A Reply to “A Sober View” in the last Banner.
Gospel Banner, April 1, 1886, page 4
Selected from F. M.
It states that they commonly received the view that all sickness, as well as all sin, may be healed upon the same condition, but on account of the results they are led to seriously consider the correctness of this view. This is not founded on the “Word.” How many profess justification who know nothing about it? How many profess sanctification whose hearts are dens of thieves, still full of avarice, which is the root of all evil, hatred, etc. I think by far a larger percentage is left uncured in praying for justification and sanctification (even very honest souls) than is left uncured in sickness. Many have been praying for years for pardon and also for sanctification. Now, would we take from these that pardon and sanctification were not universal, because some who are praying could not comply with the conditions? NO! Believe God if it make every one else to be a liar. For Jesus never refused one while he was on earth; “He healed them all.” Matt. 12,15. Yes, but he is not here now. “And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28,20. But he is not the same; for now he is not in the flesh. “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.” Heb. 13,8. Then Christ must be the same still, and heal all manners of disease if they believe. Jesus himself could (Did not – Bible) heal the sick when on earth, in his own country “because of their unbelief.” Matt. 13,58. Our progress is conditional “according to thy faith be it unto you.” Matt, 9,29; “Thy faith hath made thee whole,” Matt. 9 22; Luke 7 50; 8 48; 17 19; 18 42; “Verily! verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, shallhe do also and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father.” John 14 12. “If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14 14. Let us not make the word of God of no effect by the traditions of men. Because Dorathea Trudel died at the age of fifty, after an illness is not sufficient evidence for me to lay aside the promises and commandments of God, or we would be compelled to recognize infant baptism and lay aside baptism of believers because Martin Luther baptized infants. The greatest men and women have their weak points, but God’s word is an infallible Guide, flesh is never to be trusted.
Must not faith, as a gift, be imparted by the Holy Ghost before healing can take place? So it is the same exactly in pardon and sanctification. If we consecrate our bodies wholly to God He will do His part in creating healing faith in us; for “He is the author and finisher of our faith.” Faith is the gift of God in nearly the same sense as seeing, walking and eating are the gift of God. Neither of these can be done without Him, yet He does neither of them for us. The power to see, walk, and eat comes from God, (for which we ought to be very thankful) but He neither sees, walks nor eats for us, and yet we can do neither without Him. Thus is faith. God gives us something to eat and power to eat, now we can eat. Thus God gives us His promises which are Yea and Amen, and the power to believe when we come unto Him wholly. It is for us to simply trust in the promises of God and be healed from our infirmities. If we are not healed from our infirmities, it is not for the want of promises or supply of faith on God’s part; but for the want of complying with His conditions, and exercising that faith. May God give us light.
They are trying to prove that natural means ought to be used because George Mueller did so when sickness broke out amongst his orphans and therefor intimate that, because he was a man of great faith, it must be right in everything even if the “Word” does not direct us that way. Then infant baptism must be advocated because Luther, Wesley, and many others practiced it, who did more in the way of evangelizing the world than Mueller. Let us take the “Thus says the Lord,” before we take the word of men, who are liable to err in some things, though they have done wonderful work for God as far as they had light. Next they say Dr. Cullis uses medicine. He does. When men come to him, he asks them in which department they would go, for he has one department for believers, and another for unbelievers. The believers are healed by faith, and the unbelievers are treated by medical aid, and must pay.
What then are the Bible directions for healing? “Is any sick among you? let him call for the Elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of FAITH shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5 13 14. This was not for the apostles only; for the apostolic age was almost past when this was written; all the apostles, save John and Paul, being dead, and this letter was written bby the presiding man of God at Jerusalem, James, who decided the first debate amongst the apostles by “My sentence is etc.” Act 15, 19 and now writes a general epistle to the future church, saying: Is any sick among you, call the Elders, (not doctor) let them pray and anoint with oil (not give medicine.) The prayer of faith SHALL save the sick. Now I believe this word and trust in the same Christ who has healed thousands and never refused one, (so the inspired word tells us) and is the same forever. If the above is not a command, my dear readers, let us not heed it, but think and pray over it, and let us be careful that we don’t do like Asa, II Chr. 16 12-13, Asa was … diseased, yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but to the physicians… and died. Let us read our commission, Mark 16 15-18.
From your Bro., save and healed
W. B. Musselman.
Reading PA,. February 17, 1886.