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testim onials to any extent, and summon respectable w itness to tak e oath, if need be, th a t they were in stan tly healed of chronic diseases pronounced incur able by th e regu lar practitioners. It is tru e th a t in most cases such means fail to effect a cure; and it is equally tru e able by the regu lar practitioners. I t is rule, and success the ra re exception. W hat conclusion, then, m ust be reached? T hat it is useless to pray about sickness, and to pray in perfect confidence th a t our Lord is as able and as w illing to heal now as when He was upon th e earth ? God forbid th a t any Christian should doubt th a t He hears prayer for the sick body as tru ly as He does for th e sin-sick soul. But as in th e case of th e sin-sick soul He generally uses human in strum en tal ity to accomplish His loving purpose, so He does in th e case of the sick body; and it is no w ant of faith to employ remedies in dependence upon God. Christians need to be on th e ir guard against believing everything they h ear or read; and especially in these last days when Satan is so busy im itating th e works of Christ, they need to bring everything to the sure te st of th e w ritten Word.
ju st as much faith, and w ith far more hum ility and patience. The same censorious judges of the sick b reth ren ought, if consistent, to blame the devoted apostle because he wrote, “Trophimus have I left a t Mi letus sick” (2 Tim.. 4 :2 0 ); and because in his presence Epaphroditus “was sick unto d eath” (Phil. 2 :2 7 ); and because he was directed by the Holy Ghost to say to a sick preacher, “Drink no longer w ater, bu t use a little wine for thy stom ach’s sake and th in e often infirm i ties” (1 Tim. 5 :2 3 ). Those who abom inate hum an physicians assert th a t the “ little w ine” was no more remedial th an if the apostle had told Timothy to eat a little underdone steak, or chop. G ranted; bu t underdone steak or chop, or a little beef-tea, to,people of common sense is remedial, and a hum an in strum en tality for th e recovery of health. But it m ust not be forgotten in the argum ent th a t th ere are well au th en ticated cases of cures w rought on those who pray to the virgin Mary, and touch the bones of dead saints; and w rought by “ sp iritual mediums” who are in league w ith the devil; w rought by mag netic Doctors, and traveling quacks, w rought by the followers of a Chicago fanatic or a knave, who will furnish n HE Scripture is like Jesus Christ, because H e is the Spirit of Israel, and Scripture is th e record of Israel. View grow th (n o t an aggregate, a stone, but a p lan t) many in teresting facts are explained.............................. “ If th e Bible were like a collection of stones we m ight select some, and pu t others aside as less valuable and beautiful; and although in such selec Christ and the Scriptures ing thu s th e Scripture as an organic
Selected from Writings of Adolph Saphir D. D.
tion we m ight make g reat m istakes, we should still be in possession of some thing more or less complete. But the Bible is like a plant, and all its p arts a e not mechanically or accidentally connected, bu t organically united, and hence a law of life rules h ere; and he who reveres life will neith er add nor take away from the beau tifu l plant, which th e F a th e r h ath planted in and through Christ by th e Spirit. “ If th e Bible is a plant, a growth,
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