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The
home-call of a faithful brother |
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DEAR
PASTOR BODDY, |
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Just a
line to tell you of the loss the assembly at Preston (Lancashire) has sustained in the death of our
beloved brother, Willie Lyons, who was killed in the hoist at the mill at
which he worked on Thursday, the 22nd ult. This is the first one whom the
Lord has taken out of our midst. |
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Willie was
only a mill-labourer, but was one of the Lord’s honoured servants. He would
be remembered by anyone who has been to any of the meetings at |
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It could
be truly said of Willie that “in his spirit there was found no guile” (Ps.
xxxii., 2). He was so simple that he could receive anything at the hands of
the Lord. His faith was wonderful. On one occasion he commanded a watch
(which a watchmaker could not repair) to go in the Name of Jesus. It went,
and has never stopped since. On another occasion (only four weeks ago) he commanded
the water to come out of a tap when the pipe was frozen, and the water came.
He had indeed the faith that would remove “mountains.” |
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During the
eighteen months that he has been saved and baptized with the Holy Ghost, he has
gone through much persecution, but he has stood bravely for his Master. He
has been a great testimony for the Lord in the mill, where they will miss him
very much, and where his death will have (or has already had) a great effect.
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The night
before WiIlie was killed he dreamed that the Lord came to him very suddenly and said: “Well done,
good and faithful servant, come up higher!” There were many other remarkable
incidents in connection with his death, e.g.: his quoting of Ps. xxiii., 4,
the day before he died; his saying a few weeks ago that if he died, he would
like Mr. Myerscough to bury him, and that he did not want any flowers; also
his tidying up of his room on the Wednesday night. |
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So Mr.
Myerscough and Mr. Hall had the “joy” of burying him last Monday afternoon,
knowing that he was “absent from the body, but present with the Lord.” There
were quite a number (in fact, nearly all) of our people at the funeral. We
sang the “Hallelujah Chorus,” of which he was so fond, over his grave. How
the Lord “wiped away all tears from our eyes” (Rev. vii., 17). How He helped
us “to sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thess. iv., 13). |
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From: Confidence, Vol. V, No. 3, March 1912,
pag. 67, |