Editorials

CHRIST JESUS announced his mission to mankind in these prophetic words : "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. " Thus briefly did the Master outline the task he had taken upon himself, in fulfilment of the Father's will, and we find him speedily about the Father's business,—preaching in the synagogues and healing those sick of divers diseases that were brought to him, and often stopping by the wayside, as he journeyed from city to city, to comfort some afflicted one.

During Jesus' earthly ministry he was on several occasions asked by critics of his words and works to show a sign, and it is well to remember that while he refused to accede to this insincere request, he placed upon his followers an obligation to furnish proof that they understood the operation of spiritual law, when he said, "These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. " On another occasion he said (as we read in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew's gospel) that before the final overcoming of mortal mind with all its delusions and miseries "the sign of the Son of man" should appear in heaven, which, from the standpoint of Christian Science, evidently means that this "sign" must be of the same character as those given at the close of Mark's gospel, which are above enumerated.

Christian Science is renderingthe highest possible service to men by bringing them a new realization that the consciousness of God, of Truth and Love, constitutes the only sense of life worth while, and having accepted this teaching as true, the gain of a demonstrably right concept of the divine nature, purposes, and manifestations becomes at once the supremely vital thing. From the mortal point of view, however, this God-knowing life is forever unattainable.

That love and duty, though often seemingly opposed to each other, are and should be one and the same, is clearly set forth in "the great commandment of the law" as pointed out by the Master, namely, to love God supremely and one's neighbor as one's self. Thus indissolubly linked together by the Supreme Lawgiver, man's chief duty may be summed up as the constant, habitual exercise of love,—love for the creator and giver of all that is good, and love for one's fellows,—children of "our Father which art in heaven.

THE relation of scientific thought to right living is indicated by Mrs. Eddy when she says of the Master that "he knew that the philosophy, Science, and proof of Christianity were in Truth, casting out all inharmony" ( Science and Health, p.

AT the close of the fourth gospel we are given a most impressive account of Jesus' meeting with his disciples at the sea of Tiberias, after the tragedy of the crucifixion and his glorious victory over the flesh and all evil which had assailed him, a victory marked by his resurrection from the tomb and by several meetings with his followers before his ascension. This particular occasion, which is known to Christian Scientists as "the morning meal" ( Science and Health, p.

WHEN Jesus sent forth his disciples on their memorable mission "to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick," he warned them that they were going forth "as sheep in the midst of wolves," which certainly was not an alluring prospect, and that they must therefore bear themselves with the wisdom of the serpent and the gentleness of the dove. This counsel showed that the great Teacher was not in the least deceived as to what their reception was likely to be, nor as to the general lack of faith which would be shown by many to whom they would bear the life-giving message of the gospel.

In several of the epistles to the early churches we find evidence of a disposition on the part of some to reject that which today is called organization, on the mistaken assumption that complete spiritualization of consciousness had already been attained, and that human governments should not be recognized or obeyed. In the epistle to Titus, however, we find this admonition: "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.

Commenting upon the life of Cromwell and the universal enthusiasm with which Charles II was welcomed back to resume his rule over England, Mr. Balfour is reported to have said recently that "if the Great Commoner failed, and with all his genius it is manifest that he did fail, it is not because he was indifferent to the traditions of his country.

TO the question so often risked, "Why has the Christian Science movement grown so wonderfully?" the first and most natural answer is that it is because the sick are healed and the sinning are reformed through its ministry, as in the early days of Christianity. While this is valid, and satisfactory as far as it goes, it cannot be claimed that it is the only reason.