Chapter 19

"Neither is the life and experience of Dorothea Trudel an exceptional one. Pastor Blumenhart of Wurtemberg, has had his home crowded for years with patients, and cures occur constantly.

"The mother of Dorothea Trudel was an eminently pious woman, and it was her custom, when any of her children were ill, to bring them in prayer before the feet of the Heavenly Physician, as Dorothea herself says: 'Our mother had no cure except prayer, and though at that time we did not understand, yet since then we have found it out, that it was the healing hand of the Saviour alone, that helped and restored us.'"

CURED OF THE SMALL-POX.

"Even when I had the small-pox, and became blind, no doctor was sent for, and no one was told of it. Our father was not at home (he, father, most unfortunately, was not a religious person); and when our mother asked him to come, telling him how ill I was, he would not believe it, and preferred to remain with his friends. Our mother, however, was not in the least vexed or excited; she prayed for him, for all of us, especially for her sick child, and before my father came home, my eyes were re-opened."

CURED OF SEVERE FITS.

"Once again, one of my brothers had a fit brought on through fright. It was a most violent and painful attack, and we were greatly alarmed. This time, also, our father was out; and our mother said to us, I know this fearful illness, my children; it is one of the heaviest trials which could have, occurred, but Jesus, who cured that lunatic boy, can heal our child. Do not speak of the attack to any one; we will go only to Jesus about it; and then she prayed with us.

"Not long after, a second fit came on, and again our father was taking his pleasure at the public house. This time mother told him what had happened in his absence; but he laughed at it, and said, 'I don't believe it; you were frightened at the child having bad dreams.'

"His wife replied, 'For the sake of your unbelief, I hope that the child will have another attack whilst you are at home, so that you may witness it yourself, then you will believe; I pray God, however, that this may be the last time.'

"It came to pass about a week after, that another most dreadful fit came on; the boy foamed violently, and threw himself about in fearful convulsions; on this occasion the father was present, and he was convinced of the nature of the attack, and alarmed at what he saw. _But the mother's prayer was heard, for the disease never showed itself again for thirty-four years, while both parents lived_."

BUYING A COW.

"Our father going away abroad, he sold one of our two cows, and took the proceeds with him. (He, the father, was a reckless spendthrift, idle, and fond of the public inn.) A rich neighbor directly offered to loan us money enough to buy another; this kind proposal we gratefully accepted. Although we did not understand much about bargains of this kind, yet the cow we purchased served us so remarkably, that we were obliged to acknowledge whence the blessing came. In Summer we could sell fourteen measures of milk; in Winter, twelve to the dairyman, so that the borrowed money was speedily paid.

"At the same time the cow performed the farm work required of it, with such strength and quickness, we were astonished. When our father, on his return, heard us speaking with pleasure of this animal, he became so enraged with the poor thing, that he was determined to sell it, and actually _offered it at half its value_.

"The faithless children were in a continual fright. When any one came near the house, we thought that we were assuredly going to lose our cow. But mother exhorted us not to be so fearful; for, said she, 'If your father could do always as he likes, none of you would be alive now; but God will never let him go any farther than he sees to be for our good. Believe me, God, who has given us this cow, will keep it for us as long as we need it.'

"And so it turned out, for the cow never left us whilst our mother was alive; and when we were all provided for, a purchaser came, who paid a high price for the creature, having heard of its wonderful powers from the man to whom we sold the milk for so many years; but no sooner was the animal taken to its new home, than the wonder ceased, and _this cow became no better than any other_."

A LADY CURED, WHO HAD BEEN REJECTED FROM AN ASYLUM.

"Madam M----, the mother of twelve children, had been quite shattered in mind by the death of her husband, and had been actually sent away uncured from an asylum. She came to Dorothea's home, was blessed in remembrance in her prayers, _and after seven weeks went away perfectly cured_. She acknowledged the Lord was indeed her helper, and she has remained well to this day."

THE SOUL CURED AS WELL AS THE BODY.

On many occasions she experienced wonderful help from God, who, while performing marvels for the body, which is the least important part, accomplishes what is far greater, even the salvation of souls.

"Among others, one named B. T----, went to her, who had been suffering for six months from a disease of his bones, and had been for a lengthened period in a Swiss hospital, under medical treatment. At length he, by the advice of Christian friends, sought for relief from his malady at Dorothea's house. His care began in the first week of his visit, and in a few weeks he was completely recovered."

On one occasion a young artisan came, in whom cancer had made such progress as to render any approach to him almost unbearable.

"At the Bible lessons, this once frivolous man, now an earnest inquirer, learned where the improvement must begin; and from the day that he confessed his sins against God and man, the disease abated. Some time afterwards he acknowledged one sin he had hitherto concealed, and then he speedily recovered his bodily health, and returned to his home cured in spirit also."

"A lady in S---- had so injured her knee by a fall, that for weeks she lay in the greatest agony. The doctors declared that dropsy would supervene; but the Heavenly Physician fulfilled those promises which will abide until the end of the world; and by prayer, and the laying on of Dorothea's hand, the knee was cured in twenty-four hours, and the swelling vanished."

PRAYER, NOT MESMERISM.

"Several people have maintained that her work was one of mesmerism; and when once she was asked to visit an out patient, she earnestly implored the Lord _not_ to heal this invalid through her means if she employed mesmerism; but if not, to permit recovery. The woman was cured in a short time, though Dorothea had never entered her house, and had, therefore, no opportunity of placing herself in a mesmeric relation to this patient."

HELP IN PECUNIARY AFFAIRS.

"In pecuniary affairs, also, the Lord was their helper. Many times something had to be paid, and they had no means wherewith to meet the claims. Once, God actually sent aid by means of an enemy, who offered money; another time, _three thousand francs_ came from Holland, just as they were needed, and also unexpected on a third occasion they were about to borrow money to pay for bread, when two hundred and fifty francs arrived."

THE FAITH LIFE OF MR. ZELLER.

After the death of Dorothea Trudel, the work at Männedorf, instituted by her, has been furthered and carried on by Mr. Samuel Zeller, who had been her associate. 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 Männedorf, 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 passion 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 Männedorf, 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 Männedorf, 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 God's word, she requested to be prayed for. A friend wrote to Männedorf, 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 institution, 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 God 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 institution, 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. GOD THE GUARDIAN OF THE POOR.

Perhaps the providence of God 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 title 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 God, 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 Godliness, and whatever God 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 God 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. God 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 God gives you in answer to your prayer you will be thankful for.

That state is surely best which keeps you dependent on God and thankful to Him, and so you shall find it to the end. _Go on, poor Christian, trusting in the providence of God_.

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 God 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 God in prayer for the life of the child.

"I went home satisfied that God 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 God."

GOD SENT SUPPLIES.

"When I had been three weeks out of employment, I found a new place, and after pawning 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 Saturday night.

"Though I was thus poor, yet I knew God 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 God. The next day in the evening they did the same, and kept sending victuals and garden stuff to us all the week long."

THE GOD 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 God, is given in the life of Mr. Huntington. He was wholly unable to provide for his family, and could depend only on God.

"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 grass, 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 grass, 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._

"I could not help weeping, admiring the goodness of God. As I studied the Bible, I clearly perceived that the most eminent saints of the Bible were brought into _low_ circumstances, as Jacob, David, Moses, Joseph, Job and Jeremiah, and all the apostles, in order that the hand of providence might be watched."

GOD TAKES AWAY THE SNOW.

"In the Winter the Lord sent a very deep snow, which lay a considerable time on the ground. We were brought into great straits, as our wheat was now of no use to us, and we could obtain no wood, the landlady saying that as the snow was likely to last some time, she must keep what little she had left, and could sell us no more.

"There was before us the fear of great suffering with the cold. I begged of God that he might _that night take away the snow_, and send us something to burn, that our little one might not perish with the cold, _and the next morning the snow was all gone_."

SIGHT RESTORED.

"A violent humor came into my eyes, and for some months I was in danger of losing my sight. Both myself and my second daughter had it more or less for several years.

"In answer to prayer, God healed her eyes and mine too, so that our sight was perfectly recovered."

PRAYING FOR TEA.

"As the life of faith consists in bearing the cross of Christ, we must not expect to be long without trials. Providence soon frowned on me again, and I got behindhand, as usual.

"This happened at a time when my wife was about delivery of child, and we were destitute of those necessaries of life which are needful at such times. The nurse came: we told her there was no tea in the house. My wife replied, '_Set the kettle on, even if there is not_.'

"The nurse said, '_You have no tea, nor can you get any_.' My wife replied, '_Set on the kettle_.' She did so, and before it boiled, a woman (with whom at that time we had no acquaintance) came to the door, and told the nurse that she had brought some tea as a present for my wife."

THE LORD PAID HIS DEBT.

"It was the time of my returning from the north country. I observed that there were some small debts to be discharged. But the hand of God was fast closed; this continued for some time: and for all that time, I watched and observed narrowly.

"At this time there was a special debt due of twenty pounds. This sum hung long. I looked different ways, and chalked out different roads for the Almighty to walk in; but his paths were in the deep waters, and his footsteps were not known; no raven came, neither in the morning, nor in the evening.

"There was a gentlewoman at my house on a visit, and I asked her if she had got the sum of twenty pounds in her pocket, telling her at the same time how much I wanted it. She told me she had not; if she had, I should have it. A few hours after, the same woman was coming into my study, but she found it locked, and knocked at the door; I let her in, and she said, 'I am sorry I disturbed you.' I replied, 'You do not disturb me; I have been begging a favor of God, and I had just done when you knocked; and that favor I have now got in faith, and shall shortly have in hand, and you will see it.'"

"The afternoon of the same day, two gentlemen out of the city came to see me; and after a few hours of conversation, they left me, and to my great surprise, each of them at parting put a letter into my hand, which, when they were gone, _I opened, and found a ten pound note in each_. I immediately sent for the woman up-stairs, and let her read the letters, and then sent the money to pay the debt."

It is impossible to give in this page any large portion of the life of Mr. Huntington, who was rich in faith, and upon whom God showered abundant answers to prayer. But, like all of us, he, too, suffered extremely in all the necessities of life, yet ever looked to God above for help. Of his experience, he says in his own words, after having for years thoroughly tested the promises and faithfulness of God:

"_A succession of crosses was always followed with perpetual blessings, for as sure as adversity led the van, so sure prosperity brought up the rear_.

"_Never, no never, did the Holy Spirit withhold his prevalent intercession from, me in times of trouble, nor did my God ever turn a deaf ear to my prayer, or fail to deliver me_."

"_Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all_."

* * * * *

THE FAITH OF LITTLE CHILDREN.

HOW GOD HONORS THEIR TRUST, AND ANSWERS THEIR PRAYERS.

GOD KEEPS HOLD OF THE OTHER HAND.

A little boy with his mother was returning from a visit; the night was very dark, and little could be seen ahead. She led her little boy, by the hand, who trustingly walked by her side. He had only just begun to learn and remember the stories of the Bible, and he believed and trusted everything he heard. After walking for sometime in the darkness, very silently, he burst out with,

"Mamma, I'm not afraid."

"Why, what makes you feel so."

"_Because, mamma, God keeps hold of the other hand_."

This is the beautiful lesson older ones, too, must learn, the simple, childlike confidence in God, which gives no fear, no alarm.