human heart is so apt to fill with pride, and entertain such lofty opinions of the greatness of its own wisdom and far-sightedness, that the Lord is compelled often to give object-lessons illustrating the foolishness of human devisings apart from the counsel of God.

A few years ago the Lord sent his servant to Australia. While there, very important instruction was given concerning changes that must be brought about in the manner and methods of conducting his work in the earth. Solemn messages were sent to America. Some of them involved such reversals of the then-present methods that some men were staggered. Others pronounced the instruction utterly impractical, and others said it would be even ruinous to the work of God, if followed. Some have lived long enough, however, to see that God is wiser than men, and that to obey his counsel is indeed very prudent.

Very important instruction was also given concerning the Australasian field. It was pointed out that they were not to follow precedents, as to manner and methods of labor in America, but that it was God's design to make Australia a training-center for workers in that part of the field. The school work and publishing interests were to be cast in entirely new molds. Some men there saw no light in this instruction; but faithful ones were found who, through faith, obeyed the Lord. As a result, marvelous prosperity has attended every branch of the work there, not because certain select men were connected with it, but because God's own plans were being followed.

In a letter written by Brother Anderson, editor of the Australasian Signs, to one of the brethren associated with the Mission Board, is such a striking illustration of what it has meant to the publishing work implicitly to follow God's instruction, that we take the liberty of quoting from his letter. He says:—

“You will be glad to know that our office here is just flooded with work. As you have heard frequently, we do not cater for commercial work in our Warburton office. To give you some idea of how our business has increased, I will say that one year ago we thought that two presses would be all that we should require to cope with our own denominational work. We find that we can keep five going, and even then very frequently have to labor overtime for weeks together. Our difficulty is not how to get work, but how to get workers to cope with the enormous volume of business that is going through our office. We had no idea one year ago but that our premises and plant would be large enough to meet all the demands that would be made upon us. But we have altogether underestimated our needs, and have already had to make some extensions to our building.

“One pleasing feature which has arisen in connection with our move into the country is the large number of visitors who desire to see through our premises. When we were in the city of Melbourne, it was an extremely rare thing to have any outside of our own ranks become even interested in our plant: there was nothing notable about a factory in the city. But somehow a factory in the country seems to be an object of very great attraction. We are here surrounded by mountains on all sides. Half a mile away there is a little village, which, on account of the natural scenery, is becoming a tourists' resort. Just recently some new country has been explored from twenty to thirty miles back in the mountains, and some new waterfalls have been discovered. The State governor and a party of gentlemen made a trip a few days ago to view the scenery. Many other parties are also making this trip. In order to get to this place, they have to pass right by our factory; and when they come across a place like ours in the midst of heavily timbered country, it causes no small amount of surprise.

“While the governor was going through, he at once pulled up, and wanted to see what was going on here, and asked to be shown through. Many other notable persons have also in like manner been attracted to this place, and thus we have been brought into contact with classes of people who hitherto did not even know of our existence, or if they did, thought we were some little body of fanatics who kept Sunday on Saturday. When they come and see an up-to-date printing plant, and inspect our literature, and, as they do almost invariably, purchase some of it, they go away with a very different opinion.

“We were told over and over again by those who were opposed to the idea of going into the country, that we would be buried, and would not be able to do any missionary work whatever in a wild, out-of-the-way place such as we had chosen. But the reverse has been the case. Instead of being buried in the country, we are actually in a place where more people are brought into direct contact with our work every week than hitherto came in contact with it in a year. I think if the exact figures could be ascertained, we should find that this statement, strange as it seems, is very much under the mark.

“Never in my connection with the work have I seen so much interest manifested by the general public in any of our institutions. Several references have been made to our plant by the large metropolitan daily papers, and they have sent special reporters from Melbourne to inspect the place. Many writers have referred to our work as an object-lesson worthy of imitation by other manufacturers. So far as I have heard, not one person who has visited our institution has ever made an unfavorable comment regarding the change of location from city to country, but, on the other hand; almost every one of them has expressed himself in terms of admiration concerning the wisdom of bringing our employees with their families, away from the evil surroundings of city life.

‘Thinking you may be interested in the results which have accrued from the move of our factory from the city to the country, I have penned the above thoughts; for to me the unlooked-for effects of this move are a source of great pleasure, and a powerful witness to the value of the spirit of prophecy, by which the Lord urged us to change our location.’

May God forgive us for our slowness of heart to believe. Let us heed the inspired counsel of King Jehoshaphat to his people: ‘O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.’