The Gift of Healing.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume I, Issue 12, 1 June 1911, Page 182

The Gift of Healing.

In the face of the growing interest m the healing 1 of disease without material means, we cannot but be struck by the similarity of the miraculous healing 1 as recorded m Scripture, and the faith-healing" and other mental cures which occur at the present day. In the Hebrew prophets, the miraculous power, more especially the healing- gift, was undoubtedly manifested, m manner varying m degree, rather than m kind, from the majority of our Lord's miracles. As m His case the miracles were the result of perfect union with the Father, so m the case of the prophets, they proceeded from the same source. The temptation of the prophet was, not to disclaim the Divine Imminence as the source of his power, but to claim that power as proceeding from his own individuality — witness Moses striking the rock : the water came, but how terrible was the punishment. Doubtless this was the sin of the false prophets: they acquired the power, but denied the source whence it came. In the fulness of time the fallen race is drawn back into union with God, by the Incarnation of the Word, the taking of manhood into God, and the healing gift is consummated m the man Christ Jesus, the first fruits qf the perfected race, the one man m perfect union with the Father. Christ, the perfect healer, remains m the flesh, but for a space. This assurance, however, He gives to His disciples; "Great^

er works than these shall we do, because I go to the Father." It is through the Comforter dwelling m man, that Christ's nature as perfect man, is to Be exhibited more and more m redeemed humanity, until, when the slow working forces of the Incarnation have borne their perfect fruit, it is not Christ the Head, alorie, who will be seen to crown and justify the whole development of the universe, but Christ as the centre of redeemed humanity, the Head with the Body, the Bridegroom with the Bride. Things m heaven and things jn earth and things under the earth shall then acknowledge m that triumphant society the consummation of the whole world's destiny. Thus, then, we may, indeed, believe that we can all be healers, for, by virtue of the Incarnation, this miraculous gift is potentially m all of us. We are assured that the source of all power is with us and within us even unto the end of the world. Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Light. Thus, when the Source of light identifies Himself with His creatures, and so incorporates them that His life becomes their life, it is only to be expected that these gifts should m greater or less degree be manifested m His members. The more completely, the member becomes- one with Him, the fuller must be the manifestation. "I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." (St. John x., 10.) Thus, although the bodily presence of Christ be taken from us, He is still with us, and within us. True, the fact of mere physical healing may take place m us without our consciousness of His presence. Yet His is the healing power, and from Him the blessing comes. Let us, therefore, bear this m mind, that not only is the gift potentially within us, but m proportion as we draw into closer communion with God, it will be manifested m us. As with the individual, so with the race — the Spirit of God dwells with His people, so that "they go from strength to strength, and unto "the God of Gods appeareth every one of them m Zion,"

Let us now consider one point that may be seen both m the Old and New Testament miracles of healing. They exhibit a law — a law of correspondence with faith. The serpent-tormented Israelites were healed, when they looked towards the slain death— the Life m death that was raised m their midst. In the New Testament, according to their faith, it was done unto men, and so Jesus Christ could do no mighty works where there was no belief — for the Christ, though introduced into the world of law to set new forces at work, did so under the old system. In this sense, too, he was born under the law. This state of faith, of which we have spoken, is described by mental scientists as "receptivity." It is this which shall enable us to receive that guidance which is constantly referred to m books on the subject.. Cases of guidance are numerous, both m sacred and profane history, but perhaps the instance of receptivity and guidance that will most certainly occur to us is that of the child Samuel; "Speak, Lord, for They servant heareth." So rapt was the boy m contemplation of the Holy Presence that the Divine voice was actually audible to him — whether the voice was objective or subjective would have made no difference to Samuel. In whatever else the various schools of mental healing may differ, they agree m this, that the end is best attained by concentration on the object desired; a fixing of the mind on this one idea until the whole being becomes saturated therewith. It has long been recognised that the highest type of Christian character may be attained by concentration on or contemplation of the character of Christ. > From what we know of mental healing, it would seem as though physical health might also be obtained by "looking into Jesus." We need only turn to the history of the Christian martyrs for innumerable examples of physical tortures being overcome until there was rapture instead of pain, so steeped were the minds of the sufferers m the thought of Christ- — §q informed of His. presence— that

their everyday consciousness seems to have been stilled. They were alive only to the reality of the beatific vision that they beheld, since it is incredible that tender woman and children could wear a heavenly smil© on their faces whilst submitting to fiendish tortures, unless the bodily senses were stilled and the oon» sciousness raised to a higher plane. , Cases of stigmata are too well known to require more than passing notice. Moreover, stigmata are the last thing we would: wish to produce. But if contemplation of our Lord's wounds odulcl reproduce them m the body of St, Francis, might not the contemn plation of His glorified body cleanse our bodies from their infiiN mities, so that we might say m a wider sense that "our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body/ It is the prayer of faith that should heal the sick ; thus we may regard contemplation as a state rather than an act of prayer, ' , . [ Let auto-suggestion tafc;e the form of a continual and repeated realisation of the presence of Christ, the Master Healer — a constant affirmation that behold He is with us always, even unt& tjie end of the world. Let our thoughts be "an altar, heaped, and ready to take fire at the least spark and leap into a blaze" — then, indeed, we may truly say— "In Thee alone I am whole — for Thou art holiness; In Thee I am happy — for Thou art the perfect joy 5 In Thee I am m harmony;— for Thou art one with the Father and the Holy Spirit." E. B;