PIVINE SERVICE FOR THE SICK

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1923, Page 6

PIVINE SERVICE FOR THE SICK

SPIRITUAL HEALING MISSION

AT ST. PAUL'S

THE SECOND DAY.

The second day of the spiritual healing mission was marked by scenes of even greater impressiveness than those of yesterday. ' Nearly 600 suffering suppliants received treatment, many of them coming from long distances—from the Wairarapa, Manawatu, and from the Hutt Valley. The sufferers began to arrive at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral two hours before the time fixed for the beginning of the service. Many crippled children were wheeled, in in chairs. Spe:cial mention 'must be mado of the organisation, which is so, perfect as to enable all classes of. sufferers to be taken to the portions of the church allotted to ' them with wonderful quietness and smoothness. The more serious cases are taken to the front and to such places around the chancel as will enable them to.be dealt with first. The less s"erious cases are accommodated in seat's at the back and extending right out to the church doors. Several mental patients were ministered to prior to the opening of the service. The mission has revealed, even to r the clergy, much sickness of a serious nature—cases which nobody seemed to have been aware of— instances of people who have kept their trouble to themselves. To-morrow some twelve returned soldier , patients from Trentham Hospital, still suffering from war injuries, will be amongst the suppliants. ■ ® ' ■ The order of service to-day was similar to that of yesterday.' The suppliants yreve all in their allotted places in the church before half-past 9—most of them before 9. In the hour between that and the time set for the beginning of the service, soft, sacred music was played on the church organ. Every seat in the building was occupied 1 by 10 o'clock. .: The Bishop of. Wellington, Kt. Rev. Dr. Sprott, mentioned that a thanksgiving service will be held in about a fortnight. Notifications of cases in which benefits have been derived" from the healing mission will be given at that thanksgiving service. No surnames' will ■ be mentioned. - ■; A hymn was sung, a short service of prayer was led by the Bishop, and the missioner delivered an address. CHRIST THE HEALER, i; "How wonderful,-it would be;" said Mr.-Hickson- in his address, ."if at this moment our eyes we're opened, and we Xaw standing in our midst Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord and giver of life, of health, of salvation." The speaker then explained that spiritual healing centred- around the person of our Lord, and' Saviour Jigas Christ. It was our Lord who was the healer. It was to Him alone that we looked for salvation to-day. The missioner said that he perIpnally had no power to heal. He asked those who had come to the church for healing to look to Christ, who had the : power. But He had given his power to v corporate sense to the Church. We were : drawing on that same power through every sacrament of the Church. It .was our faith that was going to release the power. There must be faith on pur part that; the age of miracles had not passed ; that Jesus. Christ is the same yesterday, . to-day, and forever. There was no use, said the missioner, his to - those present of physical Healing alone; because that would" not help them. "AYe must," ■he added, "seek the healing of our souls first, and then all else will 'be added." "Don't bo discouraged," he said, "continue in good .faith,, and good will come." He urged, the-suppliants to have faith and continue in prayer, and related a mar-' ■vellous instance of answer to prayer in England—an answer which came only after two years oi prayer. That restoration was 'described as a miracle, but to the speaker's mind, the great miracle in that instance was—not that woman's physical healing, but it was the conversion of her soul to bring her to the point; when she would hear Christ's voice •when He spoke to her, and she believed in Him. . "To-morrow," said the speaker, "will he the. last day of the mission in Wellington; but- it will not be the end of the mission. You must carry it on. Do not leave it to the clergy; do not think that the. clergy is the Church. They are not the Church. You are the Church." Proceeding, he urged the re■vival of prayer, and of prayer in the Home. He said that prayer-circles •would be formed, and there would be a periodical corporate church intercession. '■■ LAYING ON OP HANDS. , At the conclusion of his address, the Biissioner engaged in prayer for a^l those who were present and for many who had' sent letters asking for prayers for those "unable to attend the church. In each case the Christian name (not the surname) and the physical trouble were mentioned in the missioner's prayer. -TThe ceremony of the laying on of hands then took place. The missioner, accompanied by the Bishop, first ministered to the cot cases and those seated in invalid chair*. Tenderly the hands were laid on the bowed heads, and a whisDered prayer invoking the help of God was offered up. The little children patienta tvere thereafterblessed. Then followed the long procession of sufferers, from the body of the church to the altar, the patients being assisted, as needed, Ey the group of nurses in attendance. The long procession of sufferers to the altar continued for an hour and a half. A's on the first day, the proceedings were marked throughout with quiet reverence and devotion.