Article November 9, 1935 Issue

"Walking, and leaping, and praising God"

EDITH DE ROUGEMONT

IN the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we read that as Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, a beggar "above forty years old" and lame from birth, who asked alms from them, received instead an instantaneous healing, "and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

In this concise narrative lies a lesson for every student of Christian Science. This poor, crippled individual, upon being healed, without the slightest hesitation went straight into the temple and praised God for his healing. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, in the Manual, written for the guidance and government of the Christian Science organization, gave a By-Law which, in part, runs as follows (Art. VIII, Sect. 24): " 'Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's' (St. Paul). Testimony in regard to the healing of the sick is highly important. More than a mere rehearsal of blessings, it scales the pinnacle of praise and illustrates the demonstration of Christ, 'who healeth all thy diseases' (Psalm 103:3)."

Now all students of Christian Science who become members of The Mother Church in Boston or of one of its branch churches, undertake to uphold and carry out the By-Laws contained in the Manual. May we not compare the Manual to the "reed like unto a rod," which was given to John with which to "measure the temple of God, . . . and them that worship therein"? May we not therefore say that according to our obedience to the By-Laws contained in the Manual is our worthiness for membership in the Christian Science church being measured? As worthy members of this organization we therefore cannot afford to ignore any of its By-Laws.

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