had desired that
we should spend the time with her in prayer for her husband, while
this act would be settled in the judicial court. This sister had had
to suffer exceedingly during the space of many years from her
husband, who hated her greatly for the Lord's sake. Three times she
had been obliged to leave him, because of his awful treatment; but
three times, especially through the peace-making efforts of brother
R., who was her legal counsellor, she returned to her husband, and
lived for a season with him, till at last each time her health sank
under the sufferings she had endured from him. At length, about two
years since, she left him again, with the intention not to return to
him any more. This led to a divorce by law, a thing not uncommon on
the Continent; and in that hour in which we met for prayer, the
matter was settled. In consequence of this, as she had three
children, and brought a comparatively considerable property to her
husband, the law proceeded to secure this money for the benefit of
herself and children, as the husband had wasted all his own property.
This act was settled on December 9th, on which occasion she had to
meet her husband at his house with the appointed government officers;
and she requested our brother Dr. R., as a friend to accompany her.
Brother R. (who had been for fifteen years the peace-maker between
this husband and wife, and who had three times succeeded in favour of
the husband, though the legal adviser of the wife) was nevertheless
greatly hated by the husband, who repeatedly spoke to him in public
courts of law thus: "You shall never baptize me." Or, "Now my wife
will soon be free to marry her priest," (meaning brother R.,) &c. All
this brother R. had been able to bear with the greatest meekness,
though thus publicly insulted, when acting as solicitor or barrister
at the judicial courts. Now on the 9th of December, brother R., as I
said, went with this divorced sister to her husband's house. When all
the business was done, the husband came close to brother R., in the
presence of several magistrates, put a pistol to his side and fired
it at him, then took another pistol, put it to his own breast, fired
and sank down dead immediately. But while he himself died
immediately, brother R. has been wonderfully preserved. He wore a
thick wadded coat, and had four papers in his side pocket, through
all of which the ball passed. Then, to show the hand of God, the ball
met in the other clot