The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-06-18
= From TIE Presbyterian Irasaid. =
A Rem arkabfe Man.
4 paTEr nIsToav or JONATHAN srLLs, 4

= =
Jonathan Sills moved from North Carolina
about the year 1905, and settled below Clerks
Vile, near the Cumberland river, Tennessee,
and near the Kentucky State line. He was
member Of the Baptist church. The sabse-
quent events of his life were made very dis
tinguished IN Tennessee and the southwestern
part Of Kentucky. as a Faith Doctor The
account given by Mr.. Sills himself, and which
led to his practice a, a Faith Doctor, was
something about this: s' 3a ss sel g
A daughter of a Mr.. Nevill, aresrectabie
farmer of the neighborhood, was dangerously
ILL Of bilious fever, and the pastor of the Bap-
tist church was invited to see her. He called
by and took Mr.. Sills, member of his church,
with him. They found the young lady, as the
doctor pronounced, past recovery. The doc
tor had LETT, with the promise Of returning that
evening. The parents of the young lady, who
were pious people, requested the prayers OF
their pastor. He asked Mr.. Sills to take his
place. Mr. Sills prayed foe the sick woman
In short time she spoke, and said to her
mother that she wanted to sit up Il but the
mother insisted that she was too i'll, aud must
not do so until the doctor came. But the
daughter insisted that she felt. so much better
that she was INDUCED, and on the arrival of
the doctor, he expressed great astonishment at
finding his patient SO much better, declaring
he had never seen such a case of recovery in
his life. Miss Nevill was up in a few days
as well as il she had never been sick.
This event made wonderfu! impression on
the community round about, as an evidence Of
the sanctity and power Of Mr.. Sills as a man
.oc payer. The cure cf Miss Neyill was spo-
ken of as very remai kable case, such as had
never been heard Of, and from that time to the
day Of his DEATH. about fifteen years after
wards, not day passed without an appica-
ton at Mr.. SLIPS own house, or he was sent
or to pray for somebody. He did.not go out
of his own reighborhood, but persons came to
see him from great distance, and frequently
sent for him to visit them at some house in the
,neighborhood. esa ~
! Tile cases are too numerous TO attempt to
give them all. The following win be sufficient
to prove that this man was an instrument in
the hands of Divine Providence for the benefit
OF mankind. Afflicted persons visited him from
various parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and other States. 81 ga i
Case l. A physician from Missouri who had
suffered for many years from epileptic fits,
visited Mr.. Siils, and remained IN the neigh
borhood some days, until he felt perfectly salts
fled he was well. He was heard from for ten
years after, and his malady had not returned.
Mr.. Sills was poor man, and took o pay for
his services. But this physician insisted on
giving him negro man to assist him in work
ing his little farm. But he would not accept
the proitered gift. a ftr
Case ard 3. Two ladies from Russelv,Ile,
KY, whs were supposed TO be far gone with
consumption, visited Mr.. SiIls and returned in
a few days perfectly well. They lived many
years after, and one of them has very recently
died. ~ = fstse3 G su9 z FkA
Case Ala valuable negro man in Allen
county, KY, has been for manv years entirely
helpless from rheumatism. He was sent by
his mistress, widow lady, over one hundred
miles to Mr.. Sills. He returned in a few
weeks 50 much restored as to be able to take
charge of his mistress Farm. When, she re-
monstrated as to his going ont in the rain, he
tod her he was as well as he ever was in his
life. The disease never returned.
Case . and 8. Two gentlemen, Goth now
living) afflicted with rheumatism for. many
years, and who lived about seveaty miles from
Mr.. Sills, visited him in carnage. They
could not travelin any other way They re-
manned with him about half day. One of
these gentlemen had on his breast bone what
the physicians pronounced to be cancer. 1t
was an ugly open sore. They returned both
very much improved. The one with the can
Ger entirely cured Of both rheam II in aud can
Ger. The other bad some slight return of
rheumatism since. Both nov euioy good
health. tits about forty years since they vis-
ited Mr.. Sills. ges &s gsssoaa an a aAas ~
MANNER OF CuaE.--M Mr.. Slls reqnsstefths
patient to kneel down. and also all others
present. His prayer was mads insan audible
voice, naming the sufferer and the disease, with
force and ndim2ression astonishing all who heard
him. - a afsis aAsaA e.i -. ri AZ O. aes q
When last seensby the author ossthisg nara
tive one of the two PATIENTS just NAMED, he
was from thirty ive to fo,ty years OF ase. III,
was spare man, about six feet h. gh, with a
most intelligent counter Ance, with no prsten
sion or appearance of sane ity aboas him. Hs
was remarkably plain aud freely spoken. He
had ON nothing when he saw him bat shirt,
pansaioons, shoes and hat. He had jas. left
his plow. lie owned a small, very poos trlct
Of lana, which he cultivated with his own
hands. His children were then too young to
helplhim.. He was universally bs,oyet,by all
denominations, as we learned fcom M ssh1-
dist lady near him. He woad take joke,
and laugh and talk freely with every soiy OF
all subjects. ast eia gae e@ 4
q Some friends in K antncky parchassd and At
ted up good farm, twice as large Us his, and
offered 1t to him as gift. He declined the
generous offer.- When questioned on the sib-
'ievt, he admitted that he had at one time
thought Of accepting the farm, but upon re-
flection he conld no. agree to do 80, because
he had given no value for it, and it any person
mad bee, benefited by prayers, he was sure
that il was nor because of his own merits. He
said he did not desire a larger farm and better