It is with the deepest gratitude to God that I pen these...

Alfred Enfield Haynes

It is with the deepest gratitude to God that I pen these lines, in my endeavor to explain briefly what Christian Science has meant to both my wife and myself. At the close of the year 1907 my wife was in a very bad state of health; her lungs being diseased. After following the advice of two medical practitioners and receiving no benefit, she consulted a specialist upon chest diseases. Having lost her father and a brother through an affection of the lungs, she quite naturally feared a similar fate. The old thought of heredity loomed before her as well as before myself. We engaged another physician in London, who after a lengthy examination informed us that there was but little hope for my wife's recovery, as her lungs were in a very bad condition. As each day passed she became weaker, until at last she could scarcely walk more than a few yards without becoming exhausted.

At this time a dear friend of hers gave her an invitation to go and stay at her country residence in Kent. This invitation was accepted, and during the first two weeks of her stay, my wife was examined by three more physicians. One advised her to leave England and spend the winter abroad, as it would mean death to her to winter in England. Another advised her to get away at once from Kent and go to the lake district in Cumberland. The third had quite a different suggestion to offer. Their advice as to my wife taking medicine was as contradictory as their views about the climate.

At this period, when nothing but despair stared us in the face, my cousin, who was interested in Christian Science, told me of the wonderful healings that were going on daily through the practice of Christian Science. At these I marveled, and could not at first believe that such things were possible. At that time I was not at all favorably disposed to Christian Science, in fact on previous occasions I had ridiculed it. My cousin, however, explained to me the outline of the teachings, and then I started to read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." After some nine hours' careful study I became convinced that what I had criticized as being Christian Science was merely my narrow-minded opinion of it. I soon found, upon reading carefully, that the teachings were far different from what I had imagined them to be. The first passage I read in Science and Health (the first sentence of the Preface) arrested my attention: "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings." I thought over these words, and soon came to the conclusion that we must lean upon God only.

The next thing to do was to introduce Christian Science to my wife, and I am thankful to say that she started right away to read Science and Health. She also received help from a Christian Science practitioner, and after the first few days began to improve in health. This was over a year ago, and at the present day she is healed not only of the lung disease, but of a severe kidney and bowel trouble, sleeplessness, neuralgia, besides some minor ailments. Within three months she could walk miles, eat and sleep well, and had no fear of bad weather. She had also gained considerably in weight.

Before concluding I should like to add that while reading Science and Health one evening, I came across the passage relating to the use of tobacco and intoxicating drink (p. 454). I had been a heavy smoker for fourteen years and occasionally partook of alcoholic drink. I had often openly boasted that nothing in this world would ever cause me to give up smoking; but alas! it gave me up, for upon rising the following morning I had not the slightest desire to smoke, and since that day I have not smoked, neither have I felt any desire to do so. The desire for alcoholic drink joined company with that for smoking and left me at the same time. After studying Christian Science for three weeks I gave up the wearing of body belts, which I had been using for five years. I have had several demonstrations since, in my daily life, which have proved to me that God is "a very present help in trouble."

The spiritual uplifting that my wife and myself have experienced helps us to realize that God is with us always. We both unite in offering our love and gratitude to our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, for her love for humanity, and for revealing this glorious truth to us. We pray that we may prove to be earnest followers of her teachings, and able to help others in the same way in which we have been helped. We trust that this testimony may be the means of helping some earnest seeker for the truth to realize the full meaning of the statement, "God is Love," and our united song will be that of the psalmist: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Alfred Enfield Haynes, Stratford, Essex, England.

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