tles, never afterward to be reclaimed by the church. But we read in the Word where it says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." He has lost none of his power. He will not deprive his believing children of the privileges laid down in the word. Because people have departed from the faith does not change the word of God. But thank God! he has raised up a people to-day, and sent them forth with the Bible commission.

Can it be possible now that he offers to do greater things through those who believe on him? How can that be? Let us just consider the question a moment. Remember when Christ was here in the flesh incarnate he said these words, and afterwards ascended unto the Father, and the Holy Comforter was given us. We can do greater works by the God in us through the power of the Holy Ghost. This power is not promised to unbelievers, nor to such as just believe a small portion of the Word and reject other portions, but is offered to them that believe; and there is much meanng in that word believe when it comes right down to the Bible standard. God wants his ministers to move out on the line of believing a little more, and lose sight of the idea of the preacher doing the work; and see that it is only God through him.

He has placed the gifts of healing in the church, and wants his ministers to make use of such gifts. Every one whom God has chosen to preach his gospel, or oversee a flock or congregation of believers in any

place, he desires should be qualified to obey James 5:14, 15. 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." The commission to preach the gospel includes that authority and power; but too many have gone forth preaching the Word on certain lines in all its purity, believing in a sense the remainder of the Word, but afraid to move out and fulfill the Word on the line of divine healing. This commission fits a person to fulfill what is required by God in any case of emergency. A person may go

forth and preach the gospel, and yet not have the real gifts of healing in their fullness; yet at the same time be able to fulfill the Word when called upon. trouble is, too many are living below their privileges.

The

Among the gifts of the Spirit that are set forth in the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians the ministers of the gospel need to obey the Word, and "covet earnestly the best gifts," such as can be used to the greatest glory of God. Notice where the apostle speaks of the gifts, when it comes to healing he speaks of it in the plural number, "gifts of healing." Besides the power and authority to lay on hands and rebuke disease, one must have, to be specially used of God, discernment, in order to know who are proper candidates for healing; must have wisdom, in order

to know what to do and when to act; must have faith, in order to take God at his word; must have knowledge, in order to know how to instruct the one who is needing help. With these qualifications, and in addition the graces of the Spirit, charity, the needed humility, and such like, one can go forth qualified with mighty power and authority and glorify the name of the Lord. A person may have the healing faith, and yet not have the gifts of healing, which is shown in another chapter. God's ministers must get a real apostolic commission and authority and go forth and preach the same with all boldness, or the people will never reach the Bible standard of holiness and healing as God desires; because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." "And how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent?" And furthermore they must be sent with the heavenly commission instead of a commission from a conference.

TO WHOM GIVEN NOW.

As the commission is given to believers to go forth and declare the whole counsel of God, as the Word is presented in all its purity, with all boldness, power, and authority sent down from heaven, the people believe, although many will oppose who are filled with false doctrines and the spirit of the enemy of souls;

nevertheless, the honest-hearted people love the truth when it is presented in the demonstration of the Spirit of God. But now, to whom are these promises given? and who can enjoy the privileges of the gospel and the blessings of divine healing at the present time? The word of God answers this very plainly. It says they shall follow "them that believe." It was so in the time of Christ. Those who were willing to forsake all and follow and believe him with all their heart received a benefit. They who came to him in faith believing for the healing of their bodies were “healed every one." They who came to his apostles with the same faith were healed every one. They who come to the Lord in these days after hearing the word of God preached by his true servants, and come with the same earnestness and faith as did the people in olden times, will be "healed every one." People fail to get these blessings from the Lord often because they are too unconcerned about the matter. They can readily believe that God forgives all their sins, but with many it is difficult for them to reach the point where they can as readily believe that he will heal all their diseases. But when we come to God in perfect obedience to his word, with all confidence believing that what he says is true, it is no difficult matter for us to take him for our physician, any more than it is for us to take him for our Savior from sin. As David says in speaking of the Lord, "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” It

does not take any greater effort, nor any more faith to believe for the healing of the body than it does for the removal of sin. There is just as much reason in a person going to a priest and paying out so much money every week or two in order to have his sins forgiven, as to go to a doctor and pay out so much money each week for medicine to cure us of our diseases, when the Lord has promised to do all this. The priest can not remove our sins by divine power, neither can the doctor remove our diseases by divine power. If we come to a man of God, who is fully saved and apt to teach, he may instruct us and help us to reach the point where we can make our peace with God. He can also give us instruction and help us reach the point where we can receive the healing of our body. But it is a blessed thing for us to know that Jesus has power to sweep away all our transgressions and all our diseases; and if no one is within a thousand miles of us, we can call upon him and receive answers to our prayer for both soul and body.

PROMISES GIVEN.

In Matt. 8:17 we read that Jesus "himself took our

infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Then why need we go about bearing them all our lives, when he bore them for us? Why need we go about suffering day after day and year after year? for we read that he