Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
have been held on railway trains. As I was once leaving Chicago over
the C. & R. I. R. R. at night, a request was made that I should sing
for the passengers. I was conversing with Mrs. Colonel Clark of the
Pacific Garden Mission, Chicago. As she was to soon leave the train I
said I would sing when she had gone. I sang some hymns, and then a
gentleman requested that I should ask all in the car who were
Christians to raise their hands. I did so and quite a number responded
to this, and he then asked all who had raised their hands to give a
word of testimony. He was the first one to speak and said, "I am a
Christian. The last thing before I left my home for Chicago was to
gather my wife and four little children around me and commit them to
God's care and ask for my safe return. I have for years been a stock
dealer and frequently come to Chicago. There is a young man in our
neighborhood who is also a dealer in stock, but being unacquainted
with the ways of the city, he did not like to go alone and as I was a
Christian came with me. When there is an opportunity like this given,
if I did not honor God and show my colors this young man could have no
confidence in me. I speak for his special benefit." He closed with an
exhortation to the unsaved to prepare to meet God and requested me to
sing again. Then one after another arose and spoke. It reminded one of
AN OLD-FASHIONED METHODIST CLASS MEETING. Prayer, testimonies and
singing continued till after midnight. The young stock dealer and
others were saved. Toward morning I fell into a sound sleep. I do not
know how long I slept, but when I awoke the sun was high and our car
was standing alone on the track. A lady passenger spoke to me saying,
"How could you sleep during that wreck?" "What! has anything
happened?" I said. "Yes, a wreck," she replied. The engine and other
cars were gone and they were clearing up the wreck. I heard from that
meeting years afterwards.
One night a meeting was held in the open air for the special benefit
of railroad men. I asked all who wanted to be saved to raise their
hands; then said, "Will you not give your hearts to God now?" One year
from that time while in meeting a man arose and said that he was in
the crowd that night, and raised his hand, and then at once looked to
God and was saved then and there.
TRAIN SAVED FROM WRECK IN ANSWER TO PRAYER.
The Lord has often made known to me when the train was in danger. I
could see the plots laid by wicked men to wreck the train, and when I
have prayed, He, in answer to prayer, has delivered us from harm and
death. He says: "The very hairs of your head are all numbered," and "I
will never leave thee nor forsake thee."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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