THE FAITH LIFE OF MR. ZELLER.
After the death of Dorothea Trudel, the work at Mannedorf, inst.i.tuted by her, has been furthered and carried on by Mr. Samuel Zeller, who had been her a.s.sociate. He has published two reports, which contain many instances of answers to prayer, showing that the Lord still gave blessed results, and rewarded their faithful trust.
"No disease is found to be more obstinate than epilepsy, yet several instances are recorded of patients being restored to perfect health.
Persons afflicted with mental disorder and convulsions are frequently brought to Mannedorf, and many return cured or benefited.
"On one occasion, a lady who had been afflicted with constant headache for five years, found her disorder removed speedily under the influence of prayer. In other cases the pa.s.sion for strong drink was taken away; fever more or less disappeared; and the subjects of various kinds of chronic diseases, even some apparently far gone in consumption, have found their strength return to them under the same influence.
"Unhappy victims of spiritualist delusions have found deliverance at the mercy-seat; and there, too, many in the bondage of sin have rejoiced in a present Saviour.
"One patient afflicted with convulsions, who came several years successively without being cured, at last confessed that she possessed a book of "charms" in which she put some degree of, faith, and she had recommended them to others. She was led to see the folly and sin of such things, and soon after the book was burned she was restored to health."
Many cases have occurred where the suffering patient was utterly unable to come to Mannedorf, but prayer has been offered there in their behalf, and the answers have been as frequent as with the cases which have come under the same roof.
"A brother living at R---- was seized with a violent fever, and appeared to be at death"s door. Intelligence having been sent to Mannedorf, united prayer was made in his behalf; and very soon afterwards a telegraphic message announced that he was recovering. On this occasion the promise was remembered with joy," Before they call I will answer.""
"Perhaps one of the most striking cases of blessing recorded is that of a lady, who was subject to fits of insanity so violent that they threatened her life, and who was so far conscious of her miserable condition, that happening to go into a meeting where she heard G.o.d"s word, she requested to be prayed for. A friend wrote to Mannedorf, describing the case, and asking prayer on her behalf; and only a fortnight later, the same friend communicated the happy news of her recovery. After a fit of unusual severity, she fell into a deep sleep, from which she awoke in her right mind; more than that, she learned to believe in the _Lord Jesus_, and rejoiced in His love."
"A patient in this inst.i.tution, who arrived unconverted, and was thought to be in a dying state, heard the good news of Salvation, and was enabled to rejoice in the Lord, through simple trust in Him; and from that moment she began to rapidly recover from her disorder, and soon became strong enough to nurse another patient."
Another remarkable case was that of a young girl who, in consequence of the breaking off of a marriage engagement, manifested decided symptoms of insanity. She not only recovered from her malady, but found the Saviour.
THE BLIND RESTORED TO SIGHT.
Prayer was asked for a young lady who was wholly blind. A letter received soon after brought this joyful news:
"In answer to your prayer for our niece, I must thankfully tell you, her eyes are so much better that the Doctor this morning told her to thank G.o.d for having saved her from the most dangerous kind of cataract.
"While examining her eyes, the Doctor, who is a Jew, took up a book lying near, and opening it told her to try and read, which she was able to do with ease. It was a hymn book, and the first words on which her eyes fell were these:
"Christ Jesus, glorious King of Light, Great Conqueror, David"s heir, Come now and give my blind eyes sight, O Saviour, hear my prayer!"
""That will do," said the Doctor, "you are much better."
"I for my part hastened to my chamber, and shutting the door fell on my knees with a cry of joyful praise."
Threats were made by many of the villagers that they would burn up the house for this inst.i.tution, saying all manner of unreasonable things.
"You can not prevent this by prayer," said one writer, "we have taken an oath to do it." Mr. Zeller remained quiet, taking no notice of these threats, but quietly trusted in the Lord. Though other anonymous letters came frequently, yet the threats were never carried out.
It will he seen from this that, blessed as was the work of faith, still the spirit of persecution was permitted by the Lord only to make his own children rely more confidently on Him, and that he might fulfill more positively his promise, "_No evil shall befall thee, no harm come nigh thy dwelling_."
THE BANK OF FAITH. G.o.d THE GUARDIAN OF THE POOR.
Perhaps the providence of G.o.d in supplying the wants of the poor never was more closely watched and better described than has been done by the late William Huntington, formerly a minister in London, England, who, in a book with the quaint t.i.tle of the "Bank of Faith," tells how, in his course of life, day by day the Lord guarded him, helped him, and provided for every need, even the most trifling. It is a precious record of faith and full of true encouragement. He answers as follows this question: "_Should we fray for temporal blessings?_"
"Some have affirmed that we have no warrant to pray for temporal blessings, but, blessed be G.o.d, he has given us "_the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come_." Yea, the promise of all things pertaining to life and G.o.dliness, and whatever G.o.d has promised we may warrantably pray for.
"Those that came to our Saviour in the days of his flesh, prayed chiefly for temporal mercies. The blind prayed for sight, the lepers for a cure, the lame far the use of their limbs, and the deaf for the use of their ears, and surely had they prayed unwarrantably, their prayers would not have been so miraculously answered.
"Elijah prayed for a temporal mercy when he prayed for rain, and it is clear that G.o.d answered him. Elisha works a miracle to produce a temporal mercy when he healed the barren plains of Jericho."
Is my reader a poor Christian? Take it patiently. G.o.d maketh the poor as well as the rich. Envy not the rich. Riches are often seen to be a canker-worm at the root of a good man"s comfort, a snare in his life, an iron pillar at the back of his pride. A gar prayed to be fed with food convenient for him, and you may pray for the same, and what G.o.d gives you in answer to your prayer you will be thankful for.
That state is surely best which keeps you dependent on G.o.d and thankful to Him, and so you shall find it to the end. _Go on, poor Christian, trusting in the providence of G.o.d_.
THE LIFE OF HIS CHILD SAVED.
"My eldest daughter now living fell sick at about five or six months old, and was wasted to a skeleton. She had a doctor to attend her, but she got worse and worse. It seemed as if G.o.d intended to bereave us of her, for he brought her even to death"s door.
"My wife and I have sat up with her night after night, watching the cradle, expecting every breath to be her last, for two or three weeks together. At last I asked the Doctor if he thought there was any hope of her life. He answered, no, he would not flatter me. _She would surely die_.
"This distressed me beyond measure, and as he told me to do no more for her, I left my room, went to my garden in the evening, and, in my little tool house, wrestled hard with G.o.d in prayer for the life of the child.
"I went home satisfied that G.o.d had heard me; _and in three days the child was as well as she is now_, and ate as heartily. This effectually convinced me that all things were possible with G.o.d."
G.o.d SENT SUPPLIES.
"When I had been three weeks out of employment, I found a new place, and after p.a.w.ning all my best clothes to pay expenses, when the cart set us down at the new home on Monday morning, I had the total sum of _ten pence half-penny left,_ to provide for myself, my wife and child, till the ensuing Sat.u.r.day night.
"Though I was thus poor, yet I knew G.o.d had made me rich in faith. We went on our knees beseeching the Almighty to send relief, as he in his wisdom thought proper.
"The next evening my landlord"s daughter, and son-in-law, came up to see their mother, and brought some baked meat, which they had just taken out of their oven, and brought for me and my wife to sup along with them.
"These poor people knew nothing of us, nor of our G.o.d. The next day in the evening they did the same, and kept sending victuals and garden stuff to us all the week long."
THE G.o.d WHO SUPPLIED ELIJAH BY A RAVEN SUPPLIED ME WITH FISH.
One of the most beautiful instances ever known, which almost identically repeats the Bible over again, especially in the instance of Elijah as he was fed in an unseen way by the hand of G.o.d, is given in the life of Mr.
Huntington. He was wholly unable to provide for his family, and could depend only on G.o.d.
"As I went over a bridge, I cast my eye on the right-hand side, and there lay a _very large eel_ on the mud by the river side, apparently dead. I caught hold of it and soon found it was only asleep. With difficulty I got it safe out of the mud upon the gra.s.s, and then carried it home. My little one was very fond of it, and it richly supplied all her wants that day. But at night I was informed the eel was all gone, so the next day afforded me the same distress and trouble as the preceding day had done.
"The next morning, as I entered the garden gate, I saw a _partridge_ lie dead on the walk. I took it up and found it warm; so I carried it home, and it richly supplied the table of our little one that day.
"Again the next day still found me unprovided, and brought forth fresh work for faith and prayer. However, the morrow took thought for the things of itself, for when I came to take the scythe in my hand to mow the short gra.s.s, I looked into the pond, and there I saw three very large carp lying on the water apparently sick. When the master came I told him of it. He went and looked and said they were dead, and told me I might have them if I would, for they were not in season. However, they came in due season to me. _And I found, morning after morning, there lay two or three of these fish at a time, dead, just as I wanted them, till I believe there was not one live fish remaining, six inches long, in the pond, which was near three hundred feet in length._