ASPR Journal, V14 - Iapsop.com

Survey and Comment. 269
From the time when I was very little I had always had great
sympathy for suffering.
" My mother always taught me to pray for everything. Always
my first thought was to tum to Christ. It is such a pity that more
mothers do not bring up their children .with this faith in prayer.
A mother has such a wonderful opportunity in her children. A
mother's prayer, influence and love help to mould and shape the
man. My whole career is the natural outcome of what my mother
planted in me when I was a child.
"I have never claimed any power to myself. I am simply a
channel. Just as this electric globe is necessary for the light to be
manifested through, so we are necessary to Christ as instruments
through which His power can be made manifest on this material
plane.
" The purpose of the church is to point us to Christ and keep
alive the ideals which He set before us. People are more and more
coming to admit the power of the spirit. Medical science is coming
to admit more and more the power of mind over matter, but we
must not be content to rest there. We must go on and realize the
power of the spirit when in union with Christ over both mind and
matter."
In speaking of psychotherapy Mr. Hickson said that it was all
right in the hands of those who had studied it. He had never felt
the need of it because power from Christ is complete in itself.
"There is no denial of sickness in spiritual healing," he said.
"We admit to the full both sickness and sin and with the help of
God overcome them as Christ and his disciples did. The denial of
the reality of sin can hardly be called Christian as the first message
of ] ohn the Baptist was ' Repent you of your sins.' If there is no·
sin there is no need of repentance, of forgiveness, or of a saviour.
" The care of the body and the spiritual cleansing and healing
of all manner of sickness and disease are not only beneficial to the
sufferers but also to the unborn generations. Surely we have a
duty toward them. Suffering through heredity is great. And it is
a terrible thing for a child to come into the world with tendencies to
sin and disease. For the sake of the children, then, ought we not
to do more to heal and keep strong our bodies? "
Mr. Hickson was asked if he had taken any practical steps
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