THE DAYS OF MIRACLES NOT PAST
By E. E. A.
The Contrary Teaching Is Out of Harmony with Fact—Some Definite Cases of Miracles in Healing the Sick
IN commenting on Dr. Eliot's "twentieth century religion," the New York Sun says:
"Indeed, the mere existence of men, women, fatherhood, motherhood, childhood, love, faith, is a miracle. The atmosphere of wonder and incomprehensibility fills the universe; and the supernatural, so-called, may be stranger and more mysterious in degree, but not in kind, than the so-called natural and normal."
Paul said to the Athenians assembled on Mars' Hill: "He [God] giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. . . . In Him we live, and move, and have our being; . . . for we are also His offspring." Acts 17:25, 28. HE PRESERVES OUR HEALTH ALSO
God is therefore our Father. He not only brought us into being, but He preserves our health. We are entirely dependent upon Him, moment by moment, for all that we have. "The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Ps. 145:15, 16. We may well pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." "If He set His heart upon man, if He gather unto Himself His spirit and His breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust." Job 33:4; 34:14, 15. THE PHYSICIAN AND THE NURSE MAY REMOVE CAUSES
If, through the violation of nature's laws—which are the laws of God—or for other reason, we become ill, and are restored to health, it is not the physician or the nurse, however faithfully they may perform their duty, who heals us, but it is God. "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Ex. 15:26. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Ps. 103:2, 3. Man may assist in the removal of the cause of disease, he may bring about better conditions for the restoration of health, but he can not heal. THE ONE WHO IN REALITY HEALS
If the Lord is the Physician who heals all our diseases in the natural way, He can, if He wills, heal instantaneously. He has many times brought the dead back to life; and therefore He can restore the one who has passed beyond the reach of human skill, and who, without a special interposition of divine power, must die.
"He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6. I trust I may be pardoned for referring to my own experience in healing by prayer. A number of times have I knelt with others beside the bed of one who apparently must die, whose physician said there was no human help for him; and after committing the case to God in harmony with His word, in some instances immediate relief was sent from heaven, and in others, while the change for the moment was not so marked, yet when faith grasped the promise of God, recovery began, and in time the sick were completely restored. In still other instances, while the presence of God's Holy Spirit was consciously felt in a marked degree, bringing the blessed assurance of sins forgiven and of acceptance with God, no change in the physical condition of the sick one was apparent, and death followed; but the prayer of faith will yet be answered fully in the resurrection of the consecrated sufferer at the last day.
One or two experiences may be of interest to the reader. A few years ago, I was called to the bedside of a young man who had203been stricken with typhoid fever, and who at the time had been confined to his bed twenty-seven days. When I arrived, I found him entirely unconscious, and he had been in that condition for some time. Two physicians were in attendance, but they gave no hope of his recovery. Hemorrhage of the bowels had been in progress for about sixteen hours. He had been a devoted Christian worker, and, like the young man whom Jesus raised from the dead, he was "the only son of his mother, and she was a widow." Luke 7:11-16.
While, with a few friends, including the elder of the church, we were engaged in prayer, the conviction came clearly that it was the Lord's will to heal him. His consciousness returned, and he began to pray. After prayer, he fell into a restful sleep. Within two weeks from the time when prayer was offered and he was anointed, he was able to be up and to walk about, although his strength had not yet fully returned; and he was able to attend a camp-meeting held in his town. Another case was that of the wife of a minister of the gospel. At the time of my visit, she was very low. Her physician told her husband that he must be prepared for her death at any time. I remained with them overnight, and in the morning the husband and I knelt beside her bed and prayed over her, anointing her with oil in the name of the Lord, in harmony with the instruction in James 5:14, 15. The Lord heard our earnest entreaty in behalf of the sorely afflicted wife and mother, and she was immediately restored to health, and arose from her bed and dressed. This was more nearly like the cases of healing recorded in the Scripture than any it has been my privilege to witness. A council of physicians had been called the evening before, and they stated that she might not live through the night. From that morning, she was perfectly well.
It was not any power or holiness we possessed that restored that mother to her family of little ones, who so much needed her care; but it was faith in the blessed name of Jesus, and in His precious promise to the sick, that wrought the change. To Him shall be all the praise forever.
"Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:22-24.
We have not passed the days of miracles. God still lives, and hears and answers the prayer of faith. As we return to apostolic living, and apostolic faith, we shall see apostolic power manifested in the miraculous healing of the sick, and in other signs and wonders to confirm the Word.