RESTITUTION, FAITH CURES, PRAYER CURES AND
THE GIFT OF HEALING.
THE privilege of
prayer which God has provided for his people is one of the greatest boons
imagin-able. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb.4:16.) The mercy has
been provided by God in the great sacrifice of Christ, sufficient to cover all
“the sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” but we must by faith
ap-proach the throne of grace in order to obtain this mercy. So, also, with
all of our necessities as new creatures in Christ; grace to help for every time
of need lies wait-ing for us to claim it-at the throne of grace. Although our
Heavenly Father knoweth what we need, and has made so abundant a provision for
us, yet he will be in-quired of, solicited, by his people, for these mercies
which he assures us he is far more pleased to give than are earthly parents to
do good unto their children.
God’s appointment that his people should approach him in prayer is,
therefore, not for the purpose of in-forming him of our needs, for these he
knows far better than we do but for our spiritual profit, that we may be kept
in close touch with him, that we may continually realize his love and care and grace
toward all who have come into the divine family through Christ and the New
Covenant. For this reason, while sending rain and sunshine upon the world in
general, God holds in his hand many favors, great and small, for “his people,”
which he will bestow only in answer to their faith and prayers.
Prayer is not a privilege merely, but also a
neces-sity;-commanded as indispensable to our Christian growth. (Rom.
12:9-13; I Thes. 5:17.) Whoever loses the desire to
thank and worship and commune with the Father of mercies, may rest assured that
he is losing the very spirit of sonship, and should promptly seek and remove
the barrier-the world, the flesh or the devil. Every additional evidence of
the Lord’s confidence in us by the revealing to us of his character and plan,
so far from diminishing our wor-ship and prayers, should multiply them. If our
hearts are good soil they will bring forth the more abundantly.
THE MODEL
PRAYER.
All of our
Lord’s recorded prayers are beautiful in their simplicity, trustfulness and
unselfishness; but the one usually termed “the Lord’s prayer,” given as an
example of a proper prayer, is certainly in every way a model, which we do well
to follow closely in all our petitions.-Luke 11:2-4; Matt. 6:9-13.
(1) Its opening address is full of filial reverence and trust,-“Our
Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!” What could be more sweet and
child-like! What could be more reverent than this bold ap-proach, direct to the
throne of the heavenly grace!
(2) It does not proceed hastily to the lesser things of a personal
character, but, recognizing that God takes knowledge of all of earth’s affairs,
and has a gracious and sufficient remedy already provided, the model prayer
acknowledges this, and thus expresses faith and interest in God’s plan as
revealed in his Word, saying: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as
it is done in heaven.” Yes, indeed, it is not only fitting that all who
approach God in prayer should previously have searched to know something of
what he has revealed concerning his will-and plan, but also that after learning
of it they should thus confess faith in God, that his plan, when fully
executed, will more than meet all the necessities of our case. This is not a
petition that God would bring in his Kingdom before his appointed time, nor an
expression of an im-patient longing for it; but an expression of hope and trust
and patient waiting for that which we know will more than meet all proper
expectations, and fulfill all the promises of God’s Word. It also signifies
our al-legiance to the Kingdom and its laws and spirit; and hence implies that
so far as we are concerned, we will do all in our power to conform our lives to
its precepts even now.
(3) Then coming to personal desires, it requests only the necessities,-the
“bread and water,” which God assures us shall be sure to all who are truly
his. It asks, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The re-quest is not for
wealth, nor luxuries, nor overplus, nor dainties and delicacies. It is simply
an acknowl-edgment of God as the great Provider, and of our re-liance upon him
and his promises, leaving quantity and quality and everything else to divine
wisdom and love, to be ordered to our highest good.
(4) Although our sins have been forgiven, and we have been received into
the family of God as sons before we have any right to pray “Our Father,” yet we
are very humbly to feel that we stand as “sons” by grace in Christ, and not in
merit of our own. We there-fore appropriately acknowledge that we are trespassers,
daily, who do not and cannot do the will of God perfectly, praying, “Forgive us
our trespasses,” our short-comings.
(5) Next we acknowledge a principle of God’s justice, that mercy will be
extended through Christ only in proportion as we realize the spirit of divine
mercy, and are willing to exercise it toward others who come short of
perfection in their dealings with us; hence we add, “as we forgive those
who trespass against us.” This is equivalent to a bargain with God, that we
accept his terms of mercy, and will expect none, except as we ourselves
exercise it toward others. What a thought! If fully appreciated, how it would
influ-ence all of God’s sons to be kind and generous toward each other and
toward all men in thought as well as in word and deed.-See Matt. 5:24 ;
6:15.
(6) “And lead us not into temptation;” or, rather, since chastisements
and temptations ( or trials ) are necessary to our discipline and preparation
for the Kingdom ( James 1:2-12 ), we must understand this as the Emphatic
Diaglott indeed renders it, “Abandon us not to trial.” Since the trial of
our faith worketh patience, experience and hope (I Pet. 4:12; Rom. 5:3-5), and
is needful for our perfecting in holi-ness ( I Pet. 1:6, 7 ), the Father
will not hinder us from having temptations, even though he himself tempteth no
man. ( Jas. 1:13.) A man is tempted when he is led astray and enticed by
his own selfish, fallen desires; he sins when he yields to those
desires. ( James 1:14.) But in the hour of trial, temptation, who could come
off conqueror without the promised “grace sufficient for every time of need”
which will succor us and not per-mit us to be tempted above what we are able to
bear, but will with the temptation provide also a way of escape?-I Cor. 10:13.
(7) “But deliver us from evil,” or, as some pre-fer it, Deliver us from
the Evil One.
[The remaining
sentence with which this prayer is usually closed is spurious-not found in the
ancient Greek MSS. It would appear to have been added at the time when an
earthly exaltation of the Church had led some to believe that the Papal glory
was the glory of God’s Kingdom.]
The great Adver-sary
is as much on the alert to entrap us through the weaknesses of the flesh, as
our Lord is ready to deliver us and give us victory. We are not sufficient of
ourselves for such a contest against the powers of darkness, and hence have
need frequently of this petition to the throne of grace, for as the Apostle
declares, “our sufficiency is of God.”-II
Cor 3:5.
ASK IN FAITH,
NOTHING DOUBTING.
Our prayers are
not to be “vain repetitions,” formal requests for what we do not expect. We
are to “ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (James 1:6.) And whatsoever things ye
ask “believe that ye [shall] re-ceive them,” for whatsoever is not of faith is sin,
hy-pocrisy.-Mark 11:11, 24; Rom. 14:23.
The child of God must therefore be a close student of his Father’s Word;
because he is expected to ask that he may receive, that his joy may be full;
and he is cautioned to ask only for such things as his Father has expressed a
willingness to grant; and he must ask in faith or not at all.
There can be no doubt that in this matter of prayer, as in other matters,
our Heavenly Father designs to cultivate faith in his people. He tells us that
“With-out faith it is impossible to please God;” and that “This is the victory
that overcometh the world, even your faith.” Hence, only those who exercise
faith and ask in prayer for the promised favors, are really ready to receive
them according to God’s judgment and arrangement. This being the case, it
should be the prayer of God’s people today, as amongst the Apostles, “Lord!
increase our faith.” And thus pray-ing, and laboring to this end, each would be
more and more helped in overcoming the world and its faithless influences.
True faith is not credulity. It is critical, and be-lieves only upon good
evidence. It criticizes closely and distinguishes clearly between the
teachings of men and the substantiated Word of God. But, having found the Word
of God, it trusts it implicitly, knowing that its Author cannot lie; and that
all his purposes and promises will be accomplished.
True faith, then, makes sure of its ground by giv-ing careful heed to the
Lord’s Word; and then, asking according to that Word, it has confidence in the
results, and waits and prays and watches, perseveringly and patiently. “Watch
and pray,” and “believe that ye shall receive,” were our Lord’s frequent
injunctions. He spake a parable about an unjust judge who was moved by the
importunities of a poor widow to do her justice; and then inquired whether God,
the true judge, would not in due time hear his elect Church, and avenge their
cause justly, though he wait a long time,-until
his own “due time.” And we are told that he uttered this parable to the purport
that God’s people ought to pray continuously, and “not to faint [yield].” -Luke
18:1.
Whatever might be our natural inclinations with
reference to definiteness and persistency in prayer, we must take our
instructions from the Scriptures; and, overcoming our natural predilections, we
must as “little children” and as “dear children” conform our views and conduct
to the instruction which is from above. Let us all, therefore, remember the
words, “Ask [in my name] and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24.) The Heavenly Father has multi-plied
mercies, blessings and providences in store for his obedient and faithful
children who will ask for them.
True, some of these proper and authorized and
much desired requests are long delayed;-for
instance, the Church for more than eighteen centuries has prayed, “Thy Kingdom
come! Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.” God has heard, but
has not answered yet. Nevertheless all who have thus prayed for and desired
the Millennial Kingdom have been blessed by their faith in that Kingdom not
seen as yet,-but evidently now very near.
However, other requests-for daily food and for succor in
temp-tation and deliverance from the Evil One,-have been promptly answered.
In this connection notice specially that the privi-lege of prayer, or any
other favor of God, is not granted for selfish purposes. A thing which might
be properly desired and asked for in one case might be improper if asked for
from some other motive. To desire and ask for something good in itself, in
order that we might be glorified before our fellows, is a wrong request,
because of a wrong motive.
The desire for a good thing, simply for ease and convenience, is an
improper, selfish motive. The Apostle refers to such cases, saying, “Ye ask,
and re-ceive not, because ye ask amiss, to consume it upon your desires,”- i.e., for vain-glorious purposes or other self-ish reasons.
(Jas. 4:3.) To ask for some good thing simply to make a test of it, thereby to
establish our faith, is seemingly an improper request, for none but the faith-full
are promised anything.
Besides, God’s plan is that we should walk by faith and not by sight.
Hence, we not only should not ask anything unauthorized, but as we grow in
spirituality our petitions will be chiefly for spiritual favors; and even in
asking for these we should be particular not to specify how they are to
come. And we should look for the answers to our prayers in natural rather than
super-natural channels, since God’s usual method is to use supernatural means
only where the natural means are inadequate.
The graces of the holy Spirit are specially stated to be open to our
requests and corresponding efforts: Your Heavenly Father is more willing to
give the holy Spirit to them that ask it, than earthly parents are to give good
(earthly) gifts to their children.-Luke
11:11.
“YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE
YE ASK NOT.”
- James 4:2. -
The trouble with
many is that they do not avail themselves of the great stock of divine grace
set apart for the benefit of those who, abiding in Christ, and his word abiding
in them, do ask, do seek and do find. Let no one suppose that all prayer must
be selfish. Quite to the contrary, we have a wide field of prayer liberty in
full accord with the Lord’s Word and will.
Every trial of faith and patience is an occasion
for prayer for the promised succor. Every failure to gain victory is an occasion
for a prayer for forgiveness, and as well for divine blessing, that the lesson
of our own weakness may be deeply impressed, so that in the next similar trial
we may promptly apply for and lay hold upon the “grace to help” promised.
Every vic-tory over self is an occasion for prayer that we be not high minded
and puffed up, but kept humble and watch-ful for the next attack from the great
Adversary. Every service for the truth becomes an occasion for a prayer of
thanks for the privilege of serving the Great King and mayhap to have suffered
something for his cause; and a cause for supplication for further
oppor-tunities of service and grace to use them wisely.
If you have trials and temptations which
you are able to overcome, and which are working out in your charac-ter
patience, experience, brotherly-kindness, sympathy and love, rejoice and offer
the prayer of thanksgiving and acknowledgment of divine mercy and help. If
your trials seem heavier than you can bear, and likely to crush you, take the
matter to the great Burden bearer, and ask his help in bearing whatever would
do you good, and release from all that would not do you good, but which would
injure you. If your heart is full of a desire to obey the Lord’s
injunction and “for-get not the assembling,” and you are unreasonably
hindered in a way that you have tried to overcome but cannot, take the matter
to the Lord in prayer, and watch and wait and strive according to your prayer,
and you will soon see a manifestation of divine power on your behalf. If you
see a true brother, a true “soldier” faltering and in danger, let your heart be
so full of love for all of the Lord’s “brethren” that you will not only run to
his relief, but also supplicate the throne of the heavenly grace unceasingly,
until you have regained him, or until in his willfulness he has renounced the
“narrow way” entirely. And should the fault be your own, your prayers and
efforts will surely be blessed and overruled to your own profit. If you have no burning zeal to preach the good tidings of
great joy, pray earnestly and faithfully and persistently for it, and strive for it, and you will soon have it. If you have a
zeal and love for the gospel, and lack ability to present it, pray for the
ability while you make full use of what you have. If you have the zeal and the
ability and lack an opportunity, take it to the Lord in prayer as soon as you
can, telling him that you are faithfully using all the opportunities you have.
Then watch for more opportunities without slacking your hand to use the very
humblest and smallest within your reach.
Have you a quarrelsome disposition, or other bad habits, which you
realize are a burden to your home and family, and to your brethren in the Lord’s
house-hold? Take it to the Lord in prayer, asking grace and meantime using your
best diligence and effort in harmony with your prayer.
Do you lack wisdom, so that your efforts to serve the Lord and the
truth are usually failures? Take it to the Lord in prayer, remembering the
promise, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giv-eth to all liberally
and upbraideth not.”-James 1:5.
Have you business complications brought about by your lack of judgment, or
the dishonesty of others, or your generosity to the poor, etc.? And do these
perplex you and hinder your progress in spiritual matters, and thus threaten
your welfare as a “new creature?” This surely is a proper matter to lay before
the Lord at the throne of the heavenly grace. And although it would not be
right for you to attempt to dictate how your re-lief shall come, and you should
not expect the Lord to work a miracle to prosper your imprudent venture, yet
you can ask his wisdom to guide and overrule in the results, better than your
wisdom could do it.
Here is a wide range of subjects (and it might be widely expanded) upon
which we may go to the throne boldly in the name of Jesus and ask and receive,
seek and find, God’s grace sufficient. But the range of sub-jects upon which
we may not approach God in prayer is also large. We may not ask anything to
minister to pride or selfishness or ambition, nor anything which would injure
another; nor anything which would con-flict with the Lord’s plan as revealed in
his Word. Oh! how many “ask and receive not, because they ask amiss,” that
they may consume the desired favor upon their earthly desires.
THE PRAYERS OF CHRIST
UNSELFISH
Our Lord’s
prayers, like all his acts and teachings, are models of unselfishness.
Therefore, before we ask anything of the Father, one question should be
carefully considered; viz.-Why do I
want this? If the petitioner is consecrated and desires the healing of any that
are sick, it should not be for his own glory, nor for his own com-fort, nor in
any manner for himself; for such requests are selfish and out of harmony with
his covenant of sac-rifice “even unto death.” Remember the course of our Lord
and the apostles. Our Lord used divine power in feeding the multitude because
of their neces-sity, and to glorify the Father; but when he himself was
forty days without food he would not use the same power to feed himself, by
commanding the stones to become bread, because this would have been contrary to
his mission; for he came not to serve himself but others: not to preserve his
own life, but to sacrifice it, to lay it down in the service of others. He
created food for the multitudes, but not for himself or the disciples, though
he referred to the miracle as an evidence that if ever necessary the
same power would create bread for them. But it seems to have been the Father’s
plan to provide for his people by natural means, for there is no record of
necessity for such a miracle on their behalf. Doubtless the Lord and his
disciples partook of the bread and fish after they were made, and probably of
the remaining fragments, but note that the object of their creation was the
relief of the multitude and not their own refreshment. (Matt. 15:32; 16:5-12.)
He healed the lame and the palsied miraculously when it would glorify God, but
when he himself was weary, he “sat on the well” to rest, or used other natural
means. Though he prayed often to the Father, and knew that he was heard
always, and although sometimes heavy and sorrowful, as in Gethsemane, yet his
prayers were re-quests for grace and strength to do the Father’s will, and to
finish the work he had come to do. And though he tells us that by asking he
could have had “twelve legions of angels” to protect his person and his life,
yet he would not ask-preferring to have the Father’s
will accomplished, which he had come to perform; namely, to give himself a
“ransom for all.” So notably was this a characteristic of his, that even his
enemies noticed it, and said, “He saved others [from sickness, etc.], himself he
cannot save.” They could not appreciate the self-sacrifice which he was
per-forming. And so, too, we may reasonably expect that many nominal
Christians today will not understand the same motives and conduct in those who
prefer to share in Christ’s sufferings, to join with him in sac-rifice, in
order that they may share also in his coming glorious work of blessing and
restoring “that which was lost.”
APOSTOLIC GIFTS USED UNSELFISHLY
Notice also the
Apostles. They, too, had the gift of healing as well as privilege of prayer,
but they did not use these selfishly. In all the records we find no instance
of the exercise of the gift of healing on be-half of any of the apostles or any
of the church; nor have we any record of prayer for health, or other earthly
luxuries, being offered by any of them for themselves or each other, except in
one case-that of Paul (II Cor. 12: 7-9),
and his request was not grant-ed; but he was told that instead he should have a
suf-ficiency of grace to compensate and enable him to bear it patiently. This
should command the attention of all.
Although Paul’s request for himself was refused-God seeing that his
affliction of weak eyes could be made to work to divine glory and his own
advantage-yet his gift to heal others was
marvelous: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, so that from
his body were brought unto the sick, hand-kerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases
departed from them.” (Acts 19:12.) Mark also the fact that though there is no
account of the healing of the sick among the early disciples, it was not
because they were never sick, for several instances of sickness are recorded.
Paul writes to Timothy, “Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick;” and
again he writes to Timothy, who was evi-dently often troubled with indigestion
or dyspepsia, to use wine as a medicine; saying, “Use no longer water
[exclusively], but take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake, and for thine often
infirmities.” (I Tim. 5:23.) In neither of these cases did Paul send
hand-kerchiefs or aprons from his person, nor did he men-tion either praying
for their recovery, or advise them so to pray. Evidently these cases should
teach us that the gifts of healing, and prayer for the recovery of the sick were
used, not upon the saints, but rather through them upon others, for the purpose
of calling attention to the apostles and their gospel as being approved
by God.
A special reason why the saints cannot properly ask for physical health
and earthly luxuries, we have already intimated is, that they, like their Lord,
have consecrated themselves, and pledged to God the exchange of all earthly
favors and privileges for the heavenly favors and glories to come;-a foretaste of which they now enjoy through the
exceeding great and heavenly promises which cheer and refresh and comfort and
bless more than earthly blessings could. Who, that understands the matter,
would renounce his heirship in the future heavenly glories, together with
present hopes and spiritual joys or re exchange them, if he could, for future
earthly restitution, and present occasional foretastes of it?
THREE CAUSES OF
SICKNESS
But some will
inquire, If it is not proper for the consecrated to pray for the healing of
themselves, what does the Apostle James mean when he says, “The prayer of faith
shall save the sick?”
Accidents may and do occur so far as the world is concerned, but the
saints are God’s peculiar care; nothing can come upon them except as specially
per-mitted. While God could take all the world under such special supervision,
he pleases rather to let them be subject to the ordinary vicissitudes of the
present condemned state-accidents, sickness, etc. Only
the church (the consecrated) is comforted with the assur-ances of special care:
“Your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things,” and “Like as a
father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,” those
that respect and love him, those consecrat-ed to his service. Of such it is
written, “All the steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord;” and “the
very hairs of your head are all numbered.”-Matt.
10:30; 6:31-34.
While therefore sickness may in a general way be considered, at least
indirectly, the work of Satan who deceived mankind into sin, and hence into
sickness and death, yet in view of what we see of God’s special care of the
saints, we know that, in their case at least, sick-ness could not come without
the Lord’s special permis-sion; and hence it should be regarded in their case
as from him, and not directly from Satan, who could have no power over us
except it were given him of the Father.
We accordingly classify the causes of afflictions, in-cluding sickness, as
follows,-but only as applicable to the
consecrated church. First,-Those which
have been either produced or aggravated by our activity in the Lord’s service.
Second,-Inherited weaknesses and those
brought on ourselves by violations of the laws of nature previous to our
entrance into the family of God as sons. Third,-Such as come upon us as disci-pline or chastisement from the Lord for
sins or wan-derings or coldness, or for the sin of failing to fulfill our
covenant of sacrifice; or as needed discipline to prevent these.
FIRST CLASS
SUFFERINGS.
Of the first
class were the sufferings of Christ -his weariness, weakness, bloody sweat,
ignominious buffetings, and all the reproaches and sneers, and bitter words, to
which he meekly and quietly submitted until the sufferings of Calvary
terminated his human exist-ence. Of this first class were also the wounds of
Paul and Silas, when scourged for preaching Christ, when stoned, beaten and
imprisoned, and when in perils by sea and by land, among the Jews and among
false brethren. Of this class was also the dyspepsia of Tim-othy, who,
probably not naturally strong, studied and labored for the Lord, and in the
interest of the church; and such we are distinctly told was the cause of the
sickness of Epaphroditus, of whose sickness Paul writes, saying, “Receive him
therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: because
for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding
[sparing] his life, to supply your deficiency.”-Phil. 2:29, 30.
Yes, indeed, these and all such sicknesses and scars and wounds are
honorable marks of distinction, which each soldier of the cross should be
ambitious to bear, as Paul said referring to injuries endured in the service
of the truth, “I bear about in my body the marks of the Lord
Jesus.” These he had received, not in money-seeking or fame-seeking, nor in
self-indulgence, nor in quarreling and disputing about the loss and dross of
earth, but in the good fight of faith; in contending earnestly for the faith
once delivered to the saints, against error amongst Jewish friends, and against
phil-osophies and sciences falsely so called. He endured his wounds and
tribulations in telling the glad tidings of the gospel of Christ of which he
was not ashamed, and holding up the cross of Christ-to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness, but to us who believe the power of God and the wisdom of God.
All the “overcomers,” all the faithful in Christ Jesus, are likely to have
some such scars as proofs of their faithful endurance. There is no escape in
this war. It is war to the death with all as well as with our Head and
Captain, and the first loyal soldiers in our army. And it is in this view that
Rev. 20:4 represents all those who shall be accounted worthy of the first
resurrection as being “beheaded.” (The beheading is symbolic; for neither
our Lord nor the apostles were literally beheaded. It signifies that all must
suffer earthly disadvantages, and lay down their lives in the defense and
service of the truth, if they shall be worthy to share Christ’s glory.) All
suffering for righteous-ness’ sake is suffering for the truth. Our daily
lives are to be “living epistles known and read of all men;” and if we suffer
because we refuse to be conformed to this world, or because we give the
testimony of our lives against sin and for holiness, we suffer for the truth’s
sake. If your talents and opportunities permit no more active service for the
truth than such godly living and suffering therefor, rejoice! and reckon that
yours are among the first class sufferings, and let pa-tience do her perfect
work of moulding your character by this means to our Lord’s likeness
The Apostle tells us also of a “fellowship of suf-fering” which may be
experienced through mental sympathy. Those who cannot suffer personally and
physically for the truth can sympathize with those who have such sufferings and
can thus become “partakers,” sustaining, encouraging and upholding those who
are in the “great fight of affliction” for the Lord’s cause, by their words,
faith and prayers. Notice the prom-ise to such in the Apostle’s words in
Heb. 6:10.
Sickness and discomfort of any sort, incurred by
our energy in the service of the truth, are permitted by our Father as
evidences of our fidelity and love; because if not liable to such tribulations,
or if relieved of them instantly by a miracle, the Lord’s service would cost us
no sacrifice and the test of our willingness to endure for the truth’s sake
would be wanting. As it is, however, every ache and pain or wound of person or
of feelings, and beheading socially or literally for the truth’s sake, becomes
a witness of the spirit, testi-fying to our faithfulness. And in all such
tribulations we should rejoice greatly-as say our Lord and the Apostle Peter.-Luke 6:22, 23; I Pet. 4:13-16.
SECOND CLASS
SUFFERINGS
Of the second
class of sickness and afflictions are poverty, constitutional weaknesses, etc.,
which, like Paul’s sore eyes, the Heavenly Father sees will be really
advantageous to us. For he doubtless often sees better than we how weak we
are, and how a little adversity is necessary, as ballast, to keep our poorly
bal-anced little vessels from capsizing. These weaknesses God sees best to
leave us under, but assures us, through Paul, of “grace sufficient” to
counterbalance such weaknesses. A realization of such care for our real
interests, while humiliating, in that it forces convic-tion of our weakness, is
refreshing and inspiring, in that it proves our Father’s love and care.
THIRD CLASS
SUFFERINGS
The third class
includes chiefly such afflictions as God visits upon his children as special
chastisements for special transgressions. These are mentioned in Heb.
12:5-11. “Son, despise not thou the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when
thou art reproved by him; for whom the Lord loveth he disciplineth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure discipline, God dealeth
with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father disciplineth not? But
if ye be with-out discipline whereof all are partakers, then are ye spurious
and not [real] sons. ... Now, no discipline for the present seemeth joyous, but
grievous; never-theless, it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto
them which are [properly] exercised [or trained] thereby.” This description, it
will be observed, cov-ers not merely the reproofs or rebukes of the Lord (verse
5), of the unfaithful and wanderers and trans-gressors, but also the
disciplinary trials which come to us in well doing, and are permitted for the
developing and strengthening of character;-hence
both second and third class sufferings.
It is only the rebukes and reproofs of the Lord for sin and unfaithfulness
that we are examining in this third class of afflictions. We remark, too, that
prob-ably every son, except the one perfect one, our Lord Jesus, has at times
needed and received rebukes by af-flictions, for unfaithfulness. And it is
well that we should learn to recognize these rebukes and to wisely apply their
lessons. Rightly dividing, we shall neither err with some in crediting every
affliction to the devil-receiving none as rebukes from our
Father, nor will we err on the other hand and suppose every calamity and
accident which occurs to the world in general and to the nominal church to be a
divine rebuke. We should see clearly that only the consecrated “sons” are
under God’s special supervision, which includes rebukes by the Lord for sins
and shortcomings, as well as afflic-tions in well-doing, permitted to test and
perfect us. If therefore the saints experience serious afflictions, they
should at once examine themselves conscientiously before God, to see whether
their afflictions arise in any sense from faithfulness to the Lord and the
truth. If they find that they do, they should rejoice in them, and wait
patiently for recovery, which without our ask-ing sometimes comes speedily;
praying meantime with thanksgiving for blessings enjoyed and with supplications
for further usefulness in the Lord’s due time.
The Apostle Peter mentions some who suffered, not for
righteousness’ sake, but as evil-doers and as busy-bodies in other men’s
matters. Such, as he shows, have no right to rejoice in such sufferings, but
contrari-wise to be ashamed,-to lay the
lesson to heart and by God’s grace reform their methods.
While some, humble minded, do not readily recognize any sufferings as
endured for the Lord’s sake, and, need to be encouraged along this line, others
who do little and suffer little from any cause, imagine them-selves martyrs for
the truth. Let us avoid both ex-tremes and think of ourselves soberly,
underestimating rather than overestimating our little services and sac-rifices.
But if we see no evidence that our afflictions have resulted either
directly or indirectly from our zeal in the Lord’s service, we should at once
seek for a cause of the afflictions as a rebuke from the Lord, remember-ing
that nothing could happen to us aside from our Father’s permission, and that he
never permits them except for a wise purpose.
Of the rebuking afflictions Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. ( I Cor.
11:21, 22, 27, 29, 30-34. ) After recounting how careless and unappreciative of
their covenant many of them were, failing to recognize their proper
participation with Christ, to be broken with him and share his cup of suffering
for the truth’s sake, he says: “For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep.” This may refer to spiritual lethargy and sickness
only; but not im-probably also to the physical.
The general object of many such afflictions is our discipline and
reformation; and happy is the son who shall speedily note a rebuke of the
Father, and repent and come back quickly into full harmony; and who, exercised
thereby, shall seldom need the rebuking rod of affliction. The Apostle refers
to this also ( I Cor. 11:31-34), saying, “If we would judge ourselves we
should not be judged [by the Lord]. “If we would critic-ally watch ourselves
and correct our own faults, disci-plining ourselves, we should not need to be taken
in hand and disciplined by afflictions.” But when we are judged by the Lord we
are corrected, [in order] that we should not be condemned with the world.” The
consecrated are tried now, in order that they may not need any further trial in
the future, during the Millennial age, when the world shall be on trial.
“Is any among you suffering [afflicted], let him pray,” says the
Apostle (James 5:13). This counsel will apply to all the trials and
afflictions of God’s people, mental and physical, especially such as are of the
first class or the second class. Such sufferers may take all their troubles of
every kind to the Lord direct, and be assured of his sympathy and grace to help
and sustain. Such need no elders to pray for the forgive-ness of their sins,
as in the following verses (14, 15), where, evidently, the third class
afflictions are re-ferred to,-sicknesses
the result of rebukes from God for sins, and not sicknesses of the class first
described, in which we may rejoice. James says: “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 though he have
committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Therefore confess your sins
one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” [Old Greek MSS. read therefore
and sins.]
The prayer, as we
understand it, should be for the forgive-ness of the sins of
which the sickness is a punishment or rebuke, rather than for release from the
deserved pun-ishment. But if the sickness was a judgment or disci-pline for
sin, we should expect that when the sin had been confessed and truly repented
of, the Lord would remove the chastisement and raise up the penitent son from
the affliction, either partially or wholly.-Compare
Matt. 9:2-6; John 5:14; and I John 5:16.
But let us remember that this statement does not refer to the various
small aches and annoyances to which we, in common with the world in general,
are subject; and which serve us a good purpose in the de-velopment of patience
and sympathy for others. We know this, first of all, by the calling in of
the elders of the Church [the senior, or chief, or official mem-bers] to pray
over and anoint the sick with oil: because such extreme measures would be quite
improper for a slight ailment. We know it secondly by the Greek word used for sick
in verse 14, which has the signific-ance of helpless or impotent.
OUR PRESENT STANDPOINT
We see, then,
that promiscuous praying for health during the Gospel age would have been
improper, and that only by means of the gift of healing were the early
cures of the age performed; that it ceased with the death of the apostles after
accomplishing its object; and that the proper prayers relating to sickness, on
the part of the saints, have been those offered for the for-giveness of sins-as a result of which healing followed. But we see,
too, that as the Millennial age is dawning -lapping upon the Gospel age which
is closing-we should expect that healing and
general restitution would begin to be manifested, much as we do see it. And
this leads us to inquire,-In the light of the fore-going
examination of the Bible teachings and in the light of our present location in
the dawn of the Millennium,
FOR WHOM MAY WE NOW
PRAY?
We answer, the
saints cannot properly pray for their own health now, any more than could their
Master. They cannot properly ask the restitution priv-ileges which they have
consecrated, nor can they ask that their sacrifices be nullified by having all
the cost of weariness, exhaustion, stripes or sickness miracu-lously removed.
But when they realize their afflic-tions to be punishments for sins, they can
still feel at liberty to confess their sins one to another, and pray to God for
forgiveness, and thus they may, as a result, be healed.
The saints who abide in Christ, and in whom his Word abides, may pray for
others than themselves, especially in view of the fact that we are now in the
beginning of the Times of Restitution; namely, in cases where they are sure
their object is not self-exal-tation; where their desires for the recovery of
the sick are not selfish; where they have reason to believe that the restored
health would be consecrated to good works and the glory of God. In such cases
we may upon re-quest pray for the recovery of the afflicted or imbecile not
of the consecrated little flock-the
sacrificers, the Royal Priesthood. Yet even in such cases, though our faith
must necessarily be strong, because confident of asking from right motives, and
at a time when the Lord is pleased to grant a beginning of restitution
blessings, we should always say, as the Master did in his prayers,-“Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”
However, it is not time yet to expect general healing and full restitution
work, as that evidently will not be due until the entire Priesthood shall have
finished sac-rificing and entered with their Head and Chief Priest Jesus, into
the glories and perfections of the heavenly state or condition, typified by the
Most Holy of the Temple and Tabernacle.
HE MUST INCREASE, BUT
I MUST DECREASE
At first sight
it might appear that as the gifts at the beginning of the age were exercised through
the consecrated, so the healings to be expected in the Mil-lennial dawn
would be manifested mostly in answer to the prayers of the consecrated. But
not so, we believe, will it be found; this would bring the saints into too
great prominence, whereas, like John the Baptist at the first advent, we must
expect to decrease here, while the Church Triumphant, on the other side the vail,
will be on the increase. Our present relationship to the glorified Church-pointing out the nearness of the reign of glory-answers closely in correspondence to the work of
John the Baptizer at the first advent. John proclaimed, The Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand, and added, “There standeth one among you whom ye know not. He must
increase, but I must decrease.” So, much the same, is our message; and while
the Church on the earthly plane will decrease, the glori-fied Church on the
heavenly plane will be increasing in power and influence during the time of trouble
com-ing, while the John class, will doubtless be put under restraints, as John
was cast into prison by Herod.
In harmony with what we should thus expect, vari-ous methods of healing
meet with some success, and in-deed we have heard of more than one case of
healing where no cure was attempted, or even thought of, by either the sick or
the friends. One case was that of a sick girl, at whose bedside her friends
had gathered, waiting for her to die; she immediately recovered, got up and
went about as ever. The only explanation she could give was that she had a
dream in which a man laid his hand upon her head, and she felt a shock like
electricity pass down her spine. And this young woman did not even
profess to be a Christian.
By various means the Lord would gradually pre-pare the world for
restitution, so that when it comes the new order of things will still leave
room for the ex-ercise of faith toward God; for the proud and scienti-fic to
explain from natural causes, while others will be led thereby to recognize such
things as the beginning of restitution. And since the overcomers have a great
work to do in opposing error and instilling truth, and since, if they were much
engaged in praying for the sick, it would detract from their real and important
work of healing the spiritually sick and lame and blind, we see great reasons
why we should expect these mani-festations of restitution both in and
through others than the saints.
SHOULD THE
CONSECRATED USE MEDICINES?
This question
naturally suggests itself. We are neither commanded nor forbidden to use
medicines. In our consecration we gave up human advantages coming to us as to
all believers through Christ in exchange for the spiritual advantages offered
us. Hence all restitu-tion blessings and privileges we are
debarred from asking; although God, for his own wise ends, sometimes
grants his “new creatures” special favors and manifestations of an earthly sort
in their hours of need; even though they do not ask for them.-See Matt. 26:53, 54; Acts 12:6-11; 14:19,
20; Phil. 2:27.
It should be noticed, however, that (aside from Christ’s work of
redemption and restitution) con-demned men are privileged to use such natural
means as they can command, in food and medicines, for the relief of their
ailments and the sustenance, as long as they may be able, of their condemned
and dying bodies. And these privileges consequently the saints retain and
possess, even after having exchanged the earthly ad-vantages through Christ,
for the heavenly ad-vantages.
Nothing, then, in their covenant of full consecra-tion, prevents the
saints more than unbelievers from using natural means for their relief. We
have the liberty to do so whenever our judgment indicates the expediency. And
though we are not informed that our Lord used medicines, we should remember
that he was perfect, and had only such pains and aches as he himself took from
others. However, he certainly illus-trated the principle of making use of
natural means, not asking divine power for relief, by resting when weary
instead of praying for supernatural restoration; and when hungry and thirsty he
ate and drank instead of praying for strength and refreshment otherwise. So,
too, it was with the apostles as far as we may know from the meager scraps of
history of their private af-fairs furnished us in Scripture. Paul tells us (II
Cor. 11:27, 30) of his weariness and pains and hunger and thirst and cold and
nakedness, and says he gloried in these marks of his faithfulness, but mentions
not one word about praying for the removal of these by divine power; nor does
he record one answer of such a prayer as a mark of favor with God. On the
contrary, in the single instance he mentions of having prayed for physical
restitution (the restoration of his sight), he does tell us that the Lord
refused his request, telling him it was best for him so-the grace sufficient being in spiritual and not
earthly favors above those of natural men.- II Cor. 12:9.
When Paul was thus needy at times, what did he do? Did he pray God to feed
and clothe him? No; he well knew that God had promised that no good, needful
thing should be withheld, so long as he was his servant. He did not ask God to
create money in his pockets, nor to send some kind hearted person, not too lazy
to work, with a basket of dainties for him to eat, while he studied or
prayed? No! that was not Paul’s sort, else he would not have been selected
as “a chosen vessel” to bear the Lord’s truth. When he was hungry Paul neither
went out and begged nor stayed indoors to pray for the things needed, but went
to work at his trade,-tent making, teaching publicly and privately as
opportunities offered; unwilling to ask aid even of the believers whom
he served; though he well knew that they were negligently losing, both the
privilege of giving to his support and the spread of the truth, and also losing
the valuable instruction which he could have imparted during those hours
necessarily devoted to secular labor.
We remember, too, Paul’s advice to Timothy re-garding medicine to take a
little wine (as a medicine, not as a beverage) for his indigestion and
“often infirmities.” And this we find in perfect harmony with Paul’s own course
and that of our Lord, and there-fore certainly a safe guide to us respecting
our Father’s will.
But, says one,-even if it be right to use simple remedies, such as may
come under our observation,-would it be right to spend the Lord’s money
(as all the money which the consecrated have is the Lord’s) upon physicians? We
answer that our Lord and the dis-ciples spent consecrated money for bread,
which is the medicine needed when hungry. And we presume Timothy, following
Paul’s counsel, spent some conse-crated money for the medicinal wine. Our
Lord and the apostles did not commend medicines and physicians, and doubtless
the art was so crude as to be unworthy of commendation; yet they were not
condemned, and it was acknowledged that the sick need a physician. (Matt.
9:12.) But in all this we would not be under-stood as advocating drugs and
doses;-moderation should be used in all that we do, that whether we eat or
drink or take medicine or whatever, all may be done with reason and to the
glory of God. Probably as many die of too much as of too little medicine. We
should not fill ourselves with medicine nor with wine nor be gluttonous with
food; but be temperate in all things.
We cannot for a moment concede as the superiors or equals of our Lord and
Paul, in faith or divine favor, some who in our day claim to live by faith,
“working not at all;” who do little to weary or pain themselves, and who
rejoice that they have no such experiences as Paul had with hunger and cold,
and thirst, and naked-ness, as marks of special faith and holiness and divine
favor. We believe that many such are sincere children of God, deceived on this
question by following their own feelings and inclinations rather than carefully
studying the perfect examples of God’s will in this matter, furnished in
Scripture.-See II Thes. 3:8-10, 11-15.
In view of the Scripture teaching, we must there-fore advise the
consecrated to walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus and those who followed
him most closely; ignoring in this as in other things their own preferences as
to how they would like to think about it, and how they would like to
do and have God do in such matters. Let us fully submit our wills and methods
to God’s plan and arrangement as expressed and illus-trated in his Word. As
“new creatures” we may ask freely and persistently for all spiritual blessings
and graces, and unselfishly for all our necessities promised. Then,
sure that such will come, we should seek for them and acknowledge them with
thankfulness, by whatever agency or channel sent.
But in earthly matters we must be very careful: let us ask for nothing
beyond our actual needs, as God (not we) sees the necessity and
expediency-thankful always for the “bread and water” promised, as well as for
every additional comfort. Realizing always God’s superior wisdom and boundless
love for us, we should fear to take our interests in any degree
out of his hand. Thus we may always live rejoicing, realizing that, whatever
may befall us, all is working out for good to us. We may need an acquaintance
with pain, or to come into perplexity and almost to want, in order to have
needful experience or testing or chastisement. And we should learn to search
for and appreciate the lesson or chastisement quickly, and prove
ourselves apt pupils in the school of Christ.
PRAYERS FOR OUR CHILDREN
Especially in the case of their children, consecrated parents may well
feel that, now in the dawning of the Millennial age, they have special
privileges in prayer; for of all classes these are most surely the heirs of
restitution blessings. The children of all believers are justified through
the faith of their parents up to the time they reach years of mental
discretion. ( I Cor. 7:14.) Hence they are heirs of the earthly
bles-sings, restitution, etc. And now that the Restitution Times are upon us,
we should feel great confidence in asking health and strength and life for
such. It would seem indeed that now the children of believers might live on
down into the full sunlight of Millennial glory and blessing, when none will
die except such as sin willfully against that light and favor. Yet in all our
requests we cannot ask otherwise than as the Master did, saying-Nevertheless
not my will but thine be done. And it should be the aim and patient en-deavor
of each parent to bring his children as nearly as possible to the proper point
of full consecration-the reasonable service of all.