The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-07-16
AN INTERESTING EPISODE.
FfrOm the Cincinnati Gazette.1

We published yesterday an extract
from an address by Bishop Bowman, of
the NJ. E. church, in which he described
the remarkable recovery of Bishop s'mp.
son, from dangerous illness, after earn
est prayer had been offered in his be.
half, and, as the speaker believed, in an
swer to prayer. 1t is singular coinci.
dence that the life Of John Wesley was
once saved under circumstances closely
akin to those mentioned in regard to
Bishop Simpson. The event created
great interest at the time, and was
thought by Mr.. Wesley's friends to be
wonderful, if not supernatural. In June,
IT'S, just one hundred years ago, he was
travelling through Ireland. He had felt
unwell, but in spite of burning fever
kept at work for three days. On reach.
ing the town of Lurgan he called a phv.
sician, who told him he needed rest.
Wesley replied that he could not, as he
had appointed to preach at several places
and must preach as long as he could
speak. lie took some medicine, but was
obliged to 60 to bed at the house of Mr..
Gayer, Of Derryaghcy, leading Metho.
dist We quote the sequel from Tver.
mans Life and Times of Wesley:
''His (Mr. Gayer's daughter, afterward
Mrs. Wollenden, was now a converted
girl, sixteen years of age, and with her
mother, was Wesley's nurse. Great
anxiety was felt for Wesley's life, and
while a few selected friends were prayine
that, as in the case Of Hezekiah. God
would add to his fifteen years, Mrs. Cav.
er suddenly rose from her knees, and
CRIED "The prayer is grantcd!' Marvel
ously enough, Wesley's recovery immed.
lately commenced, and he survived from
June, l775, to March, 1871, period of
Just fifteen years and a few months over.
But even this was not all the wonder.
Alexander Matter, at the time, was at
Sheerness in Kent, where he read in the
newspapers that Wesley was actually
dead. Matter says he was not able to give
credence to this, and before he went to
preach he opened his Bible on the words.
behold will add to thy DAYS fifteen
years, and away he went to the chapel
and began to pray that the promise made
to Heck :ah might be fulfilled in the case
Of Wesley ~
Many persons will think that Wesley
would have recovered without the pray.
ers. His biographer evidently leans to
the opposite opinion, He says of his con.
dition at the worst: "Strcngth, memory.
and mind entirely failed. For three days
he lay more dead than alive. His tongue
was black and swollen. He was violent.
~ convulsed. For some time his pulse
was not discernible." 1t is added that
~nen hope was almost gone Joseph Brad.
1ord, his travelling com panion, came with
a cup and> said tsSir, you must take
TINS. Wesley writes: 81 thoupht I
w'l'' IL can swallow, to please him for
it will do me neither harm nor g.od
Immediately it set me a vomiting: NV
neart began to beat, and nv pulse t.
play again and from that hour the az.
trem'ty Of the symptoms abated." Sir
Gays sitter he was able to set out for Duh.
Both Of these accounts of Mr. W.s,.v,~
convalescence occur in the same wo?,
There q: no Inconsistency between thero '
for bothprsyer and medicine were donht.
less used in his behalf. It is not stst.d
however, whether Mrs. Gayer's fselinr,
that her prayer had been answered ~
experienced subsequent to the admins.
tration Of the dose BY Bradford or before,
In tho one case it would have besp tho