Smith Wigglesworth Testimony: Chronic Invalid Healed!
My first view of Smith Wigglesworth was from a distance.A number of us in Blackburn had just come into the Pentecostal experience and were told of a weekend meeting of Evangelist Smith Wigglesworth in Preston. There were not many Pentecostal ministers in the whole of the British Isles in those days, but there were three that were outstanding: Stephen Jeffreys, George Jeffreys, and Smith Wigglesworth.Smith Wigglesworth was looked upon, even then, as an apostle of faith. With his commanding authority, he had a reputation for being somewhat austere—a “modern Elijah” whose ministry had been attested with phenomenal miracles. Therefore, it was with great excitement that we looked forward to visiting Preston to hear him.The Assembly Room at Preston was situated on Lancaster Road. It was a large room, quite central, but up a dingy stairway of 45 steps. The entrance to this room was uninviting, but week by week and several times during the week, a goodly company of God’s people gathered under the godly and inspired leadership of the late Thomas Myerscough.From time to time, many of the leading people of the Pentecostal testimony from various countries visited this room to minister. It was this Assembly that gave us three outstanding missionary pioneers to the Belgian Congo—Brothers Burton, Salter, and Hodgson—as well as many others who followed them.So it was on this memorable week-night that a small company of us (mostly young people from Blackburn) made our way to this “upper room.”
One of our Blackburn friends at this time was a chronic invalid.
One of our Blackburn friends at this time was a chronic invalid. She dragged herself around the house slowly by the help of the chairs and the table. Her limbs were hideously swollen. She had not done any housework for years. She was suffering from what the doctors described as a complicated condition of rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, neuritis, and bronchitis.Two or three of us, especially anxious to see her delivered, persuaded her to go to Preston. It was a feat of achievement quite equal to that accomplished by the four friends who got the paralytic to Jesus (Mark 2:3). With the aid of two sticks, it took us three-quarters of an hour to get her from Preston Station to that “upper room,” a mere half-mile away. (In those days we could not afford a taxi.)The meeting began and Brother Wigglesworth started his message. At ten minutes to ten o’clock, he was still preaching a marvelous message on Peter’s deliverance from prison (Acts 12). Since our train left Preston at 10:15 p.m., we interrupted the preaching to request prayer for our sister.Brother Wigglesworth laid his hands on her and drastically rebuked the affliction. The next we knew, she was running down the stairs, and we were chasing after her!She was instantly and completely healed!
Brother Wigglesworth laid his hands on her and drastically rebuked the affliction. She was instantly and completely healed!
The next day, she did all her housework. This miracle stirred the neighborhood where she lived and led to the salvation of souls, some becoming earnest members of the young Assembly.More wonderful still, her husband, a confirmed drunkard on the verge of delirium tremens, came under deep conviction. Two weeks later in the middle of the night, he crawled out of his bed and walked the floor, crying to God for mercy.In a matter of moments God wondrously saved him and at the same time filled him with the Holy Ghost. Like Saul of Taurus, upon his miraculous and sudden conversion, he “joined himself to the disciples … and straightway preached Christ” (Acts 9:20,26). He became the first treasurer of our newly formed Assembly.This was my first view of Smith Wigglesworth—a view from a distance. Little did I realize that it would be followed by a much closer contact in the days that lay ahead…