Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-28

Another instance is recorded of a cure by
the influence of prayer. Miss Bewley, of
Bristol, Pa, having remained in bed sixteen
years, was so affected by the prayers Of meet
ing called especially in her behalf that she
got up and walked, and she has since been
able TO walk about freely. 1t will be assumed
by many people that this so-called cure is due
to direct interpostion of Providence in re-
ply to the supplications of the patients
friends; while, on the other hand, there will
be many who will scornfully reject the idea
that the prayers had anything whatever to do
with the cure. Probably both are wrong. II
is no uncommon thing to find patients, par
ticularly women, who take to their beds on
the least occasion. They are lacking in ener-
gy, resolution and pluck. Every toe-ache
passes for infammatory rheumatism, every
stitch in the side for heart disease, and overy
pin-boil for a cancer. They magnify their
ailments until their physical weaknesses out
grow their power to combat them gradually
they give way to the enemy, until they occuo
py their beds most of the time 1t naturally
follows that the longer they stay in bed the
more they increase what illness they really
have. Nature has no chance, and physicians
are often unable to cure disease that would
have little existence but for the habits of the
patient When this condition has lasted as
long as sixteen years it is not unreasonable
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as permanently diseased. He or she acquiesces
in the general opinion, and either pins faith
to successive indifferent, ignorant or unprin-
cipled physicians or else discharges the doc
tors in a kind of despair. Many of these
Emphatic people remain in this condition un-
til old age others die earlier owing to their
confinement and lack of vitality some are
cured by physicians who have not only the
ability to recognize the real difficulty but the
tact to get their patient out of it; an excep-
tional few are restored by some sudden physi-
cal or mental shock, which develops the will
power sufficiently to overpower the paralyzing
fatalism of their minds; and, finally, here
and there is found case where the energiz-
ing principle comes from within. These last
are of the kind usually called prayer and WIS.,
ion cures, or miracles The mind is moved
by an unwonted and overmastering impulse,
and the lethargy of the previous years is suf-
fciently broken to induce the bedridden one
to make an attempt at walking. Practically
that is all that has been needed at any time,
but the melting cause has been lacking. AS
soon as it is produced the cure is perfected,
not through any direct physical change, but
through the will. Evidently to call such a
cure a miracle is a misnomer. It is the re-
suit of prayer by the change wrought in the
patients faith, energy and determination;
but the prayer did not give the power to walk,
it only gave the person confidence that walk
ing was possible.
Although, therefore, the supernatural ele-
ments of such cures may be disregarded, it
would be unjust TO refuse credit to the power
of prayer. Very often the people who have
| become too helpless to make any struggle
| toward improved health cannot be reached by
] any ordinary argument or advice. As indicat-
/ "a by their conduct, their minds are rarely
capable of strong, healthy action, and they
are likely to be of the emotional rather than
the reasonable type. Their emotions general
| ly misguide them into the belief that there is
no use in trying to get well. But once place
them under religious excitement, and allow
the fervor of religious faith to work in their
minds, and their mental capacity for action is
greatly increased. They are then readily sus-
ceptible to the prayer cure, and the prayers
are entitled to the full glory of the result.
| While the idea that q special dispensation has
been accorded in response to prayer may be
entirely erroneous therefore it would be
equally unjust not to give to the prayers tho
credit of curing the patient by reflex action
on the patients mind. There are very many
instances where other results have been
achieved by prayer exactly in the same man
ner, and as an encouragement to manly and
energetic action there is no doubt that prayer
has a much wider influence than is generally
supposed. But direct miracles as the result
of prayer do not find many beheversnowadays,
and the claims set up for the recognition of
such affairs as miracles usually do more harm
| than GOOD -PhiL1delDhid Record