ANOTHER year is fast drawing to its close, and not without some brave records of good achieved for the race, achievements which open wider and wider the gates of human thought for further victories on the side of right, and prepare the way for the triumph of good over every phase of belief in evil. As each Christmas time draws near, we hear anew the angelic message, "On earth peace, good will toward men;" while high hopes spring up to assure us that all the message implies—for men and nations—is an eternal fact which but awaits our recognition of its import and a quickened desire to bring the hope to its fulfilment. Mrs. Browning says,—
Drums and battle cries
Go out in music of the morning star—
And soon we shall have thinkers in the place
Of lighters; each found able as a man
To strike electric influence through a race,
Unstayed by city wall or barbican.
One thing is certain, namely, that real peace is never achieved by compromise with evil. We need the sublime courage of the great Galilean in overcoming evil, but to accomplish aught of real value we must have the spiritual vision which inspired that courage, which beheld the justice and judgment of God, not only enthroned on high, but ever ready to overthrow entrenched wrong through any heroic soul that loves righteousness and hates iniquity. There are many willing enough to cry, "Lord, Lord," when evil is denounced, but not so many who are willing to meet the demands of divine justice, in their own particular sphere; to see to it that the kingdom is established within, before they attempt its establishment without. If they delay too long in the first instance, they will discover that the activity of Truth is finding other channels for its expression, which is well. They will have missed an opportunity to be and to do, and so get behind in the race toward the "goal of goodness" (Science and Health, p. 23). If the saints are to judge the world, as the Bible declares, it is surely necessary that we strive to attain to saintliness in order to judge aright and aid in the establishment of impartial and universal justice.
