5:16 There came also a mult.i.tude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
9:41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 19:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or ap.r.o.ns, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
28:8 And it came to pa.s.s, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a b.l.o.o.d.y flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
28:9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: The abundant pouring out of the Spirit produced abundant healings. What a lesson for the Church in our days!
Divine healing is the work of the Holy Spirit. Christ"s redemption extends it"s powerful working to the body, and the Holy Spirit is responsible both to transmit it to and maintain it in us. Our body shares in the benefit of the redemption, and even now it can receive the pledge of it by divine healing. It is Jesus who heals, Jesus who anoints and baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Jesus, who baptized His disciples with the same Spirit, is He who sends us the Holy Spirit here on earth either to keep sickness away from us, or to restore us to health when sickness has taken hold upon us.
Divine healing accompanies the sanctification by the Spirit. It is to make us holy that the Holy Spirit makes us partakers of Christ"s redemption. Hence His name "Holy." Therefore the healing which He works is an intrinsic part of His divine mission, and He bestows it either to lead the sick one to be converted and to believe (Acts 4: 29-30; 5:12,14; 6:7-8; 8:6,8; 9:42) or to confirm his faith if he is already converted. It is to make us holy that the Holy Spirit makes us partakers of Christ"s redemption. Hence His name "Holy." Therefore the healing which He works is an intrinsic part of His divine mission, and He bestows it either to lead the sick one to be converted and to believe (Acts 4: 29-30; 5:12,14; 6:7-8; 8:6,8; 9:42) or to confirm his faith if he is already converted.
Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word, 4:30 By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Thy Holy Child Jesus.
5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon"s porch.
5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, mult.i.tudes both of men and women.) 6:7 And the Word of G.o.d increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
9:42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
He constrains him thus to renounce sin, and to consecrate himself entirely to G.o.d and to His service (I Corinthians 10:31; James 5:15, 16; Hebrews 12:10).
1 Corinthians 10 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of G.o.d.
James 5 15 And 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.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Hebrews 12 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
Divine healing tends to glorify Jesus. It is G.o.d"s will that His Son should be glorified, and the Holy Spirit does this when He comes to show us what the redemption of Christ does for us.
The redemption of the mortal body appears almost more marvelous than that of the immortal soul. In these two ways G.o.d wills to dwell in us through Christ, and thus to triumph over the flesh. As soon as our body becomes the temple of G.o.d through the Spirit, Jesus is glorified.
Divine healing takes place wherever the Spirit of G.o.d works in power. Proofs of this are to be found in the lives of the Reformers, and in those of certain Moravians in their best times.
But there are yet other promises touching the pouring out of the Holy Spirit which have not been fulfilled up to this time. Let us live in a holy expectation, praying the Lord to accomplish them in us.
CHAPTER XV.
PERSEVERING PRAYER.
"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not G.o.d, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not G.o.d, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not G.o.d avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"
(Luke 18:1-8).
The necessity of praying with perseverance is the secret of all spiritual life. What a blessing to be able to ask the Lord for such and such a grace until He gives it, knowing with certainty that it is His will to answer prayer, but what a mystery for us in the call to persevere in prayer, to knock in faith at His door, to remind Him of His promises, and to do so without wearying until He arises and grants us our pet.i.tion! Is not the a.s.surance that our prayer can obtain from the Lord that which He would not otherwise give the evident proof that man has been created in the image of G.o.d, that he is His friend, that he is His fellow worker, and that the believers who together form the Body of Christ partic.i.p.ate in this manner in His intercessory work? It is to Christ"s intercession that the Father responds, and to which He grants His divine favors.
More than once the Bible explains to us the need for persevering prayer. There are many grounds, the chief of which is the justice of G.o.d. G.o.d has declared that sin must bear its consequences; sin therefore has rights over a world which welcomes and remains enslaved by it. When the child of G.o.d seeks to quit this order of things, it is necessary that the justice of G.o.d should consent to this; time therefore is needed that the privileges which Christ has procured for the believers should weigh before G.o.d"s tribunal. Besides this, the opposition of Satan, who always seeks to prevent the answer to prayer, is a reason for it (Daniel 10:12-13).
Daniel 10 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy G.o.d, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
The only means by which this unseen enemy can be conquered is faith. Standing firmly on the promises of G.o.d, faith refuses to yield, and continues to pray and wait for the answer, even when it is delayed, knowing that the victory is sure (Ephesians 6:12-13).
Ephesians 6 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against princ.i.p.alities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of G.o.d, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Finally, perseverance in prayer is needful for ourselves. Delay in the answer is intended to prove and strengthen our faith; it ought to develop in us the steadfast will which will no longer let go the promises of G.o.d, but which renounces its own side of things to trust in G.o.d alone. It is then that G.o.d, seeing our faith, finds us ready to receive His favor and grants it to us. He will avenge speedily, even though He tarry. Yes, notwithstanding all the needful delays, He will not make us wait a moment too long. If we cry unto Hun day and night, He will avenge us speedily.
This perseverance in prayer will become easy to us as soon as we fully understand what faith is. Jesus teaches us in these words, "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). When the Word of G.o.d authorizes us to ask anything, we ought at once to believe that we receive it.
[Mark 11 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.]
G.o.d gives it to us; this we know by faith, and we can say between G.o.d and us that we have received it, although it might be only later that we are permitted to realize the effects here on earth. It is before having seen or experienced anything whatsoever that faith rejoices in having received, perseveres in praying, and waits until the answer is manifest. But even after having believed that we are heard, it is good to persevere until it has become an accomplished fact.
This is of great importance in obtaining divine healing. Sometimes, it is true, the healing is immediate and complete; but it may happen that we have to wait, even when a sick person has been able to ask for it in faith. Sometimes also the first symptoms of healing are immediately manifest; but afterwards the progress is slow, and interrupted by times when it is arrested or when the evil returns. In such cases it is important for both the sick person and those who pray with him to believe in the efficacy of persevering prayer, even though they may not understand the mystery of it. That which G.o.d appears at first to refuse, He grants later to the prayer of the Canaanitish woman, to the prayer of the widow, to that of the friend who knocks at midnight (Matthew 15:22-28; Luke 18:3-8; 11:5-8).
Matthew 15 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children"s bread, and cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters" table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Luke 18 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not G.o.d, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7 And shall not G.o.d avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?
Luke 11 5 And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Without regarding either change or answer, the faith which is grounded on the Word of G.o.d, and which continues to pray with importunity, ends by gaining the victory. "Shall not G.o.d avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you He will avenge them speedily" (Luke 18:7-8). G.o.d knows how to delay all the time which is necessary, and nevertheless to act speedily without waiting more than is needful.
The same two things should belong to our faith. Let us lay hold with a holy prompt.i.tude of the grace which is promised us, as if we had already received it; let us await with untiring patience the answer which is slow to come. Such faith belongs to living in Him. It is in order to produce in us this faith that sickness is sent to us, and that the healing is granted to us, for such faith above all glorifies G.o.d.
CHAPTER XVI.
LET HIM THAT IS HEALED GLORIFY G.o.d.
"And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying G.o.d: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto G.o.d"
(Luke 18:43).
"And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising G.o.d"
(Acts 3:8).
It is a prevalent idea that piety is easier in sickness than in health; that silence and suffering incline the soul to seek the Lord and enter into communion with Him better than the distractions of active life; that, in fact, sickness throws us more upon G.o.d. For these reasons sick people hesitate to ask for healing from the Lord; for they say to themselves, How can we know whether sickness may not be better for us than health? To think thus is to ignore that the healing and its fruits are divine. Let us. try to understand that though a healing through ordinary means may at times run the risk of making G.o.d relax His hand, divine healing, on the contrary, binds us more closely to Him. Thus it comes to pa.s.s that in our day, as in the time of the early ministry of Jesus Christ, the believer who has been healed by Him can glorify Him far better than the one who remains sick. Sickness can only glorify G.o.d in the measure in which it gives occasion to manifest His power (John 9:3; 11:4).
John 9 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of G.o.d should be made manifest in him.
John 11 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of G.o.d, that the Son of G.o.d might be glorified thereby.
The sufferer who is led by his sufferings to give glory to G.o.d, does it, so to speak, by constraint. If he had health and liberty to choose, it is quite possible that his heart would turn back to the world. In such a case the Lord must keep him on one side; his piety depends on his sickly condition. This is why the world supposes that religion is hardly efficacious anywhere but in sick chambers or death beds, and for such as have no need to enter into the noise and stir of ordinary life. In order that the world may be convinced of the power of religion against temptation, it must see the believer who is in good health walking in calmness and holiness even in the midst of work and of active life. Doubtless very many sick people have glorified G.o.d by their patience in suffering, but He can be still more glorified by a health which He has sanctified.
Why then, we are asked, should those who have been healed in answer to the prayer of faith glorify the Lord more than such as have been healed through earthly remedies? Here is the reason. Healing by means of remedies shows us the power of G.o.d in nature; but it does not bring us into living and direct contact with Him; while divine healing is an act proceeding from G.o.d, without anything but the Holy Spirit.
In this latter, contact with G.o.d is the thing which is essential, and it is for this reason that examination of the conscience and the confession of sins should be the preparation for it (I Corinthians 11:30-32; .James 5:15-16).
1 Corinthians 11 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
James 5 15 And 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.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
One who is so healed is called to consecrate himself quite anew and entirely to the Lord (I Corinthians 6:13,19).
1 Corinthians 6 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but G.o.d shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of G.o.d, and ye are not your own?
All this depends upon the act of faith which lays hold of the Lord"s promise, which yields to Him, and which does not doubt that the Lord at once takes possession of what is consecrated to Him. This is why the continuance of health received depends on the holiness of the life, and the obedience in seeking always the good pleasure of the divine Healer (Exodus 15:26).
Exodus 15 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy G.o.d, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His Commandments, and keep all His Statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Health obtained under such conditions ensures spiritual blessings. The mere restoration to health by ordinary means does not. When the Lord heals the body it is that He may take possession of it and make it a temple that He may dwell in. The joy which then fills the soul is indescribable. It is not only the joy of being healed; it is joy mingled with humility, and a holy enthusiasm which recognizes the touch of the Lord and receives a new life from Him. In the exuberance of his joy the healed one exalts the Lord, he glorifies Him by word and deed, and all his life is consecrated to his G.o.d.
It is evident that these fruits of healing are not the same for all, and that sometimes there are steps made backwards. The life of the healed one has a solidarity with the life of believers around him. Their doubts and their inconsistencies may in time tend to make his steps totter, although this generally results in a new beginning. Each day he discovers and recognizes afresh that his life is the Lord"s life; he enters into a more intimate and more joyous communion with Him; he learns to live in habitual dependence upon Jesus, and receives from Him that strength which results from a more complete consecration.
Oh, what may not the Church become when she lives in this faith, when every sick person shall recognize in sickness a call to be holy, and to expect from the Lord a manifestation of His presence, when healings shall be multiplied, producing in each a witness of the power of G.o.d, all ready to cry with the Psalmist, "Bless the Lord, O my soul... Who healeth all thy diseases" (Psalm 103:2-3).
CHAPTER XVII.
THE NEED FOR A MANIFESTATION OF G.o.d"S POWER.
"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word, by stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Thy Holy Child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were a.s.sembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of G.o.d with boldness"
(Acts 4:29-31).
Is it permissible to pray in this way now, to ask the Lord, "Grant unto thy servants to speak thy Word with all boldness while thou stretchest forth thy hand to heal" (RV)? Let us look into this question.
Does not the Word of G.o.d meet with as many difficulties in our days as then, and are not the needs now equally pressing? Let us picture to ourselves the apostles in the midst of Jerusalem and her unbelief; on the one hand the rulers of the people and their threatenings; on the other, the blinded mult.i.tude refusing to believe in the Crucified. Now the world is no longer so openly hostile to the Church because it has lost its fear of her, but its flattering words are more to be dreaded than its hatred. Dissimulation is sometimes worse than violence. And is not a Christianity of mere form, in the sleep of indifference, just as inaccessible as an openly resisting Judaism? G.o.d"s servants need even in the present day, in order that the Word may be preached with all boldness, that the power of G.o.d should be evidently manifested among them.