Testimony of Healing December 18, 1915 Issue

For twenty—five years I drank and smoked, and at times to...

George DeV. Clark with contributions from George DeV. Clark

For twenty—five years I drank and smoked, and at times to an excess that cost me my position. The last time this occurred was on Aug. 6, 1906, and supposing that I had lost the respect of all my friends, I determined to end the struggle. I had signed temperance pledges and promised ministers and friends, as well as my wife, that I would let the stuff alone, but could not. On the morning of Aug. 7 I made all preparations to end my life, and at eight o'clock telegraphed to that effect to my wife at New Rochelle, where my family were staying for the summer. I returned to my apartment, and going into the bath—room, turned on the gas full force, then sat down on a chair and read the morning paper all through. I sat there from a quarter past eight until eleven o'clock without even feeling sleepy, but the tenants and the landlord of the apartment were hunting for the leaking pipe. At eleven o'clock I became disgusted with the attempt, threw open the window, and went out into the dining—room, where I lay down on a lounge and slept until between three and four o'clock, when my son and a neighbor, sent down by my wife to see what had become of me, awoke me by opening the hall door. I got up and talked to them, and that night went home with my boy, where I learned why the gas had been powerless to harm me. A few minutes after eight, when my wife received my telegram, she had called up a Christian Science practitioner, and together they worked to know that my life was not mine to surrender, and I could not lay it down at will; that God is man's Life, and so the gas was rendered powerless.

The next day, at the earnest solicitation of my wife, I went to the same practitioner and received treatment for the drink habit, and was healed that day, no drop of liquor having passed my lips since. I have also given up smoking, laid off eye—glasses, and been healed of chronic bowel trouble as well as many minor ailments. Besides this, I soon secured a better position than I had ever held.

Before coming into Science my concept of God was that He is a God of hate as well as of love, punishing the wicked and rewarding the righteous. At the age of eighteen I had united with a church, and for twenty—five years was an active worker, taking part in revival services and temperance reform movements; but during all this time I never understood the Bible, did not know God or know what was my relation to Him, and did not know how to pray aright. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy has explained to me the seeming deep mysteries of the Bible and taught me how to pray effectively, and thus to work out my own salvation.

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