Testimony of Healing September 18, 1909 Issue

That the truth revealed to this age by Mrs. Eddy is...

Geo. M. Swan with contributions from T. B. Gilbert

That the truth revealed to this age by Mrs. Eddy is being felt in all religious work, was proven to me by my healing in Christian Science of the liquor and tobacco habits, also of profanity and all that goes with a life lived for the supposed pleasure in vice. I attended a religious service one night, as I had no other place to go, and the subject of the discourse was the peace of God's love. We were told in such a simple way how this peace is man's right, and that we did not need to go anywhere to get it. The minister held up the Christ-ideal in such a way that after the service I stopped and spoke with him, and told him that if it was true it was man's right to have that peace, I wanted it, for I then had anything but peace. He gave me the Bible which he had used for years, and told me to study the New Testament. I left him that night with the intention, God helping me, to live a different life; and from that day I did not use liquor or profanity, but I still kept the tobacco habit.

I was a railroad trainman and had lots of time to read, and I did study the New Testament. I then knew nothing of Christian Science by that name, nevertheless it was a glimpse of light from Christian Science that had helped me, though I knew it not. I went back to the church of which I had been a member years before, and was received with love; but the more I read the Bible, the less I understood how God could condemn one man and save another. I was troubled, too, because, although I had been helped, I still had all my old desires, and sometimes it seemed as if they would get the better of me.

About this time I went to see the minister I had heard preach that night. I told him my doubts, and we had a long talk. He told me that for the past few years Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy had been his help,—or "Key to the Scriptures," as it is. When I left him I had a copy of Science and Health, and after I began to read it I found that I was leaving everything else for it. I kept it with me, and all the spare time I had I read it. I did not seem to understand it very much, but it held my attention, and the first thing I knew my desire for liquor was gone, and I no longer wanted the old company, I had something better. The tobacco habit held on longest, but that also disappeared. One morning before going to work I made up my mind that Christian Science could heal me of the tobacco habit just as well as of the other habits, so I left my pipe and tobacco at home. At first it seemed as if I must have them, but I found time, after I had been at work a short while, to get my copy of Science and Health, and I read a little from it. When I went to work again I had forgotten about my tobacco, and I have never wanted it since, although I have had to be in a smoking-car sometimes four and five hours at a time.

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