Page:A short account of the life and death of John Dillon..djvu/10



From this time, thro’ the great blessing of God, I enjoyed health of soul and body, till in July 1767, I was appointed for the North of Ireland. That into which I went, was a new circuit, in which there were not yet things very convenient for the preachers. The beds were generally damp, the houses wet and cold, not well secured from either rain or wind. And my labour was great. Hearing the people crying out on every side for preaching, I forgot myself and almost continually went beyond my strength. Nevertheless, I held out pretty well till the spring : but in April 1768, I was seized with the fever. The house I was in was on the side of a mountain, very bleack and cold. It was about six yards long and four broad. There were four beds in it: in three of which lay the husband, wife, five small children, with a man and maid servant. Here I lay six weeks all but a day. From this time I had not my former strength, altho’ the people were exceeding kind, and let me want nothing that was in their power. When I was a little recovered, my fellow labourers being still sick, I laboured to supply their lack of service, and thereby brought that weakness upon myself, which never was quite removed, But the Lord made my -- in all my sickness. The cabin was a little Bethel to me. He kept my soul in perfect peace, and in a full assurance of dwelling in his house for ever.

The August 1768 following I was appointed for Cork. Here it pleased God to visit me first with a fever : afterwards with an inflammation of the lungs once and again, and then with a fistula. Here I met with good friends, who suffered me to want nothing which could be of any use. Mean time my soul was kept exceeding happy. I had no repining thought, nor any choice, but was willing to live or to die, as He saw most for his glory. As soon as I was able to take a journey, on Sunday Sept. 3, I set out for Dublin, where I was stationed. I came