Students of the Bible find many a thrill of joy as its spiritual truths unfold to them. In the horror of darkness produced by aggressive war they have remembered that promise from the psalms: "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness;" and the reasonable basis for this expectation is that the upright man is "gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." Mrs. Eddy, out of her spiritual vision, has set before us the prospect of joy and light because of her thorough understanding of the Bible. She says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 513): "Advancing spiritual steps in the teeming universe of Mind lead on to spiritual spheres and exalted beings. To material sense, this divine universe is dim and distant, gray in the sombre hues of twilight; but anon the veil is lifted, and the scene shifts into light."
It will not be until future generations occupy this earthly scene that a full understanding of the wonder of the discovery of Christian Science will prevail. We are now emerging from one conflict of light with darkness, conflict which the ancient Persian philosophy held was to continue forever and ever. The promise of Jesus is that light will triumph. He explained his work in the illuminating phrase, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Nevertheless, following the advent of the very light of the world came ages of ignorance and evil doing, when Christianity was displaced largely by superstition. How and why was this? The explanation was already provided by the Master when he said that although light was come into the world "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Church and state were united, and into high places in the church climbed men with cunning and evil minds, seeking material riches and power, and unable to comprehend spiritual power or to value true riches. Dark ages necessarily followed.
This darkness upon the minds of men was not, however, a settled darkness. There were men who through their individual faith were able to understand the words of the psalm which says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Jesus had said, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness," and students of his teachings certainly were not like the walkers in darkness who stumbled and knew not where they were going. The trouble, however, was that these Scriptural writings were inaccessible to the mass of the people.
Consequently one of the great happenings of world history was the appearing of the Bible in the English tongue, enabling the honest seeker, in whose heart there was a willingness to be obedient to God, to find that knowledge of God which would introduce him into the kingdom of heaven and make him wiser than the very teachers who drew their intellectual knowledge of doctrine from traditions originating in the carnal minds of men. Jesus of course set this matter forth with perfect clearness when he said regarding his teaching: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
Now it has been through the logic of events that the English tongue has approached more nearly to being a universal language than any other, and through its medium high ideals of justice and honor, fair play and honesty, have been carried to the world. These very ideals have made the English speaking peoples, who value the English Bible as their great heritage, desirous of having its truth made known to all nations. Through the efforts of societies for its distribution the Bible, or portions of it, have been translated into half a thousand dialects so that there is practically no written language into which the message has not been conveyed that God loves the world, and that Christ Jesus is the messenger of divine salvation to all men. Hence it is that at this hour we can see how, as Mrs. Eddy says, "the scene shifts into light."
The dense darkness of selfish and sensual materialism has changed; even the dim twilight is brightening. A higher vision of God is coming to such a multitude of men and women through Christian Science that the workers in the movement themselves, after the struggles of many years, are now more easily achieving the good they long for. It is becoming so much more clearly understood how divine government means man's self-government by Truth that humanity as a whole is understanding how it need not forevermore submit to autocracy of church and state. This has been exposed in its brutish form as the state claiming to be conscienceless and free from moral law, and it is being exposed in the subtle phase of modern sorcery claiming mental dominion and control. Now it is true that as men grow spiritually they abandon their material beliefs. Yet, what burden or disadvantage has it been for wireless operators to lay aside the theories which made communication impossible without wires? By what they have laid aside they are made free to enjoy larger possibilities. How can God give to the preoccupied mind? Can you give water to a cup filled with earth? A little you may give, but not the pellucid draft that an empty and shining silver cup will hold.
The divine truth of being has been likened to streams in a desert; to the cup of cool water to one perishing with thirst; to joy that comes in the morning after a night of sorrow; to light in the darkness. Even the unawakened dreamer is under the care of God, and though he may suffer in his dream and have a sense of horror in the darkness, the awakening is light. And now the whole world is awakening to light because "the dream of human power" is well-nigh ended. How pitiless that theory
That they should take who have the power,
And they should keep who can.
The sharp lawyers of Jesus' day, of whom he said, "Ye devour widows' houses," and proselyting Pharisees who "compass sea and land to make one proselyte," were types of conditions which he did not mention—of emperors who for their pleasure respected no sacredness of human life, of rulers who for their profit balked not at any treachery. The vision of the poet, "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne," while justified in the past perhaps shall yet be without illustration. The weary world is turning from all that darkness of the past, and while a few-hold out as a panacea class warfare and continued brutality and destruction, there are very many now who are turning to God with earnest faith because they are gaining an understanding of Christian Science. Faith is the greatest power that man can know. Not that in its own self it has power, but it lays hold on divine power, and the man who has faith in God has ceased to interfere with divine government through his own planning, pride, or self-will. Consequently, in proportion to his obedience he comes to see the manifestations of divine law.
The voice of the pessimist is of course heard in the land at this hour when some men talk hopefully of the millennium appearing and a new world arising Phoenix-like out of the ashes of its past sorrows and sufferings. Of course the pessimist cannot see any good, because he wears colored spectacles and everything takes on the tinge of that through which he looks. There is, however, absolute ground for optimism in the fact that Christian Science is becoming ever more widely known and understood and loved. Christian Scientists have had wonderful opportunities for showing their faith by their actions. They have been calm amid storms or in battle; they have been firm and confident in the valley and shadow of death, and have demonstrated healing for those given up to die; they have been as little children walking hand in hand with the Father, and the angel of God's presence has been with them. Tens of thousands have seen individual demonstrations, or known of some cases of healing of the wounded and sick that have been accomplished. So to the Christian Science chaplain comes the chaplain of another denomination to find in his own healing that Christianity is no tradition but the greatest fact of the hour.
The workers in this movement have good reason to expect the dying out of evil beliefs. They expect to see mesmerism discredited before the whole world and modern sorcery shown to be impotent. They already welcome the reign and rule of divine Mind bringing joy. health, and blessedness to men here upon the earth. For ages Christendom has preached the prayer, "Thy kingdom come," but Christian Science interprets that prayer in these words (Science and Health, p. 16): "Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present." That being so, all that we need is here and now. Let us notice Mrs. Eddy's absolute confidence expressed in the textbook (p. 288): "When the final physical and moral effects of Christian Science are fully apprehended, the conflict between truth and error, understanding and belief. Science and material sense, foreshadowed by the prophets and inaugurated by Jesus, will cease, and spiritual harmony reign."
