"Then Peter said [to the lame man], Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and _immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength_. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising G.o.d." Acts 3:6-8.
13. Among others, what gift has G.o.d set in the church?
"And G.o.d hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then _gifts of healing_, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Cor. 12:28.
14. In sickness, what is every child of G.o.d privileged to do?
"Is any sick among you? _let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him_, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."
James 5:14.
15. What a.s.surance of blessing is given to those who ask according to G.o.d"s will?
"The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." Verse 15.
NOTE.-Physical healing may not always be for our good or to the glory of G.o.d. Hence we must be ready to pray with Jesus, "Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done." Luke 22:42. Paul was denied the removal of infirmity, but the Lord a.s.sured him, "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor. 12:9. It is not a denial of faith to make use of the simple remedial means that G.o.d has given, or those ordinary essentials upon which He makes life dependent, as proper food, pure air, rest, exercise, and sunshine.
We may not climb the heavenly steeps, To bring the Saviour down; In vain we search the lowest deeps, For Him no depths can drown.
But warm, sweet, tender, even yet A present help is He; And faith has yet its Olivet, And love, its Galilee.
The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life"s throng and press, And we are whole again.
Through Him the first fond prayers are said Our lips of childhood frame; The last low whispers of our dead Are burdened with His name.
JOHN G. WHITTIER.
Prison Work
[Ill.u.s.tration.]
In Prison. "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them." Heb.
13:3.
1. What does Christ give us as one reason why He will bid the righteous welcome into His kingdom?
"I was _in prison_, and _ye came unto Me_." Matt. 25:36.
2. What is pure and undefiled religion declared to be?
To visit those in affliction. James 1:27.
NOTE.-In 1909 there were 100,221 prisoners in 195 penal inst.i.tutions in the United States, or an average of 112 to each 100,000.
3. What does G.o.d see when He looks down from heaven?
"For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; _to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death_." Ps. 102:19, 20.
4. For what purpose did G.o.d send His Son into the world?
"To bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." Isa. 42:7.
5. For what work did Christ say He was anointed?
"To preach the gospel to the poor; ... _to preach deliverance to the captives, ... to set at liberty them that are bruised_." Luke 4:18.
6. Why did the psalmist wish to be brought out of the prison-house of sin?
"Bring my soul out of prison, _that I may praise Thy name_." Ps. 142:7.
7. Whose prison-house does Satan not open?
"That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; _that opened not the house [the grave] of his prisoners_." Isa. 14:17.
8. For what does the psalmist pray?
"_Let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee_; according to the greatness of Thy power _preserve Thou those that are appointed to die_."
Ps. 79:11.
9. How does G.o.d regard His people who are in prison?
"For the Lord heareth the poor, and _despiseth not His prisoners_." Ps.
69:33.
10. Why has the devil been permitted to cast some of G.o.d"s people into prison?
"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, _that ye may be tried_.... Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Rev. 2:10. See Dan. 11:33-35.
NOTE.-Dr. William Dodd (1729-77), an unfortunate English divine, who, under stress of circ.u.mstances, became a heavy forger, was imprisoned at Newgate for a time, and finally executed. Upon visiting him, John Wesley found "a penitent and hopeful malefactor," and in his "Journal" says: "A real, deep work of G.o.d seemed to be already begun in his soul. Perhaps by driving him too fast, Satan has driven him to G.o.d, to that repentance which shall never be repented of." Visiting him shortly before his execution, Mr. Wesley is reported to have replied to Mr. Dodd"s apologies for receiving him in the condemned cell, "Courage, brother; perhaps G.o.d saw that nothing else would do." See "Life of John Wesley," by Richard Watson, page 207.
11. How would G.o.d have us sympathize with those in bonds and adversity?
"Remember them that are in bonds, _as bound with them_; and them which suffer adversity, _as being yourselves also in the body_." Heb. 13:3.
12. What blessed invitation will Christ finally extend to those who have ministered to the wants of the needy, and visited the sick and those in prison?
"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, _Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world_." Matt 25:34.