Melancthon's Life Saved From Death In Answer To Luther's Prayer.
The most powerful tribute to the efficacy of prayer, was the answer to
Luther's prayer which the Lord sent. A messenger was sent to Luther that
Melancthon was dying. He found him presenting the usual premonitory
symptoms of death. Melancthon roused, looked in the face of Luther, and
said, "O Luther, is this you? Why don't you let me depart in peace."
"_We can't spare you yet, Philip_," was the reply, and turning around,
he threw himself upon his knees, and wrestled with God for his recovery
for upwards of an hour. He went from his knees to the bed, and took his
friend by the hand; again he said, "Dear Luther, why don't you let me
depart in peace?" "No, no, Philip; we can not spare you yet," was the
reply. He then ordered some soup, and when pressed to take it,
Melancthon declined, again saying, "Dear Luther, why will you not let me
go home and be at rest." "We can not spare you yet, Philip," was the
reply. He then added, "Philip, take this soup, or I will excommunicate
you." He took the soup, regained his wonted health, and labored for
years afterwards in the cause of the Reformation; and when Luther
returned home he said to his wife with joy, "God gave me my brother
Melancthon back in direct answer to prayer."
In this incident is given this extraordinary statement that while death
has really seized a man, who too wished to die, and did not want to live
longer on the earth, yet his life was given back to him again in answer
to the prayer of faith of another.