JOHN FURZ (1717 — 1800) (Methodist)
JOHN FURZ (1717 — 1800) (Methodist)
“Many years ago, when I was at Hornby, in Yorkshire, I had a violent illness. None about
me expected I should ever recover. When to all appearance I was near death, Mr. Olivers sent Mr. Minethorpe to Hornby with a letter, to inform me he would come and preach my funeral sermon, and rejoice over me. The good women that sat round my bed said, ‘We never had a preacher die here before. We shall have a great company of people to hear the funeral sermon.’ I heard one of them say, ‘Now he is going.’ Meantime the cry of my heart was, ‘Lord, sanctify me now or never.’ In that instant I felt the mighty power of His sanctifying Spirit. It came down into my soul as a refining fire, purifying and cleansing from all unrighteousness. And from that instant I began to recover. But oh how slow of heart have I been to believe, and how hard to understand the deep things of God! Before my conversion, I thought, if I repented all my days, and was pardoned at last, it would be a great blessing. But when it pleased God to pardon me, I knew, ‘now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.’ But I had the same conceptions of sanctification that I had before of justification. I preached it as a slow gradual work. And while did so, I gained no ground: I was easily provoked, which made me fear lest after I had preached to others I myself should be a castaway. But now, glory be to God, I feel no anger, no pride, no self-will: old things are passed away. All things are become new. Now I know, he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him!”
John Furz’ obituary was read in the Minutes of 1800: ‘JOHN FURZ, an aged servant of the
Lord. He travelled many years in our Connexion, and was a zealous defender of our purest doctrines. His mental powers were so decayed that, for several years, he seemed sunk in second childhood: but he retained his piety, and closed his life in holy triumph, having fought the good fight of faith.’
Source: Originally from “Lives of Early Methodist Preachers” by Thomas Jackson
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HOW THEY ENTERED CANAAN (A Collection of Holiness Experience Accounts) Compiled by Duane V. Maxey
Vol. I — Named Accounts