FEW, if any, of our Leader's many weighty statements mean more to mankind than those found in the short paragraph under the marginal heading, "True life eternal," on page 246 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." There Mrs. Eddy tells us: "Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof." To a world that for centuries had been accepting the belief that life is limited to about "threescore years and ten," Mrs. Eddy's strong affirmations as to the eternality of life have come with startling effect, despite the fact that the Bible abounds in such statements as that of John, which says, "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."
But Mrs. Eddy has done more than to give us the abstract statement that life is eternal. She has done more than merely remind us of a Biblical promise. Comforting and helpful as such a reminder is, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science goes beyond the teachings of other religious leaders by arousing the students of her works to a realization of the urgent need for beginning their demonstration of eternal life.
And how can we better begin this demonstration than by studying carefully the life, the works, and the words of our great Way-shower, Christ Jesus, who not only demonstrated eternal life for himself, but told others how to obtain it? "And this is life eternal," said Jesus, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Hence, the understanding of God and Jesus Christ is a requisite to life eternal. And as Christian Science is giving the demonstrably true understanding of both, it might be correctly stated that it is through Christian Science men are to find immortality.
