MISSION OF HEALING.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15358, 5 October 1923, Page 4

MISSION OF HEALING.

SOME REMARKABLE CURES. (By Telegraph.—Special to Times.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. The third service in connection wittf the faith healing mission oonducted ia Auckland by Mr J. M. Hickson was held this forenoon in St. Matthew's Church. There was a very large gathering, and the service was again most impressive. As on previous occasions the sick, the infirm, the blind, and the deaf and dumb were brought, and, in addition to the sufferers, there was a large number of intercessors praying on their behalf. The sight of so many sufferers was one which called forth great compassion, and many eyes were wet with, tears of pity. The healer moved among the cot and chair cases first, and as these people received the laying on of hands, followed by the blessing of the Bishop, they were quietly taken from ' the church to the adjacent hall where they rested and received light refreshments. Thereafter there was a precession of other patients to the altat rails, where they received the prayera and blessing.

Numerous cases of relief among the; paralysed are reported. One of tha, most remarkable cases was attended to in the vestry of the church. , This was a little girl of four summers. She was. suffering from a mishap at birth which; had resulted, among other things, in her head remaining down in a fixed position, her chin resting on her breast. Immediately after the laying on of hands the little one raised her head and was able to keep it up in a, natural position. The case is to bfl reported upon later. The mother, iH a transport of delight, carried away the child before onlookers obtained tha name.

The St. John Ambulance officers rcn ported the case of an old Maori lady who was aided into church by two men. After she had been treated sha refused assistance, and in the words of one of the ambulance officers, she! almost " skipped out of the church,* so lively was she that they had tfll give her a word of warning in case she stumbled. When she went mtH the church it was said she could hardlj crawl, and she took quite a while to! get to her seat. She had been brought to the church in a chair, and she roi fused it when she came out again.

Mr Klckson's Address.

In his address Mr Hickson said It was not a question of what ChrisJ could do for us. The question was. what could we receive? Some people: said they had no faith because then* disease was organic and they preferred! to trust a doctor. God had given tha medical profession for such and they would remember that Ha created the medicine. God's promises, were to (hose who believed. To th« natural man they meant nothing, andi were as foolishness.

On the subject of prayer, Mr Hickv son said iha'- -he prayer of faith the only real prayer, and the praycß of faith was the prayer of cxpect-i ancy. People who prayed for health) must expect to receive it. Too oftefll we put an " if " —a note of inlcrroga* tiin—into our prayers. We had noli been taught how to pray: that was why our prayers were so empty. 1161 urged a mobilisation of Christianity to fight the evils that were pulling men down.

Spiritual healing, continued Mb Hickson, means health .-in mind and soul as well as in body. God could curs organic disease just as easily as ha could cure a headache. He is thq same yesterday, to-day and for and to-day Christ had as much powefl over sickness as ever he had. Tlte Gospel was not fully preached tiu) the message of healing was fully given out. The people wanted something that would help them now, and tho Gospel would do that.

A WONDERFUL CURE. CRUTCHES THROWN AWAY. AUCKLAND, Friday. The Hickson Mission was to-day in St. Matthew's Church, whicli was again crowded to the doors with] sufferers. The intercessory service was of the same nature as the opening gathering, the laying on of hands following an address on spiritual healing. A cure is claimed in the case of MisS Blair, who was injured in a railway accident three years ago, sustaining a broken leg. She has since been un-< able to move from the ground, walking with the aid of crutches. She attended Tuesday's service, and that evening got up from the chair and walked around the house without crutches, and has had no need} of them since. .• '.

BEDRIDDEN WOMAN WALKS. ' PALMERSTON N., Thursday. In connection with the HicksoiJ spiritual healing mission intercessors! services have been held in the Angln can Church here for sufferers, and cases arc already reported of attendants having received considerable bencs* fit. An outstanding case is that of 3 woman who had been bedridden foil! the last five years, and who has partially regained the use of her lege, being now able to walk in her room. An« other case is that of a person whd has suffered from anthritis of the hand and is now able to straighten the fingers, i Rev. Jasper Calder states that Miss Violet Spurting, Mount Albert, whol could only walk with the greatest difficulty, having suffered from rheumat-* ism fo'r several years, was unable ta bend several of her limbs. Now she ist able to discard her stick. Another case mentioned by Ma Calder. was that of a married lady who was afflicted with acute neuritis and had been conlincd to bed for some days. She was taken to the church in a taxi-cab. After treatment she walked from the ' church ' into the city, and mounted a flight of stairs to a diningroom.

A Ponsonby woman had been deaf for 25 years. She now hears almost perfectly. Continued improvement is recorded in the condition of Alex. Menzies, who made a remarkable recovery from paralysis. His left eye, arm and leg were affected. 'He can now perform feats impossible- to him before, and can discern objects at a considerablq distance