The Hand that Intervenes

an angry mob held powerless by william a spicer

Summarised by Fred Felix

Dr. Adam Clarke was a pioneer of the Methodist church, an itinerant preacher of the gospel. He had many experiences in this work of teaching and preaching. We look at one here. He laboured in a place highly prejudiced against the gospel. Yet he was glad for it.

During one of his discourses, about 30 minutes into it, an outrageous mob surrounded the building with all kinds of instruments to kill and destroy. At this point, some people inside shut the door while Mr Adam continued to encourage the people. The mob started to throw stones and all kinds of things at the building, destroying both the windows and the tiles and roof. One of the evil men came to the side where Mr. Adam was and shot at him with a gun, but the bullet didn’t fire. Soon they started taking off the pillars of the house.

Mr. Adam at this point decided to go out and face the mob so as to protect the lives of the brethren. Disregarding the dissuasions of brethren against such a step, he went out, committing his life into God’s hand. As he stepped out, some stones and dirt were thrown at him, but he was not hurt. Then he began to walk through them and they parted to the right hand and left. There was a very deep silence also, as if the mob were all dead. Do you remember the experience of Jesus in Luke 4:30? Jesus walked through a mob too unhurt! Amazing! God is the same yesterday, today and forever.