Testimony of Healing September 2, 1916 Issue

Like many other people I once thought Christian Science a...

Louis J. Lewis

Like many other people I once thought Christian Science a combination of hypnotism, personal magnetism, and willpower. Now I know from actual demonstration the difference between these things and the spiritual truth.

When I began the study of Christian Science, smoking seemed to me the greatest pleasure a man could find on earth, and as I saw no harm in it, indeed felt it was just as important to me as eating, my determination was never to give it up. One day a friend told me the habit would leave me because it was not a clean one. "You are right; Christian Scientists should not smoke, and this is my last cigar," I said, throwing away what I really thought was the last one. My friend advised me to make sure that this stand was not taken through will-power, and explained to me how to work on the thought so that the desire would leave me. I did not do this, but just stopped smoking, and consequently for the next three days suffered for the want of tobacco. Then I began to smoke again more than ever, but realized that it was a yielding to the demands of false material sense, and so was ashamed when people referred to me as a Christian Scientist.

Then I began to pray for the desire for tobacco to leave me, knowing that God's child did not want to smoke, and that God could be trusted with my desire. This was learned the first day I read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. The usual quota of cigars was still smoked every day, however, until finally the blessing came, the sudden realization that I was healed. It was hardly believable, even though I had experienced other healings. For some time there was always at hand a box of my favorite brand of cigars, but every time I looked at it my heart went out in thankfulness to God for giving us Christian Science in this age. There surely is a great difference between will-power and the power of God.

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