is one of those books of the New Testament which the most destructive critics have admitted to be genuine; there is no escape from its teaching here, except on the improbable assumption that St. Paul was using metaphor. He states definitely that the unworthy reception of the Holy Communion produces a lowering of physical vitality. If what we have said hitherto be true, we should expect this to happen, since spiritual things affect both the spirit and soul of man, and it is the hidden part of his soul, in the undermind, which controls the functions of the body. The effect of this lowering of a man's intrinsic vitality could not be better expressed — he becomes" weak and sickly." Apparently St. Paul means also to suggest that some have died because of this, "not a few sleep."

A Sacrament, we may conclude, rightly received, raises the vitality and thus strengthens the body. It is a means of healing; and to this we bear witness whenever our English form for the reception of Holy Communion is used—"The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.”

Gifts of Healing

In the next chapter of the same Epistle we find the important passages which we have classed together as No. H, the only occasion in the Epistles, outside St. James, where healing is mentioned by name. To understand its exact value, we must remember that in St. Paul's view every member of the Church possessed one or more gifts, or charis

mata, because he had received the Holy Ghost.1 These gifts were thus the "manifestation of the Spirit" to each person: 2 they varied very much in character, and St. Paul evidently did not regard the abnormal charismata as more valuable than the rest

"For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another workings of powers; and to another prophecy," etc.

St. Paul, then, attributed all these gifts to the Holy Spirit: he believed that some had definitely the work of healing conferred upon them; and he distinguishes from this ministry the working of “powers" (mistranslated “miracles "), which may here refer to exorcism and generally to the more mysterious influences of spirit on body. I have already said above that "powers" seem to be reckoned above ordinary healing, as something which could form one of the evidences of Apostleship. They are mentioned before healing in St. Paul's order, which thus seems to show that he placed teaching above both powers and healing

"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, wise counsels, divers kinds of tongues."

Two things stand out for us in this graduation of the gifts. First, St. Paul did not make of the

11 Cor. 77.

21 Cor. 127.

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Church a society that appealed to healing as its allimportant manifestation; the Church was not like some modern sects that are run " almost exclusively on their cures: healing is just one of the useful works, one of the " signs following," and it occu

pies with " powers " a middle position. But, sec

ondly, this very fact rebukes our modern unbelief, for nothing could be more at variance with St. Paul's view than the modern idea of "miracles" as something strange and unnatural and confined to the first stages of the Church. St. Paul evidently regards them as ordinary manifestations, inherent in that outpouring of the Spirit which is of the essence of the Church; and he thinks it more difficult to be a good bishop than to work "miracles," which, no doubt, is the case.

The passage contains one more definite principle of the greatest practical value to us. St. Paul regards it as self-evident that these charismata of healing are not possessed by all alike—

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Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of powers? have all gifts of healings?"

Incidentally this shows that St. Paul did not regard the gift of healing as only the exercise of the power of prayer and holiness: all can help to heal in this way, every good friend of a sick man can add to the power of recovery by the effectual fervent prayer of a just man-but St. Paul knows that above this is a wonderful "gift" which is not possessed by all.

Such a gift most people have felt in its elementary form, when they have discovered that

among their friends there was one whose hand's touch could allay pain. There are some whose very presence is prophylactic; they have the power by nature, and all very saintly people seem to have it also in some degree by grace; and those who are naturally endowed with it may by grace strengthen it into a most efficient gift. For grace is like a garden to the seed; it brings to life potential excellences till they burst into efflorescence. Not only in the Christian Church, indeed, are fine flowers to be found: they exist everywhere, since God is good and his Spirit is over all his works; there were prophets before the Church, there are teachers outside it; helps and wise counsels have been found among the heathen, and so has healing. Yet these things are marks of Christian grace, and St. Paul could speak of them as manifestations of the Spirit, for when a man by baptism and the laying-on of hands became a full inheritor of the heavenly Kingdom, he was dowered with new power and brought forth from his treasure-house things new and old.

CHAPTER XXI

THE THORN IN THE FLESH

ST. PAUL was not ignorant of the power by which the spirit can bring succour to the body. He had healed many people, and he had himself experienced a signal instance of this supremacy in his own body, on that rainy morning when he had stood by the fire with the kindly barbarians in the island of Melita, and the viper had leaped out and fastened upon his hand. But he knew the other side also

"And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations wherefore, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness." 1

Here is an affliction which St. Paul thrice prayed to have removed, and his prayer was answered in another way. From this passage and from Gal. 4 13-15 it is now generally agreed that the “thorn for the flesh" (okóλOY Tη σаρKί) was a physical disease, recurrent at intervals. Many have thought it to be a form of epilepsy such as Julius Cæsar,

12 Cor. 127-9.