The Portland daily press., 1893-08-05

| DR.. Simpson finds Many Followers Who
| Profess To Be Cured by Anointment
| and Prayer-Remarkable Scenes at the
Great Meeting at Old Orchard Yester-
day-How the Believers Showed Their
| JOY in Their Confidence That Disease
| Was Conquered.
| Especial to the Press.]
Old Orchard, August 4.-"God is a
good physician for broken bones,' said
a lady at the meeting of the Christian
| Alliance this afternoon. Her testimony
that in answer to prayer a broken limb
was set, was only one of nearly one hun
dred remarkable stories of cures
wrought without human assistance.
The Christian Alliance, which under
the leadership of DIR. Simpson, teaches
that disease may be cured by faith, is
| again in session here and it's meetings
afford some remarkable scenes when the
sick and suffering profess their belief in
cure or improvement.
Looking about the great audience to-
day. by some estimated at 5000, it was
easy enough for good observer to pick
out those who had come there to be
anointed and prayed with. They had
| but little hope at first, but as the waves
| of testimony rolled in, hope revived, and
| there was considerable sup
pressed excitement This was
| Increased when DR.. Wilson
the most distinguished of the teachers
| of the Alliance after DR.. Simpson HIM
self, asked all in the audience who had
been healed of any disease in answer to
! of five of the great number present
responded. Then DR.. Wilson made a
second request. He asked all who had
been cured of any organic disease to
rise and about 200 responded.
! Then DIR. Simpson asked the sick who
were there to be anointed to go to the
| tabernacle, and the building was crowd
ed in a few moments. DR.. Simpson
| directed that the seats in the
body of the house should
be reserved for the sick, only every al
| ternate seat to be occupied, thus making
ample provision for the ministers and
| workers to move about freely. The SICK
were allowed to pass in first, a gentle
man at the door only asking a single
| question: "Are you to be annointed?'
4
/ secured, DIR. Simpson asked the workers
| to go with the ministers, not to assist in
| the amounting, but in the act of laying
on of hands, and of prayer. Don't hur-
ry,'' said Dr. Simpson. "Go where the
/ Lord sends you, here and there. and do
as He tells you" Rev. Stephen Millett
offered an earnest prayer. He prayed
| that the place might be over-shadowed
| by the cloud of the promises of God to
! those who put their trust in Him.
| Dr. Simpson said that in order that all
| they had to do might be done intelli-
gently, he would remind the sick that all
| all they had to do was to act with God,
| to take Him at His word. to believe that
He would do all things through Christ,
| in short to close the hand
it again. s'Do not let there be doubt
| in your minds that at the end of this
| service you will thank God that Christ
| is your, redeemer and healer, and
| that He is to go with you to the end OF
your work" Then DIR. Simpson asked
the sick these questions:
Are you clearly convinced from the
word of God that it is His will to
heal you for the sake of Christ?'
| do you take Christ to be wholly
| your own?"
Then the ministers and workers
| passed around among the sick. The
/ scene was pathetic. The sick mani
| tested in many ways their hope that
| they might be healed. An aged and
| almost blind woman sat with
| tears filling her dim eyes. A young
| woman. very sick, with thin but very
| lovely face, was close to the front, and
there was something very affecting in
| her appearance. Worn, patient faces
were there by the score, but not one that
| did not bear the marks of long suffering.
/. The brows of the sick were touched
| with the amounting oil, and the ceremony
| of the LAYING on of hands was followed
! bv prayer in every case. ''Look to God,
have complete faith in Christ; claim the
PROMISE" was the substance of each
| prayer.
Once only was there an interruption,
| if such it could be called, and then ''Je-
sus comes, He fills my SOUL"
was sung. Then they waited
| for the hoped for answer, and
soon testimony after testimony was
| given. A minister said that woman
| deprived of hearing for 80 years, had had
victory and the glory is His" In gen
many cases; "God be thanked - in many
more; "He heals me now'': Il believe
God has made me whole. Il reel
| stronger; Il believe the Lord heals
| me. Blessed be his name"
| From all quarters words like the above
could be heard, and the scene grew i'm
pressive. Then the almost blind woman
| started to her feet. With al
most dramatic force she exclaimed, y
can see, can see. Glory be to God. 1t
| is so much clearer, and I've been so
blind Thank God, thank God" Then
pausing for a moment she added,
"It all seems so wonderful to
| me [ can see SO much
clearer How can praise, how can L
thank Thee my Ilord?''
1t may be remembered that about
seven years ago the story OF remarkable
cure Of young girl whose case had
puzzled the doctors, attracted wide at
tention. She was present, and gave
testimony.
| BRIEFLY TOLD.