Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-02-19
CHRISTIAN EAOEAVOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning Feb. 23, 1918.


Topic.--Mission work at home and
abroad.-IT Medical missions.--Matt- x.
I'LL Edited by Rev. Sherman H. Doyle,
D. D.
Both by example and precept Christ
ladorsed medical missions. He Him
self healed men. He proved His deity
by His miraculous works. and His mir
acles of healing far surpass In number
any other manifestations of His super
natural power. Moreover, in His COM
mission to His apostles when He sent
them upon their first missionary jour
ney He commanded them TO heal the
sick and gave them the power to do so.
In this commission two things were up
permost-frst. they were to preach
and, second. to heal. las ye go preach,
saying the kingdom of heaven is at
hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lep
ers, cast out devils" The days of mi
raculous healing may be over so far as
the disciples of Christ having the pow
er to heal directly, and yet there still
rests upon the church the duty of pray
ing for the sick and of using all the
powers of advanced medical science to
aid and to cure those who are Ill.
The superiority of Christianity to
other religions is seen in the fact that
it pays proper attention to the entire
man. 1t not only emphasizes the value
Of the soul and the necessity of its sal
walton. but also the Importance of the
mind and of the body; hence we should
not only be interested in evangelical
missionary work, but also In educa-
tional missions and in medical mis-
sions. This has always been the atti-
tude of the Christian church. 1t took
the Christian church four centuries to
build its first hospital, but 1t has con-
tinued its work ever since and has. es-
pecfally been faithful and successful in
using medical missions in foreign mis-
sionary endeavors. At home it has
erected hospitals and dispensaries and
cared for the i'll and unfortunate who
cannot afford to care for themselves
But the supreme glory of medical mis-
sions is its work abroad in connection
Win LibIt Dl0QCiA movement ~
evangelize the world
Medical missions in heather lands
are a necessity. Christianity found
medical science very little advanced in
the lands to which it carried the Cos
pei. Perhaps there is nothing cruder
in heather life than the methods of
healing. Medical science was practical
1,- IT,
Christian missionaries began their
work. The methods used usually in
jured the patients treated more than
they benefited them.
This condition made it absolutely
necessary for Christian missionaries to
pay attention to medical science. Even
before distinctive medical missionaries
went to foreign fields those engaged in
evangelical missionary efforts did what
they could to heal the sick" This
necessity still exists, as is evidenced
by the thousands of cases treated by
Christian physicians and in missionary
hospitals.
Medical missions provide a great OPP
portunity for advancing evangelical
missions Souls are saved through at
tention given to the bodies of men. 1t
is thus possible to gain admission to
many places and to many people who
would otherwise be unapproachable.
The women of oriental countries can
be reached through missionary women
who are physicians as in no other way.
Their life ordinarily is most seelusive,
and they were for great part mac
cessible until medical missions began
to play such an important part in for
eign missionary work.
Medical missions make 1t possible to
gain the confidence of foreign peoples
They are naturally suspicious and
prejudiced. but when they see the
benefcent results of physical healing
suspicion and prejudice largely pass
away. They readily realize that the
medical work is beneficial and are
therefore the more easily persuaded
that the truths of the gospel~are also
helpful. Through medical work the
hearts of people are reached. their
confidence is won. and it becomes an
easy matter to present Christ as a
Co ,-tor,r