13 Sermon Illustrations on Divine Intervention

“Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

An English evangelist, whom I have learned to know and love, Mr. H. P. Barker, tells an interesting story of a poor woman who was being pressed by a tradesman to pay an account which she knew she had already settled. In that case he demanded that she produce a receipt; quite certain she had received one she hunted and hunted, but was absolutely unable to find it. She went through piles of papers and letters, but to no avail — the receipt was not forthcoming. Finally the tradesman came to her again and made a very angry demand upon her for immediate payment.

In her distress she turned to the Lord in earnest prayer, asking Him to bring the receipt to light. Then in a moment or two, a butterfly flew into the room through an open window, and her little boy, eager to catch the beautiful creature, ran after it. The frightened insect flew over to the wall on one side and down behind a trunk. The boy in his eagerness to catch it, pushed out the trunk, and there, behind it on the floor lay the missing receipt! Snatching it up triumphantly, the poor widow showed it to the tradesman, who went away discomfited. As his own handwriting declared, the debt had been paid.

Who can doubt but that He who notes the sparrow’s fall and who would have us learn lessons from the ant and the coney and other small creatures, directed even the movements of a butterfly in order that He might answer His handmaiden’s prayer!

"Men in a tempest are sometimes cast upon a place of safety which they had not made for by intention and foresight." Happy mariner, who is forced into port! Blessed is that wave which throws the drowning sailor upon the rock of safety! Such propitious forces are abroad at times, and especially in the spiritual world. We mean not to exclude the agency of the will when

we speak of certain compulsions which have driven men into happiness for which they had not looked. "Had I not lost my eyes," said one, "I had never seen my Saviour." Another attributed his spiritual riches to the fact that he lost all his property, and so was driven to his God for consolation. The utmost faith in God has sometimes been created by the Holy Spirit by means of the utter and entire failure of all visible help. Many a wayward mind has been set free from the bonds of its own obstinate will by being yet more firmly bound by a sacred impulse which would not be denied. When we reach the heights of glory we shall ascribe our felicity, not to our own will or merit, but to those sweet forces which drew us to heaven with cords of love and bands of a man; and perhaps not less to certain ruder agencies, which beat like hurricanes upon our pride, and sank our self-confidence in the floods, wrecking us into rest, destroying us into salvation.

In the ecclesiastical history of Socrates, there is mention made of one Theodorus, a martyr put to extreme torments by Julian the Apostate, and dismissed again by him when he saw him unconquerable. Rufinus, in his history, saith, that he met with this martyr a long time after his trial, and asked him whether the pains he felt were not insufferable. He answered, that at first it was somewhat grievous; but, after a while, there seemed to stand by him a young man in white, who, with a soft and comfortable handkerchief, wiped off the sweat from his body (which, through extreme anguish, was little less than blood), and bade him be of good cheer, insomuch as then it was rather a punishment than a pleasure to him to be taken off the rack: when the tormentors had done, the angel was gone. Thus it is that the blessed angels of God have ministered from time to time to his people, in the days of their distress. They pity our human frailties, and secretly suggest comfort, when we perceive it not; they are as ready to help us as the bad angels are to tempt us; always they stand looking on the face of God to receive orders, which they no sooner have than they readily despatch. Spencer.

During the presidency of John Adams, a German by the name of John Fries was sentenced to be hung. Fries was aged, and had a wife and ten children. Previous to his expected execution, his wife arrived in the city with her ten children; one of the number being a suckling. Her appearance and her numerous progeny excited great commiseration. A petition was prepared, and signed by thousands; and, through friends, an audience was solicited of the President. It was considered of vital importance to the fate of Fries, that his wife, accompanied by her numerous offspring, should present the petition. A few persons conducted her to the presence of President Adams. As soon as they approached him, the aged matron, with her nine children and one at her breast, kneeled before the President, and in that humble posture sued for the life of her husband, and the father of her innocent children. The President became so affected, that he granted an immediate pardon.

In a village in Poland, there lived a pious peasant. Without any fault on his part, he had come short in the payment of his rent; and the landlord had threatened to turn him out, although it was in the middle of winter. On the next day, he, with his wife and children, were to leave their home. During the evening, he was conducting family worship, and, while reading a portion of Holy Scripture, there was a knock at the window. It proceeded from an old friend, a raven which Dorby's father had taken from the nest and trained. He opened the window: the raven popped in, having in its beak a ring set with costly stones. At first, he thought of disposing of the ring; but, on reflection, he took it to the minister. The latter at once, never nized the ring as one belonging to King Stanislaus, to whom he went immediately, and told the story. The king sent for Dorby, and rewarded him, so that, at once, he was relieved of want; and the next year he made him a present of a new house and garden. Above the house-door a tablet was erected, with the Bible text inscribed thereon: "Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee."

—A gay lady in New England once had occasion to go to a neighboring town, where she had often been before. In the immediate vicinity was a stream which she had to go near, and which at this period was high. With a view of showing her courage to a young person whom she had taken with her as a companion, she went into the stream with her horse, and in a very little time was thrown into the water,—had already sunk once or twice to the bottom, and felt that she was within a few moments of an eternal world, without being prepared for so great a change.

It so happened, that a young man in another neighboring town had felt a powerful impression on his mind that morning, that he would visit the same place. He had no business to transact; but, being forcibly impressed with the importance of going thither, he invited a young man to accompany him. Arriving at the side of the stream just as the young ladies were about to cross it, they saw it was improbable that they could ford it; yet, as the ladies went, they determined to follow.

By the time the young lady was thrown from her horse, the others had nearly reached the opposite shore; but, perceiving her danger, one of them immediately followed her on his horse, and in the last moment of life, as it then appeared, she caught hold of the horse's leg; he thus secured her, and snatching hold of the other drowning young lady, she was saved also. After the use of proper remedies they recovered; and the young gentlemen, believing that the design of their coming from home was now answered, returned back. The impressions made on the mind of this young lady were permanent, and she was led to reflect on the sins she had committed against God, to pray for the pardon of her guilt, and to devote herself to the Divine service. She embraced the mercy of the Lord, believing in the Redeemer, who alone saves from the wrath to come. In the same town with herself lived a young gentleman, who had often spent his hours in vain conversation with her. On her return home, he went to congratulate her on her escape, and to his surprise, found she attributed her deliverance to the power of God, and urged him to seek that grace which they had both neglected. Her serious conversation was bled to his conversion, and he became a faithful minister of Jesus Christ.

The Covenanters, in the time of the civil wars were exceedingly fond of singing psalms. When the great Montrose was taken prisoner, his chaplain, Wishart, the elegant historian of his deeds, shared the same fate with his patron, and was condemned to the same punishment. Being desired on the scaffold to name what psalm he wished to have sung, he selected the 119th, consisting of twenty-four parts. In this he was guided by God; for before two thirds of the psalm was sung a pardon arrived.

# IN BESTOWING VARIOUS BLESSINGS.

316. In Overruling Benevolence.