The statement contained in the Explanatory Note in the Quarterly, read at the Sunday services by the First Reader before beginning the Lesson-Sermon, that "the canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized," should be a constant warning and inspiration to every student of Christian Science to guard against any suggestion of mortal mind that any line of thought having as its source some certain Bible text and claiming his special attention at the moment, should be dismissed for the reason that it probably refers only to conditions long since ceasing to exist, or to some far distant age about which he need not now concern himself.
It proved to be such to one student, when the prophecy recorded in Isaiah, "I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders," presented itself over and over to her thought, with peculiar insistence. A careful study of the Scriptures as to the history of the Assyrian brought clearly to light his entire dependence upon matter and material force, his craftiness and cunning, and his determination to take and hold in captivity the children of Israel.
The workings of the Assyrian type of thought are pictured vividly in II Kings, wherein is described the attempt of the Assyrian king to take the city ruled by Hezekiah, who "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord," at which time certain messengers were sent to the city, whose mission was to undermine the people's trust in God, in Hezekiah their leader, and to use the cunning and craftiness in which they were so well versed to get possession of the city by trickery, and keep their forces from being put to the test. They attempted to disguise their evil nature and intent by declaring themselves messengers of God, saying they were sent by Him to take the city; failing in this, they next tried by ridicule and scorn to shake the people's faith in the power of God to defend the city, predicting for them the most dire disaster if they continued in such reliance; then suddenly assuming the role of friendship and pretending to have the welfare of the inhabitants at heart, they proposed entering into an agreement or compromise whereby they should be given the city, the inhabitants in their turn were to be given certain coveted possessions and the gratification of material appetites and desires. On the other hand, the enemy implied the most terrifying threats of waste and destruction to be laid upon the city if it did not accede to their demands, such as befell certain other cities whose gods had failed them.
