Children Guided on a Scotch Moor
Although in these narrations I naturally emphasize my personal experience of God’s loving guidance in answer to prayer, this is not because I feel that I have had such guidance above others of my acquaintance. Indeed, as illustrated by my mother’s neighbor, the needy widow of whom T tell, for whom God made such remarkable provision in her extremity, God’s ministry to others of his children whom I have personally known, or have known of, has, along my life course, strengthened my faith in him as ready to do for me according to my need and faith. And as their testimony has tended to give me cheer, I gladly give my testimony, in the hope that it will give others cheer. If all who have been thus
providentially ministered to should bear 33
Ulustrative Answers to Prayer
their testimony, the world would ring anew with the praises of God’s goodness,
On one occasion this subject of explicit answers to specific prayer came up for consideration in the Hartford Ministers’ Meeting, at its weekly session, on Monday morning, when I was present. There were great and grand and good men in that gathering. I wish that the personal testimonies given that morning could have been preserved for the comfort of the saints. Prominent among these testimonies I recall particularly the impressive words of Professor Calvin E. Stowe, Dr. Horace Bushnell, Dr. Robert Turnbull, and Dr. Nathaniel J. Burton, all long since passed to their reward. The incident related out of his boyhood experience by Dr. Turnbull I repeat as more directly in the line of my present thought, that God is ready to give sought-for guidance, by his directing voice or otherwise, according to his trusting child’s need.
Dr. Robert Turnbull, the distinguished SP iret =. as ie
Children Guided on a Scotch Moor
author and preacher, of Philadelphia, Boston, and Hartford, did not remove to America until he was nearly twenty-five years old. It was while he was still a little boy in his Scottish home that the incident occurred of which he told us that memorable Monday morning.
On a wintry day Robert and his little sister strayed out from their home for a walk on the moor. As it drew toward dark, on the short winter’s day, a driving snowstorm came on. Soon the children were blinded and dazed by the chilly storm. With no well-defined road over the moor, and with all landmarks shut out from sight by the falling snow, the children were soon bewildered. As they looked about them, and turned from side to side in search of the way, they quickly lost all knowledge of the points of compass, and were helpless as to the direction they should take. They realized that they had lost their way, and they dared not move in
any direction. Yet these were children 35
WUlustrative Answers to Prayer
who had been taught that their Father in heaven could help them.
“Robbie, let us pray,” said the sister; and they dropped together on their knees on the snowy moor, as if in their home bedroom,
“We only knew ‘the Lord’s Prayer,” said Dr. Turnbull, as he told the story; “and we said that prayer together. But God knew that we really meant, ‘ Please show us the way home;’ and he answered us accordingly.
“As we rose from our knees and peered about through the driving snow, my sister, keener-eyed in her faith, called out gleefully: ‘There’s Old Maggie, Robbie. She’ll show us the way. And we sprang forward toward her, calling out as we pressed on, ‘ Maggie, Maggie.’”
“Old Maggie,” said the narrator, “was a humble neighbor, and in a sense a dependent of ours, who was often at our house to perform service or to receive supplies. There she was just before us now in 36
Children Guided on a Scotch Moor
the driving snow, breasting the storm, with her plaid about her. As we called to her she did not look back, but pressed on, while we with our tired little feet followed after as best we could, glad of her safe lead. But suddenly Old Maggie disappeared. Bewildered again, we stopped and looked about us in the snow. To our wonder and delight, there just before us was our dear home which we were seeking. Maggie was gone. Her mission for now was performed. God had used her lead to answer our prayer that he would show us the way home.”
As we looked into the Christ-lighted face of good Dr. Turnbull when he bore this testimony, we all felt that it was no mere fancy of the brain that had misled him. It was but an added evidence of God’s goodness to his trustful children in their need, and we were glad that we also had such a loving Father. The impression of that recital has been with me ever since
in all these years. And now, as the close 37
: ire his child ive a guide anti
finally i in the place which he ie =P for me and for mine,