Article September 2, 1911 Issue

DOUBT DISPLACED

JOHN GRAY.

AT the time when the rulers were accusing Christ Jesus of unlawful practices, and scheming to put him out of the way, John the Baptist, who had been cast into prison by Herod, heard of the wonderful works wrought by Jesus and which had so roused the wrath and jealousy of the rulers, and he sent messengers to inquire if he were really the Messiah, or whether they should look for another. John must have known Jesus to be just what he had proclaimed him, He needed no new evidence of the true mission of the Saviour, nor that this man whom they were accusing was the Wayshower, for he himself had heralded his coming and proclaimed him as the Messiah who should come; but fear, and the dread of what might happen, caused him for the moment to forget that Jesus had said, ''Suffer it to be so now," when John baptized him. Jesus did not question John's sincerity, but simply told the messengers to go and tell John again of the works already done,—how that the lame walked, the blind could see, and the dead were restored to life.

History repeats itself. Today some Christian Scientists seem to doubt the very resurrection of themselves from the same conditions which prevailed at the time of John, and although they know they have been healed,—raised, when they were dead in trespasses and sins,—they fear to testify of the Saviour, and they constantly need the reminder of Christ Jesus to "go and tell." It is well that those who have just experienced the new birth should not be too hasty in proclaiming their blessings to the world; they are wise to obey the other injunction, "Go, and tell no man," till they better understand the cause of this awakening. But not so with those who have tested Christian Science. The Christian Scientist who has proven, who has the witness within himself, and who, time and again, has tasted that "the Lord is good," has a duty to perform. If he is a constant attendant at the local church, he should remember his blessings, and be ready to tell the visiting brother of the healing power of Christian Science in his own extremity, and make glad the heart of this brother as well as other seekers for the light, for the "seekers of the light are one."

The visiting brother has also a duty to perform; he has a message to deliver, a story to tell,—one which may be just what some suffering heart is hungering to hear, and his brothers in the local church are always anxious to confirm their own experiences by the message he has to give. It is only fear that holds the Scientist in bondage. The promise is, ''Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.'' It is not only a duty to tell in the Wednesday evening meeting the many blessings obtained through Christian Science, it is a privilege, a privilege that those who have not known of this healing power do not possess; and it is not ours to know who needs the message we are holding back because of doubt. It is our duty to give the message and to know that our bread cast upon the waters will return, not void, but bearing fruit.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

DOUBT DISPLACED

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access