The Power of Faith | Page 9

Graham himself had been dissatisfied for
the want of the day before. Soon after the medicine was sent; but O, my
dear doctor said it was then too late. In the evening they all again
attended, and insisted there was no danger. Saturday morning he
seemed very easy, and the physicians said he was in a fine way. The
fever was gone; the decoction of bark prescribed; and they said he
would be able to-morrow to take it in substance. I was not now the least
apprehensive of danger, and was very earnest in prayer that the Lord
would sanctify his affliction, and not suffer it to go off without leaving
a sensible effect on his mind. Nay, I even said in my heart, 'the rod is
too soon removed, it will do him no good.' Oh, that fools will still
persist to prescribe to infinite wisdom and goodness. I was soon
severely punished.
"About eleven he took the hiccup. I did not like it, but little knew it was
so dangerous a symptom as I afterwards understood. I sent for Dr.
Bowie, who assured me that though it was a disagreeable symptom
with other attendants, in his case it was of no more consequence than if
he or I were to take it. All that day it was so moderate that a mouthful
of any liquid stopped it, though it always returned again: he often said
it would be his death; but I imagined the pain it gave him extorted these
words from him rather than a sense of danger, and was much pleased to
hear him often pray that the Lord would give him patience and
resignation to his blessed will, and still more to observe that he bore it
with a patience beyond what was natural to him. He was of a quick
temper, and being of a healthy constitution, was but little accustomed
to pain; but, during the whole of his severe and trying affliction, I do

not remember to have heard a murmuring word escape his lips; so that I
cannot doubt but his prayers were heard, and the grace prayed for
bestowed. In the evening the hiccup increased, and all that night it was
very severe, so that he could not bear to be any way disturbed, nor
could I possibly prevail upon him to take his medicine, from two in the
morning until ten o'clock, when the physicians again attended and
persuaded him to comply. This was Sunday. About mid-day Dr.
Warner sent some old hock, with orders that he should take some in his
drink, and now and then a little plain. When the wine was brought in
and put on the table, he asked me what it was. I told him. He said, 'Yes,
they are now come to the last shift.'
"Mr. Frank Gilbert, a good man, and, I believe, a real Christian, having
come to town to preach--for he is a Methodist minister--sent a note,
kindly inquiring after him, and intimating, if it would be agreeable to
him, he would visit him in the morning. He said, by all means, he
should be very glad to see him. I said, 'My love, you know I have great
faith in the prayers of God's people; suppose you should beg an interest
in them this afternoon?' He answered, 'My dear, do you think they will
forget me?' I said, 'I hope, my love, you are not ashamed to desire the
prayers of the people of God; it is not now a time to mind the ridicule
of the world.' He said, 'No, Bell, I care not a farthing for the whole
world, and you may make it my own request.'
"His disorder gained ground very fast that day, and I began to be much
alarmed; yet still I thought it would not end in death, but though severe
and dangerous, was sent in answer to my repeated, earnest prayers to
awaken in him a real concern about his eternal interest, to set the world
and its vanities in their true light, and bring about that entire change of
heart which our blessed Lord styles the new birth, and without which,
he says, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
"It was now become very difficult for him to speak; but by the motion
of his hands and eyes, which were continually lifted up when he had
the smallest respite, I could easily see his thoughts were fixed on the
importance of his situation; besides, many sentences and half sentences
broke from his lips at different times, which left me without a doubt.

'Farewell,' said he, 'vain world; an idle world it is, nothing but shadows,
and we keep chasing them as children do bubbles of water, till they
break, and we find them