The assumption that learning "by rote" in the letter, that there is no personality in the reality of Being, sets free in relations with others in Truth, from those of the claims of personality that belong to the present sense of Life, and that are acknowledged in personal, family, and business relation—is another very high form of selfishness. Gratitude, for example, is a claim of error. When the sense of personality is lost, it will have disappeared. Thanks and a smile, and a conscious movement of mental recognition, are given to the waiter that hands a glass of water, instead of a stony stare, or the more petrifying thought—"there is no waiter." Gratitude is due to every one from whom service is received, be it only as pointer of a guide board, in the way of Truth. Though teaching may have been imperfect or even in error, if honestly done, and according to the teacher's highest sense of good—it was the cup of cold water "given upon my name," and merits acknowledgment in Love. If any acknowledgment that is yielded, in the sense of life as personal, to family or other relations in personality, is withheld from any personality through whom the ministrations of Truth have been—to the present sense of Life—extended, such withholding is an offering to personality, not demonstration over it. Sinfulness of withholding is measured by degree of benefit that has been received. If it be healing that has come in the form of a higher sense of Life, gained through a book or from a person, healing will never be real or complete except as acknowledgment is hearty and unreserved. If through a book, can it be honest in Science, unless the personality of its author is embraced in the acknowledgment. Is not conscious withholding from, or denial of such personality a claim of malicious animal magnetism of the highest potency of evil?—one of the errors of sense, which "here or hereafter" must be paid to the uttermost farthing? Let no one hope for growth towards God while this error is carried in thought. All "progress" on these lines is progress in error that will have to be undone.
In every direction the claims of the false sense of life are made to disappear by yoking the false sense itself into the service of Spirit, and only in that way. Honest acknowledgment of Principle as all, and honest laying of self on the altar as fast as its claims are uncovered through ever present recognition of Principle, is all that Principle exacts. It is true that God works "both the willing and the inward working," but if our own sense of life is that it is we that work, then we must work mightily in that sense. It may be at first with fear and trembling, but if that is honest measure of power of acknowledgment, Principle accepts the offering. This leads to perfect realization of Love that casts out fear. But to fold the hands, while material personalities are still visible, and say over "God is all" only sinks deeper in the slough.
Principle claims at every step all that to the then sense of life, belongs to error. Principle is to the mortal sense, "a hard master," for it thus literally "reaps" where it "sowed not," and "gathers" where it "winnowed not." But it is not a hard master, for error is of our sowing and Principle only receives what is its own. For all Life is God; perverted sense of it, in us, as personal and material does not change it. Life is God all the time. It is right that it should be returned to Him with the "usury" of pain of sacrifice of the false sense, for it is only thus He can enter into His own. Life is God; while perverted, to the sinful sense, it is no less God, and God is none the less "all." Sacrifice of sinful sense restores harmony, in conscious oneness. By yoking sinful sense to the car of Principle, in recognition of Principle, and making it do service in Truth, the sense itself, in so far as thus subjected, is transformed, and thus, to our sense, is returned to Him that which is and always has been His own.
