A Cloud of Witnesses Concerning Divine Healing++
REV. HENRY WILSON, D.D.
Assistant Minister St. George’s Church, New York (Prot. Epis.)
Words are always feeble to express truth, and especially spiritual verities. None that I can command would ever express what I now desire to say, and nothing but a sense of duty would tempt me to put into print statements of facts which have to do with the very springs of my being, and with the most momentous crisis of my life. But, for the glory of God, and in the hope that this may meet the eye and possibly bring a ray of comfort to the heart of some of the great host of suffering children of God, among whom I was so long numbered; out of the fullness of a heart overflowing with thanksgiving for the great things He has done for me, I venture to tell, in as few words as possible, how the Lord Jehovah became to me Jehovah Rophi, the Lord my Healer.
At the age of twenty-five I left college, very much broken down through overwork, and entered the ministry in a parish where for seventeen years and a half I laboured with a weak body, twice seriously injured by accidents almost fatal; for years a prey to dyspepsia of the worst kind; to liver disease and all its attendant miseries; with nervous depression and fainting fits after the slightest unusual exertion. A burden to myself, a source of constant anxiety to my family and friends, a nuisance to the doctors, and a kind of walking apothecary shop, I dragged through my work with what sickly weariness and painfulness they only know who have suffered like things. After passing through the great spiritual crisis of my life, and into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, I came to New York in the fall of 1883, with a heaven of joy in my soul, but in great weakness of body, and physically unfit for much ministerial work. After a rest of a month or two, during which I followed the usual course of invalids, a dear friend invited me to attend one of Mr. Simpson’s meetings in the Tabernacle on 23d Street.
Of Divine Healing at that time I knew nothing, except by hearsay and the evidence of one or two friends who had been wonderfully healed in answer to prayer.
But as the greatest spiritual blessing of my life had come to me a short time before by God’s mercy in giving me the spirit of a little child and the willingness to be counted a fool for Christ’s sake – so now I prayed Him to give me the same spirit, to take away from my mind all pride and prejudice, and that if this doctrine of Divine Healing were indeed His truth, and His truth for me, I might receive it and act upon it at once. The prayer was not long unanswered. The light soon shone, and the glorious Truth that Christ Jesus came not simply to save my soul from sin by His death, but to save my soul and body by His life – by the outpoured blood to redeem me, and by the in poured blood to sanctify and invigorate my whole being – this blessed truth came to me with all the freshness of a new revelation, and Jesus, through it, came and stood in the midst of my being as the source of all its energies, bodily and spiritual. Having once thus seen Jesus as never before, and accepted Him as my life for soul and body, the rest was easy. Thankfully acknowledging his “unspeakable gift,” I was anointed for healing, consecration, and fuller service. From that hour of blessing – never to be forgotten – peace has reigned in my soul, and health in my body. More than two years have passed, the richest and best of my life. The body, instilled with the life of God, and the soul joyful in His salvation, have gone on from strength to strength, “one new man in Jesus Christ;” both working for Him today with a vigour and freshness never before known. I am a younger man, in every faculty of my being, than I was twenty years ago. More than twice the work, parochial and other, ever attempted by me, is now done with an ease and pleasure never mine before. The body that for years hardly knew what one day’s freedom from pain was, now rejoices in robust health. Throat and lungs used nearly every day and night in the week in public speaking on the street and in the Church and Mission Hall, grow stronger instead of weaker through their continual exercise. The mind is clearer – thinks and studies with ease and comfort – while the soul seems to enlarge daily in its capacity for God and His truth. In a word, the old, dry pump of my former being, trying with laboured effort to produce the little pail of water once or twice a week for my thirsty people, has been turned into a springing well, perpetually flowing and overflowing in the service of perfect freedom, whice leaves me stronger at the close of each duty than at the beginning. Not, as I once thought, does God give me strength only for service, but strength in service, for every new or further call upon me.
I need hardly add that the body once filled with every new or old remedy for disease, has not touched or tasted medicine for nearly three years. A physician has never once been consulted, and yet my oldest friends have expressed their astonishment to me at the marvellous change.
To God be all the glory for all the wondrous things He has done for me; and on His altar, for fuller service to the souls of man, I hereby re-consecrate this saved, healed, and fulfilled life, to be His and His only, my Lord and my God, my Saviour of soul and body!
“And so the years flow on, and only cast Light and more light upon the shining way. That more and more shines to the perfect day; Always intenser, clearer than the past. Because they only bear me on glad wing Nearer the Light of Light – the presence of the King!”
MISS S. LINDENBERGER
Deaconess Berachah Home
About fifteen years ago the dear Lord saved my soul and won my heart to Himself, and from that moment I have been conscious that I was redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Soon after this the truth of divine healing was presented to me, and at that time I was ill with serious chronic disease, including my eyes, affected with granulated lids and farsightedness, and had been very frail in my body all my life.
I believed it at once and attempted to trust for healing, but I was very ignorant of the teaching of the Word of God. I had simple faith, believing Jesus could do all things, but did not know of the definite promises in His Word, and that I could claim and have them made real to me in the day of suffering and trial, or that healing is in the atonement of Christ, and free to all as they meet the conditions.
The Lord was very patient with me and so faithful. I trusted in a way, but wavered and questioned when all around me protested and insisted upon medical skill, and argued that remedies are provided by the Lord.
I was not strong enough to meet all this opposition, not having the Scriptures for my foundation and a “thus saith the Lord” to fall back upon, so I yielded and went back to the old way of remedies.
I can never forget the tender love of God in not reproving me, but so patiently helping me on even in the path that was not the most pleasing to Him, with the intention of bringing me out into the freedom of the full Gospel in later years.
He seemed to say to me, “My child, I want you to understand for yourself every step you take, and see this truth in the Word of God, and not depend upon the testimony of others, and I will teach you from My Word and by my Spirit, and lead you into light and liberty, and enable you, by My grace, to walk in the path I have chosen for you!” I trusted Him to do so, having learned my helplessness to even have any faith, and also the precious lesson to sympathize with others who are slow in understanding His will for them, and that we must be established in the Word and rest on this sure foundation, if we are to stand in the severe testings that come to us all.
I had no religious influences around me when a child, and was brought up in a life of luxury and ease, having almost every wish gratified; so when the Lord took me in hand He saw it necessary to discipline and teach me many lessons not pleasing to the flesh, but important in preparation for my future work.
I stumbled on for years, serving Him as best I could and receiving much blessing in my spiritual life and the opening up of His precious Word to me, with an earnest desire, implanted by the Holy Spirit, to fully follow Him.
It is about six years since He sent me to England and permitted me to meet with His dear children in London and Switzerland, and learn more fully of the teaching of Divine healing and a life of union with Christ.
At this time He called me to lay aside my glasses, which I had worn for several years when reading, writing or sewing, and trust my eyes to Him alone for healing. They were very weak and in such a condition that it caused great suffering and inflammation to use them for any length of time without the glasses, and they had been so all my life.
I gave up the glasses, wishing to obey God, and having the assurance that He would make my eyes strong. I commenced using them just the same as if I was wearing the glasses, without being conscious of any change in any way, only the clear conviction in my soul that God was working.
From this time the Lord met with me in healing, and my expectations were more than realized and the “exceeding abundantly” given to me, and I have had for the last few years literally new eyes, and am able to use them constantly – and often by lamp light for hours late into the night – without the least trouble, and in fact no thought about them, only that it is a delight to use them and be so free from any trouble in this way.
This encouraged me to trust fully for healing for my body and strength for my work, and laying aside all means, I was entirely healed and made to praise the Lord for His marvellous goodness to me.
Since I entered Berachah Home nearly five years since I have learned to know and trust the Lord in a deeper sense than ever before, and prove Him to be a complete Saviour, as I could not have done in an easy place. Day by day I have taken my strength from the living Christ, and it has been a wonderful lesson to learn how to feed upon Him daily for physical strength, and to find in actual experience that He giveth “power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”
I have again and again seen my natural strength fail and my body wither under the pressure of work and testing in many ways, but at the same time I have been conscious of a Divine life, flowing in and sustaining me, a life which was not my own, but from God, and I understood a little of the meaning of II Corinthians 4:10,11,16 and John 6:57.
It has taught me to walk very softly before Him, and whenever I let care and the many petty trials of life touch my spirit, my body will wither under it very quickly, but as I spring into my position in Christ and hide under His protecting wing, letting Him fight the battles for me and walking in obedience, all is well and a glorious springing life sufficient for my work is given to me, and I am enabled to run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. I do believe that it is not overwork which breaks down so many of God’s dear children, but the failure to mount up with wings as eagles, and to sit in the heavenly places in Christ.
In the summer the victory Christ has given me over the heat and sun has made me sing songs of praise. I have suffered for several years with my head when in the sun, and His Word has been now fulfilled to me, “The sun shall not smite thee by day,” and entire victory given, and I rejoice to know, but actual experience, that Jesus is the Saviour of soul and body, our Keeper every moment, and a present help in every time of need. In our work in Berachah Home God is with us. Hundreds have found Christ to be their Saviour, Sanctifier and Healer, and continually notes of praise come from all parts of the country from those who have been with us, telling of what the Lord has done for them and how markedly He is using them in service for others.
GEORGE P. PARDINGTON
Brooklyn, NY
The Crooked Made Straight
I am the son of Rev. R.S. Pardington, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1876 my father was pastor of the Fort Street Church, Detroit, Michigan. I was then ten years old, in very good health, and attending one of the public schools. In May, while in school, I received a severe injury through the carelessness of my teacher, a lady, who, seizing me by the coat-collar and jerking my right arm up and back till I felt something snap, gave me a severe shaking. I was greatly frightened. The injury extended to the right arm, shoulder, neck, and back, giving a terrible shock to my nervous system.
When I reached home I was in a very excited condition, and denounced the conduct of my teacher in wild and incoherent terms. My parents, alarmed by my confused, unnatural language, sent for our family physician. I became delirious; and, by the time he arrived, my pulse had risen to 140, with a very high fever. Nausea and diarrhea set in, and for twenty-four hours my condition was critical.
I soon recovered from this intense nervous excitement. My pulse fell from 140 to 120; but at this latter height it remained, with slight change, during my entire illness. I complained of a severe aching throughout my right arm and shoulder, as if the muscles and ligaments had been strained. The closest examination by the most skilful physicians revealed no injury. Soon the two middle fingers of my right hand began to twitch, then the hand moved spasmodically, and, finally, the whole arm became utterly uncontrollable. My parents insisted that I should control the movements of my arm, but I could not do so. The muscles of the right arm gradually contracted, drawing the hand toward the shoulder. This increased, till the palm of the hand settled between the shoulder-blades, where the hand remained day and night for three and a-half years. The muscles of my neck also contracted, drawing my chin to my breast. The muscles assumed great rigidity. I was under the special care of the best surgeon in Detroit, who administered electricity to me, and ordered a brace, which I could not wear. My spine was curving laterally, and was also thrown forward, so that my chest and abdomen projected abnormally. The only comfortable attitude which I could assume was to lie on the floor, flat upon my stomach, my chest and head being supported by my elbows. In this position my spine curved still more. I was twisted entirely out of shape, and when lying upon the floor, on my back, my body formed a complete arch, my head and heels only touching the floor. I was, indeed, a helpless cripple.
I continued to grow worse. A change of physicians would occasionally prove beneficial to me; but the disease, every feature of which baffled medical science, was every day more deeply seating itself in my system. Every physician who investigated my case was puzzled. My general health was excellent and there seemed to be so much to encourage us. The unanimous judgment of the members of a medical society, who met to consider my case, was that the nerves of sensation were in a normal condition, but that the nerves of motion were thoroughly disorganized.
In 1877 my father was appointed to the pastorate of another church in Detroit. Although our new home was less than three miles distant, it was with the greatest difficulty that I was removed there. During that and the next year, I was taken to various mineral springs and summer resorts to try the effect of a change of climate and scenery, but I grew steadily worse. Steel corsets and plaster-of-paris jackets were in turn tried. It often took a whole afternoon to put a plaster cast on me, so crooked and helpless was I. After the case was put on me, I was placed upon my back on a board, one or two persons sitting on my body to keep me, by main strength, in as straight a position as possible while the jacket dried. So great was the tension of the muscles up and down my back, that upon regaining my feet the case would often break over at the back.
My right arm still retained its position over my head. Nothing that was used affected it the least. Ointments, liniments of all descriptions, every expedient that medical science could suggest was tried, but all failed. I was rubbed night and morning for an hour, in the hope of softening the muscles. As a last resort, my dear mother, unknown to any member of our family, took the matter to the Lord. It seemed to her that, if the arm did not soon come down to its proper position, she would die. Despairing of earthly help, she committed the arm to Him, desiring that His will should be done in the matter. One evening soon after, while conversing with a friend, I took my arm from over my head and it fell at my side naturally. The movement was one of ease and rest. My arm was instantly healed, and has caused me no trouble since then. As I think of that hour I wonder that we did not then claim perfect healing of the Lord; but our hearts were blinded; we did not know the way of faith.
In the fall of 1880 we moved again; this time to a beautiful little village in southern Michigan. It was almost impossible for me to be taken to our new home. I was placed under the kind and tender care of a Christian physician in the village, and at first success seemed to attend his efforts to relieve me. My head, through a change in my case, having been straightened from my breast, now began to be drawn backward. I lost all control of it. When not supported by my hands, clasped together at the back of my head, it fell on my shoulders. The muscles of the neck enlarged, I became as helpless as a babe, and the days of my life appeared to be numbered. The hour was a dark one.
Having been converted at the age of seven, I enjoyed the love of God in my heart, during my illness. From the first I was resigned to my lot, willing to suffer or do anything for Jesus’ sake. Soon after my injury, I received the assurance that I should get well. While others gave me up, I was hopeful and happy. I knew that God would heal me, though how I did not know. And, now, in the spring of 1881, while my death would not have been a surprise at any time, I was confident that in some way I should yet be cured.
In the summer “The Prayer of Faith,” by Carrie F. Judd, was placed in the hands of my mother by a friend. It came like a revelation to her. Before I had read the book, I was so impressed that the dear Lord had sent it to me, that I was ready to accept healing. After reading the first few pages I dropped on my knees and thanked God for revealing Himself to me as my healer. Without the knowledge or advice of any one I stopped the use of my medicine, and committed myself to the Lord for healing. I wrote to Miss Judd to pray for me. My parents were in sympathy with me, but I did all the acting. I dismissed my physician immediately. Yielding to the persuasion of my parents, I did not take off my plaster jackets. Friends in Michigan united with those in Buffalo for my complete recovery. I expected that the Lord would heal me instantly. As I felt no better, and my friends saw no change in me, I was perplexed and disappointed. And here was my great struggle. I did not know, as I do now, that faith is not sight, and that we must believe before we see. The Lord taught me a lesson then which has since enabled me always to conquer in His strength. First, He renewed the assurance that I had always had that I should be healed; but He taught me to look to Him and not to what He would do. Secondly, He impressed me with the conviction that I have always had since, and which has proved so true, that, as my disease had come upon me slowly, so would my recovery be gradual. This to many may seem strange and not in harmony with the experience of others; but time has shown me that the glory of God has been advanced in my gradual recovery. Many, very many, have found in my case ground for their own faith, and I thank God that, although my health has been regained slowly, it has been no less the power of the Lord in my body. The lessons He has taught me in my time of waiting have been so precious to me that I would not exchange my experience if I could. After all He knows best.
In a few days my head was healed instantly. I regained the complete use of it in a moment of time. The water on the brain, signs of which were appearing, all passed away, and the muscles of my neck relaxed so that I could move my head at pleasure. But my form was still out of shape. My spine was as crooked as a letter S. My abdomen projected so far that my shoulders and hips nearly touched. I still wore my brace, as without it I could not walk.
From the time I accepted Christ as my Healer the following question had confronted me, “Can I trust the Lord to heal my crooked and diseased spine!” I was quickly forced to a decision. My former physicians and friends were watching me to see if my faith would reach to my deformed condition. I had a fearful struggle. In Buffalo Miss Judd was praying for me. On Thanksgiving Day I gained the victory! I decided that I could and would trust God to make me “every whit whole.” I took off my plaster case and walked out in the strength of Jesus. Oh, how weak my spine was! I was sorely tempted to put my case on again, but His power proved sufficient for my need. I was permitted at this time to realize Christ’s death as an atonement for sickness as well as for sin. With this light, notwithstanding my deformed condition, I boldly claimed that I was “every whit whole on the finished work of Christ.” This ground, once taken, I steadfastly maintained. I confessed my belief to every one. In order that I might fulfill the command of James v., 14,15, in the summer of 1882 I visited Miss Judd in Buffalo. There I was anointed and was taught the secret of faith in a most precious manner. My trip was a source of great blessing to me. My life was quickened spiritually and physically, and I returned home greatly improved and strengthened. I improved steadily, to the joy of my friends. I reasoned that if I was healed I should act as if I was well. This I did in acting my faith. I gained in a marked manner only as I acted my faith.
In 1883 my father was transferred to an Eastern conference and appointed pastor of the First church, Hartford, Conn. Here I was able at once to have a private teacher and to resume my long neglected studies. In 1884 I entered school again. My spine had become straight and I was well. My health improved steadily in every manner, and my parents and friends rejoiced in the fact that the dear Lord had restored me entirely to health. In 1885 we moved to Brooklyn, and since then I am no more the helpless boy, but the strong, firm, vigorous young man. Can anyone wonder that I have dedicated myself to God, to do whatsoever He shall bid me? With a sound body, a consecrated life, and a willingness to be used in any way for Him, I am waiting His summons to my life work, which, I feel assured, He will point out to me in His own time and way.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. – Isa. 11:31.
++A.B. Simpson, ed. A Cloud of Witnesses Concerning Divine Healing. New York: The Word, Work and World Publishing Co., 1887, pp.10-14, 109-114, 118-128.
Source of Information: Excerpts from A Cloud of Witnesses Concerning Divine Healing