In all the crises of human experience, those who are in any wise spiritually awakened turn to the Bible for consolation; nor is this strange, since we find in the fortieth chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah the command, "Comfort ye my people, saith your God." Then follows the message to be given to an afflicted people at that day,—"Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished." After this we have a wonderful word-picture, showing in strong contrast the difference between the universe divinely and spiritually created, and the false mortal concept of it, which passes away at the breath of Spirit. Not only does the grass wither and the flower fade, but we read, "Surely the people is grass." Then there follows the assurance that although all that is material will pass as a dream, "the word of our God shall stand forever;" and because of this, Zion is bidden to go up unto the high mountain and proclaim the good tidings, that all the earth may hear the invitation, "Behold your God!"
We note that it is Zion which is here called to announce the presence of the Most High, Zion which, as defined in Science and Health (p. 599), is more than any earthly city, for it is declared to be "spiritual foundation and superstructure; inspiration; spiritual strength." Here we are also given the mortal concept of Zion, as "emptiness; unfaithfulness; desolation," words which most fittingly represent the materialistic concept of God and man,—God the author of materiality with all its discords, and man as the expression of this concept, or to quote Kipling, "all valiant dust that builds on dust." Not to this desolating concept, however, is the commission given to comfort the people by revealing to them the God who "giveth power to the faint," who feeds His flock as a shepherd and carries the lambs in His bosom. No, nothing less than true inspiration and spiritual strength can do this for men or for nations in their hour of need; but the word has been spoken, and God's people will not be comfortless if with all their hearts they seek Him, knowing that infinite wisdom rules the hour, exalting the valleys of mortal experience and leveling the hills, making the crooked straight "and the rough places plain."
Christian Science has for many years been comforting God's people, some of whom had come to think as did the one whose words Isaiah gives, "My way is hid from the Lord;" but they learned that this was not true, that though a mother might forget her babe, divine Love would neither forget nor forsake one of His children. Then they learned to wait upon God, and in so doing renewed their strength, until erelong they were ready to "mount up with wings as eagles," to soar above materiality with its false hopes and bitter sorrows, and to find the things that do not perish at the breath of Spirit, but that live thereby; and of these we read, "He calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." Is not this comfort?
