"The Christian Scientist," Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health, page 450, "has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death;" a reformatory work of" the broadest possible scope, embracing as it does the alleviation and ultimate cure of all the ills that flesh is heir to,—ethical, pathological, social, economic, and industrial. It will thus be seen that his fight is not with mankind, but for mankind. It is therefore needful that he should properly equip himself for his work; that he should by careful study and by daily practice learn to live that Christian life which alone can enable us to keep the Master's commandments: preach the gospel, comfort the sorrowing, reform the sinner, heal the sick, love God with all the heart, and our neighbors as ourselves.
To all who, as an acknowledgment of their gratitude to Christian Science, have taken up the work of proving its healing and reforming truth for. others as well as for themselves; who are striving to know, with the knowing that comes of prayer, that God is able to provide a table in the wilderness,—a table of daily instruction for daily needs, —to such I address myself with the hope of pointing out how bountiful have been the blessings provided for us. Our Leader reminds us that she "finds the path less wearisome when she has the high goal always before her thoughts" (Science and Health, p. 426), and so we, if we keep in mind the means we have at hand to help and to instruct us, will find the way less wearisome than if we dwell upon the little understanding that we thus far have, and upon our consequent disabilities.
What provisions have been made by our Leader for our instruction in Christian Science, and how far have we availed ourselves of the "talents" thus entrusted to us?
