“Precious in the sight of the LORD is
the death of His faithful servants.”
(Psalm 116:15 NIV)
A devoted believer named Elizabeth
Ritchie was John Wesley’s friend and housekeeper. She was with Wesley when he
died and recorded the account of his passing. He had preached in City Road
Chapel just a few days before. Richie noted that now, with Wesley unable to
rise from his bed, the room filled with the very presence of God. Surrounded by
his friends, Wesley gathered his strength and said, “The best of all is, God is
with us!” He repeated these words a short while later, then gathered the
strength to pray aloud, “We thank Thee, O Lord, for these and all Thy mercies;
bless the Church and King; grant us truth and peace through Jesus Christ our
Lord forever and ever!”
Richie noted that just before Wesley
died, he tried to sing an Isaac Watts hymn, “I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve
Breath.” All he could muster was “I’ll praise… I’ll praise.” And then he
uttered one final word to his friends: “Farewell.” At eighty-seven John Wesley
breathed his last…
His was a good death. To the end, he
sought to live wholly surrendered to Christ. Like Paul, he might have said,
“The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:6-7)
-- Adam Hamilton in “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It”
#4761
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