Turning the Hearts of Men by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 17, 1910

Turning the Hearts of Men

By W. A. S.

THOUGH no angel form was visible as Paul stood the first time before the Roman court, forsaken by his friends, he knew that the warding off of the expected blow of condemnation was by the direct delivering power of God. “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me,” he wrote, “and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” The angel of the Lord’s delivering power was there just as much as when Peter was led out of prison by the visible messenger to the surprise of the church that was praying for his deliverance. Sometimes, in the Bible story, it has been by turning the hearts of magistrates or judges that the deliverance has been wrought; and so it has been in the modern story.

Here is an incident from Germany, of the earlier days of our work, when it was struggling for a foothold there. One of our young men was called to military drill, and was diligent in his work till the Sabbath came. The record states:—

When Friday evening came, he quietly told his officers his convictions concerning the Sabbath, but they would not render any decision. Sabbath morning came. He was called, and several officers remonstrated with him. The martial law was read; he was threatened; but he remained firm for hours. When our people in that place assembled for their worship, and prayed for their brother in trial, to their great surprise he stepped in, being freed; and with them praised the Lord, who had done the deed.

In another case, in the same country, a young brother called to military drill, passed through this experience:—

On the first Friday evening, after asking God to help him, he went to the captain and told him that the next day was the Sabbath of the Lord, which he would have to keep holy, giving the reasons. The captain was astonished, and said that this was impossible; he would have to do service the next day by all means. Sabbath morning arrived. Twelve times he was called to take his place. As he remained steadfast, he was threatened with imprisonment in a fortress. They finally told him that he would be shot if he persisted. His answer was, “My Saviour has died for me; why should I not be ready to die for him and his commandments?”

He was brought into a large hall, where thirty officers were assembled as a court martial, and where he was asked to defend himself. He told them he had a hundred Scripture texts for the Sabbath, and if they could show him one text for Sunday, he would be willing to submit. They called for the chaplain, who spoke with him for some time; but all present saw that this brother was in the right. Often they said, “The Bible does not say so;” and then he would turn and read it. They asked him who taught him. His reply was, “The Bible.” They asked him for publications concerning this doctrine, and took all he had. Some gave their addresses for more. He told them that if they punished him for keeping the Sabbath commandment, they ought to punish all others for keeping the other nine commandments. They were perplexed, and finally wrote in his papers, “Not fit for military service on account of hallucinations, and therefore entirely dismissed.” To his protests against such a declaration when he was in possession of his senses, they replied begging him to rest satisfied.

“We all see in this,” said the reporter (in 1896), “the gracious dealings of the Lord, who has freed his servant, be the ground of his release what it may.”

Only recently, in another land, this question of working on the Sabbath while in military service was coming up in the case of a young man called to the ranks, under circumstances that seemed inevitably bringing the cause of truth into sore trial in a new field. The little band of believers turned to God, with their faith fixed upon the promise of the Saviour:—

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place: and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matt. 17: 20, 21.

As they fasted and prayed, the young man went up to the receiving station; and the authorities dismissed him from duty—for no apparent reason whatever. “It was the Lord who did it,” wrote one of the praying band.

It is the Lord with his angels close at hand to help, that we need now, with this message that we must carry within a few years to every nation and tongue. If ever bearers of the gospel tidings needed the direct and interposing help of divine power, we do; for we are helpless before the mighty task, with hundreds of languages and tongues yet to hear, and a hostile world arming itself for Armageddon. But above all is the God of heaven keeping watch and ward over his own work and cause. W. A. S.