I was much impressed with Brother Warner's remarkable patience under trying circumstances, and when his frail body was racked with pain. On one occasion he and I were on our way to a tent-meeting on the north side of Denver. Being quite late on account of having gone to pray for the sick, we were waiting for a car at a transfer-point, and it seemed to me the car never would arrive. I became anxious and paced up and down the sidewalk (as though in so doing I could hurry up the car), because it was then time for meeting to begin. But to my astonishment, Brother Warner was humming a song and 'making merry in his heart to the Lord.' I said, "Brother Warner, do you ever become impatient?" "Impatient!" he replied, "I have not felt impatient for fifteen years." I believed it then and I believe it now and have ever since that evening. I was striving to overcome anxiety and restlessness because of pain, delay, or opposition, and have succeeded to a great extent in submitting all to the One who is able to cause all things to work together for our good.
John E. Roberts,
3830 Stuart St.,
Denver, Colo.
A TRUE EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY
One of the most striking examples of true humility that I ever saw was on the day I first met and became acquainted with Brother Warner. With his company of workers, he came to the place where I was expected to preach that day. I was just beginning in the ministry, and had a very high ideal of a minister, to which I was trying hard to attain. When I arrived at this place, the company had already come, and we simply met and were introduced before the Sunday-school began. After the exercises were over, and before time to begin preaching, Brother Warner came to me and said he understood that I was expected to preach that day. I answered yes, but not when a man of such reputation and ability as he was present. He insisted that I go ahead, as he was very tired from the labors he had been in and from the trip which they had just made from the West. I answered that I could not preach much yet, and if he would speak only a little while, it would be a treat to the congregation and me. He still insisted that I should preach, and did not seem to care to take the pulpit. I plead with him to do so, and said, "Brother Warner, I simply could not preach in the presence of such a great man as you are." He came up to me and placed his arm around my neck and his head on my shoulder, and said, "God bless you, my brother, I am only one of God's little ones."
This action seemed very strange to me, as I was not acquainted with such a spirit in a man of such reputation; but I kept insisting that he take the pulpit, if not for more than but a few minutes. He then said, "Well, then, if you feel that way, I will; but I need your prayers." He really did look weary, and seemed so frail in body that for a moment I feared I did wrong in urging him so hard.
Well, he began, and I felt that I should be prepared to follow him in case he should stop suddenly, and I would finish the sermon. He preached on the subject of sanctification, and I was so desirous that he might be able to give us a full sermon on this precious subject. Well, he had hardly begun when he seemed to change into another man, and my fears were soon gone that he might have a physical breakdown before the close. That weary look and the appearance of frailty soon disappeared, and the wonderful words that he spoke were full of power and authority. I was soon lost in the glorious truths of the sermon and was unconscious of my surroundings. When he sat down, we were surprized to find that he had preached just three hours, which seemed such a short time to all of us.
The deep impression of the humility of this man of God and the divine power with which he preached had this effect upon my heart: If this is "but one of God's little ones," where will there ever be a place for such an ignorant beginner as I? My ideal of a minister was wholly changed, and it was for some time that I had great difficulty to believe there was a place for me. But having the privilege of sitting at Brother Warner's feet in a series of meetings following that day, I was greatly helped to try to sink into deeper humility, and through the grace of God find my place in the body, the church. This impression of humility has remained with me these years, and has often been a protection when at times there would be presented temptations to self-exaltation.
A WISE ANSWER
In one of the meetings that Brother Warner and his company held in our home neighborhood my older brother had become very much interested in the good singing of this company. He was passionately fond of good singing, and though working hard all day, could not stay away from the evening meetings. But he had become backward in his spiritual life, and knew he was living far below the standard that Brother Warner was holding up. At the close of one of the evening services Brother Warner met my brother and asked him how it was with his soul. The answer was this: "I simply confess to you that I don't have enough brains to understand sanctification." These words were spoken in a spirit of resistance and self-justification. Brother Warner looked into his face with a kindly and humble smile and said: "God bless you, Brother John, it doesn't take brains."[24]
HOW A VICTORY WAS WON BY PRAYER