The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-15
Faith Healing.
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| the Holy Spirit, ''sevcrallyas He WILL /
| Cor. xii H. This is called by the the
ologians ''liiies miracuosa," Matt, xvii,
| 90, or miracle. working faith, in distinc.
ton tro::: saving faith. Meyer styles it
"a heroisin of faith. -
3 There is no more culpability for the
absence of the gift of faith than there is
| for the gift of tongues or of miracles.
!. The grace oil faith is grounded on
the Bible. white the gift of faith does not
rest OH the written word of God but
| upon the revelation of the Holy Spirit
made Immediately to the human spirit.
D. This testimony may relate to future
| events, when it is called prophecy: Let
| us prophecy according to the measure of
faith" or it may be an inwrought con-
viction that in answer to prayer certain
sick person will be healed. ''Faith'' and
''the gifts of; healing" are in iuxtaposi-
ton i'll st. Paul's catalogue of charisms.
Cor, xii, 0. Wesley's note is very judi
cious, showing entire freedom from fanat-
icism. We call the attention of all who
abjure physicians and medicines. ''Faith
may here mean an extraordinary trust in
God under the most difficult or danger
Gus circumstances. The gift of healing
may not he wholly confined o healing
with word or touch. 1t may exert itself
also, though in II lower degree, where
natural remedies are applied. And it
may often be this, not superior skill,
which makes some physicians more sue
cessful than others" 1.-The PRAYER of
char matte faith shall save the sick. -
says 5. james
James V, 15-Ne deny that this is the
grace OF faith, % because it is illustrated
10y an instance of Elijah's faith (n verse
~ in which he prayed for distress to
come upon the land through the Divine
Judgment.
The grace of faith is exercised for bless
ings only. Vengeance is mine,n saith
the Lord. >. The 10th verse literally
translated shows that it is prayer spe
cially inspired by the Holy Spirit, .I'he
inwrought prayer of righteous man
availeth much Thus NlichealS.
IIuther and Decumcnius
OF course no healing follws the pray
or not prompted by this extraordinary
faith. The grace Of faith is not sufficient
u. The grace of faith, when exercised in
prayer, is always accompanied by the
condition 'if it he thy WILL The gift
Of faith is the assurance beforehand that
it is Gods will to bestow the thing de-
sired. Hence those who have the expcr-
ing-the speaker has no such exper-
fence say that there is no if in this kind
of prayer. 1t is an unconditional grasp
ing, not of the written promise, but OF
God himself
!. The grace of faith is Il permanent
habit, rs Indispensable to spiritual rs
breathing is 10 natural life. Faith as II
charism is occasional, and not perma-
nent St Paul sometimes had 1t, and
could heal (Acts xviii, 50 and some.
times he had it not, and could not heal,
rs we infer from , Tim, ~, 20 The
charism of faith is not requisite to the
highest spiritual life, not to even the
lowest stage, any more than speaking
with tongues or miracles.
5. The grace of faith is saving; the
charism is not saving Says Wesley,
Even the working of miracles is not
proof that a man has saving faith, -
Matt, vii, %. Again, Though have
the highest degree of miracle working
faith, and have not love, am nothing. -
Judas lscariot once wrought miracles
Matt: y, Ia, but is now in hell, John
xvii, II. The grace of faith works by
love and puriiies the heart. The gift of
faith may exist without effectlng any
moral TRANSPORTATION of character In
support of this startling assertion. we
quote Cor, xiii, >, to the Greek scholar
calling his special attention to the fac;
that the form of this conditional sentence
(ean with the subjunctive) assumes the
condition (charsmatic faith without
love- us possible, with some present ex-
pectation that it NAV he realized (sec the
Greek grammars.) Jesus Christ strongly
hints ut the same possibility in Matt. vii.
%, %. BALKAN (Numb, xiv, 4 49,
ana Saul q Sam, ,l0-12 (may be quoted
as instances of unregenerate man recciv-
ing the Divine aiiatus of prophecy with
out moral transformation
When Paul was on the island called
Mclita, an the Serpent fastened itself
upon his hand, no harm cam to him.
And in the same quarters were posses
sions of the chief man of the island.
whose name was Publius,n who received
them and lodged them three days And
the father of Publius was sick of fever.
Paul entered in and prayed. and laid his
hand upon him and healed him. $50
when this WIS done, others also, which
had diseases in the island, came and were
healed. Acts, xviii, ), g.
So Paul healed the sick.
That sometimes. he could not heal those
who were sick, we infer from another
passage in the epistles, which reads a.;
follows: "Erastus abode at Corinth: but
Trophimus have lett at Alletum sick.
, Tim, ~, 20. Why didn't he heal
him and bring him along because he
was not conscious of the inwrought con.
victon that IL was Gods Will to heal
him II was withheld by the. Holy Spirit.
The gift of faith for his healing was not
then bestowed. st. Paul had not any
"supernumcrary preachers" He needed
everyone in the overwhelming harvest
iield of the copeland he certainly would
have healed this disabled laborcr if he