Page:The church manual (Church of the Brethren 1916).djvu/16

Rh any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5: 14.

As regards the anointing, it requires two brethren in order to perform it according to the advice of the apostle, since he says: "Let them call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him." These words require more than one. Now, when we are going to perform the same, the first we do, after singing a few appropriate lines and briefly exhorting, is to turn to God unitedly, and to pray God for a blessing upon ourselves, upon the sick member, and upon all as we do in a meeting, and there is liberty to pray for all the brethren present. If time will permit, and strangers are present, the passage from James 5 may be read, as far as relates to this matter, and briefly commented upon. Then the sick member is raised to a sitting posture, and the elder brother reaches forth his hand, and the other brother pours the oil upon it, which he, the first, puts upon the head of the sick, and thus three times saying the words of the apostle: "Thou art anointed in the name of the Lord, unto the strengthening of thy faith, unto the comforting of thy conscience, and unto a full assurance of the remission of thy sins," or as the Lord may give utterance; and then the brethren both put up their