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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
Then Satan came in another form. My husband was taken very
sick. His symptoms were alarming. He cramped at intervals, and
suffered excruciating pain. His feet and limbs were cold. I rubbed
them until I had no strength to do so longer. Brother Harris was away
some miles at his work. Sisters Harris and Bonfoey and my sister
Sarah were the only ones present; and I was just gathering courage
to dare believe in the promises of God. If ever I felt my weakness it
was then. We knew that something must be done immediately. Every
moment my husband’s case was growing more critical. It was clearly
a case of cholera. He asked us to pray, and we dared not refuse. In
great weakness we bowed before the Lord. With a deep sense of my
unworthiness, I laid my hands upon his head, and asked the Lord to
reveal His power. A change came immediately. The natural color of his
face returned, and the light of heaven beamed upon his countenance.
We were all filled with gratitude unspeakable. Never had we witnessed
a more remarkable answer to prayer.
That day we were to go to Port Byron to read the proof sheets
of the paper that was being printed at Auburn. It appeared to us that
Satan was trying to hinder the publication of the truth which we were
laboring to place before the people. We felt that we must walk out
upon faith. My husband said he would go to Port Byron for the proof
sheets. We helped him harness the horse, and I accompanied him. The
Lord strengthened him on the way. He received his proof, and a note
stating that the paper would be off the press the next day, and we must
be at Auburn to receive it.
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That night we were awakened by the screams of our little Edson,
who slept in the room above us. It was about midnight. Our little
boy would cling to Sister Bonfoey, then with both hands fight the air,
and then in terror he would cry, “No, no!” and cling closer to us. We
knew this was Satan’s effort to annoy us, and we knelt in prayer. My
husband rebuked the evil spirit in the name of the Lord, and Edson
quietly fell asleep in Sister Bonfoey’s arms, and rested well through
the night.
Then my husband was again attacked. He was in much pain. I
knelt at the bedside and prayed the Lord to strengthen our faith. I knew
God had wrought for him, and rebuked the disease; and we could not
ask Him to do what had already been done. But we prayed that the
Lord would carry on His work. We repeated these words: “Thou hast