SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALING.
BY M. E. M.
Having read the experience
of many in Triumphs of Faith, I feel called of God to publicly acknowledge
what has been done for me, trusting that even my testimony may be a help
to some other suffering one.
I had been an
invalid the greater part of eighteen years, sometimes shut in my room for
months, then again strong enough to ride and do some light work. Twice during
that time I was quite well for a year or more. One year and a half before I was
healed I was taken suddenly very ill; I did not leave the house for nearly a
year, and look back upon that year as the darkest and most wretched of my life;
I felt to rebel against the Hand that shut me in. It seemed that Satan had
taken full possession and that God was far away. In previous years of suffering
much patience and submission had been granted through Christ our Lord. After months
of darkness I saw a ray of light. It grew brighter and still brighter until I
knew God had not forsaken me; I begun to believe, to know, that I had grieved
the Holy Spirit, and was now ready to receive any message from the Lord that
might be the means of drawing me nearer to the Light. After reading the life of
Rev. Alfred Cookman, I found it my privilege to be wholly the Lord’s. Many
weeks was I striving for this blessing, the conflict being even greater than at
conversion. I at length gave up struggling and said, “I do believe, help thou
my unbelief,” then peace and joy filled my soul, such as I had never before
experienced. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are
passed away; behold all things are become new.”-(2 Cor. 5:17.) I was not able
to leave my home when I received this great blessing, but as warm weather
returned, I could ride and do some light work, but gained very slowly,
suffering very much from general weakness and nervous prostration. I had
perfect confidence in my physician (a lady) and believed I was gaining as fast
as possible for one that had been ill so long.
The following
November, Mrs. Mix being in town, friends advised my seeing her, which I did
with little expectation of receiving benefit.
After conversing
with Mrs. Mix a few moments upon the subject of faith for physical healing, she
asked me to pray that I might be healed. I was at once forcibly impressed with
the fact that I had never been offered such a prayer, although an invalid so
many years. I had asked for patience and submission to God’s will, never thinking
the payer of faith had any avail. After we had knelt in prayer, Mrs. Mix
anointed me with oil in the name of the Lord (Jas. v: 14, 15) and asked if I
thought I was healed. I acknowledged that I felt no change; no relief from
pain. Mrs. Mix again knelt in prayer and the power of God then possessed my
entire being, all pain left me. I believed that I was healed, and said to those
awaiting their turn in an adjoining room, “I am healed, and in the name of the
Lord I expect to walk to church tomorrow.” I was stopping at my grandparent’s,
about a quarter of a mile from church. The change was so manifest I could but
praise the Lord when awake through the night. The next morning I walked to
church, remained through the morning service and Sunday-school, rode two and a
half miles to my own home, sat up during the whole of the afternoon, and at
night felt very little fatigue.
The following morning
some of the old pain returned, and, as I took my bed, I begun to wonder if I
were really healed. I then remembered that I was to pray in the name of the Lord
that this pain might be removed.-(St. Math. 21:22.) While in prayer the same
power came over me that I experienced during Mrs. Mix’s prayer in my behalf,
all pain left me, an I arose praising God. I have been tired ruing the past two
years, but the Great Physician in whom I trust has been near at hand, often removing
pain and renewing strength immediately in answer to the prayer of faith.
Once during the past
two years my faith was somewhat severely tested. I was thrown from a sleigh and
my arm was badly injured.
In the name of the
Lord I anointed the arm, leaving myself in the care of this Great Physician Who
has done so much for me. in a few weeks the arm was healed.
I have not taken
a drop of medicine since I was healed, nor have I needed any. I take longs
walks, work from early morning until late at night, and can endure more than at
any time before in my life.
I am constantly surprising
friends that never expected to see me in health again. I do continually praise
the Lord for physical healing given me, but far more for healing of the soul by
the blood of Jesus Christ, which “cleanseth from all sin.”
Pittsfield, Mass.
