The following was related in an evangelistic meeting: A woman who had been bedridden for years, lived near the railroad track, a long way from any other house. Near by was a deep gully over which the railroad passed on a new, substantial iron bridge, as was supposed.
There was a terrible wind one night. This poor woman, as was often the case, was alone. All at once she heard a fearful crash; she felt sure it was the bridge. She looked at the clock. In ten minutes the through passenger train would be along. What should she do? Her son was away from home.
Praying earnestly to God for help, she took the only light in the house, a tallow candle, and began to crawl (for she could not walk) toward the railroad track. How she ever got there she never knew. The track reached, she could hear the roar of the coming train.
She prayed this prayer: “O God, help me to light this candle, and keep it burning until the engineer sees it; and make him see it.”
God heard her prayer. The candle was lighted, there was a lull; just then she waved the candle-would the engineer see it? She heard a grating sound, she knew the brakes were set. She lost consciousness then, but the train came to a stand -still a few feet from the yawning chasm. Hundreds of lives were saved. This weak, sick woman did what she could; God used what she had. He will use what you have for the saving of men, if you will do your part.
- Union Gospel News
O Christian! If that poor woman felt so deeply the need, and made so great an effort, to save the passengers on that train from physical death, how ought you to feel, and what effort ought you to make, in order to rescue the multitudes about you that are hurrying on to eternal ruin, unconscious of their danger and ready to perish, unless some one, who has the light and knowledge, goes to their rescue?
Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer - 1893
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