The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-10-20

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his disciples, and this of course, in
cludes his first great commandment.
1t is plain and unmistakable direc-
tion or instruction. Let me plainly
ask: When was it ever repealed,
countermanded, qualified, or changed
in any manner. by Jesus or any one
else of those having biblical auth
ority to teach or preach? Where is
the record thereof? We declare,
therefore, on the most explicit bibli-
cal authority. that the part of the
great commandment relating to heal
ing the sick was as imperative as that
pertaining to preaching. Healing
sickness is, then, an essential and in
dispensable part of Christ's gospel.
No right exists for the effort to put
aside Jesus commandment to heal
sick and to heal according to his
teachings and his methods of heal
ing. The same divine power that
healed in Jesus time heals today,
so far as 1t is understood and prac-
ticed. There is but one Truth, and
that Truth is eternal, Interchangeable.
The healing Christ never withdrew
himself from the world. Jesus de-
clared as the solemn conclusion Of
his final commandment: "And, 10,
[ am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world"
We might well rest our conten-
tion here. But feel impelled to call
your attention to an utterance Of
Jesus yet more remarkable than any
to which I have referred. In the
l4th OF John we read
verify, verify, say unto you, He
that believeth on me, the works that
[ do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do, be-
cause 1 go unto the Father"
Marvellous words! When we think
of the mighty works he performed
We are almost overwhelmed by the
leep solemnity of such an utterance
Jesus destroyed all forms OF sin;
healed all manner of sickness:
walked the waves; raised the dead;
md did many other wonderful works.
Yet in words startling in their plain
aess he declares that those who be-
.ieve on him shall do, not only the
great works that he had done, but
greater. Can this be? Is it pos
sible that the believers in the great
Nazarine are destined to do the
mighty works he did and even
mightier? What shall be our ans
wer? If he meant what he said and
was true prophet. our answer must
be, Yes.
Then, my friends, what follows?
We must either strive to learn the
divine law by virtue of which these
works may be done, or we must de-
clare ourselves unbelievers on Him;
unbelievers in Christ and his teach
ing; therefore unbelievers In God
and the Bible. Shall we accept
Jesus words for what they say or
shall we not? BY whom shall these
great works be done if not by Chris
tians? Jesus distinctly said they
should be done by those who believe
on him, those who understand and
+, obey his teachings.
1t is matter Of we'll authenticated
history that healing sickness through
prayer and the direct agency Of the
divine Power was praetieed by the
early Christians aewn to the close
OF the third century; and that as
late as the close of the second cen
tury, the dead were raised. Amona
other standard historians who treat
OF this subject is Gibhen, In hts his.
tory of the Decline and Fall OF the
Roman Empire he goes elaborately
into 1t, under the head of the early
Christians, | quote briefly from his
work;
THE Christian Church. from the
time of the apostles and their first
disciples, has claimed an uninter.
rupted succession of miraculous pow.
ers, the gift of tongues, Of vision
and OF prophecy, the power of ex.
pelling demons, of healing the sick
and of raising the dead. :
The expulsion of the demons from
the bodies of those unhappy persons
whom they had been permitted tc
torment, was considered as a sigma
though ordinary triumph of religion
and is repeatedly alleged by the an
Client apOlogists, as the most con
vincing evidence of the truth O
I Christianity, But the mir
aculous cure of diseases of the mos
inveterate or even preternatura
kind, can no longer occasion any aur
prise, when we recelleet that in tn,
days OF 1renaeus, about the end o
the second century, the resurrection
of the dead was very far from be
Ing considered an uncommon event
that the miracle was frequently per
formed on necessary occasions. b,
great fasting and the joint supplica
tton OF the church OF the place, an,
that the persona thus restored ha,
lived afterwards among them man
years."
In the course of his remarks M,
Gibbon refers to the prevailing skep
ticism Of those early days in term
that might we'll be applied to man
modern skeptics, both within an
without the churches. He says;.4.
AT such period, When fait
could boast of SO many wonderful
2 victories oyer death, it seems diff
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