ALEXANDER RITCHIE by Alexander Ritchie

Review and Herald Publishing Assn. · Washington, D.C. · Dec 31, 1903

ALEXANDER RITCHIE

By Alexander Ritchie

Scotland

The Lord is still blessing our efforts in this field. Wednesday, October 28, we had our first baptism, when thirteen precious souls were buried with their Lord in the watery grave. About the same number are now waiting the next opportunity for baptism. We expect before long to organize a church here, and at this writing there are between thirty and forty who are ready to become charter members of the new church. The interest in our meetings, especially those held on Sunday, is excellent. The Lord is working. Of this we frequently see evidences.

One of our dear brethren, formerly a Salvation Army captain, but now a successful canvasser, gave his heart to the Lord when he was a boy. At that time his father was a devoted Christian worker, and for years enjoyed a rich experience; but when in temptation, he fell into great wickedness, and for years led a life of sin. The son came to our tent-meetings, accepted the truth joyfully, and soon began to feel a burden of soul for the restoration of his father. The father began to attend our meetings, became interested in the prophecies, and last Sunday the Lord led me to plan a discourse especially suited to this man's needs. The Lord blessed the word with power, and that night the Spirit brought salvation to that home, and at midnight there were songs of praise over the return of the lost sheep. Before his conversion, this man said that he must be a Seventh-day Adventist if he ever came back to the Lord. Both father and son are, by training, expert commercial canvassers, and we now expect their talents to render good service for the Lord.

Another brother, a master baker by trade, holding a leading office in the Congregational church, came to the tent-meetings, heard the message, and was convinced of its truth. Saturday was his busiest day; but after visiting, talking, and praying with him, he decided to obey the Lord. Then the Lord began to work for him by what seemed to him strange providences, although they were not new to us. The very week he made up his mind to close his store on the Sabbath, although he could not do so without giving notice, people came and paid their bills on Friday, who had never done so before until Saturday night or later, and on the Sabbath of that same week there was so little business in the shop that the brother changed his clothes and came to the Sabbath service, leaving his wife and a hired girl to tend the shop. When he returned from meeting, his wife told him that they had done no business since he left, nor did they do any until the Sabbath sun had set; and then there came such a constant stream of customers that the brother, his wife, and the hired girl were kept busy until the closing hour, and thus a whole day's business was done in the few hours between sunset and midnight. In this remarkable way by his providence, the Lord spoke to this dear man, and showed his ability to care for him. His shop has been closed ever since on the Sabbath, and he is firm in the truth.

Another brother was an inveterate user of tobacco, although a professed Christian. He heard the message, and became convinced that his Sunday-keeping and his tobacco using were alike wrong. He first desired to be free from the tobacco, but promised the Lord that if he would deliver him from the tobacco, he would also keep the Sabbath. The Lord heard him, and he has had no desire for tobacco since. Then he determined to keep the Sabbath, as he had promised, but the enemy strove hard to turn him from his purpose by picturing before him the dire results to his wife and large family of small children. We encouraged him to obey, and to leave the future with the Lord. He began to keep the Sabbath, and in consequence lost his work and good wages as a carpenter. Then the Lord worked for him. The Scotch people all buy their bread for the week at one time, and for years past on each Monday morning his wife has needed to replenish the bread box, but on this particular Monday morning the usually empty bread box was found to be full of bread.

The scoffer would make light of this, but we who know the God of Israel know that he who replenished the barrel of meal and cruse of oil for the widow of Zarephath is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. This brother entered the canvassing work, the Lord blessed him greatly, and after this we presented the tithing question. He heard, but did not obey. The Lord began to slacken his hand, and for two or three weeks success departed from him. I told him plainly he was robbing God, and that it would pay him well to take the Lord into partnership. For some time he held out, but we pleaded with him not to reject the light, and assured him that the Lord would prosper him. A letter received from him a day or two ago would do anybody good to read. I will give a few extracts from it:— “I had very good success in my delivery yesterday. I lost only three books, and that was made up to me by the gentleman in my last lodging, who, seeing me unwrap a copy of ‘Great Controversy,’ bought it. At night when I was looking over my day’s work, I set the tenth part aside to give to the Lord, and the Lord does hear and bless. The Lord drew me out to canvass to-day, and he put in the orders in a manner one could scarcely look for. He is a grand partner. To-day we [meaning the Lord and himself] sold four copies of ‘Eden to Eden,’ four of ‘Christ Our Saviour,’ and one of ‘Making Home Happy.’” Further on in his letter, he writes: “Dear brother, Mr. Brown was telling me last night that Mrs. Brown was saying that she did not understand how some things are as they are. She has, as a rule, to send for goods on Thursday, and yet this week she needed nothing, although she has not bought more than usual. Mr. Brown quoted that passage that tells us something about being careful to entertain strangers, for some had thereby entertained angels unawares. So the Lord is speaking in more ways than one to them. Praise the Lord.” The Mr. and Mrs. Brown were boarding him without charge.

Dear brethren and sisters in America, others may explain these things as they choose, but we see in them the manifest working of our wonder-working God accompanying the preaching of his last great message by something approaching those signs and wonders which the Saviour promised to the apostolic preachers of the early gospel. Pray for us and the work in Scotland.