Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-11-15
BY REV. S. II. DOYLE.

The Scripture in many places teach
o. tbs Importance of what we call med
tcai missions as a part of the work of
Christianity Mark in the topical ref
creme gives us an account of Christs
healing Of Peters wifes mother, and
hsalii.s the sick seemed TO be one Of
His supreme purposes in life. and
through the power to heal He was
often put In the position where be
could heal mems souls. Later on when
Christ sent forth His disciples to ad-
vance Ills Kingdom He gave them two
especiai con mands. CID to preach and
21} 20 heal, "ADd as We 60 preach. say
ing the ki,sgdom Of heaven is at hand.
Heal :he SEX. cleanse the lepers. cast
out devils Freely We have received,
freely give" Paul in his work among
the gentiles was also given the power
to heal To the lame man at the tenn
pie gate he said: silver and gold have
/ none. but such as | have l give unto
thee. II tie name OF .IegDs Christ Of
Nazareth rise Up and WALK And inn
meaiately he was healed Thus heal
ing both body and soul was the work
Of the church In the time OF Christ and
His apostles
Following The example of Christ and
the apostles, the church today is EN-
phasizing medical missions as never
before since apostolic days.
Medical missions in connection with
home mission work have a rather limit
ed field Yet the church is doing the
work of healing at home as well as
the work OF preaching. Local churches
look after the sick in their neigibor-
hoods who are poor and unable to look
after themselves. and in this way win
many souls to Christ. In addition, in
our large cities almost all the great
Christian denominations have hospi-
tails. where the bodies of men may be
cared for, and in many cases the poor
are attehded absolutely free of charge,
those who are able, of course. being c.
pected to pay. that the expenses of the
institutions may be met. But with all
this the hospitals are erected ty Chris
dan money and principally s.lsta ned
by the generosity of Christian people.
These hospitals are Christ's for the
healing of the SICK, AL in them many
find peace of soul as well as healing OF
body.
Medical missions have found their
greatest fields Of labor in foreign I:iis-
sion work. There are three principal
reasons for this condition.
l. In most heather countries led
ical science is very little advanced.
Perhaps there is nothing Grader III
heather life today than the methods Of
taRsng care of sle body. The practise
of medicine. instead Of being science
II more largely superstition. Instead
Of helping the sick, the treatment prac
ticed is more frequently injurious. This
fact Of itself makes medical missiona
ries an absolute necessity. Even be
fore doctors went as missionaries thost
who had gone simply to preach ths
gospel were compelled to practice thu
art OF healing as far as they could d.
so.
2 Medical missions a-e great infiu
ence in winning the confidence of for
eign people They are naturally strong
y prejua.ced against foreigners. bu
when they see their loved oEcs 70
lieved from pain and restored TO heal;i
and strength this prejudice is yer.
largely overcome. They can reaiiz
that the missionaries to this extent ar
beneficial to them, and anything tina
will assist in removing their preIudic
to the missionaries is great blessin;
to mission work
3. Through the medical treatment o
the body the opportunity to heal tn
soul by the gospel is the more readil.
attained The medical missionarie
gain admission to homes where tn
purely gospel teacher would be ex
cluded. This is especially true of tn
women of the orient. Most of then
lad secluded lives, where the ordi
nary missionary is never allowed L
enter, but into these same homes tn
Christian woman who Is medica
missionary has no difficulty in obtain
ing admission when there is sickness
m the house. The king of an orienta
country was once led to accept Chris
and to sanction and support Christian
missions as the result Of the healing
Of his son by medical missionaries.
The hour of sickness ia always thu
hour Of opportunity for all who woul,
win souls to Christ Let us visit tn,
sick in our neighborhood, send then
flowers and words of sympathy ant
support our UNCONVENTIONAL hospitals
and at the same time earnestly pray
for Gods richest blessing upon tn.
medical missionaries abroad and Civ,
them>our sympathy and support.
nIBLE READINGS.
Elk XIV. 26; Ps ciii. 1-5; evil. 1921
lisa Hi, is: Hos. xiv. 40; Matt viii
lis; K. Z. s; Luke Nv, 1421: Acts iii
ITO; v, 11-16: Cor. XII. 49, Rev. xxi
LIZ
An Editors Appreciation
What splendid republic of religion
atYf.ftn an orranixa tfnn ;gf Wall ,aar III,