Testimonies Blog

For the glory of God I feel like giving my experience through the columns of the Highway, hoping it may help some who read it to claim Christ as their complete Saviour, to heal them both soul and body. When a boy, between ten and fourteen years, my left limb became very sore. Above the ankle was an opening that discharged freely. My limb was swollen to the knee, , and what I suffered for two years I cannot describe. It then healed and I had the use of it again. At that time God called me. His Holy Spirit strove with me, but I could not yield. I continued to live in sin. At the age of eighteen the pain in my limb returned, and was so severe that the bone opened. A physician examined it and pronounced it inflammatory rheumatism of the marrow. The pain would grow less at times and then worse again.

At this time I had a female doctor, by the name of Mary Burns. After she had bathed my limb three times it got much better. She was a good woman and had much faith. Since then she has passed over the river. I was well from that time on, until September
1881, when the pain returned, worse than at any previous time. I was obliged to take to bed, and remained there one year. I was in such pain all the time that I could scarcely be moved to have my bed made. Tongue cannot express what I suffered. I do not like to think of it now; but, oh how thankful I am to my Heavenly Father that He spared my life; that His Holy Spirit still followed me, and at last I became willing to give my heart to Him.

I had five different physicians examine me, not one could help me. My suffering continued, and in connection with my great bodily suffering, was an aching void within. Oh, the agony of soul, nothing but the Blood of Jesus could heal that wound. I had been a great sinner for years, and now on my sick bed, as soon as the lamp was put out at night, I could see demons around my bed in the form of men and women. I had a look into that place of torment. Such terrible looking beings I never saw. What a horrible pit that must be! I shudder to think of it now. Dear sinner, if you read these lines think
what an awful thing it would be to be lost forever, and have to go to that place of torment “where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” Oh, that these words might touch your heart and cause you to flee the wrath to come before it is too late. If you do not, remember, 0, remember “God will laugh at your calamity and mock
you when your fear cometh.” I am so glad for the gift of God’s dear Son, and that we may come to Him and be saved without money and without price. When I was in distress I called mightily unto God and He heard me, and brought me up out of a horrible pit and out of the miry clay and placed my feet upon a Rock, put a new song in my mouth, even praises to Him. I give glory to His holy name for what He has done
for me. Although I prayed and wrestled for six months, and was in great agony both in soul and body, the great peace and joy I have today far more than pays for all I suffered. Some good brethren came to see me and tried to comfort me. Rev. D. R. Burkholder was one, and oh, how I rejoiced to see him come. One night my distress was so great that I wrestled all night until 3 o’clock in the morning until I became unconscious. When I knew myself I was sitting up singing at the top of my voice: ” Happy Day, when Jesus washed my sins away.” I praise God today that my load of sin was taken away. That
was just one year from the time I had taken sick, and I have been drinking freely ever since. Dear reader, I have become a new man, and it is no wonder, for I have put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, Christ Jesus; old things had passed away indeed and all things become new.

Nearly one year ago I heard of Miss Carrie Judd, who had been healed in answer to prayer, and wrote to her. She replied that at a certain time (telling me the hour) she would pray for me. Some brothers and sisters met with me, and we had a season of prayer at the same time. The Lord met with us in great power, and I received such a blessing as never before, and from that time forward enjoyed very much of the love and presence of my blessed Master, but did not have sufficient faith to believe that I would be healed just then. I still had to use crutches until the 1st of October, 1884, when Mrs.
Mary A. Glaser, who had been healed in answer to prayer, visited me. She came to me full of faith, and gave me much good instruction and urged me to take hold of Christ by faith, and told me that as I would believe, strength would be given. She said I must lay away my crutches, for as long as I used them, I was trusting in the arm of flesh; I must trust God entirely and walk by faith. I laid the crutches away and used a small staff for awhile as my limb was very weak, it also being affected by atrophy, up to my body, and from my feet to my knees it was very much swollen. There were four running sores and a number of little bones came out, two about an inch in length.Mrs. Glaser prayed with me and anointed me with oil, in the name of the Lord, according to James 5:14. The Lord was very near to us, and I felt the healing go through my soul and body. The pain
and soreness in my limb began to leave me, the swelling went down, the sore places began to heal and I felt new strength coming into my limbs.

In less than two weeks after I was anointed, I walked to Mainsville, to meeting and back, a distance of three miles, without crutches. Mrs. Glaser visited me three times, and anointed me twice, and today I can stand on my limb, the sores are all healed up, and I am gaining in flesh, until I weigh within two pounds as much as I ever did. I can now work every day. When Mrs. Glaser first visited me my limb, below the knee, measured six inches, and in two months from that time when she was to see me last, it measured ten inches, having gained so much in flesh in that time. Since my conversion I have had a great desire to work for the salvation of souls. In my affliction I could not. I was poor, and could not go any place without walking, unless some one would take me. Now, since God in His great love and mercy has restored me to health again, I want to do all I can for Him, and ask an interest in the prayers of God’s people, that I may be faithful and useful.

Now, dear readers, I have given you my experience, and I trust it may do some good. Should any read this who are skeptical, I would say to you, lay aside your skepticism and have faith in God, for He alone helped me up and saved me, and He can save all who come to Him. To the suffering ones I want to say—take your sickness to the Lord, in prayer, and if you can only believe He will heal all your diseases as well as forgive all your iniquities.

Your brother in the Lord,
CHRISTIAN COY SCOTLAND, PA.

Excerpt from “Wonderful Leadings” by Mary A. Glaser