Mrs. Eddy in her writings is constantly pointing out to her followers the necessity for watchfulness. She had brought to them the Comforter—Christian Science— promised by Christ Jesus, which would cleanse from sin, heal disease, and give a sense of the abundance of good such as they had not dreamed of before; and greatly they valued the gift; but with the gift, she stated, clearly and unequivocally, the qualities which all must cultivate if they would reap the benefits of Christian Science. Thus, we find her writing on page 324 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Be watchful, sober, and vigilant. The way is straight and narrow, which leads to the understanding that God is the only Life. It is a warfare with the flesh, in which we must conquer sin, sickness, and death, either here or hereafter,—certainly before we can reach the goal of Spirit, or life in God."
When first the student of Christian Science learns the great truths about God and His creation, man,— learns of the infinite goodness of God and the perfection of His spiritual creation,—he is usually filled with a deep sense of happiness and peace. Why? Because he now understands that God and His creation are perfect, and that, creation being altogether spiritual, what mortals call a material creation is unreal; and, furthermore, that since God is infinite good, evil is likewise unreal. In short, whoever understandingly accepts Christian Science seems to enter upon a new state of existence, the Scripture being fulfilled in him: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
How often it has happened that the seeing of the Christ, Truth, in its purity and might has healed some form of inveterate disease almost instantaneously, perhaps instantaneously, or obliterated as speedily some dire form of sin! If the Christian Science movement throughout the world were searched, tens of thousands of such cases could be found. That is why this movement is on the whole such a spontaneously joyous one. Is anything else to be expected from a body of people who have benefited so greatly as have many of them? Besides, it is because they have been healed through the understanding of the Christ, Truth, which Christian Science has given them, and thus have had the power of God demonstrated in their own experience, that they are fearless and tireless in their efforts to bring Christian Science to the notice of their fellow-men.
