“Human nature is just the same today as it was when our Lord was on earth. Very few were eager for the salvation of their souls . 99
public meetings where divine healing is emphasized, where 'crowds are instructed to come to the front and where they are anointed with oil and prayed with? There certainly is not. There is not the faintest re semblance between James 5:14-15 and what various persons are doing in all parts of our land today. “ 5. One other question of great practical importance will arise in connection with this passage, and that is: “ Is sending for the elders of the church and having them pray over the sick one ( ‘having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord’ ) the only way in which a child of God who is sick is to find deliverance in answer to prayer? “ The Bible answer is, No, not by any means. This comes out very clearly in the setting of our passage. The passage is simply giving general directions as to what should be done in various emergencies of Chris- tion life. “ In verse 13 we read, ‘Is any among you suffering? let him pray.’ Those are the general directions as to what a suffering believer shall do, ‘pray.’ Further on in verse 13 we read, ‘Is any cheerful? let him sing praise.’ Those are general directions as to what a be liever whose heart is filled with gladness is to do. There is no suggestion that these are the only things, in either instance, that the believer is to do. Then come the directions as to what the sick one shall do, with no suggestions whatever that this is the only thing that a sick one shall ever do in order to obtain help of the Lord. “ This becomes even clearer when we read the verses that follow our passage, ‘Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed,’ etc. Here we have explicit directions for the one who is sick, not merely that he may send for the elders of the church in a case of grave extremity, but that in all his sicknesses he may call in the help of fellow-believers, confessing any sin that may lie at the root of his present illness, and have them pray for him. “ Individual believers, whether elders or not, have the privilege, and the duty, to ‘pray one for another’ in their sicknesses with the expectation that God will hear and heal (James 5:16). Of course, in this case there is no anointing with oil, or anything of that kind, but simply confession of sin (if there is sin to be con fessed) and prayer.’’ Dr. Torrey believed in divine healing as a direct re sult of praying for the sick. He testified to the fact of having prayed the “ prayer of faith” on more than one occasion with resultant healings. On the other hand, he was not adverse to the use of medicine or surgical aid. He referred to the healing of King Hezekiah (Isa. 38:45), Jesus’ use of clay and spittle in the healing of the blind man, and Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to
church.’ It does not say for those who make a hobby of divine healing to go without invitation to see him and insist upon his accepting divine healing and re proaching him if he does not. No, the sick man must take the initiative, the sending begins with him. “ 2. In the second place, what are the elders to do? They are ‘to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,’ or more exactly rendered, they are to ‘pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord.’ The anointing with oil comes first and then the prayer; anointing precedes the prayer. “ a) What is the meaning and purpose of the anoint ing with oil? Turn to Leviticus 8:10-12 (A.S.V.), and you get God’s answer to the question. ‘And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them,’ that is, he set them apart for God. The anointing was an act of dedi cation or consecration. “b) Having anointed the sick man with oil, the elders were to do a second thing, ‘pray over him,’ pray for his physical healing. “ 3) In the third place, what will be the result of the prayer when the anointing has been real and the person prayed for has really made a full surrender of himself to God? ‘The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick.’ “ Does this teach that everyone anointed and for whom the elders pray will get well? It means just what it says, and notice just what it really does say, ‘The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick.’ In many instances the elders may not be given faith. Are they to blame for not having faith? Not necessarily. Is the sick one to blame for not having faith? Not necessarily. It is not always the will of God to heal His sick chil dren, not even some of the ripest saints, when they are sick. The fanatical teaching so common today, that if any child of God is sick it is conclusive proof that he has sinned, or is out of communion with God in some way, is utterly unscriptural; indeed it is plainly anti- scriptural. “4. Whose faith is it that prevails and brings the healing ? Is it the faith of the sick man or the faith of ‘the elders’ who ‘pray?’ Read the verse again and you will see, ‘Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick.’ As it is ‘the prayer of faith’ that saves the sick, and as it is the elders who do the praying, it is evident that* it is the elders’ faith, not the sick man’s faith, that brings the healing.” Before concluding his exposition of this text, Dr. Torrey asks, “ Is there any warrant in this passage for
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