In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that he who "ascended up on high . . . gave gifts unto men . . . some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." In a faithful study of the Bible and that monumental text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, Christian Scientists are proving daily the God-given wisdom of the Leader who in ordaining these books to be the pastor and teacher of The Church of Christ, Scientist, forever set aside personality for Principle and put in action an unending train of blessings that needs but faithfulness on the part of her followers to embrace all mankind in its scope.
Even the casual reader of the testimonies published in our periodicals cannot fail to be impressed by the gratitude for the healing received which is at once their inspiration and dominant note. And as one reads the varying experiences,—those who have been brought back from "the valley of the shadow of death," those who have been rescued from the depths of degradation, those who have found surcease from sorrow and want,—he wonders not so much at the waves of gratitude, world-wide in their sweep, daily poured out at the feet of the giver of "every good gift and every perfect gift," but rather that in the face of such unimpeachable evidence the many should "neglect so great salvation."
It is admitted that in the centuries since the Christ healing ceased to be part and parcel of the Christian religion, there seemed to be no escape from the grim and hopeless doctrine that sickness and suffering were sent by God as a chastisement, and many a bruised and bleeding heart, innocent of wrong yet bending beneath the rod of suffering, has pleaded at the throne of grace to know wherein it had transgressed that the cup should be pressed to lips which rebelled at the draft of bitterness and woe; while others accepted with meekness and resignation what was honestly believed to be the divine will.
