I know our Adverfaries are very willing to find out another meaning. They cannot allow thefe words to fignify a Miraculous Cure of the Body: but think they denote a Spiritual Cure of the Soul; and for this they offer feveral reasons, which I fhall examin in their order.

1. They fay, if this place be understood of a Miraculous Cure, then care wou'd have been alfo taken of the lame and blind, &c. as well as of the fick; whereas these seem to have been utterly neglected. To this I answer, 1. That the gift of healing the fick was certainly very common in the ancient Church; but the gift of restoring fight to the blind, &c. was not fo frequently granted. And therefore St. James had good reason to give a general advice for the ufe of the one; but not of the other, which fo feldom appear'd. 2. The gift of healing was bestowed for the fake of those, whofe fickness endangered their lives: but the lame, the blind, &c. might enjoy their lives, and continue longer here, to do God Service and perfect their Repentance, &c. without any affiftance from the Miraculous gift of healing. And therefore there was no need of any directions to be given to fuch Perfons.

2. They fay, that if this place be understood of a Miraculous Cure, then St. James wou'd not have order'd them to fend for the Elders of the Church; but for those that had the gift of healing. But we are to confider, 1. That the gift of healing was more frequently at leaft beftowed upon the Elders; and perhaps I may fafely add, that we have no proof of it's being bestowed upon any other Perfons. However, 2. tho' the gift of healing were fometimes beftowed upon Lay-Perfons, yet 'twas more advisable to fend for fuch

Elders

Elders as were endued with it; because their Character gives them greater authority and they are fuppos'd to have better skill in those Spiritual affairs, which fick Perfons are concer

ned in.

3. 'Tis faid, that if the Cure were Miraculous, St. James wou'd not have appointed the ufe of Oil; fince the Miracle might have been perform'd without it. Now, whether St. James Tpeaks of the use of Oil, as a commanded Ceremony; or only as a Custom ufual at the exercife of the gift of healing; I fhall not determine. However I return our Adverfaries this double anfwer. 1. Since it pleas'd God by the mouth of his Apoftle to, mention this Ceremony of the performance of the Miracle, we are to look no farther. 'Tis certain, that many Miracles were attended with outward actions, which had no real Virtue in them. Thus when our Savior cur'd the blind Man, he us'd Clay; and when he cur'd the Perfon that was' both deaf and dumb, he put his Fingers into his Ears, &c. Thus alfo fome were cur'd by impofition of hands, Mark 16. 18. Acts 28. 8. Now fince anointing appears to have been the usage of those who had the gift of healing, we must not think to disprove the Matter of Fact, by faying it was not abfolutely neceffary. Especially, our Adverfaries ought not to argue after this manner; because, 2. This overthrows their own opinion concerning a Spiritual Cure. For we may also alledge, that if the Cure were Spiritual, St. James wou'd not have appointed the ufe of Oil; fince the Miracle might have been perform'd without it. Nor can our Adverfaries answer this objection against their own interpretation, but upon the fame principle which do's fo plainly juftify ours,

viz. That Men are not to confider what God may do; but what they must do themselves. The ancient Christians were to follow St. James's advice in the use of Oil; and to truft to God for the expediency of it.

4. 'Tis pretended, that if the Apostle speaks of a Miraculous Cure of the Body, then none of the firft Chriftians wou'd ever have died, as long as that power lafted; because there is an abfolute promife made of raifing up the fick Perfon. But I answer, that the Elders who had the gift of healing, did never pretend to heal thofe, whom God had appointed for death. They always acted with Faith, or a full perfuafion of the fuccefs of their endeavors; and this perfuafion was raised in them by God's Spirit, which cou'd not, and wou'd not deceive them.

If it be reply'd, that the promise is abfolute and general, and therefore all fick Men must be healed; I defire our Adverfaries to confider, that the moft abfolute and general Promifes in the Scripture will admit of neceffary reftriction. Our Savior faies, John 14. 13, 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, that will I do; that the Father may be glorify'd in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it. This Promife is as abfolute and general, as 'tis poffible; and yet all our Prayers are not granted. Wherefore there is a condition understood; viz. If it be confiftent with God's Wisdom, and the intereft of the Perfon; then it fhall be perform❜d.

However, we need not these usual and reasonable limitations in the prefent Cafe. For we may obferve, that the Apoftle faies, The Prayer of Faith fhall fave the fick; that is, the Prayer which proceeds from a full perfuafion in that Person who has

the

the gift of healing. Now fince the Perfons' who had that mighty power, knew what Cures they ought to attempt, and never made experiments upon others therefore when they did attempt, and us'd the Prayer of Faith, they never fail'd. So that the Promile may be frilly abfolute and general th refpect to all that it did concern, because they did never endeavor, but when the fuccefs was infallibly certain. And therefore tho' thefe words do relate to the Miraculous gift of healing, and tho the Promife be never fo abfolute and general; yet it will not follow from hence, that the first Race of Chriftians must then have been immortali zidi

Nay, this objection of our Adverfaries, if purfued, will as certainly prove, that there never was any gift of healing at all as that thefe words do not relate to it. For we may urge, that if ever! fuch a gift was bestowed upon the firft Age of the Church, then that Generation wou'd not have died as long as the gift continued'; because it was in the power of thofe holy Men to fpare the lives of their Brethren, and we may fuppofe them willing to do it. But yet our Adverfaries cannot deny, that there was fuch a gift in ancient times; nor can they answer the objection thus retorted upon themselves, otherwife than by faying, that the Primitive Saints us'd their gift in Subordination to the Will of God. A onisionwedlov yni welb.

In a word, the Elders of the Church did not heal whom on when they pleas'd; but fuch Perfons only as the Spirit directed them to heal, to ferve the great Ends, and promote the Glory of Almighty God.And therefore, tho' the Promife is Abfolute and General to all that were capable of it, and the effect was certain; yet that Gene

U

ration

ration wou'd not be as it were immortal. Because tho' many were to be reftor'd for a confiderable time, yet fome did never receive the benefit of that gift; and those who did, cou'd not forever enjoy it, but muft in due feafon fubmit to the ftroke of death.

5. They urge, that Saint James's Words muft needs fignify a fpiritual cure, because the Apoftle adds, and if he have committed fins, they shall be forgiven him, v. 15. But to this I answer, that it: pleas'd God in the Primitive Times to punifh fome incorrigible and obftinate Offenders with death; and to inflict Difcafes upon many other Sinners, to the intent that being admonished by his judgments, they might amend their lives. This is very plain in the Cafe of thofe Corinthians who abus'd the Lord's Table. For this caufe, fajes St. Paul, many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep. For if we wou'd judge our felves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemn'd with the World; 1 Cor. 11, 30, 31, 3201 Wherefore St. James, when he difcourfes of a Miraculous recovery from fickness, affures the fick Perfon, that if he have committed fins as the caufe of his dif cafe; then not only the affliction fhou'd be removed, but the reafon of it alfo fhou'd be taken away, for they fhall be forgiven him,

This explication agrees perfectly well with the following verfes, wherein the Apostle exhorts them to mutual confeffion, and Prayers for each others health. Confefs your faults, faies he, verse 16. (or as fome Copies read it, Confefs your faults therefore) one to another; that ye may be bealed. Since God is often pleas'd to beftow a Miracle upon you al for your recovery, and also to pardon your fins, upon the Prayer of Faith; therefore you are obliged by your