THE GIFTS OF HEALING

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XX, Issue 10, 1 April 1930, Page 14

THE GIFTS OF HEALING

(From the Church Gazette, Auckland.) It is now six years since M, J. M. Hickson made his memorable visit to New Zealand for a series of missions of healing, under the commission of the respective diocesan bishops. It is worth while after this lapse of tune, to review the effects and the permanent results of his tour. The immediate result of the mission six yeairs ago, m every place which has come under our notice, was twofold: (1) The patients received a very great spiritual "uplift," even if m many cases their physical health was not restored; and (2) the spiritual life of the Church, was considerably quickened ,the practical power of sacramental grace and intercessory prayer being appreciated as never before. This second feature has probably been the greatest achievement of the Mission, and we owe Mr Hickson a deep debt of gratitude for it There is, however, some pardonable hesitancy on the parjb of the clergy m attempting to revive the ministry of healing m the Church, for the simple reason that m a large number of cases there was little or no physical improvement m the health of the patients. The curious but undeniable fact was that not a few patients wiho were known to be full of faith in 'the Divine Healer and who were tremendously keen m entering into the spirit of the Mission received no apparent benefit from it. whilst others, who were not regarded as possessing nearly so much of either penitence or faith, gained very appreciable physical relief. It is, therefore, somewhat difficult to persuade oneself of any certainty as to the result, m any individual case, and it is useless for a patient to come to a healing mission if there is any doubt m his mind.

W« have also learnt from experience tho truth, of St. Paul's teaching: that it is not everybody m tho Church who has th© gift of healing to bestow ou the sick, just as it seems equally true that it is not every Christian patient — however sincere his faith may be — who is capable of receiving it. Hence, there arises the difficulty of discriminating between them, and, as we have said, tfhe results seem m many cases to stultify our efforts m this direction. We feel sure that Mr Hickson appreciates these difficulties, and will offer some advice as to how they may best bo overcome. The time may yejb come when a "healing order" may be created m the Church, and this branch of her work systematised ; but until Aye are a little more certain of our ground, it seems to us somewhat dangerous and cruel .to raise the hopes of a sufferer, when the prospects of his recovery are evidently dependent upon other things besides his own faith and disposition. On the other hand, there have been many cases of restoration to health, /both physical, mental and spiritual, which are amply sufficient to demonstrate the reality, of the blessings which may accrue. It would be idle to deny this ; cases have come under our notice wihich prove it beyond a doubt. And this live interest taken by the Church m the health of her people, shown m the countless intercessions offered for the patients, can do and is doing much to convince the world that the Church really cares for the sick, and is making

her own members uioro atfv© to th© power of prayer m their behalf.