TOOMA was an Indian. He was born in the woods; nurtured in a wigwam; led a roving life with his father, and he became an expert hunter and fisherman. He never learned to read, but He often heard the Bible read. But great pains had been taken to prevent him from receiving the simple truth as it is in Jesus. But the Lord is omnipotent; He can “take the prey from the mighty and deliver the lawful captive.” He can “bind the strong man and spoil his house.”
Truth found its way to the heart of Tooma, and a deep conviction of sin. For many months he was agitated night and day with the great question,
“What must I do to be saved?”
He was advised to shake off this gloom and folly, and go to places of amusement. Finally, as everybody said so, he concluded he was crazy, and as he had lost his appetite and his strength, he feared he would soon die, if he could not get out of that condition.
Tooma did succeed, by the artifice of the devil, and the mistaken kindness of his friends, in shaking off his convictions for a season. But, blessed be God, He does not so readily abandon His good work begun. Tooma’s convictions returned. Slow and unsteady was his progress into the light.
At this time Tooma dreamed, and thus he related it:
“I dreamed that I had been out a hunting, and was returning with a heavy load on my back. On my way I seemed to come to a wide river, which was frozen over, but as it was early in the season I feared that the ice was not sufficiently strong to bear my weight. I knew that other Indians had gone that way before me, and thought, could I but find their tracks, I might safely follow; but I could not find their tracks. Even my wife had gone over that very morning, but I could find no traces of the spot where she passed. Finally I attempted to cross, but when about half-way over I broke through. It proved that there had been a high freshet at the time the ice had formed. The river had fallen, and left the ice as a roof far above my head. I went down to my armpits in the water and mud. I looked up and saw the hole through which I had fallen, far above my head. My perilous condition was at once comprehended, and I began to make most strenuous exertions to free myself. My first move was to disengage my heavy load from my shoulders. But instantly I perceived that this was not of the slightest advantage. I could no more extricate myself without the load than I could with it. Near the shore the ice was so thick and heavy that I could not break it. The only place of escape seemed to be the hole through which I had fallen, and which was far up out of my reach. All my struggling’s only sank me deeper and deeper in the mud and made my situation more perilous. I called on my wife for help. But the absurdity of this instantly occurred to me. My wife, thought I, went by this morning; but where is she now? She is far away from this place, and were she here, what could she do to help me? Alas! nothing. Then in utter despair of help from any created source, I cried unto the Lord for help, and instantly, I knew not how, I was saved, and standing on firm and solid ground.”
Say, dear children, do you see anything of your own history in this remarkable dream? You have been in the “wilderness hunting,” and have carried about with you a burden of sins and sorrow, the result of your own hunting. And with this burden you have broken through and fallen into a deep dark pit of sin, and mud, and water, and mire. You cannot extricate yourself, and will perish in that condition unless delivered.
Have you, like Tooma, in his dream, been brought to realize the fearful and hopeless condition into which you have been plunged? Have you ceased from your own vain strivings and from looking to a created arm for help? Can you say with the Psalmist,
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings; and He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God?” Psa. 40:2, 32He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:2‑3).
ML 11/27/1927