Article December 19, 1908 Issue

TESTIMONIES

ALICE W. FULLER

On one occasion, after returning from a Wednesday evening meeting, there came to me, as never before, a realization of the necessity of obedience to the Golden Rule—to do unto others as I would have them do unto me. In a retrospective way, thought went back over the years to my beginning in Christian Science, and I remembered how eagerly I looked forward to our weekly testimonial meetings, how I counted the days for their coming, and listened almost breathlessly to the reading of the Lesson, then to the testimonies, which corroborated with their healing messages the teachings of the Bible and of Science and Health.

The Master bade the disciples whom John had sent to him: "Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see;" and our testimonial meetings have been established for that very purpose,—to tell to those who are waiting for the "good news" that the sick are healed, that the blind receive their sight, that the lame walk, and that the sorrowing are comforted. When these testimonies are given with earnestness, when the facts are told without detail, they carry with them such conviction that every earnest heart overflows with loving gratitude to the Giver of all good. Again, these Scriptural words, "God is no respecter of persons," stand out so clearly; we realize that what He gives to one He gives to all. Thus do we see the great wisdom our dear Leader has shown in establishing these testimonial meetings. She tells us in Science and Health (p. 372) that "a just acknowledgment of Truth and of what it has done for us is an effectual help." Do we wish this help? If so, we shall always be ready with an acknowledgment of the blessings and benefits received through Christian Science, remembering that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," be the giving great or small; and that whatever we do, all should be done to the glory of God.

Would there be any waiting between the testimonies, any long silence, if gratitude were uppermost in thought and the desire was ever to glorify God? Nay, the fear of criticism would be relegated to its native nothingness and self-consciousness doomed to oblivion, and there would be only the consciousness of loving obedience to our dear Leader, who knows that throngs of weary ones come to these meetings for crumbs of comfort, and does not wish them to go away heart hungry and thirsty when there are so many who can tell again the story of their healing and of the peace they have found in Christian Science. She counsels (Science and Health, p. 570), "Give them a cup of could water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences;" and in the Psalms we read this promise, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."

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