THE clear little brook that flows joyously along its natural course in accord with the law which governs it, spontaneously supplies a great need to the many. Nothing does it know of the wants of men; and yet, by simply being itself and seeking with ever onward flow its inevitable destination, the brook involuntarily blesses whoever seeks its help. All unconsciously it inspires the poet, turns the miller's wheel, quenches thirsty lips, and brings joy to the child who floats his toy ship upon its waters. Over and over again, whether it runs low with summer's drought or rushes busily along with April's overflow, the brook shares itself with all. It seeks nothing in return, nor does it recount the blessings it bestows, but steadfastly, through ceaseless activity, continues to bear witness to the unfailing source of supply from which it flows.
Christian Scientists are learning that to help one another in this same impersonal way, is to follow faithfully in the channels of truth and to work out one's own salvation in a manner pleasing to God. Thus real service to one's fellow man requires an exact understanding of what it means to please God. It is to satisfy the demands of Principle, which in turn is ever to express love, justice, exactness, impartiality, and all the attributes of Soul. It is to be in accord with the laws of harmony and at one with the activity of good; it is to know no other Mind than the divine, and to recognize no other government but that of Spirit. To please God, it declares, is to live above corporeal sense, to judge according to the things of the Spirit, and to love one's neighbor as one's self.
It follows in natural sequence, that satisfying the demands of Principle produces an effect upon human experience which far surpasses our highest hopes, for it liberates the limited sense of self-ability and links every effort of well-doing to divine power. Pleasing God imparts the courage and love that quiet fear, and it enriches character with the peace of him who has conquered sin. Though it may arouse the seven thunders of evil, as it brings to the surface all the falsities of the carnal mind, it nevertheless insures success at the outset and leads to lasting satisfaction. Moreover, in fulfilling the demands of Principle, unstable humanhood is lifted out of its personal demands and interests, above the petty and emotional, even into "the secret place of the most High," where depth of purpose, steadfastness in holy resolve, and the answer to every human problem unfolds, and, like the Master, we can say of the Father, "I do always those things that please him."
