THE SCOTTISH FAITH HEALER

John Alexander Dowie (1847 - 1907) was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer who ministered in Australia and the United States.

He was pastoring a church in Sydney, Australia when, in/around 1875, the bubonic plague struck. He buried forty members of his church in less then one month and four more people from his congregation died and were yet to be buried. Many others became sick with this awful plague, in which there was no cure.

“After visiting the many sick members of his flock one day, Dr. Dowie returned home and sat in his study, his arms folded upon his desk, his head upon his arms, weeping before God.

‘God, is everybody going to die?’ he cried. ‘Are you going to take everybody? Where did this plague come from? Are you the author of this?’ He was heartsick at the thought of the families that would be torn apart by the plague; at the children who would be left orphans.”

John Alexander Dowie later wrote that the words found in Acts 10:38 stood out before him as a light, showing Satan as the Defiler, and Christ as the Healer. 

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38 KJV

“‘My tears were wiped away,’ Dr. Dowey said, ‘my heart was strong. I saw the way of healing, and the door thereto was opened wide, so I said, ‘God help me now to preach the Word to all the dying around, and tell them how ‘tis Satan who defiles, and Jesus still delivers, for “He is just the same today.”’

He did not have long to wait. Within minutes, two young men burst into his study, pleading breathlessly, ‘Oh, come at once. Mary is dying!’ Dr. Dowie ran down the street after them, not even pausing to take his hat. He was furious that Satan should have attacked this innocent young member of his flock.

Dr. Dowie entered Mary’s room and found her in convulsions. Her medical doctor, having given up on her, was preparing to leave. He turned to Dr. Dowie and remarked, ‘Sir, are not God’s ways mysterious?’

The revelation Dr. Dowie had just received from the Word of God was burning in his heart. ‘God’s way!’ he thundered. ‘How dare you call that God’s way! No, sir, that is the devil’s work!

He challenged the physician, who was a member of his congregation, ‘Can you pray the prayer of faith that saves the sick?’

The doctor replied, ‘You are much too excited, sir, ‘tis best to say God’s will be done,’ and he left.

‘Excited! The word was quite inadequate for I was almost frenzied with Divinely imparted anger and hatred of that foul destroyer, Disease, which was doing Satan’s will,’ Dowie wrote.

‘It is not so,’ I exclaimed, no will of God sends such cruelty, and I shall never say “God’s will be done” to Satan’s works, which God’s own Son came to destroy, and this is one of them. Oh, how the Word of God was burning in my heart…”

Furious at Satan’s work, Dr. Dowie then prayed the prayer of faith for Mary and the girl’s convulsions immediately ceased, and she fell into such a deep sleep, so much so that her mother worried that she had died. “‘She isn’t dead,’ the triumphant Dr. Dowie assured them.

After several minutes, Dr. Dowie awakened Mary. She turned to her mother and exclaimed, ‘Mother, I feel so well!’”

Dr. Dowie quietly thanked God and then went into the next room where Mary’s brother and sister lay with the same plague. After prayer, they too were also completely healed.

From that day on John Alexander Dowie ministered to his flock on divine healing and continued to pray for their healing, and because of his belief in divine healing he never lost another one of his church members to the plague.