It is six years since a good lady loaned me a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," saying that if I read it I would become a better member of the church to which I then belonged. The remark appealed to me, as that had been my highest ideal for many years; so I took the "little book," and that night read until nearly midnight, and daily thereafter. A close study of the chapter on "Prayer" caused such a spiritual awakening— such a rolling away of the obstacle between my Lord and me —that I was sure I never had known how to pray aright, and thus it was revealed to me why my prayers for thirty years had remained unanswered. I had not understood God nor man's relation to Him; my spiritual consciousness had never grasped this concept of divine Principle, Life, Truth, Love, and for several weeks my only prayer was, "Thy will be done! O God, give me spiritual understanding!" I kept on studying this, the most interesting book I had ever found, and as soon as I returned from the mining camp I attended the Christian Science church for the first time. Never will I forget the feeling of harmony which came over me as I entered the beautiful and wellfilled church; and as I looked around me into the cheerful and smiling faces, and read the inspiring motto on the wall, —"Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (Science and Health, p. 494), —I thought, Truly this is the atmosphere of Soul, for these people have found and are serving the God who is Love. The services, while very different from any I had ever attended before, appealed to me on account of the spiritual interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, and after receiving a cordial greeting, I went away feeling that the world was growing brighter and better. As I listened to the wonderful testimonies of the Wednesday evening meeting, I felt convinced that these results were not based on any human opinion of the Bible, but judged by the fruits, it must be the truth, the Science which Jesus taught and practised and which he said would make us free.
After six years of close study of the Holy Bible illumined by divine Science, I feel thankful to God that I have lived to see these wonderful works—the fulfilling of our Master's promise as recorded by St. John, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceed from the Father, he shall testify of me." To-day Christian Science testimonies of a divine hue—proving the unchangeableness of the ever-living Christ—are being heard around the world, and all who are willing to become as little children are being loosed from bondage of every nature whatsoever, and are rejoicing in the fulfilment of this blessed promise, which indeed will redeem the world from all conditions of discord and awaken in all the knowledge that the kingdom of heaven is within. This certainly is a "consummation devoutly to be wished," but as our Leader says, "Humility is lens and prism to the understanding of Mind-healing; it must be had to understand our Text-book; it is indispensable to personal growth, and points out the chart of its divine Principle and rule of practice" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 356).
I was supposed to have inherited stomach and bowel trouble, causing intense headaches that developed into other serious complications, from which I was never able to get permanent relief. At one time I had what was called an incipient stage of lung trouble, and for many months was under the care of one of the best physicians in Chicago. All of these diseases, as well as the fear of their return, have been banished from my consciousness, and I realize in a small degree the words of our dear Leader, "Truth has furnished the key to the kingdom, and with this key Christian Science has opened the door of the human understanding" (Science and Health, p. 99). Now my highest ideal is to reflect the perfect spiritual image and likeness of God, and become a channel through which may flow the healing truth that makes man free from all unlike God; that I may constantly know that I live because God is man's Life, and know the Love that casts out all fear.
