MIRACLES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 208, 28 May 1921, Page 8

MIRACLES

A VICAR’S EXPERIENCE

MANIFESTATIONS OF BIBLICAL

PROMISE

In the course of a remarkable sermon at St. John’s Anglican Church, Te Awaiinitu, lust week, the vicar, the Rev. A. M. Niblock, announced his belief, from personal experience. that God would still pci-form miracles in raising the "incurable” who had faith through the layingon of hands of those endowed by Him. The sermon was the beginning of a series on the subject. The text was Janies v. 13: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let: him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him. anointing him (or her) with oil in the mime of Ihe Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save tho sick and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he shall have committed sins they shall be forgiven him.” The preacher said it was a difficult subject to speak about because there had been so much fanaticism and because it had been abused so much that people were afraid of it. He said he believed in the so-called Christian science—“socalled” because it was not Christianity itself, but (as he understood' it) the work of human mind working by suggestion upon matter. Its dangers lay in the fact that it was in ihe hands of many ignorant of tho human body and true science. The Need for “Signs.” Then there was the medical profession, whose skill and agencies in the alleviation of suffering were good gifts, and ought not to be rejected. Tho profession used curative means which experience had taught men how to use, and as every good gift came from above, their use would be blessed by God. He was sorry the Church ami the medical profession did not work more together, feeling that they could be mutually helpful. Hence, they would understand he was not one of those who said they ought not to consider the medical, profession.

After referring to tho miracles of Christ ami His Apostles, the preacher said the Church of to-day did need sonic “signs” to convince, men and women. The healing of which he spoke differed from what was commonly known, as mental healing. There were cases which even the medical world could not curecases which seemed to be hopeless—and he thought these were the very places whore Gnd wanted to work.

He"felt that he now ought to give reasons for believing this. He had made up his mind he .’would not do so, but he now felt that he. ought to. Something impelled him to do so.

Instances of Cures Given. While working in India he was met bv an educated native Indian, well versed in the New Testament, who told them they were 'frauds because they -were trying to imitate Jesus Christ by using drugs. He had to admit that the Indian iwas right. He returned home much disturbed, mid spent a long time in Wales, on a mountain-side and moun-tain-top, trying to obtain light for himself. After being there some timo he returned to (London and accidentally touched ti well-known person' who was ill with cancer. The next morning there was no sign of it. She had been waiting to be operated on, but when ihe surgeon examined her there was no trace -at all of the disease. That kind of thing they could not get away from. And he wondered.

Three or four years after that ho made a trip to Russia, and at Reval ho was called upon to pray for a girl who was born with twisted ankles. Ro did not want to pray for her, but. they said: “You con do no barm by praying,” and he consented. It was in tho depth of the winter, there were double windows, and the doors were carefully shut because of the cold. While they were praying in that room something startling happened. It was as though a cold blast from the north was going through the place like a rushing wind, just as they read in the Apostles, and he was afraid. That girl who had been standing on crutches leaped up, danced, and ran out. He saw her with his own eyes. This was not a case in which one could say it was an exhibition of the power of mind over matter; nor that”H was u delusion that deceived him, for that girl was still walking two or years afterwards. Experience in St. Petersburg.

Ho went on from thaje to St. Petersburg, and the story had gone before hi tn. A Russian who had been crushed Between the buffers of railway wagons was severely injured across his chest, and had not been able to raise his arm above nis head since. Tl: was believed the arm socket was crushed to pieces. The man begged him to pray for him. But in this ease he touched the place. Now, lie was telling them only facts. They could form their own conclusions. He felt an effect just as if a current of electricity was going through him. They would eav that was magnetism. He was not particular what it was called. But that man. instantly put his hands F.bove his head, and was able to continue to do so. There were, one or two other cases which he had seen which proved to him that God was able ami willing to perform mira'des to-day. He did not believe it was God’s will that there should be so much suffering or sorrow in the world. Relation of Disease to Sin. Diseases were caused by germs, but- they niisht go further back. Ho thought suffering was to-day tho result of sin. not in the individual, but the result of sin handed down. AVas it fair, he continued, that some should have bodies physically better than others? It was not fair! But Christianity offered a new soul and a new body. A man with a. true and sound mind was prevented from fully using it by an unsound bodv. God never meant that the soul should work through ar unsound body,, hut had given a way to sanctify and quicken the body, so that men and women could know the joy of life and taste the pleasures that were all around. Ho believed the communion service was one of the wnvs in which that quickening could be obtained. The sick who could afford if- ought to go to the doctor; but the hopeless cases ai d those who could not afford the <>xnei'.xe he was ready to stand by, and ha believed that, if they would call in faith God would raise them up. If the AVord of God meant what it said, then he was ready to stand or fall by it. He knew God would never nut to shame those who put their trust in Him.

He believed the Church was going to respond in this materialistic age—that it was going to be readv now when men were so bnsv about tho things which they thought mattered, and when the world was being swept by a wave of doubt, incredulity, and forgetfulness of the things that mattered. He thought God was going to answer this wave with His mighty power, and to show inou that Tie still lived. So if any were sick 1«t them call for the elders of the Church and let, them anoint them with oil. and God would raise them up.