Testimony of Healing July 10, 1909 Issue

I was under Christian influence from childhood, and...

Elgiva K. Stewart

I was under Christian influence from childhood, and united with an orthodox church when a young woman, becoming an earnest worker in the Sabbath School and a religious society. As the years passed, however, I became dissatisfied; something, I knew not what, was lacking. While I believed that the Bible promises of healing, and Jesus' commands to heal, were intended for all time. I accepted the belief that for some unknown reason Christian healing had been allowed to lapse, and in my work I avoided passages from the Bible which contained such promises and commands. I had heard of Christian Science, but was very much opposed to what I mistakenly believed it to be.

Through the healing of my sister, my mother and she became Christian Scientists, and my own thought of Christian Science was changed. Occasionally I read the Lesson-Sermons with them. At that time the International Sunday School lessons were used in the Christian Science Sunday Schools, and in preparing my own lessons for teaching in an orthodox Sunday School, I found myself depending more and more upon the Christian Science Quarterly. After some months I borrowed a copy of Science and Health, my husband reading it with me. Before we returned the book my husband had quite a severe attack of illness. We read Science and Health most of the time, and in three days he was much better. Suddenly he again became very ill, and grew rapidly worse, so that in a few hours the symptoms were very alarming. As he partially roused from the stupor into which he had fallen, I told him we must have help and asked which he preferred,—Christian Science or a physician. He replied that we had started with Christian Science, and that he "would like to see it through."

It was a cold, dark night, but I drove to the nearest village and telegraphed to a practitioner. Soon after my return my husband had a sinking spell, when I thought he was dying. My first impulse was to use stimulants, but immediately the thought came that as we had sought divine aid, we should rely upon it entirely. As I read aloud from Science and Health he revived somewhat, but my own fear was still so great that I felt condemned because I had not called a physician. I, however, continued to read, sometimes aloud, until near morning, when my fear vanished and I fell asleep. Upon awakening I found a decided improvement had taken place, and by noon my husband was well. The next day he drove to the city, twelve miles, and home again, experiencing no bad effect, although it was cold March weather.

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