The prayer of faith

Front matter

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♦UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ]

THE

Chapter I. Introductory

No. 260 Connecticut Street,

Buffalo, N. Y., July ph, 1880.

On the sixth of January, 1877, after a gradual decline in health, I was prostrated with an attack of fever, proceeding from my spine, the result, probably, of a severe fall on a stone sidewalk several months before. The fever was soon subdued, but my disease grew into settled spinal difficulty, and from the inflammation of the spinal nerves proceeded a most distressing hyper-acuteness, called hypersesthesia. This extended to all my large joints; and my hips, knees and ankles could not be touched even by myself, on account of their sensitiveness. The disease increased until the nerves in the joints were so unnaturally alive that it was as if they had been laid bare, and it seemed to me as though nothing less than spasms would

IO THE PRAYER OF FAITH.

be the immediate result were they touched. The vibrating of these sensitive nerves, occasioned by the tiniest jar or noise in the room, was something indescribably dreadful.

For all but the first two months of my illness, extreme helplessness as well as suffering made my lot almost unendurable. For more than two years, turning over alone or moving myself a particle in bed was simply an impossibility. Every move was made for me with the greatest care. I suffered intensely with my head ; the violent, tearing pain, the terrible sense of weight, and the extreme sensitiveness made a soft, small pillow feel like a block of stone, the pressure of which was crushing my brain to atoms. Much of the time we were obliged to exclude from the room all excepting those who had the care of me.

For eleven months I could not sit up at all, but in the spring of 1878 improved slowly, and could be lifted into a chair for a little while each day. I was more comfortable until July, but I could not by my greatest exertions get able to help myself at all. The

INTRODUCTORY. II

only way in which I could be moved from the bed to the chair, was by being lifted under my arms, as I could endure no pressure on my spine.

The very warm weather at that time, and my making attempts to help myself when in such a weak condition, caused a sudden and violent relapse, and, in spite of everything that could be done for me, I continued to fail. I rallied a little in the autumn, but only temporarily.

In January, 1879, my mother's mother, who had lived with us for years and who was very dear to me, died at our house, after a short illness. I was so low at the time, that there could be no public notice of her death, and only a few intimate friends were admitted into our silent house.

By the middle of February, my weakness was so great that most of the time I could scarcely speak in a whisper, and sometimes could only move my lips. Often the exertion of whispering one word would cause the perspiration to start profusely ; and I would lie for hours needing something rather than ask for it. I could take no solid food, whatever, and it exhausted me greatly to swallow even liquid food.

My disease had grown into blood consumption ; I was emaciated to a shadow, and my largest veins looked like mere threads. Nothing could keep me warm, and the chill of death seemed upon me. A great part of the time I lay gasping faintly for breath, and I suffered excruciatingly. Even the weight of my arms and limbs seemed to be almost unendurable, and this terrible strain was constant. My pulse could scarcely be found, and I was not expected to live from one day to the next. Everything that the most skillful physicians could do for me, had been done ; only the "Great Physician" could restore me by His almighty power. I have no doubt that it was ordered by Providence, that, just at this time, there should appear in the daily paper a short account of the wonderful cures performed in answer to the prayers of Mrs. Edward Mix, a colored lady, of Wolcottville, Conn. The article represented her as an earnest, humble Christian, who simply professed to be doing God's work. She had, herself, been cured after years of ill health, by the prayers and laying on of hands of a Rev. Mr. Allen, of Springfield. Mother mentioned these facts to me, and the more I thought on the subject, the more I felt that a letter must be written her in regard to my own case. I had often heard of faith-cures before this, and there had been read to me some portions of W. W. Patton's book, " Remarkable Answers to Prayer," but, although not discrediting them, none had ever produced so great an impression on my mind as this short account of Mrs. Mix. I waited a few hours, then requested my sister to write her that I believed her great faith might avail for me, if she would pray for my recovery, even if she were not present to lay her hands upon me. On Tuesday, February 25th, her answer came as follows :

Wolcottville, Conn., February 24th, 1879.

Miss Carrie Judd:

I received a line from your sister Eva, stating your case, your disease and your faith.

I can encourage you, by the Word of God, that " according to your faith " so be it unto you; and besides you have this promise, " The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." Whether the person is present or absent, if it is a " prayer of faith " it is all the same, and God has promised to raise up the sick ones, and if they have committed sins to forgive them. Now this promise is to you, as if you were the only person living. Now if you can claim that promise, I have not the least doubt but what you will be healed. You will first have to lay aside all medicine of every description. Use no remedies of any kind for anything. Lay aside trusting in the "arm of flesh," and lean wholly upon God and His promises. When you receive this letter I want you to begin to pray for faith, and Wednesday afternoon the female prayer-meeting is at our house. We will make you a subject of prayer, between the hours of three and four. I want you to pray for yourself, and pray believing and then act faith. It makes no difference how you feel, but get right out of bed and begin to

INTRODUCTORY. IS

walk by faith. Strength will come, disease will depart and you will be made whole. We read in the Gospel, " Thy faith hath made thee whole." Write soon.

Yours in faith,

Mrs. Edward Mix.

Is it any wonder that in my utter weakness, my confirmed helplessness, and, above all, my lack of faith, that I was tempted to smile unbelievingly at the words " get right out of bed and begin to walk by faith " ? My conscience reproved me for my unbelief, and I began to pray for an increase of faith. I left off all medicine at once, though I confess it was with a struggle, for I was very dependent upon it for temporary alleviation of my extreme suffering. At the hour appointed by Mrs. Mix, members of our own family also offered up prayer, though not in my room. Just before this, I seemed to have no power, whatever, to grasp the promise. Terrible darkness and powerful temptations from Satan rose to obscure even the little faith I had, but, suddenly, my soul was filled with a childlike peace and confidence, different from anything I had ever before experienced.

l6 THE PRAYER OF FAITH.

There was no excitement, but, without the least fear or hesitation, I turned over and raised up alone, for the first time in over two years. My nurse, Mrs. H., who had taken care of me for nearly a year, was greatly affected, and began praising God for His wonderful power and mercy.

Directly after, with a little support from my nurse, I walked a few steps to my chair. During that same hour, a decided change was perceptible in my color, circulation and pulse, and I could talk aloud with ease. Referring to my diary, which was kept by Mrs. H., I find under February 27 th, which was the day after my restoration : " Carrie moved herself in bed several times during the night. This afternoon she walked from her chair to the bed, a distance of about eight feet, by taking hold of my arms. The Lord strengthens her every hour, both physically and in faith. Blessed be His holy Name ! " Then, under February 28th: "Carrie grows stronger, moves herself more easily, rests better nights, has a good appetite. I gave her a sponge-bath this afternoon, and I could not but notice the change in the color of her flesh ; instead of the yellow, dead look, it is pink and full of life." Under March ist: "This morning she drew on her stockings." March 2d: "Her chest and lungs have been strong ; she has talked aloud a great deal. Appetite good ; color fresh and clear."

In about three weeks I could walk around the room without even having any one near me ; in four weeks I walked down stairs with a little assistance ; I walked very steadily from the first, and my joints, which had been so weakened by the hyperaesthesia, grew strong and firm at once. My muscles filled out very rapidly, but I suffered nothing from aching or lameness, even after I commenced going up and down stairs.

The first pleasant day in April I went out of doors and into a neighbor's. It seemed as though it was almost too much joy to comprehend, to really be out in the air and sunshine once more. I looked up at the windows of my room with a vague idea that there must be imprisoned there still, a prostrate, suffering creature, of whom I had once been a part, but now was freed from by some mysterious process. The thought of my long and terrible suffering, and of my sudden and joyful deliverance, almost overwhelms me now as I review it all so minutely.

I will mention here, that it was especially noticeable, during my healing, that whenever I made any extra exertion of my own, suddenly, and without the least apparent cause, my strength would fail me. It was soon revealed to me, that I was simply to look to the Lord for improvement; that as He had begun the work, He would carry it on without any strivings on my part.

The more fully I cast myself upon Him, the more I was supported, and often I felt borne up as if by some buoyancy in the air, while there was little or no effort of my own. Even more wonderful, and infinitely more precious, than being brought from death unto life, physically, is the renewed life which the soul experiences at the same time under the healing influence of the Holy Spirit. A deep, intense love for God is implanted in the heart, worldly desires and ambitions sink into nothingness, the one absorbing thought is to be conformed more and more to the image of Christ, and the forgiveness of sins promised with the healing in James v: 14, 15, is experienced as never before.

My gain in flesh and strength was rapid, and my friends say that I am now looking better than ever before. The trouble in my head, which was almost constant for a long time before my prostration, entirely disappeared when I was cured, and I can do a vast amount of studying and writing without even a slight headache. I can also take very long walks and enjoy them.

I wish to add that Dr. Charles Cullis, of Boston, Mass., whose faith-works and faith-cures are so widely known, kindly added his prayers for my complete recovery.

All glory be to our merciful and loving Redeemer ! and that I may ever abide in Him, and bring forth the "fruit of the Spirit," is the daily prayer of my life.

Carrie F. Judd.

With my kind pastor's permission I publish the following letter; his reply to one which I received from a stranger :

No. 790 Seventh Street, Buffalo, N. Y., March ijtA, 1880.

Dear Sir : Miss Judd has shown me your favor of the nth inst., and requests me to vouch for her entire credibility.

I do this with great pleasure, the more so that I have known her so long, and have been entirely conversant with all the facts in the case, from the beginning. I can assure you of her long and painful illness, of her utter and complete' prostration, of the immediate expectation of death by herself and all her friends ; during all those months I ministered at her bedside, and saw her draw nearer and nearer to the end.

But suddenly, and, of course, by the interposition of God, and doubtless in answer to the prayers of the Church, and of the faithful, she was, so to speak, in a day restored, and is now in perfect health. Of these facts I assure you. They are well known to all here, and you have only to ask any resident of Buffalo to be satisfied of the truthfulness of all that she may tell you.

Why should it be accounted strange that God should raise one of His children from the bed of death ? I confess I see no reason. His promise was for all time, " unto you, and to your children," and if we gain less now, it is because we are less faithful, and not because His promise is less sure.

I shall be glad to give you any further information in my power, if you desire it. Very truly,

C. F. A. BlELBY, Rector St. Mary's-Church-on-the-Hill (Episcopal).

Chapter II. The Power Of Jesus* Name

I believe that the command comes to me, as it came to that restored and rejoicing man so many hundred years ago : " Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." — St. Mark v : 19. A precious thought it is to me, that, in the strong bond of fellowship and love which exists between Christ's disciples, I may know you all as friends. So home to each one of you I would come, with the peculiar tenderness and sympathy which suffering draws forth from those who have suffered likewise, and I long to speak words of comfort, which will assure you that there is "balm in Gilead," and a "Physician there."

It is with this end in view that I have related, in the foregoing chapter, my experience of the Divine healing power, which has given me renewed life, spiritual and physical.

How strange and sad it is that when the Bible abounds in such rich promises for supplying the need both of soul and body, that we should be languishing in either. Let us together, earnestly and prayerfully, search God's Word, and by its light dispel the mists of unbelief, which prevent our seeing clearly the blessings which are only awaiting our grasp of faith.

We are not apt to accept the Bible as literally as we ought. We get into a dangerous habit of considering its exhortations as in a great degree figurative or sacredly poetic, or as relating to past generations and not to our own. It is no wonder, therefore, if we read our Guide of Life in a way so erroneous, that we get into very loose notions respecting our duties in obeying it.

If we would accept every command contained in the Bible, as a direct command to us from our Lord, and obey them all as literally as they are intended to be obeyed, we should find inestimable blessings attending such a course. Having had light and grace given me to determine to do this, I have found that it is only needful for me to make the effort to obey, and the strength to do so comes immediately from a higher source.

None of the Lord's injunctions are too difficult to obey, if we make the effort trusting in His strength, and who of us, that have kept the Lord's commandments, have not found that " in keeping of them there is great reward " ? — Psa. xix : 1 1.

Let us look at the literal command which the inspired apostle gives concerning the sick. He says, "Is any sick among you? 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 the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." — James v: 14, 15.

This is certainly not a grievous command, and yet how willing we are to go to every trouble and expense before following these simple and plain directions. Have they seemed to some of us, as seemed the instructions of Elisha to Naaman, the leper, — too simple and easy to think of obeying? If so, let us remember the words of Naaman's servants, who "came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean ?"

In St. Mark i: 32, occur these words: ''And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased ;" and again in St. Luke iv : 40, we read : " Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him ; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. ,, Both St. Mark and St. Luke allude in these passages to the fact of its being evening and the time of the setting sun, and this seems to figuratively illustrate the fact that only in the evening of human hope were they willing to go to Christ for peace and healing. And why do we wait until the glare of disappointing earthly suns has passed away, before we are ready to perceive the soothing, lovely light of the " Sun of Righteousness," which unto those who fear God's name, shall " arise with healing in His wings."

With the promise in James so plain before us, it is strange and sad that we should languish so long on beds of suffering, making no effort to claim this promised healing; and why ? — let us consider some of the difficulties which are shutting out so many of us from a full enjoyment of our privileges.

A great obstacle which meets us at the outset, is the sad unbelief of the world, and, sadder still, of many professed Christians. When the fainting hope of some suffering one is revived by a prayerful reading of the gracious promises in the Bible, that hope is often shattered by some friend who says rebukingly: " O, you cannot be healed in that way. Miracles long ago ceased."

What matters it to our readily deceived hearts, that we can find nothing in the Bible to support this assertion ? — we suppose that the world must be right about it, and so we believe the word of our fellow-creatures, and make "the Word of God of none effect" thrpugh these traditions. — St. Mark vii : 13.

A great and good man, who is widely known all over the United States, wrote to a friend, concerning the subject of faith-healing : " With the open Book before me, I do not see why these things cannot be." It is because we do not keep our eyes closely enough fixed on our open Bibles that we fail to "behold wondrous things out of God's law." Can we say with David : " O, how I love Thy law ! it is my meditation all the day" ?

It is written in Acts ii : 39, " For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off." St. Peter is speaking of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and none who have felt the wonderful power, which, in answer to *the "prayer of faith," gives healing to soul and body, can doubt that it is the power of the Holy Spirit, promised to all ages and generations. There are many who refuse to give credence to faith-cures, because, as they strenuously assert, " the age of miracles is past." What authority they can give for this statement, remarkable as it is when so many miracles, spiritual and physical, are being performed by the power of the Holy Spirit, every day, we leave them to tell ; but we would press the inquiry upon them — if these marvelous cures are not wrought by God, by what power are they performed? Some would attribute them to " physical phenomena," " influence of mind over mind," " faith co-operating with the faculties of volition," etc., but when we present for their investigation, well-authenticated cases where cancers, tumors, consumption, and other fatal diseases are cured in a wonderfully short time in answer to the "prayer of faith," when — as in a case which Dr. Cullis relates in his introduction to the book " Dorothea Trudel " — broken bones unite in less than twenty-four hours because of a little child's faith, then their reasons cannot seem plausible to the most prejudiced minds.

They must either stubbornly refuse to believe in these cases of healing without giving any reasons for their unbelief; or else rightfully ascribe them to Divine power; or (and I shudder at the thought of any one's committing such blasphemy) attribute them to diabolical agency.

There were those who attributed to Satan, even the miracles which Christ performed while on the earth. The Pharisees said : a This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince of devils." Let us remember Christ's answer, and beware lest we make any approach to that terrible and unpardonable sin, which shall not be forgiven men " neither in this world, neither in the world to come." " Wherefore I say unto you that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." — St. Matt, xii: 31.

Immediately after this rebuke our Saviour adds : " Either make the tree good and his fruit good ; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt : for the tree is known by his fruit." Let us pause a moment to ask what fruit is brought forth in the lives of those who have experienced these "miracles of healing."

Do we see these restored people rushing into vanity and sin, using their renewed health and strength in the service of the devil ? Far from it ! We see them consecrating every power of soul and body to loving, joyful service for their Lord and Master ; we see them a "peculiar people, zealous of good works," desirous of following as closely as possible the footsteps of their Saviour.

The man whose sight had been restored, said to the Pharisees when speaking of Jesus : "Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners : but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth," and we may say likewise that it would indeed be a " marvelous thing " if devoted Christians, who give their lives entirely to the Lord, are servants of the devil.

Dr. Charles Cullis, through whose " prayer of faith " so many sufferers have been healed, says : " I have noticed in every case of healing by prayer, as great a blessing has come to the soul as to the body. This has been invariable." And why should it not be so, when we are told that if the sick person has " committed sins they shall be forgiven him " ? Whoever takes it upon himself to rebuke those who perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ, will do well to read our Saviour's own words on this subject: "And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us ; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me. For he that is not against us is on our part." — St. Mark ix : 38-40. In My name, Christ says, and that is the vast difference between the miracles wrought by the powe-r of the Holy Spirit, and those false wonders performed in the name of the Virgin or at the shrines of other saints.

St. Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto the " rulers of the people, and elders of Israel," " If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all * * * that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom ye crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." — Acts iv: 9,^0, 12.

That false miracles could not be performed in the name of Christ was proven by the terrible experience of the unconverted Jews, related in Acts xix : 13, 15, 16.

11 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know ; but who are ye ? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded."

In Christ's parting commission to His disciples He mentions, among other signs that shall follow those who believe, " they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover," but notice that all of these wonderful things were to be done in Christ's name: "In My name shall they cast out devils."

O, let us not refuse to recognize the power of our Redeemer's name, and when we cry for mercy to that blessed Saviour, let us, like blind Bartimeus, persist until our calls reach His gracious ear. There are many sweet and comforting lessons in this account of the healing of Bartimeus, if we read it with understanding.

"And it came to pass, that as He was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging." How in our spiritual blindness we all sit " by the wayside begging" — asking paltry alms of those who are unwilling, and, again, of those who are unable, of their own poverty, to give — when if we would but seek Jesus, we should receive with Him the fullness of all blessing. " He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things ? "

This man heard the tread of the multitude, and he asked what it meant, " And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." Happy are we if we are not spiritually deaf as well as blind; for many there be who will not listen to the sound of the footsteps of those who follow Christ, "lest," as the Lord says, " they should be converted and I should heal them." But if we are ready and willing to ask what these things mean, we shall not fail of receiving the answer, " Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."

Then our cry, like that of blind Bartimeus, will arise above all other tumult, " Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." And they which went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace ; just as many who go before, or occupy the first place in Christian churches nowadays, take it upon themselves to rebuke those who seek for Christ's healing mercy. If many of the ministers or " elders " of the present day had lived at that time and heard the blind man's cries, they would doubtless have represented to him the exceeding sinfulness of seeking to be delivered from an infirmity which he ought simply to bear with resignation.

O, how we limit the power and mercy of the Great Shepherd! How unwilling we are to accept what God, of His exceeding goodness, is so willing to give !

But Bartimeus' faith in Christ's mercy was much greater than his fear of those who rebuked him, and "he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David have mercy on me." If he had only listened to the reproving voices of those who went before, and had not persisted in turning from them to Jesus Himself, how great the blessing he must have forfeited.