Three Thousand Years of Mental HealingCutten, George Barton
History
Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing
Cutten, George Barton
Mental healing
"October 25 [1739]. I was sent for to one in Bristol who was taken ill
the evening before. She lay on the ground furiously gnashing her teeth
and after a while roared aloud. It was not easy for three or four
persons to hold her, especially when the name of Jesus was named. We
prayed. The violence of her symptoms ceased, though without a complete
deliverance." Wesley was sent for later in the day. "She began
screaming before I came into the room, then broke out into a horrid
laughter, mixed with blasphemy, grievous to hear. One who from many
circumstances apprehended a preternatural agent to be concerned in
this, asking, 'How didst thou dare to enter into a Christian?' was
answered, 'She is not a Christian, she is mine.' Then another
question, 'Dost thou not tremble at the name of Jesus?' No words
followed, but she shrunk back and trembled exceedingly. 'Art thou not
increasing thy own damnation?' It was faintly answered, 'Ay! Ay!'
which was followed by fresh cursing and blasphemy ... with spitting,
and all the expressions of strong aversion." Two days later Wesley
called and prayed with her again, when "All her pangs ceased in a
moment, she was filled with peace, and knew that the son of wickedness
was departed from her." On October 28 he exorcised two more demons
whom he had evidently (unconsciously) been the means of producing in
two neurotic girls. He had a few other experiences in healing, but
always in an incidental way.
[Illustration: JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE]
Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) had at least one experience as a healer.
During revival services at Antwerp, N. Y., in 1824, two insane women
were cured, but Finney was directly concerned in the restoration of
only one of them. Of this he gives an account in his memoirs. "There
were two very striking cases of instantaneous recovery from insanity
during this revival. As I went into meeting in the afternoon of one
Sabbath, I saw several ladies sitting in a pew, with a woman dressed
in black who seemed to be in great distress of mind; and they were
partly holding her, and preventing her from going out. As I came in,
one of the ladies came to me and told me she was an insane woman.... I
said a few words to her; but she replied that she must go; that she
could not hear any praying, or preaching, or singing; that hell was
her portion, and she could not endure anything that made her think of
heaven. I cautioned the ladies, privately, to keep her in her seat, if
they could, without her disturbing the meeting. I then went into the
pulpit and read a hymn. As soon as the singing began, she struggled
hard to get out. But the ladies obstructed her passage; and kindly but
persistently prevented her escape.... As I proceeded ... all at once
she startled the congregation by uttering a loud shriek. She then cast
herself almost from her seat, held her head very low, and I could see
that she 'trembled very exceedingly.' ... As I proceeded she began to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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