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.



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