p. 4 | Precedent to Healing by W.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 23, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 28.

Precedent to Healing

By W.

ONE of the assurances of the 103d Psalm is, "Who healeth all thy diseases." Blessed assurance it is, but there are many that demand it who are not in harmony with the conditions implied. Read from the beginning of the psalm. First, what confidence and jubilant oneness with Jehovah is expressed! "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" What oneness with His holiness is expressed! "And all that is within me, bless His holy name." The soul that truly sings that, has naught in his life against the holiness of God.

He, too, is grateful,—"Forget not all His benefits." It is easy to remember trouble, easy to forget the good; but the true soldier remembers, and he remembers God's benefits, God's worthiness, God's holiness, God's goodness. These are precedents to the healing.

More than this,—"Who forgiveth all thine iniquities." There is forgiveness for what we confess, what we renounce, what we put away. But if we retain one sin knowingly, God can not hear. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Do we hold enmity against God? Do we hold enmity against any person in this world? Then our sins are not forgiven. Are we in love with the world? That is enmity with God. "Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God." James 4:4. But if we stand in completest harmony with God, under whatsoever test the Master may impose, we may ask the fulfilment of the assurance, "Who healeth all thy diseases," but always as will be for His glory, always as will be for our good. And this, too, He will make clear if we patiently wait. There would be many more manifest cases of healing if God's church made recognition of God's greatness, worthiness, holiness, goodness, first. If we cared more to have sin taken away than we did sickness, there would be more diseases healed. First holiness, then healing.