Philippians 2:27
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Epaphroditus was the messenger sent by the church at Philippi with gifts to supply Paul's needs while Paul was a prisoner at Rome. At Rome he became gravely ill and came close to dying, so seriously ill that he was near death, almost to dying. God had mercy on him by healing him, sparing him from death and restoring him from that near-fatal sickness.
That same healing mercy was also mercy to Paul, sparing him as well from added grief and added sorrow on top of his imprisonment, lest he should have sorrow upon sorrow through losing Epaphroditus. The verse applies in the same way to the grave illness of Brother J. N. Andrews, who was so gravely ill that his death would have brought sorrow upon sorrow. His friends prayed for God to rebuke his disease and restore him to health, so that his death would not bring added grief and cause Israel to mourn his loss.