LIFE & JOURNAL - Christian Israelite Church

1819-1822
and my father put his right thumb on my right eye, and his
fourth finger on my left, and, to the astonishment of all present,
I immediately received my sight. As soon as my father put his
thumb and finger on my eyes I fainted away, and for a moment
I saw a very glorious scene. As soon as I received my sight, the
people who were round about me asked me if I really could see;
I took the Bible and read them a chapter, and found I could see
with one eye as well as ever I could before, but with the other I
could see little or nothing, owing, I believe, to a person having
forced it open three days before.
An extract of an account given by Samuel Muff, of White
Lane, Wibsey-Bank-Foot.
In the course of the time that John Wroe was in this trance,
(ie. the twenty-four hours) reports of it came several times to
my house, and that he was not unlikely to die; I went to see
him, and he came to himself while I was in the house, but could
see nothing; hearing me speak, he made known to me several
things which I cannot at present recollect, but I recollect him
saying that he was blind, but that he should see afterwards. It
was made known to him that he should be six days blind as a
sign to the nation, and as he was six days blind, so should the
nation be six years blind; but as his eyes were opened at the end
of the six days, so should the eyes of the nation be opened at the
end of six years. In the course of his six days blindness he
wrote me a few lines, desiring me to come at the time his eyes
were to be opened - at the end of six days, and sent it by one of
my neighbours, who said he saw him write it; and blind as he
was, it is the best piece of writing of his that I ever saw in my
life (and we were brought up within a quarter of a mile of each
other, and were school-boys together, and went to the same
school. The master that taught us could never teach him either
to read or spell, nor even speak plain, do what he would). I
went as desired, and saw his eyes open as he said. After his
father had put his thumb and finger on his eyes he seemed to me
as if he were dead for a short time, afterwards he came to
himself and sat up in the chair, and his eyes opened instantly.