by Winnie Andrews.

	Written in February, 1922. Published in Confidence, April-June, 1922.

To Rev. A.A. Boddy,
All Saints’ Vicarage, Sunderland, England.

Our dear Brother Wigglesworth arrived in Melbourne last Thursday, February 16th, and he had a meeting that night, when many came to hear his blessed message, and—glory to God!—many dear sick ones were delivered in answer to the prayer of faith. Some of those who attended the meeting had come many hundreds of miles for the purpose, and were addressed by the evangelist from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Ye are my witnesses.” [Is 43.10]

“There is nothing so real as God,” he said, “and God wants men to be as real as he is; sons of God with power. God has never made us to be imitations, never made any of us to be ordinary creatures. He wants specialities, and wants every one of us to be specialities, with souls fixed in God, and working the works of God. When God is upon the smallest person in the place, he can make us mighty, and when we are simple enough to believe him, the whole of our lives are changed, and the things which we have merely heard about begin to be realities in our own experiences.

“My theme tonight is that Jesus would not have us to be less than realities. My message is to you, not to somebody else. It was hard for the disciples to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, and there was something of remarkable order that took place to bring these men into the knowledge of this living fact. It is the power of this risen Christ that I am here tonight.”

Although Mr. Wigglesworth made it quite plain and clear to his hearers that be would rather see one sinner saved than 10,000 people healed of bodily ailments, he invited any who were in pain to come forward for prayer in the name of Jesus, who said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth,” [Mt 28.18] at the same time taking much trouble to impress upon them the thought that by no power of his would any receive deliverance, but only through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who healed all who came unto him. [Mt 8.16]

Amongst those who came forward for prayer were several who declared that they had received remarkable and instantaneous healings. A few of those were as follows: One little girl, six years of age, was seen, after prayer by the evangelist, walking out of the front door of the building with her mother, who was delightedly exclaiming to all and sundry, “Look at her! She has never walked in her life before!” A man who had not walked for over four years owing to rheumatoid arthritis, was instantly healed, and after triumphantly passing his stick and crutch up to the platform, gave an impromptu exhibition of the power that had come into his legs by jumping and leaping and praising God. [cf. Ac 3.8]

Others suffering from weak spine, nerve and heart trouble, weak eyesight, asthma, kidney trouble, loss of voice, etc., claimed to have been wonderfully helped.

Since the first night there have been many other wonderful healings. Last night a dear woman who had been unable to walk for 6½ years was brought to be prayed for, and—glory be to God!—she got out of her chair and walked, and her husband pushed her chair along, with her walking behind. Praise our covenant-keeping God! Truly he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. [Ep 3.20]

There have also been many conversions—at one meeting alone 40 dear ones accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior—and we are believing for still greater things. The revival showers are falling and God is working. Bless his holy name!

We also have some precious times of blessing in the morning meetings conducted by our dear Brother Wigglesworth, and many go away praising God for the feast they have had. Truly “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” [Mt 4.4]

Am enclosing newspaper cuttings, so you will see how the press are taking it up.

Just this morning a mother brought her little girl along, who had fallen on a pair of scissors, and cut her mouth so that she couid not close it. After the evangelist had laid his hands upon it and prayed, she was able to close her mouth and was quite well. Glory to God!

I must now close, praying that God will abundantly bless you in your labors of love for him, and asking your prayers of behalf of Australia.

With Christian greetings, yours in Christ’s happy service,
SISTER WINNIE ANDREWS, Secretary.
104 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Feb. 23rd. 1922.

The following articles are from the Melbourne Argus, Feb. 22-23.

 

Healing by Touch.
Manifestations at Olympia.

 

At a series of meetings conducted during the last ten days by Mr. Smith Wigglesworth, a Yorkshire evangelist, there have been many “manifestations of healing.” Mr. Wigglesworth held his earlier meetings in the Good News Hall, North Melbourne, and at first the attendance was only moderate; but this week it was necessary to transfer to Olympia, as so many persons had to be turned away from the smaller hall.

Last night a large number of persons came “for aid,” to use the evangelist’s expression; and though he was not successful in all cases, there were many in which there appeared to be startling and immediate improvement after he had laid his hands on the afflicted and prayed over them. In one instance a woman who was said to have been very deaf was able to answer him when he spoke to her in an ordinary tone. In another an elderly man, who declared that he had suffered from noises in the head for ten years, said that he was free from them at last. An elderly woman who was described as almost crippled with rheumatism, was directed to stoop down and touch the ground with her hands. “I don’t suppose you have bent your back for some time,” Mr. Wigglesworth said. The patient stooped down without effort apparently, and was so delighted that she laughed heartily. “No pain and no stiffness now?” asked the evangelist, and she replied that she had none. A girl who had an affliction of the hip and knee, which it was said had prevented her walking without a stick for some years, walked up and down in front of the audience at a rapid pace, whereas she had oniy been able before to limp slowly with the aid of her stick. “Throw your stick away; burn it,” said Mr. Wigglesworth. “You will not want it again.” Many other cases gave interesting results.

 

Further demonstrations.

 

Further demonstrations of “healing by touch” were given br Mr. Smith Wigglesworth, a Yorkshire evangelist, before a very large assemblage at the Olympia last night. After the evangelist had given an address on the subject of “Faith,” he called upon those who had come “for aid” on Tuesday night to testify as to the results; and several persons who had been suffering from deafness, rheumatics, and lameness declared that their ailments had completeIy gone. Mr. Wigglesworth then gave further manifestations of “healing by touch.” An elderly man, who said that he had been deaf for years, cried “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” when asked by Mr. Wigglesworth if he could hear, after hands had been placed on him and he had been prayed over. A woman, who, it was declared, had had sliff legs for over 20 years, and who limped to Olympia on the arm of a relative, ran about the hall in joy after she had been “touched.” Another woman, who was said to have been an invalid in a chair for 23 years, declared that her limbs were “beginning to move.” She was advised by the evangelist to retain her faith in Jesus Christ and her cure would be complete. A young woman with pains of long standing in her back was able to stoop and touch the ground with her hands, and she laughed heartily as she told the audience that her trouble had gone. A woman, who asserted that she had been unable to walk owing to pain in her feet, ran up and down in front of the audience, crying, “Praise the name of the Lord.” She declared that her pain vanished when the evangelist touched her.

There were a few failures, some deaf persons and some almost blind stating that they could not admit any improvement. “Strengthen your faith in the Lord,” was the advice given them by Mr. Wigglesworth.

Labels: 1922, Confidence