A wild colt was feeding in the pasture of one of the Adventist men who lived near Topsham, Maine. This colt belonged to a man who lived very far away and he wanted him brought home. He did not have time to come and get the colt, so he suggested that the next time someone coming in that direction, could bring the colt for him.
For quite some time, no one wanted to bring the young animal. He had been mistreated by the men who were trying to train him, and had become terribly frightened and so wild that it was almost impossible to manage him. Once when the men were trying to drive him, the colt had become so frightened that he had run against the rocky cliff at the side of the road and crushed one of the men to death.
If someone did hitch up the colt to a buggy, the reins had to be held tightly and not allowed to touch the sides of the colt, for if anything touched him, he at once began to kick furiously.
After prayer meeting one night at Topsham, Maine, James and Ellen White announced that they decided to go to the town where the owner of the colt lived. Joseph Bates was at the meeting and he decided to accompany them.
“Brother White, why do you not take that colt back to its owner, since you are going there shortly?” suggested someone.
“Oh, no, I do not think that is a good idea,” said someone else. “He is not safe and could hurt someone.”
“I think I can manage him,” answered James White. “I have trained several colts in my lifetime and I think I will be all right.”
Someone offered James the use of their wagon, which had a front and a back seat. It was without a dashboard, and to enter, one had to step up onto an iron step on the shafts and then onto a step that went across the front of the wagon.
The colt was brought and hitched to the wagon, and James climbed up holding the reins tight and straight. While someone held the horse’s head, Ellen sat down beside her husband. Joseph Bates and another brother climbed into the back seat. When all were ready, the colt was let loose, and the wagon started off. Brother White had his hands full, but he managed the colt, and they went on their way without any real difficulty.
As they followed the road through the beautiful hills that were filled with the colors of late autumn, Ellen spoke of the beauties of the new earth and of the joy that will come to all the followers of Christ.
While she was talking, the power of God came upon her and she was given a vision. In a beautiful voice she called, “Glory! Glory! Glory!” as she saw the glories of heaven opened before her. As soon as she began to speak, the colt suddenly stopped perfectly still and stood with his head drooped. At the same time, Ellen stood up, and with her eyes looking upward, stepped over the front of the wagon, and laying her hand on the haunches (the back side) of the colt, stepped down onto the shafts (the shaft is what connects the wagon to the horse).
“That colt will kick her to death!” called out Brother Bates.
“The Lord has the colt under His control; I do not wish to interfere,” James quietly answered. The colt stood as gently as an old horse, as Sister White, with her hand on his back, stepped down onto the ground. She then went up the bank onto a grassy spot beside the road, and walked back and forth while she described the beauties of the new earth she was seeing.
While Sister White was out of the wagon, Brother White thought he would test the horse to see what was making him so tame. First, he simply touched the colt with the whip, but he did not move. Then Brother White struck the horse harder and harder, but still the colt remained quiet, as though it had not even felt the touch of the whip.
“This is a solemn place,” said Brother Bates. “Surely the power that gives the vision, also has subdued the wild nature of this colt.”
Then Sister White walked slowly down the bank, and again putting her hand on the colt’s haunches, stepped back up onto the shafts and into the wagon. When she took her seat, the vision ended. The colt at once started to walk again, and the travelers continued on their journey and reached their destination safely.
Brother and Sister White went from church to church encouraging the believers. Many times, meetings were held in a barn since there were no houses large enough to hold all the people who came together. At times the meetings lasted several days, and the neighbors opened their homes to the visitors, who brought their own bedding and food.
After each meeting closed, the workers would hurry on to the next place, for they had no time to lose, with so many waiting to hear their message.
The meeting in Port Gibson, New York, lasted longer than they had expected, and the Whites, along with Joseph Bates and another worker, hurried to catch the boat that was to take them on to New York City for a Sabbath meeting. They reached the dock too late. The boat for New York City had gone. There was another smaller but faster boat going down the river a short distance, and they decided to take it and to transfer to the larger boat as they overtook it.
As they neared the larger boat, they called out to the captain, but he did not stop the boat because he did not hear them. There was nothing for the travelers to do but to jump from the small boat to the deck of the larger one when they floated alongside each other. James jumped onto the low deck of the large boat first and then helped his wife. The other worker jumped next, and then Joseph came last. Brother Bates had the money for their fare in his hand as he leaped off the smaller boat. Just before he jumped, the boats separated a little and the gap became so large that he fell into the dirty water. Immediately he started swimming after the big boat, with the money for their fare in one hand and his pocketbook in the other. His hat fell off, and while rescuing it, he lost the fare money. At last the captain of the larger boat noticed what was happening and ordered his boat to slow down, and the dignified Joseph Bates was taken aboard, dripping wet, but with his pocketbook held tightly.
It was not possible for them to make the appointment in New York as originally planned. They had no money for the fare. James asked the boat captain to let them off at the next village. This he did, and James, Ellen, the other brother and Joseph (who was still drenched), left the boat. In this town there lived few Adventist families, and the travelers went to the home of one of them for the night. These wonderful people opened up their home to the visitors, and Brother Bates was soon comfortable in dry clothes, while his wet ones were being washed.
This unplanned visit proved a great blessing for this family. The mother had been sick for many years, so they talked with her and prayed that God would heal her. She was restored to health. The next day others in the village came in and also received a blessing and some encouragement from the visitors.
Brother White felt that as soon as they could they should try to reach New York. They started their journey once more, but soon realized they could not reach the city before the Sabbath as they hoped, so they decided to spend the day with another family of Adventists who lived not far away. They had never met this family before.
“Here we are,” said Brother Bates, when they reached the gate in front of the house.
“Let just one of us go to the door first,” said Brother White, “and see if they can give us a place to stay; if they are not able to do so, we will continue on and spend the Sabbath in a hotel.”
When the woman of the house opened the door, James said, “I am a Sabbathkeeper.”
“I am glad to see you. Come in,” she said.
“But there are three more in the carriage with me. I thought if we came in together we might frighten you.”
“I am never frightened of Christians, especially Sabbathkeepers,” was the woman’s gentle reply.
The good sister heartily welcomed the travelers. When she was introduced to Brother Bates, she said, “Can this be Brother Joseph Bates who wrote that book on the Sabbath question? And he has come to see us? I am unworthy to have you come under my roof. But the Lord has sent you to us, for we are all starving for the truth.”
The next day was a wonderful Sabbath for this family as they called all their neighbors to come hear the words of truth. The travelers now understood why God had allowed all these trials to happen to them on the way to New York. Here were people hungry to hear their message.
Never be afraid to go forward when the Lord tells you to go. Sometimes we may meet trials in life, but God never makes mistakes. All the trials are for a reason and at first we may not understand why the trials are happening, but we have to trust God. Sometimes the trials are to teach us lessons, but other times it is for the benefit of other people who God puts in our way.
It will not be good to ever complain about your trials. Simply trust God to continue leading you. He will be with you in every trial of life.