When I became interested in Christian Science I was to mortal sense a physical wreck, and burdened with all the sins known to mortal mind; yet I did not come into Science for the healing of any of these things. A friend invited me to attend Sunday services with him, and not knowing what church he was in the habit of attending I accepted the invitation. This was the first time I ever attended a Christian Science service, and I have missed only a few since.
I have been healed of many physical difficulties including hernia, and of a skin disease of fourteen years' standing. These healings were brought about through the help of a practitioner. After I had been interested in Christian Science for a number of years, and had received many blessings, there came a time when everything seemed to go wrong with me, until I was so burdened with sin, despair, and discouragement that I finally arrived at the conclusion, according to the teachings of the Bible and of Science and Health, that I was not doing my duty. I had already gained sufficient understanding of Christian Science to know that there could be nothing but progress in truth, and in view of the fact that I was going back instead of advancing, decided that this was mental laziness, which is error in one of its most subtle forms.
Being fully convinced that it was my individual problem that had to be solved and that I was the only one who could successfully work it out, I took up the daily study of the Lesson-Sermons, together with the reading of Mrs. Eddy's published works and of all the Christian Science literature, and began to put into practice in my daily living the understanding which I had attained. Some progress was made, but I came to see that more was required of me. I had been completely healed of many physical ailments, and of the liquor and gambling habits and everything that is attached to that kind of living, but had never been grateful enough openly to acknowledge any of these healings. Mrs. Eddy says on page 372 of Science and Health, ''In Christian Scicnce, a denial of Truth is fatal, while a just acknowledgment of Truth and of what it has done for us is an effectual help;" and continuing she says. "If pride, superstition, or any error prevents the honest recognition of benefits received, this will be a hindrance to the recovery of the sick and the success of the student." Once more I traced my lack of progress to the same cause,—not performing my duty. I had been an excessive smoker for twenty years and had not been able to overcome the habit up to this time, but when I gave my first testimony, after studying Christian Science for eight years, the desire to smoke completely left me.
