Visitation of Special Member Groups
243
Anointing should normally be offered only to commandment
keepers—You inquire if we should pray for none that are sick except
those in the third angel’s message, or pray for all that shall make
[234]
application, et cetera.
James 5
is our rule to follow. “Is any sick among
you? let him call,” et cetera. It is those that are among us. God had
shown me those who keep God’s commandments are to have nothing
to do [in anointing and special prayer] for the sick of those who are
daily trampling them underfoot, unless it is in some special case where
souls are convicted of the truth and are decided to move out upon
it. The partition wall between commandment keepers and those who
trample them underfoot should be kept.—
Letter 4, 1857
(Quoted in
1BIO 404.).
Ellen White performed the anointing service—Just as the meet-
ing closed, Sister Meade, who had been afflicted with a slow fever,
requested us to pray for her. We went into a room by ourselves,
Brethren Holt, Wheeler, Stowell, James, and self. After I had anointed
her with oil we prayed over her, and she was healed every whit and
fell prostrate by the power of God. That night we got into a rowboat
and went on the pond about one mile to Brother Meade’s. His sister
was there with a very sick child. We anointed it with oil and prayed
over it, and God heard our prayers.—
Manuscript Releases 5:239
.