Soul-Searching Of What We Know — 1957 Association Address

by Herbert E. Rieke




Table of Contents





Soul-Searching Of What We Know

On page 292 of Miscellaneous Writings our Leader makes a very pertinent observation. She says, “Christian Science, full of grace and truth, is accomplishing great good, both seen and unseen; but have mortals, with the penetration of Soul, searched the secret chambers of sense? I never knew a student who fully understood my instructions on this point of handling evil, — as to just how this should be done, — and carried out my ideal.” This is certainly a very significant statement, a challenge to all of us to seek to more thoroughly understand this proper handling of evil in order to carry out the ideal which our Leader saw was possible for all of us. Today we are going to do a bit of Soul searching. We are going to allow Soul to penetrate the secret chambers of sense. In other words, we are going to have a Fall mental house cleaning as it were. I hope you will bear with me while we turn over the rugs, dig into the back corners of the closet, empty all the dresser drawers, and scrub up the basement. I cannot ask all of you questions of course, for the association is too large; neither do I have any particular reason for asking any one of you any specific question. But I hope you will think through on these subjects as though I had asked each one of you each specific question, and I know we will rejoice together in the spiritual truth that unfolds.

The search light which we are going to use in this penetration of truth is the very important one found in the 45th chapter of Isaiah, also in Deuteronomy, and other portions of the Old Testament. “The Lord he is God and there is none else beside him.” In this statement you will find a simple affirmation of truth, and a denial of error. It is the basis of all Christian Science treatment by argument. Mankind as a whole has believed that there is a God, but it has also believed that there is something besides God and His manifestation. The practice of Christian Science is the silencing of belief that there is something else besides God or good. In each of my classes, and particularly in association several years ago, we have seen the simple fact that the whole belief of matter is built up on the hypothesis that there are good and evil forces, positive and negative conditions. The practice of pure Christianity denies all negativity and affirms that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Our Leader puts it this way: “Omnipotence has all power, and to acknowledge any other power is to dishonor God.” We cannot see the non-existence of matter while believing in positive and negative forces, for matter is just the manifestation of such a belief in the positive and negative states of being.

Now with the penetration of Soul let’s begin searching the secret chambers of sense.

“The Lord he is God and there is none else beside him.” What is there besides God? Isn’t there a thing called devil or Satan or Beelzebub?

What is there besides good? Isn’t there a thing called evil in your daily experience? Don’t you have a conviction that there is something besides good, something to worry about, something to be disturbed by, something to upset you?

In Christian Science we learn that God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind. What is there besides this infinite, perfect Mind? There is a thing called mortal mind, isn’t there? Or a carnal mind? You believe certainly that there is a thing called wrong thinking. Now in practicing Christian Science we need to allow Soul to penetrate into the innermost recesses of consciousness, and uncover any belief in a mind separate or apart from God or good. We then need to take our stand that the Lord he is divine Mind, and that there is no other consciousness or mind apart from Him.

What is there besides the one divine Spirit? There is such a thing called a wrong spirit, isn’t there? A negative spirit? An imperfect attitude? There is such a thing as matter isn’t there? The opposite of Spirit? You think of your supply as material, don’t you? You think of your home as material, don’t you? You think of your automobile as material certainly. You think of yourself as living on a material globe called the world, don’t you? Do you mean to say that you do not really believe there is any such thing as matter? You truly believe that Spirit is All-in-all?

What is there besides Soul or that perfect, spiritual sense of things? Certainly, there is a material sense of things, isn’t there? What is there besides the consciousness of perfection? There is certainly awareness of imperfections in ourselves and others, isn’t there? What can you tell me about your material sense of sight? Your material sense of hearing? Your material sense of feeling? Are we all truly allowing this penetration of Soul to search the secret chambers of our thinking, and reveal that there is no material sense of things? To do so is to truly practice Christian Science, and to fulfill the ideal that our Leader envisioned for us.

What is there besides the perfect, divine Principle? There are a lot of evil motives in the world, aren’t there? What is it that causes sin, disease and death? How about political corruption? Where does it come from? What is it that motivates your universe? We have brought out in class that whatever is a motivating force to you is a God to you. What is it that motivates your family? Your business associates? The members of your church? Is it selfishness, self-interest, or is it God, divine Love? What are you thinking on this subject? What about the discord and inharmony in the world? Where does it come from? What is there besides divine Principle?

What is there besides the divine and perfect Life? There is such a thing as a mortal state of existence, isn’t there? You know…another day another dollar. One problem after another. Problems, problems, problems. Long hard rows to hoe. Frustrations, disappointments, discouragement. There is certainly something besides the divine Life, God, isn’t there? Well, how about death? You believe that you’re going to die sometime, don’t you? You mean you’re going right on in this material state of existence? Because we are admitting that “The Lord he is divine Life, and there is none else beside Him,” we must admit that there is no such thing as death; nothing ever happens to Life. You will go on living forever in the one and only true spiritual sense of things. What is there besides divine Life? Can you truly say that there is no such thing as death? We need to allow Soul to really search our thinking on this subject, and reveal the divine Truth that Life is God and God is All.

What is there besides Truth? There is a thing called error, isn’t there? You know, erroneous thinking? Error upsets us. Error disturbs us. Errors cause us to fail in our business, in our home, in our school. Truth produces harmony and error produces discord, doesn’t it? Can you truly say that you have accepted the basic truth that “The Lord he is Truth and there is none else beside Him?” There is no error? Do you really believe that error is unreal, non-existent? Have you accepted the glorious fact that Truth is everywhere with everyone, and that error is nowhere present with anyone at any time? To do so is to practice Christian Science, to find the key to the kingdom of heaven, and to enjoy eternal bliss right here and now.

What is there besides Love in your universe? There is such a thing as hatred, isn’t there? Resentment? Cruelty? Unkindness? Inconsideration? And so forth? You do not believe that Love is really All-in-all, do you? What causes people to back-bite, to slander, to gossip maliciously, to curse, to malpractice? Do you really see your universe as full of Love? Can you honestly say, “The Lord he is Love and there is none else beside Him?” Can you say with our Leader, “The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!” You know all you are is your thoughts, and if you think there is something besides Love in the universe that’s the way it seems to be to you. But there is nothing to prevent you from seeing Love as All-in-all, and to find the bliss that comes from seeing a universe full of Love.

What is there besides abundance in your experience? You have believed in lack and limitation, haven’t you? You mean that you have confidence that divine Love is ever present, meeting your every human need? Do you really believe that you can ever be placed in any circumstance where Love has not gone before and prepared the way for you? Do you really believe that Love gives you spiritual ideas and they in turn meet your every human need? Well if you do not believe in lack and limitation for yourself, you certainly believe that it is the experience of many others, don’t you? You have a mental picture of God as withholding good from some of His ideas, don’t you? All of us need to allow Soul to do some real penetrating on this point. Let the sunshine of Truth eradicate every dark corner of thought. Our Leader tells us that “We should never limit in any direction of thought the omnipresence and the omnipotence of God.” Lack and limitation are impossible in the universe of divine Love. It is certainly our privilege to stop talking lack and limitation, and to begin talking the abundance of good that God has provided for all.

Do you mean to tell us that there is no such thing as sin in the world? Sin is disobedient to the law of God. Hasn’t every one of you been disobedient to the absolute truth that we have been talking for the past few minutes? Haven’t you slipped? Haven’t you strayed from the absolute truth? Haven’t you accepted the negative instead of the positive? Now we have come to a very challenging question — either the Lord he is God, good, and there is none else beside Him, or there is something besides God or good called sin. Through Christian Science we learn that it is certainly not scientific to declare there is no sin and then go forth and accept negative concepts of God, the universe, and man. But it is Christian Science to deny sin and all evil on the basis that the Lord he is God, good, and there is none else beside Him. And then to live consistently with those ideals.

What is there besides the quality of true appreciation for everyone and everything? There is such a thing as criticism, fault-finding, judging, isn’t there? You have indulged in some of it haven’t you? At least you have seen this critical thought in the consciousness and attitude of others. You mean to tell me that you live in a universe in which everyone is appreciating everyone else? You mean everyone in your branch church appreciates everyone else and the good work he is doing? It is along here that we need to search deep with this searchlight of Truth, not looking for error, but rather revealing an appreciative universe.

What is there besides courage, confidence and a conviction of good in your thinking? Isn’t there such a thing as worry and fear? You mean you never worry about your job or your home or your income? Aren’t you afraid of accidents, or disease, or failure? John tells us that “Perfect love casts out fear.” Do you mean to tell us that your heart is so full of this perfect love that fear is non-existent? You may see the unreality of fear in your own thought, but can you truly say that there is no fear anywhere with anyone at any time, because all of God’s children are thoroughly worshipping God with all their heart and soul and mind, magnifying the good and seeing good as All-in-all? You never heal your patient by telling him that it is fear that is causing his trouble. You only help him by seeing clearly that there is no such thing as fear in all of God’s perfect creation.

What is there besides faith in your universe? Isn’t there such a thing as doubt, skepticism? Do you really believe that God can prepare a table in the wilderness? You have the kind of faith that can move mountains? Is there any question in your mind as to whether Christian Science can truly heal all manner of disease? Do you have that absolute faith that all things are working out just right because divine Principle is governing?

What is there besides humility in your world? Isn’t there a thing called egotism? Possibly you’re not troubled with it, but do you not see it in others — people who are self-centered, self-willed, people who are full of false pride, whose feelings are easily hurt? In your universe aren’t there people who think they of themselves are doing it all and who are forgetting God, their divine Creator? Do you think you are better than others? Are you better than the colored people? The Chinese, the Japanese, those who call themselves Roman Catholics? What is there besides sweet humility? God never expressed himself in pomp and ceremony, in big-headedness, in egotism. He causes each and every one of His ideas to acknowledge its source in Him, and to see and appreciate the good in every other idea.

What is there besides unselfishness in the world? Certainly, selfishness exists, doesn’t it? It exists in your thinking and in the thinking of others in your community. People all have the “getting habit” don’t they? They are all trying to get rich, get happy, get well, and get to the top. Each and every one of us must be vigorous in denying the life of selfishness. This is a “giving universe” — everyone is giving abundantly of the good that God has bestowed upon him. And furthermore, he finds great joy in giving and sharing this good with others. God has not created a selfish universe, and therefore no such universe exists. He has created a loving and unselfish universe, and that’s the only universe there is for you and me and for everyone.

What is there besides Love in your family, in your church, in your community, in the world? It is your mental picture that you are dealing with, and can you truly say that your world is full of Love? Do you see everyone as loving everyone else? Is hatred as impossible and non-existent as a flat earth? How wonderful it is to rejoice in the great truth that the Lord he is Love, and there is none else beside Him. How wonderful it also is to penetrate consciousness with this spirit of Truth and Love, and see that there are no little human beliefs lurking around — that there is something unloving or unlovely in our experience.

The Lord he is Love, and there is none else beside Him. Do you really believe that there is no attitude except the attitude of faith and trust, that every idea is always in its right place, contributing to the harmony of the whole? Isn’t there such a thing as jealousy? Aren’t people afraid of losing something which rightfully belongs to them? Are they not suspicious and distrustful? Are we going to stay on God’s side recognizing that all God’s children are fearless and trustful, or are we going to argue against that ideal state of being? I hope you see that in these questions we are again not trying to get rid of something — we’re just facing the facts of Life, just facing reality, facing God and His heavenly kingdom. We are truly allowing Soul to penetrate the secret chambers of sense to reveal that the universe is full of God’s light, and that there is no darkness of jealousy therein.

What is there besides a spirit of goodwill toward everyone? What is there besides the sense of gratitude for the good that everyone has received and is receiving? Isn’t there such a thing called envy? Doesn’t it exist, and doesn’t it motivate the experience of others? Are you not sometimes tempted to believe that you wish you had what somebody else has? Is everyone satisfied with the good that God bestows on all His children? How does your universe appear to you?

What is there besides good feelings? Certainly, there are hurt feelings, unhappy feelings, disturbed feelings, aren’t there? Didn’t anyone ever hurt you, or if they haven’t hurt you, people have hurt other people, haven’t they? What is it that resentment would seem to do to the lives of people? It is on this point that we can all allow Soul to search the secret chambers of sense, and show us that there is only that good feeling, that happy feeling, that peaceful feeling, that wonderful recognition of the allness of good.

What is there besides gratitude? Thankfulness and true appreciation? Of course, there is none else. What is there besides gratitude and appreciation in the thought of your employer? What is there beside gratitude and appreciation in the thought of your husband or your wife or your children? What is there besides gratitude and appreciation in the thought of your patients that you have been helping in Christian Science? Stand steadfast in the clear recognition that the earth is truly full of gratitude and appreciation, and that there is none else besides this divine quality.

What is there besides happiness? There is such a thing as unhappiness, isn’t there? Discouragement, blues, depression, disappointment? Those negative characteristics exist, don’t they? You have a choice whether you want to be happy or unhappy, don’t you? Oh, how important it is for us to be truly declaring and believing that.




Christian Science Treatment

I know that we are all vitally interested in improving our Christian Science treatments that they may be more effective and instantaneous in results. I would like to consider some important points in regard to giving a Christian Science treatment. On page 454 of Science and Health our Leader tells us, “Remember that the letter and mental argument are only human auxiliaries to aid in bringing thought into accord with the spirit of Truth and Love, which heals the sick and the sinner.” Observe that the mental arguments and the letter of Christian Science do not heal the sick — it is only the spirit of Truth and Love that does the work. But we do not wait for Truth and Love to operate while we sit idly by; we find that through correct mental arguments we can quickly and effectively open the windows of heaven that Truth and Love might shine through and accomplish the perfect work.

Right where your patient is, divine Mind is present with all its glory, ready, willing and able to illumine the consciousness of your patient with infinite harmony. It is only mesmerism and animal magnetism that has seemed to becloud the thought and shut the door. Your treatment must silence these mesmeric suggestions (and even the suggestion that there are evil suggestions) that God’s voice might be heard and the influence of His truth be felt through the entire experience of the patient. Your patient has been believing that discord of some kind exists, and that peace and harmony are vague ideals which he is hoping and wishing to acquire. Your treatment must reverse these false beliefs through the recognition that harmony is real, it exists, and that discord is unreal or non-existent.




Silencing Mesmerism

For instance, if a patient comes to you with a belief of cancer he is believing that a painful, discordant, rebellious, and ugly sense of things exists which he is trying to get rid of. Your treatment acknowledges that since God is All, since He fills all space and includes all power, that therefore the ugly, painful, rebellious, discordant thing called cancer has no existence. Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 511 of the textbook that it is sometimes helpful to specifically call disease by name when arguing against it, literally pointing your finger at it and declaring with spiritual understanding, “You are non-existent in the one and only realm of God’s creating.” It is not enough just to know that harmony is real — we must likewise know that its opposite, called discord, is non-existent. You will recall that our Master once said, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” In other words, he labeled that deaf and dumb spirit as nothingness, having no place in the thought or experience of his patient.

It is just as though you have a very powerful flashlight in your hand and you turn it on in the dark corners of a closet, proving that because of the presence of light darkness is not there. It is absolutely unreal and non-existent.

Disease is never a physical actuality, nor an erroneous mental condition. It is just a false impersonal belief that harmony and perfection are not present, powerful and real. Your treatment knows that since there is just one divine Mind full of right ideas, that, therefore there cannot be any false belief, any mental conviction as to the absence of good or the presence of evil and discord. The one divine Mind is giving to your patient the spiritual conviction that all is well, that perfection is real, present, and eternal. Your treatment breaks up the clouds of false belief, superstition and illusions, that the sunlight of Truth and Love might shine through and reveal perfection and the kingdom of heaven.




Truth About Body

In every treatment you are silencing the lie about body that the truth in regard thereto might shine through and reveal perfect creation. Most patients come to you with the belief or mental conviction that the body is material and that it is discordant and imperfect. Your treatment never does anything to the body — you are dealing only with the mental convictions in regard to the body; and you know that God, the one divine Mind, being ever-present and omnipotent, impels your patient to give up the false concept of body or identity as material and discordant for the true sense of being as spiritual and harmonious. You remember how in class we emphasized the fact that most of the trouble of the world comes from thinking about the physical nobody which we are not instead of appreciating the spiritual somebody which we are. The body is just our sense of substance. Your treatment shows that substance is Spirit and not matter. Therefore, your treatment reveals a spiritual sense of identity and individuality, harmonious and free.

On page 13 of Rudimental Divine Science our Leader says, “When treating a patient, it is not Science to treat every organ in the body.” (It really is not Science to treat any organ of a material body). She continues, “To aver that harmony is the real and discord is the unreal, and then to give special attention to what according to their own belief is diseased, is scientific . . .” You will notice that it is not disease but only the belief in disease that is being repudiated. For instance, if your patient believes that the stomach is diseased, you do not treat the stomach — you vigorously repudiate the belief or mental conviction that there is something wrong with the stomach and replace this erroneous mental conviction with the absolute truth, the dynamic conviction that all being is harmonious. Your treatment cannot be just a vague statement that God is All-in-all, it must specifically rebuke the mental conviction that something is not functioning properly.

Your treatment must know that since Truth is infinite, since God is All-in-all, that therefore specific errors do not exist — even the specific errors that your patient has seemed to believe in. For instance, if someone comes to you for treatment of brain tumor, you do not just declare that God is All; you carry through to the specific realization that since there is but one perfect Mind, that therefore no one can believe in the existence of a false accumulation of matter which can impair the life, intelligence and activity of one of God’s creatures. You will remember in Mrs. Eddy’s treatment for insanity on page 414 of the textbook that she emphasizes it is not enough to know that Truth and Love establish a healthy state, but also “the impossibility that matter, brain, can control or derange mind, can suffer or cause suffering.” Mrs. Eddy was specific in her denunciation of specific errors, and her denunciations made nothing of them.




Handling Pain

In most cases of sickness there is an argument of pain to be handled. Patients are thinking of pain as something they would like to get rid of. Pain is of course a belief that there is discordant sensation in matter. We never treat pain. To do so is to make something of it. What we do is repudiate the mental conviction that there is inharmonious sensation in matter with the absolute conviction that all sensation is in Soul, and therefore harmonious and pleasant. Pain is an argument, “I hurt, the Ego is hurt.” This lie is repudiated with the truth, “The I, the true Ego, the Soul, feels wonderful, glorious, and free.” How could the one and only divine I feel anything but spiritual harmony? In handling the belief of pain, it is often important to handle the belief or conviction that there is a reason for the pain. Your Christian Science treatment realizes that the one divine Mind never afflicts with pain, and that this Mind is the only cause there is. Man is never a nervous system, conscious of physicality; he is a spiritual idea conscious of God’s power. There are no material nerves to bring a message of discomfort. There are only the holy angels which bring the divine message of comfort, peace, and harmony.




Law

In giving a Christian Science treatment you are always dealing with the subject of law. Things don’t just happen. There is always a law involved. A tree or a plant doesn’t just happen to grow — they say it germinates and grows according to certain natural laws. An automobile or an airplane doesn’t just happen to exist — it is the result of the application of certain mechanical and aeronautical laws. You do not just happen to be — there is a Principle in back of you that determines your nature, your character, and essential qualities. Nothing just happens — there is always a reason for everything. There can be no effect without a cause. There cannot be a phenomenon without a principle or law which is the source of its existence and by which it is governed.

In giving a Christian Science treatment it is necessary to deny so-called material or medical laws and also so-called religious laws. Very often both of these false laws need to be replaced with the truth about law. On page 229 of the textbook our Leader says, “If God causes man to be sick, sickness must be good, and its opposite, health, must be evil, for all that He makes is good and will stand forever. If the transgression of God’s law produces sickness, it is right to be sick; and we cannot if we would, and should not if we could, annul the decrees of wisdom. It is the transgression of a belief of mortal mind, not a law of matter nor of divine Mind, which causes the belief of sickness.” Let me emphasize that it is a transgression of a belief of mortal mind;

it is not the transgression of a law of God or a law of matter that causes the belief in sickness.

False theology has always taught that sickness is the result of the transgression of God’s law. Many individuals think that sickness is punishment from God for something wrong which has been done — in other words a sin. They believe that pain comes as a result of breaking divine law. Your treatment shows conclusively that divine law, the law of God, never brings pain or disease. His law produces purity, righteousness, health, harmony and freedom. For our Leader tells us that God’s law can be summarized in three words, that “God is All.” It certainly follows that if God is All, that there is nothing left to punish or to be punished with sickness or pain. May I repeat a portion of the above statement by our Leader. “It is the transgression of a belief of mortal mind, not a law of . . . divine Mind, which causes the belief of sickness.” Now what is a belief of mortal mind? It is just a conviction that there is a negative mind, that negative thinking exists, or that there is a mind apart from God. This mental conviction needs to be repudiated with the truth, with the divine conviction that there is only one Mind, the divine Mind, God. It then follows logically that since there is no mortal mind there can be no sickness.

Every law consists of two parts: A declaration as to what is to be done, and the force or power to enforce this deed or act. A child playing on the sidewalk might say to a passerby, “Step on a crack and you’ll break your mother’s back.” But this certainly is not a law, for the child has no power to enforce this false law or declaration.

And so in handling the so-called laws of false theology we need to see that they are only ignorant, false beliefs, and that there is no force nor power to enforce these so-called laws. A million priests might say that one will have trouble unless he accept the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church; but this certainly does not make it so, for there is no power to enforce such a false belief.

Sometimes we hear it said that Christian Scientists will run into trouble eventually because they do not obey certain natural and material laws in regard to diet, medicine, operations, and so forth. But this is not a law, for there is no power to enforce it. It is only false belief and it is broken by the realization that there is only one law and that is the law of good which produces harmony.

Almost every case of sickness is predicated upon the belief that the individual has broken some material or medical law, that he has eaten something that he should not have eaten, that he has exposed himself to the wrong kind of weather, or that he has indulged in emotional, mental, and moral conflicts which have upset his system. May I again quote the textbook. “It is the transgression of a belief of mortal mind, not a law of matter nor of divine Mind, which causes the belief of sickness.” Your treatment must know that there is no law of matter, for matter does not exist. And your treatment must go one step further and recognize that since God is the one and only Mind, that therefore there cannot be a belief of mortal mind, a belief of a mind apart from God which can make rules and regulations to effect the health and harmony of man.

Your treatment goes further and shows that there are no emotional conflicts in the experience of man, since God is omnipotent and there is no power that can contend with omnipotence and produce conflict. Your treatment knows further that the law of God is in operation, even as expressed in the first chapter of Genesis where we read, “Let there be light: and there was light.” This divine law is perpetually operating in the experience of your patient saying, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion . . .” Your treatment knows that the law of God is in operation, and that it causes your patient to look at everything through God’s eyes, to behold that everything is very good.

In giving a Christian Science treatment we have the right and duty to know that the treatment does not invoke God’s law, neither is it an application of divine law. Your treatment, since it is the word of Truth, is the very word of God, the very law of God in operation. It is a law unto the case, a law of harmony and health. It has all the power of omnipotence in back of it to enforce it. You also know that there is no religious or material law that can reverse, countervene, or annul the operation of this powerful law of God as expressed in your treatment.

In giving a Christian Science treatment realize that there is no law which says that it takes time to heal. It doesn’t take time to heal a broken heart, a broken bone, an unhappy disposition, a hurt feeling, cancer, tuberculosis, arthritis, or any so-called disease. Your treatment knows that it does not take time to heal — it takes Truth. If you had been believing that two plus two were five, how long would it take you to change your thought on the subject to the truth that two plus two are four? Of course, you could do it instantly, and you would have instantaneous results in your computations. Just so, if your patient has been believing that he has a ugly, rebellious, painful sore, called cancer, there is absolutely nothing to prevent him from instantly changing that false belief to the truth that he has a beautiful, harmonious, glorious, wonderful sense of things, in which there is no discord whatsoever. There is no law that says it will take time for him to accept this true and right concept, to be made ready for it as it were. He can do it in the twinkling of an eye, and he can get immediate good results; because he has replaced the falsehood with the truth. Your treatments will never heal tomorrow — they work only today, this moment, this very instant. Repudiate the false sense of time with the same vigor as you repudiate that which has been called matter.




Handling False Law Of Heredity

In many cases you need to handle the belief of heredity. People generally have believed that they are material creatures and that the matter of which they are made up came forth from the material body of a material mother. They believe, more or less, that their characteristics are determined by the human personality of father and mother. They have believed in turn that their mother and father came forth from material grandparents. Most patients believe more or less in a line of material creation. Your treatment must break this belief of material heredity as the Master broke it. You will remember he said, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world.” He saw that God was his father and mother, the source of his being, and he knew that his life was not determined by the thinking of so-called progenitors. Your treatment must declare with boldness that your patient comes forth from the Father. It must be a law of true inheritance. It must show that divine Principle is the father and mother of man, is the only source of his being, and produces infinite harmony.

Isaiah was realizing this true law of inheritance when he wrote, “It shall no longer be said in Israel that the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” There is no material nor religious law which says that a child must suffer because of a mortal sense of parents. There is no law which says he must manifest evil tendencies, characteristics, or imperfections.

Your treatment however must not be an “in spite of” treatment, thinking that your patients can be well and whole in spite of the shortcomings and imperfections of their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so forth. Jesus once asked the question, “Who is my mother?” He answered they that who do the will of his Father which is in heaven. He had a clear thought that his mother was obedient to the law of God just as much as he was. Declare often in your treatments that your patient comes forth from the Father in whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. Rejoice also that his so-called parents come forth from the same Father, and are therefore perfect.

You will remember when the Master was asked, “Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” He refused to identify either the man or the parents with sin. He said, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” This statement was law, the law which completely annulled any belief of material inheritance, not only for the man but for the parents. He knew that they all came forth from the Father and were perfect. There was no “in spite of” reasoning here. That is the reason of course that the man had a perfect healing of blindness.

Just as your treatment knows that children cannot suffer because of the mistakes of parents, just so your treatment must also know that parents cannot suffer because of the mistakes of children. You must often help parents to see that they are not going to be happy and peaceful and well in spite of the inconsiderate action of their children; but rather they are going to be happy and free because of the law of Love operating in both them and their children.




It Is Easy

Last year I heard a Christian Scientist say that there is nothing easy about demonstrating Christian Science. She said that there was nothing in the Bible or in the Christian Science textbook which taught that the application of Christian Science is easy. I would have liked to challenge such a statement. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” And our Leader says on page 462 of the textbook, “There is nothing difficult nor toilsome in this task, when the way is pointed out; but self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.” The master said, “For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and Walk?” He emphasized that one was just as easy as the other. Someone once asked Mrs. Eddy this question, “If Christian Science is the same as Jesus taught, why is it not more simple, so that all can readily understand it?” This is found on page 53 of Miscellaneous Writings. Our Leader answered in part, “Christian Science is simple, and readily understood by the children: Only the thought educated away from it finds it abstract or difficult to perceive. Its seeming abstraction is the mystery of godliness; and godliness is simple to the godly; but to the unspiritual, the ungodly, it is dark and difficult.”

False theology has said for centuries that it is easy to be bad, and hard to be good; but their saying it does not make this so. Can you conceive of a heavenly Father setting up laws which are so difficult to understand and use that His children find it very hard or almost impossible to obey them?

Someone once asked a little boy why he told the truth. He said, “Aw that’s easiest, then you don’t have to remember what you said.” I say with absolute conviction, “It is much easier to be a good Christian Scientist than not to be.” When I hear over the television about the need for Anacin, Bufferin, Geritol, and a thousand other material remedies, it all sounds very difficult and complicated to me, and I certainly find it much easier to turn to the Science and Health to find my health and harmony rather than to material remedies. When I hear about the problems of the alcoholics, when I learn about the headaches the morning after, as the result of over-indulgence in alcohol, I truly recognize the fact that the way of the good Christian Scientist is much the easiest.

When I read and hear about the number of individuals who die yearly from lung cancer caused by cigarettes, I am sure that Christian Science has made my way easy by protecting me from such a hard row.

When I hear people say that it is much easier to be a Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, or Catholic, I certainly challenge them. I don’t believe a word of it.

In his book, “How to Live 365 Days a Year,” Dr. John A. Schindler makes the following very interesting statement: “The churches are our fourth most important educational influence. Like the schools, they too do not have a conscious program for developing emotional stasis. Religion as it is conceived by the churches, does not provide its members or its clergy the type of emotions that save them from emotionally-induced illnesses. The clergy in my experience have functional diseases as much as any other group. Only among the Quakers and the Christian Scientists is there any appreciable lack of emotionally-induced illness. I say this without prejudice, I belong to neither denomination.” I tell you truthfully it is easier to be a Christian Scientist and avoid emotionally-induced illness, than it is to go the way of all flesh and experience the discomfort of disease and conflict.

In practicing Christian Science, you must declare often that whatever is right for you to do is easy for you to do. God would not create a right path for us and then make it difficult for us to follow it. As I have brought out in many of my classes, everything we learn to do well is the result of redefining our problem from a difficulty to an easiness. When you learned to walk your parents did not tell you how difficult it was; but rather how easy it was. And then before long you were walking. If they had convinced you that it was very difficult to do, you may never have learned to walk.

It is the same way when you learn to swim. A good teacher did not tell you that it was very difficult to do, but encouraged you with the thought that it was easy. When you learned to write, or play the piano, or ride the bicycle, or master golf clubs, you took a situation which seemed difficult to you and redefined it in terms of ease of operation.

Now I am going to give you an irrevocable law of God: This is not my human opinion, neither is there a taint of false theology in it. It is easy to demonstrate Christian Science. All the power of God is in back of this law and enforces it. It is easy to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse the leper, to cast out demons. In helping his disciples to accept this simple law, the Master said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, (the smallest seed he could think of) ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” He did not indicate that it was a difficult task, neither did he indicate that you had to have a great deal of faith or understanding. He knew that the little you had if you used it, would be sufficient to do the work.

If I were the head of so-called evil forces and I wanted to stop the stately operations of Christian Science this is the argument that I would use: “Christian Science may be a very beautiful and true religion, but it is very difficult to understand and to demonstrate.” And I believe if I could get Christian Scientists to listen to that suggestion it wouldn’t be long before we attracted fewer and fewer people to our churches.

In your practice of Christian Science most of the patients who come to you for help have already been duped with the erroneous suggestion that Christian Science is hard to understand and demonstrate. You must nullify this lie by showing them that it is really very simple and easy to understand and use.

If you are teaching a child piano and you make it sound and look so difficult that the child thinks it is too much for him to master, you will lose a pupil. If in your practice you say or do anything that makes Christian Science sound too difficult, you lose your patient.

You know why doctors use five and six syllable words for the names of diseases, and why they put their prescriptions in Latin rather than English? It is to impress the patient with their vast knowledge, making the whole practice of medicine sound very complicated. Psychiatrists and psychologists have done the same thing. Ministers of religion have also tried to impress the public with their profound knowledge by making the whole subject sound very deep and complicated. Even in Christian Science there are those who would make it sound so difficult, complicated, and deep, that they have a tendency to drive the masses away. They attract a few intellectuals who, like themselves, want to think of everything, including religion as difficult and deep.

I beg of you — avoid this horrible pitfall. Keep your Christian Science simple. Rejoice many times a day how easy it is to understand and use, and help every patient to see that it is easier to be a Christian Scientist than not to be.

On page 270 of the Christian Science textbook our Leader says, “If a sense of disease produces suffering and a sense of ease antidotes suffering, disease is mental, not material.” By this passage our Leader indicates that to argue on the side of ease of operation antidotes suffering. Whereas, to think in terms of difficulty, is to bring on uneasiness and disease itself.

May I repeat this fundamental law of Christian Science: that it is easy to understand and demonstrate God’s law. Preach this truth from the housetops in your practice of Christian Science, and you will attract individuals to your office, and bring them into your churches.

Someone said recently, “Yes, but Mrs. Eddy indicates that Christian Science is difficult for thought educated away from spirituality, difficult for the individuals enmeshed in sin.” Of course, if you are thinking of yourself or your patients in such terms you are not accepting the basic facts of Christian Science which includes perfect God, perfect universe, and perfect man, and of course it will seem difficult to you. But nothing is ever difficult to God or to man made in His image and likeness. In your practice I hope your patients are saying to you: “You make it sound so easy!”




The Healing Christ

In giving a Christian Science treatment you of course recognize that you of yourself can do nothing; but you can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you. It is Christ, Immanuel, the Anointed, the Saviour, that throws the searchlight of Truth on every phase of error, and reveals it as nothing. It is Christ that casts out devils by showing them up as impostors and therefore impossible. It is Christ with you in consciousness that breaks the mesmerism and enlightens your patient’s thought. It is the Christ that opens the windows of heaven so that Truth and Love might shine through and illumine the experience of the patient.

Never think of your treatment on a personal basis as your treatment. It is always the Christ, the Messiah, manifesting itself, even the same Christ or Messiah that expressed itself in the experience of Jesus of Nazareth. That Christ has never left us. It said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” This Christ was heard on the road to Damascus and broke the mesmerism that was binding Saul of Tarsus, and preventing him from seeing divine reality. It was the same Christ that gave Luther his courage — that Christ that broke the mesmerism of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and enabled Luther to bring to the world a better sense of religion and of man’s relationship to God. It is, of course, the same Christ that was present with Mary Baker Eddy, and which broke the mesmerism of invalidism and false theology to enable her to see the beautiful truth which she has brought to the world. It is this Christ with you, present in every one of your treatments, that breaks the mesmerism and reveals creation as it is, as God causes it to be. Rejoice that the Master has shown us conclusively that our Christ cannot be crucified. It has come down from the cross and is triumphant. There is nothing that can stay its hand, nor prevent it from operating. It saved others and it can truly save itself in our consciousness. It is a resurrected Christ, a Christ that proves the non-existence of death. It is an immortal Christ, one that walks forth from the sepulchre continuing to preach the gospel triumphantly. It is an ascended Christ — that is, the Christ which realizes that it never descended. It was never separated from the Father, but sits forever on the right hand of Omnipotence on high.

It is the Christ in your treatment that walks over the water, that has complete dominion over every material belief. The Christ in your treatment heals the sick and raises the dead. The Christ which is your treatment gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, just as much today as in the days of our Master.

What do you suppose would happen in your practitioner office if Jesus of Nazareth were there? Of course, there could not help but be many mighty works. Let us rejoice in the fact that the substance of our Master, the Christ, is right there with us in our treatment, for he said, “Lo, I am with you always.” The true spiritual substance of the Master, his true identity, his individuality, is not far off in time or space — it is always with us, giving us spiritual inspiration to do the works that he did and even greater works than these, because we too turn to the divine Principle of all being.

Our Christ is never a sad, disappointed preacher in the hills of Palestine. He is not a religious leader of two thousand years ago. He is not an abstract system of scientific thinking. He is the living, palpitating presence of divine Love, dwelling in your consciousness and mine. He is about the Father’s business, producing and revealing good eternally, not only in our affairs, but in the experience of everyone with whom we come in contact. The Christ is truly Immanuel, God with us eternally.




God’s Business

One day I was having lunch downtown and across from me sat a stranger. I started a friendly conversation after introducing myself and asked him what his business was. I usually do this because after a while the individual will ask me my business, and then I can tell him about Christian Science. Well, this man told me he was in the manufacturing business. We discussed his product for a few minutes, and then I asked him where his plant was. He told me on the south side of Indianapolis, and we discussed the location. Then I asked him how business was, and he said that they were going to make a nice profit this year, that business had been going unusually well. As I was walking back to my office after lunch I thought of a passage that had been in that week’s lesson where Jesus at the age of twelve said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” I applied these three questions to God’s business: What is God’s business? Where does He carry it on? And, How is His business — with what success does He operate?

Let us reason together on this important subject. Would anyone like to tell me, What is God’s business? In other words, what is it that God does? Through our study of Christian Science many of us have devoted a great deal of thought to the subject of What God is, and of course this is very important in order to understand what God does. But if we want action, if we want results in our metaphysical work, we must meditate more thoroughly on the subject of what the omni-active God does, what His business is.

As our Creator, of course we know He is in the creating business. He is in the production business. What does He produce — sin, sickness, disease, and death? Absolutely not. He is in the business of producing good, producing health, harmony, freedom, perfection, supply, happiness, and all good things.

Speaking of God’s creative function, on page 504 of the textbook our Leader says, “Was not this a revelation instead of a creation?” All good exists in eternal Mind, and it is God’s business to reveal this infinite good through His ideas. Accurately speaking, God is in the revealing business. His work is to make infinite good evident throughout the universe.

God is in the manifesting business, manifesting His divine nature everywhere. He is in the reflecting business, reflecting or radiating harmony, purity, and perfection. Through His divine activity He inspires and directs all His children. We could spend many profitable minutes contemplating God’s business — just exactly what God does.

After thinking for a period as to what God does, I turned to the second question — where does God carry on His business? I knew of course that He operates everywhere. But after a few moment’s contemplation I saw that this could be a rather vague statement. I once asked a gentleman where God carried on His business, and he said “In the church.” I then observed, suppose that there was no one in the church, how much good would be produced there? I told him about a deserted abbey which we visited in England. There was no minister, there were no services. I wondered how much good God was producing in that deserted abbey. The man then saw clearly that God works in the consciousness and the experience of men and all His ideas.

The Bible tells us that we are the temple of the living God, and that God dwells in His holy temple. He not only dwells there, but works therein. Jesus said, “The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.” Jesus thought of himself as God’s workshop. Paul put it this way, “It is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13) You too are literally God’s workshop, and it is your divine privilege to open wide the mental doors that He may come in and work through you in the manifestation of all good things. Let us not be so vague in our assertion that divine Principle operates everywhere, and forget to follow through with the recognition that God works specifically in us.

Now we come to the third and most important question. What kind of a job is God doing in us; is God really a success? We know the Bible says that God, Love, never faileth. We know that it is God’s business to produce or reveal good in us. Are we thinking of Him as doing an A plus job?

Very often people say, “Oh yes, God is certainly very successful. He never fails. It is we that fail Him.”

Several months ago, I heard a television broadcast of a sermon by Oral Roberts. In his discourse he was glorifying God — what a wonderful creator God is, how powerful, how successful, how triumphant. And then he went on to say that we are all a lot of miserable failures. The logic of course was lame. Suppose that I should tell you that the General Motor Corporation is a wonderful manufacturing company, they have well-trained engineers, they use the best material, they have marvelous management, they are a very successful business corporation. But every automobile they turn out is a failure. If the product fails of course the manufacturer is not successful. If we, God’s creatures, are a host of failures, then God is a great failure as a creator. If you want to have a successful man you have to first have a successful God; and the very moment you have a successful God in your prayers and meditations, right then you will have a very successful man.

Let us review these three steps. We know that it is God’s business to produce or reveal infinite good. We know that we are His workshop. It is in us that He does His marvelous works. Now let us each sincerely ask himself this simple question: What kind of job is God doing in me? Unless we answer honestly and sincerely that God is doing a wonderful job in us, we are irreverently declaring that God is a failure in His business of producing good everywhere.

It is on this third point that I am sure all of us can do a great deal to sharpen up our metaphysical work and clarify our knowledge of God and the manner in which divine Principle operates. As you walk down the street going to work, why not rejoice what it is that God is doing. He is producing or revealing good in you. And then declare with spiritual understanding that He is doing a terrific job in you. This will lift you to the heights of inspiration and accomplishment. This is not egotism, because you are not saying what you are doing, you are rejoicing in the glorious work that God is doing throughout all His universe, and therefore in you, one of His creatures.

Here I would like to read to you the 145th Psalm. Through the words of this Psalm the writer is strengthening his knowledge of the fact that God is always doing a wonderful piece of work. He begins:

“I will extol thee, my God,” (do you know what the word “extol” means? Yes, to praise. But more than that, really to applaud). Now we never applaud a failure, but only success, so the Psalmist is applauding God as a successful creator.

He goes on to say, “and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;” (he might have said successful is the Lord and very successful). “and his greatness is unsearchable.” (His success is unlimited). “One generation shall praise thy works to another,” (What are the works of God? I used to think of them as the works of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, feeding them with manna from heaven, etc. Of course, these are the works of God, but God is still in business. He is still producing wonderful works, and He is producing these works in you, in me, throughout the universe).

May I repeat, “One generation shall praise they works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” (What are the acts of God? They are the production of good in our consciousness and in our experience).

“I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrific acts;” (The Bible says “terrible” acts, but the word “terrible” has come in our language to mean “evil,” and a more accurate translation of this statement would be “terrific” acts).

I shall repeat, “And men shall speak of the might of thy terrific acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.” (Are we remembering God’s great goodness to us and to everyone, and are we constantly singing of His righteousness?) “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” (He is so slow at getting angry that of course He never gets there at all, for He is full of great mercy since He is divine Love). “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (You know that is synonymous with our Leader’s statement that, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.”)

“All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;” (Are you speaking constantly about the glory of God’s kingdom? Are you talking of His power?) “To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.” (When is it that God is carrying on these mighty works? Of course, now and throughout eternity).

“The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” (Here we find God in business, producing good for all His children, bringing infinite harmony into their experience at all times).

“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” (Are you thinking of God as being very successful in satisfying your every holy desire?)

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that love him: . . . My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.” Isn’t that a marvelous Psalm? A man came to me during the past year who had a sense of failure. After talking to him as I have talked to you today, I read this Psalm to him and asked him to read it over every day for the next six months. I requested this that he might exalt in his thought the true sense of a successful God. He did it religiously, and it is most thrilling the manner in which wonderful, successful things began to be expressed through him and his experience. He told me not long ago that he knows the Psalm by memory now, and would never start a day without reading and rejoicing in the glorious things that a successful God is doing in him.

I would like to recommend to all of you in this association that you read this Psalm every day for the next six months. If you are a Christian Science practitioner it will help you to be more successful in your work. If you are a housewife, a mother, you will find yourself being more successful in your home activities. If you are in business of course you will find that rejoicing in a very successful God will help you to be a better manifestation of a successful business man or woman.

Sometimes individuals ask me why Christian Science has failed to restore health in some case, or why some other Christian Scientist has passed on, or has failed in some business activity. I can tell you honestly that if we are truly worshiping a successful God, as brought out in this Psalm, there will never be any manifestation of failure.

Love never fails. We have the divine privilege of being so reverent toward our creator that we thoroughly accept His successful nature eternally.

Now let us turn and consider for a few moments the negative side of this subject. If it is the business of God, divine Mind, to produce infinite good, would someone like to tell me what it is mortal mind’s business to do? You might say that mortal mind produces evil, sin, sickness, disease, death, lack, limitation, unhappiness. You might say that it is the business of error to produce erroneous conditions. You might say that the carnal mind creates and reveals evil. Everyone knows what mortal mind does.

Now let us turn to the second question. Where does mortal mind carry on business? We might say that it carries on the business in our thinking, our consciousness, and therefore in our experience.

A gentleman I was talking to recently said, “Why mortal mind seems to be everywhere carrying on its business in the consciousness and experience of everyone. Yes, we might say mortal mind produces evil and it produces it in our consciousness.”

Now comes the third question. How successful is mortal mind in the production of evil? Not long ago I was talking to a group of Christian Scientists at a Christian Science College Organization. We were discussing this same subject, and I turned to one young college student and asked, “How successful is mortal mind in the production of evil in the world?” She answered, “Well it seems to be a very successful.” I said, “In other words you’re going to give mortal mind an A plus?”

On page 405 of the Christian Science textbook our Leader tells us that the basic error is mortal mind. That is the basic mistake, and if you make that mistake a lot of smaller mistakes will follow in the train. When I asked you a moment ago what mortal mind does, you should not have answered that it produces evil. There is only one answer — it does absolutely nothing because there is no mortal mind.

In her definition of “Good” in the Glossary of the textbook, our Leader tells us that it is “God; Spirit; omnipotence; omniscience; omni-action.” Since God includes all action it follows that mortal mind has no activity, no ability or capacity to do anything. Mortal mind cannot produce sin, sickness, disease, death and evil, because of the one basic truth that there is no mortal mind.

Do you see this little ghost up here in my hand? Will somebody please tell me what does it do? What does it try to do? What does it want to do? What does it claim to do? Absolutely nothing, because there is no ghost here. Now do you see this thing called mortal mind? What does it do? What does it claim to do? What does it try to do? What does it appear to do? Absolutely nothing, because there is no such thing as mortal mind. “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.” (Science and Health page 468)

In answer to the question, where does mortal mind carry on its business, there is of course just one answer. Nowhere, because there is no mortal mind to carry it on anywhere. Mortal mind has no channel through which to work because there is no mortal mind. You and I and our patients are certainly not the workshop of mortal mind, where it carries on its nefarious activity. On page 482 of the textbook our Leader says, “Christian Science is the law of Truth, which heals the sick on the basis of the one Mind, or God.” There is simply no other way to practice Christian Science except from this absolute basis.

In every one of your treatments you recognize the fact — first, that there is no mortal mind to do anything. Secondly, that it has no channel or consciousness through which to work. And third, it can never accomplish anything.

Rather recently I asked a brilliant college student one day these three questions, and he said that mortal mind was very successful. I was quite shocked because I thought that I had gotten the idea across to him that there is no mortal mind. But he insisted, and then finally said, “You brought out very clearly that it is the business of mortal mind to do nothing and it is certainly very successful in its business of doing nothing.” I thought this was a pretty good example of agreeing with our adversary quickly. Mortal mind is nothing, does nothing, has no place to work, and it certainly is successful in its business of doing nothing.

Because you give God “A plus” for the marvelous works that He is doing in you and in others, and because you rightly give so-called mortal mind a zero as far as its ability is concerned, you therefore cannot help but find marvelous things taking place in your experience.

When I ask Christian Scientists the same questions that I have asked you today, I have been shocked by the vagueness of their answers as to what God does, where He works, and with what success. But when they start talking about mortal mind they are real authorities on the subject. They certainly know what mortal mind does, tries to do, claims to do, and so forth. There is no question at all where mortal mind works; it’s in the consciousness, in the thinking of people. And they are quite certain that mortal mind is accomplishing a great deal in the world. Then they wonder why more good does not come into their experience. When they are as much an authority on the subject of what divine Mind is doing, where it is doing it, and how it is doing it, as they are on the subject of mortal mind, they will find wonderful things transpiring.

In the Bible it is related that they once brought to Jesus a young man whom the disciples had not been able to heal. The trouble seemed to be some form of epilepsy. Jesus promptly healed him. Later the disciples asked Jesus, “Why could not we heal him?” Jesus answered, “This kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting.” Now the disciples had prayed, and by implication Jesus had indicated that they had not fasted properly.

What did he mean by fasting? Certainly not abstinence from bread or meat. For on another occasion the Pharisees complained that John the Baptist’s disciples fasted, and the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus’ disciples fasted not. And Jesus indicated that a material fast was not necessary. He certainly must have meant something else. “Fasting” means abstaining from something. “Prayer” is communion with God. In accord with the discussion that we have just had, might we not consider that prayer is the recognition that God is producing good in the patient and doing an A plus job, and that fasting is abstaining from the thought that there is an error or a mortal mind that is working in the patient and producing evil?

Undoubtedly Jesus recognized that the disciples were trying to realize that God was working in the boy producing health, but at the same time they were also believing that there was a devil or evil spirit that taketh the lad, that possessed him, and oftime cast him into the fire and oft into the water. It was from such thinking that they needed to abstain.

In the practice of Christian Science, it is not only necessary for you to pray, to commune with God, and recognize that He is working in your patient producing health, harmony, and freedom; but you too must abstain from this idle chatter about what mortal mind is doing or trying to do, and what mortal mind is succeeding in accomplishing. I am very serious when I say that all of us can do some more effective fasting and we will have better results in Christian Science.

Here I would like us all to consider together this question: “Do we really believe that the divine Mind is working in us both to will and to do of its good pleasure? And is God really doing an “A plus” job in us? Are you really fasting, abstaining from the thought that there is a mortal or carnal mind to interfere with God’s government, and to prevent a manifestation of good in your experience? I am sure that all of us can do some good praying and fasting along these lines, and come to correct conclusions which bring about unlimited harmony.

Now let us meditate for a few moments on the practical signification of these ideas when giving a Christian Science treatment. We of course begin with God, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.” Then let us take one of the names for God, such as divine Mind. Thinking about what divine Mind is will not bring about many results. But think for a moment as to what divine Mind does and things will begin to happen. Divine Mind, our heavenly Mind, is in the production business. It produces healthy ideas, happy ideas, harmonious concepts, and perfect thoughts. When you are giving a Christian Science treatment, never think in terms of my mind or his mind — pray in terms of “our heavenly Mind,” the one universal Mind, recognizing that this same Mind that is with you is also with your patient, and is in the business of producing inspiring and wonderful ideas. Our heavenly Mind reveals perfection. Our perfect Mind, God, manifests infinite harmony. Our glorious Mind reflects and radiates spiritual inspiration and freedom.

Now where is our heavenly Mind carrying on its business? Of course, everywhere. But you must know that it is therefore specifically carrying on its business in the consciousness and experience of the one whom you call your patient. When you think in terms of my Mind and his Mind there is always the suggestion of thought transference, and this is not Christian Science. But when you think in terms of our heavenly, universal Mind, it is then very clear that the same ideas which are unfolding in your thought are unfolding also with him. Your patient is truly God’s workshop, and God is working in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The fact that your patient has asked for a Christian Science treatment is an indication that he has opened his mental doors to receive the divine inspiration of our heavenly Mind. Don’t ever think of God as separate or apart from you or your patient. He is literally our heavenly Mind. He is the sum total of right thinking that is going on in consciousness.

Now we come to the most important part of your treatment. What kind of a job is our heavenly Mind doing in the thought, in the experience of your patient? Give our heavenly Mind the “A plus” — rejoice that divine Mind, right thinking, never fails.

Divine Mind always reveals perfect ideas, wonderful ideas, wonderful concepts, and true being. Our right thinking, our heavenly Mind, is doing a terrific job, and you know it. Our heavenly Mind is infinitely successful. Our heavenly Mind is never confused or frustrated. Our heavenly Mind knows exactly what to do, where to do it, and how to do a perfect job. Furthermore, our heavenly Mind is doing it right now.

Now let us take a few moments to fast. There is no negative, mortal, or carnal mind that can do anything. And therefore, it certainly is not working in the consciousness or experience of your patient, and it is accomplishing absolutely nothing. Mortal mind gets the zero as far as you and your patient are concerned.

Now let us consider another name for God. Our heavenly Truth. What does our heavenly Truth do? It reveals things as they are. It dispels all illusions. It expresses itself in a state of integrity and uprightness. It shows itself forth in wholeness and completeness. Our heavenly Truth reveals the facts of being, the perfection of being, the harmony of being. Where does our heavenly Truth operate? Everywhere, and specifically in the consciousness and experience of your patient and yourself.

Now let us ask the sincere question, “What kind of a job is our heavenly universal Truth doing?” Be instant in giving it an “A plus.” Our heavenly Truth is infinitely successful in revealing the perfection of being, and it is doing it right now and throughout eternity. Our Leader tells us that “Truth is always triumphant”; it is always the victor.

Now let us practice fasting for a moment. What is it that error would try to do? Of course, it can’t even try to do anything, because as our Leader says, “In Truth there is no error, all is Truth.” Where does it work? Absolutely nowhere. Abstain from such a thought. It has no channel for it is nothing. What can error accomplish in the world and in the thought and experience of your patient? Absolutely nothing, for there is no error. Error gets a zero because it is positively unreal, non-existent.

Would someone like to tell me what our heavenly Life is doing? It is of course manifesting itself in all-harmonious activity. It reveals itself in perfect being. It shows itself forth in growth and unfoldment. It expresses itself through job and happiness. Where is this heavenly Life functioning, up in the sky somewhere? No. But right with you, and in your patient. Furthermore, our heavenly Life is doing a top-notch job in expressing itself in your patient. All sorts of beautiful forms of activity are showing up in the experience. Our heavenly Life is not limited in any way. It shows itself in harmonious activity, in beautiful relationships, in inspiring occupations, glorious recreation, and all the good things that are associated with a true sense of Life.

Our heavenly divine Life is radiating itself so successfully and so everywhere that of course there is no death. We must fast in regard to the concept of death. Abstain from thinking in its terms. Death cannot express itself nor function, because it does not exist. It has no channel through which to work because there is no death. And finally, death never accomplishes anything. It never makes anyone better or worse, for there is no death to operate or to function — All is infinite Life and its infinite manifestation, for Life is All-in-all. What is death going to do to you, to your patient, or to anyone else? Be vigorous in your recognition of the fact that it will do absolutely nothing because there is no death. Don’t you love this kind of fasting, abstaining from speculations on the possibility of the absence of Life?

Let us pray further. Our heavenly Love, Hallowed be Thy name. Will someone tell me what it is that our Love does? Of course, it produces divine affections; it reveals a kindly feeling toward everyone and everything. It expresses itself in the form of compassion, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, courtesy. Where does it radiate itself? Of course, in your consciousness and in that of your patient, as well as everywhere. Our Leader tells us that “Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.” It is our heavenly Love that reveals true health and harmony.

Mrs. Eddy tells us in the textbook that if we reach our patient through divine Love, the healing will be accomplished at a single visit. But if you think of it as your heavenly Love trying to reach the consciousness of your patient you will not succeed. It is only as we think in terms of our heavenly Love which is already with your patient as well as with you that we can bring about these instantaneous results. It is our heavenly, divine Love that does the work. Our Leader tells us in the little book, We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, “Love will do anything. It will raise the dead.”

Now let me ask this simple question, “What kind of a job is divine, universal Love doing in you, in your consciousness, in your thought, and in the consciousness and thought of your patient? The very moment that you rejoice that divine Love is there with all its glory and power, radiating itself in infinite beauty, and doing a perfect job of it, right then you will find of course that your patient is completely healed. Give our heavenly Love the “A plus” which it so much deserves.

Now tell me, what it is that hatred and resentment would seem to do to the human system? Answer with authority, it does absolutely nothing, for there is no hatred, no resentment, and no bitterness. Love is All-in-all. Hatred does not exist anywhere any time. Where would hatred claim to operate? In the consciousness and experience of your patient, or of some member of their family? No. Hatred cannot work anywhere for there is no hatred to express itself. What does hatred accomplish? Absolutely nothing, for there is no hatred.

If you have the slightest opinion as to what hatred or resentment is accomplishing in any patient you are dishonoring divine, infinite Love. You are literally giving hatred a successful mark while you are giving divine Love a failing mark. Say times without number in your treatment, “Love never faileth.” But hatred always fails, because there is no hatred to do anything. What is hatred and resentment doing to this world of ours? Absolutely nothing. It is not accomplishing anything. It cannot produce wars, divorces, misunderstandings, disease, or inharmony, for the simple reason that since Love is All there is no hatred. For us to diagnose the world’s troubles and say that it is hatred and resentment that is expressing itself, is not to give Christian Science treatment. But to assert with conviction that since Love is universal, there is no such thing as hatred to accomplish anything in you or in the world.

Really fast, really abstain from the thought that hatred exists, and you will see how much more effective you are in your Christian Science activity.

Let us think for a few moments about the synonym of Spirit. What does Spirit do? What is the business of Spirit? It expresses itself in the form of right attitudes. It reveals itself in the perfect approach toward all things. It expresses itself in the true substance of spiritual being. Now where is the Spirit of God carrying on this work? The Psalmist tells us that Spirit operates everywhere. If we take an airplane into the farthest parts of the sea, right there Spirit is operating. If we take a submarine and go down into the depths of the sea, Spirit is functioning. It is our heavenly Spirit, and specifically it is working with you and with your patient expressing itself in true spirituality and perfect attitudes. It is manifesting itself as the true substance in which there is no discord or decay.

What kind of job is this Spirit of God, our heavenly Spirit doing in your patient and in you? An excellent job. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth.” Paul said, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” This Spirit of God is truly always capable of moving upon the waters to form the perfect concept. Spirit never fails in its purpose. Paul wrote Timothy, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” This perfect Spirit is forever with you, and your patient.

Now for some fasting. What does matter do? Absolutely nothing, for there is no matter. It cannot obstruct the harmonious activity of God’s creation, for there is no matter. There is not too much matter some place and too little matter someplace else, for all is Spirit. Matter has no purpose in being. It has no function. The Master said that it profiteth nothing, or more literally, is nothing. He said that we cannot serve God and mammon (or matter) for the simple reason that there is no matter. We can serve God, Spirit, alone.

Where does matter express itself? Absolutely nowhere. It does not express itself in you or in the experience of your patient. It does not express itself in rocks, trees, flowers, men or women. Why? For the simple reason there is no matter. It cannot express itself in the form of destructive hydrogen or atomic bombs. What can it accomplish? Nothing. It gets an absolute zero, for Spirit is eternally triumphant and perfect in its activity. Because you are honoring Spirit as All-in-all, and matter as nothing, therefore infinite harmony shows up in your experience. Fasting really isn’t an unpleasant process is it? It is the most pleasant thing you can do — abstaining from believing in the suppositional absence of God and His qualities.

What is the function of Soul, our heavenly Soul? Its business is to express beauty and harmony, loveliness and freshness. And you know it carries on its work in you and in your patient everywhere. Your patient is Soul’s workshop where beauty, harmony, and perfection are produced and revealed. Tell me honestly what kind of a job is our heavenly Soul doing in you or in your patient? A perfect job. And therefore, you have confidence that nothing but beauty, harmony, and loveliness can show itself forth. God is not afar off — He is our heavenly Soul, manifesting Himself in all beauty and harmony.

Now what is it that material sense would claim to do? Absolutely nothing, for there is no material sense. Our Leader calls it nonsense, no sense. What is corporeal sense doing to you? Nothing. There is no sense separate or apart from God, the divine Soul. Where is this physical, corporeal, material sense expressing itself? Absolutely nowhere. And certainly not in the thought and experience of your patient. Your patient is spiritually sensed and therefore has that conscious, constant capacity to understand God. What does material sense accomplish? Does it becloud our vision? Definitely not. Does it make us discouraged? It cannot, for there is no material sense. Does it give us a distorted sense of things? Never. For there is no material sense to distort anything. Material sense can accomplish nothing, for the spiritual sense of Soul is ever-present, revealing things as they are in all their beauty and harmony.

Material sense gets a zero. We fast in regard to it. We do not believe in it. But Soul, our heavenly Soul, accomplishes all good things in you and in your patient, revealing beauty and perfection.

What is the business of Principle? Of course, it is to produce harmony, perfection, law, order, and coordinated activity. This divine Principle has been eternally in business, revealing peace and concord, expressing a smooth-running creation. This Principle operates not only in you and in your patient but everywhere. It is the absolute Principle of the universe. It is Principle that makes your patient orderly, punctual, honest, harmonious, and free. This is not the way you wish your patient was — it is the way Principle causes him to be. Now let us rejoice that Principle is doing this perfect job. Let us stand in praiseful, prayerful awe of the wonderful things that Principle is always doing. Let us truly extol His name and applaud Him.

Principle is triumphant, victorious. Principle reveals the everywhere presence of good.

Now tell me, what do the unprincipled forces of the universe attempt to do? Certainly nothing, for there are no unprincipled forces. They do not operate in industry, in politics, in government, in the world. They never accomplish anything. They do not produce lack or limitation, nor create wars, or bring misunderstanding among men and nations, for there are no unprincipled forces. God is the one and only divine Principle, and the only force there is. And this divine Principle is operating in the thought and experience of every one of God’s creatures. When Christian Scientists really fast in regard to the thought of unprincipled forces, when they abstain from thinking in terms of the activity of false theology, materia medica, and so forth, they will find how effective they are in their treatments.

In review, what is it that God does? Of course, He produces or reveals infinite good. Where does He carry on His business? Everywhere, and specifically in you and your patient. And what kind of a job is He doing? An “A plus” job forever and ever.

Now let us go on one final fast. What is mortal mind, error, animal magnetism, mental malpractice, Satan, devil, death, material sense, matter, doing today? Absolutely nothing. For these negative things do not exist. Where are the forces of evil operating? Nowhere, for God fills all space and there are no evil forces to operate. Our Leader tells us that “Omnipotence has all power and to acknowledge any other power is to dishonor God.” What is error, animal magnetism, hypnotism, mental malpractice accomplishing? Nothing. In the eternal order they never accomplished anything and never will. In the school room of our heavenly Father-Mother God, mortal mind, error, animal magnetism get an absolute zero, for they are nothing. I know that you will abstain from thinking that they are something, and that you will go forth and really honor your Father-Mother God as All-in-all. I know that you will be giving Him that “A double plus” which He always deserves, for He is working in you, in your patients, and in the world, to do of His good pleasure. There is nothing that can stay His hand nor say unto Him, “What doest Thou?” He is perpetually revealing the kingdom of heaven at hand, and even more than that, He is revealing the kingdom of God within you.

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Love is the liberator.