us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" (Acts, iii. 2-8.)

"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one" (Acts, v. 14—16.)

The history of Simon the sorcerer is very remarkable : he wished to purchase with gold the power of performing miracles from the Apostles, which he was unable to do from the deceits of his heart. This remarkable history is also applicable to the Simons of our time. "But there was a certain man called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one. Then Simon himself believed also; and, when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles' hands the Holy' Ghost was given, he offered them money: saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity" (Acts, viii. 9-23.)

When Peter visited the saints at Lydda, he found there

And

a man named Æneas, who had kept his bed eight years, being sick of the palsy. "And Peter said unto him, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; arise, and make thy bed. he arose immediately." "Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died: and forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping: but Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed: and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise: and she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter sat up. And he gave her his hand; and, when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive" (Acts, ix. 33-34, 36-49.)

Of the same description are the miracles of St. Paul, who, powerful in spirit and action, deserves here, also, our admiration. "And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. The same heard Paul speak; who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked" (Acts, xiv. 8-10.)

"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts, xix. 11, 12.)

The youth Eutychus, who fell from the third story and was taken up dead, was awakened by St. Paul in the following manner. "And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted" (Acts, xx. 8-12.)

"And it came to pass that the father of Publius l ay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux; to whom Paul entered in and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So

when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island came, and were healed" (Acts, xxviii. 8, 9.)

Having already spoken of the meaning of curing by Christ, and having also given some historical passages, I leave it to every one to make remarks themselves on these peculiarities, and to hold up that which is instructive for imitation. One thing, however, must not be omitted in conclusion, that it is necessary first to become a Christian before cures can be performed in Christ. But very few are Christians of those who call themselves such; they are only Christians outwardly and in name.

Healing, in the Biblical sense, deserves in many respects some attention, as we find in it not only something magical, but because the Biblical healings are often looked upon as the only true ones. The principles of this manner of cure are described in the following manner in various sentences and teachings of the Bible :

ye

:

In Moses (Levit. xxvi. 14) we find as follows: "But if will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my commandments, I also will do this unto you: I will appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. In Deut. xxviii. 15-21, 22-61, we find "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee. Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto; the Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until he have consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it; and the Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed: the Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, he will bring upon thee

all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee; also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed." Therefore to again become whole it is perfectly necessary to free oneself from sin, and to live in pious and pure obedience to God; for the Lord spoke to Moses (Exod. xv. 26) If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee."

Jesus, the son of Sirach, says: "My son, in thy sickness be not negligent: but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole. Leave off from thy sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness. Then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him ; let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him” (Eccles. xxxviii. 9—12.)

"Fools, because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalm cvii. 17, 20.)

There are also other and higher methods of healing than the usual ones, and pious men can cure as well as physicians. The believing physician, says Macarius, is divine, but medicines belong to heathens and unbelievers. According to the wisdom of Isaiah, the physician was honourable; for he says, "Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye have made of him; for the Lord hath created him." He, however, also believes that the physician was created for the sinner. "He that sinneth before his maker, let him fall into the hands of the physician" (Isaiah, xxxviii. 1, 15.)

In the New Testament, in all cases, sin is regarded as the cause of all diseases. Jesus spoke to the man with the palsy when he healed him, "Thy sins are forgiven thee. And when he had made whole the sick man at the Pool of Bethesda, and afterwards found him in the temple, he said: Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John, v. 14.) The Apostles and

all the saints also strove to make men first morally whole; for true and perfect health of soul and body is only regained with a return to God. It is remarkable that the Eastern sages, Zoroaster, and all defenders of the system of emanation, the Cabbalists as well as the later Theosophists, who possessed a wonderful power of healing, have all attacked this doctrine. According to these the cause of disease is regarded partly to be the work of evil spirits, in communication with which man places himself through his transgressions. That they were the evil spirits, which, in fact, destroyed and corrupted the good principles of our nature, is not disputed by even a lower spiritual belief than that of the Theosophists: these are the "bonds of Satan" spoken of by St. Luke, xiii. 16.

The originally pure doctrines of Christianity were, however, at a very early age, distorted by some defenders of the system of emanation; of which, according to their perception, the institution of the Christian faith was in some measure the cause, being interpreted by their opponents in a much more pernicious manner. Saturninus, Basilides, and Carpocrates, are at the head of these, according to whom all things proceed from the Eones (celestial powers). Christ himself was, according to them, regarded as an Eon of the highest class, who, through severe self-command, had overcome the dominion of Demons, and whoever lived as he had done would overcome it likewise. "From the Eones, as the highest sources," says Basilides, "proceeded the heavens." According to Valentin, one of the most celebrated of their sect, the ones were variously classed, even male and female. The first of the female ones was the Holy Ghost; by laying on of the hands this holy spirit is imparted, giving the power of curing diseases. Although this departure from the original doctrines caused a great diversity of ideas, yet healing according to Biblical principles still remained a dominant motive for striving after moral improvement and perfection. If man is earnest in his unmurmuring obedience to God, and in a living, active faith, in his desire to return to God, God will become his physician, and he will have no more need of a temporal physician. As soon as the soul is perfectly sound, we are told, this health of the soul will also