The thoughtful man is impressed by the effort made by men and women, and too often even by children, to be "self-supporting." It is many times a weary and despairing but courageous effort. Many laws are enacted, many social organizations formed, and many lives devoted to the loving endeavor to ease the burden, and much has been done along humanitarian lines to ameliorate conditions. But the only complete and permanent remedy must be found in the teachings of Christian Science, based on the words and works of Christ Jesus and given to the world by Mary Baker Eddy. Christian Science is repeating to the world the altogether tender invitation of the Master: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
On page 301 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our Leader writes: "Mortal man seems to himself to be material substance, while man is 'image' (idea). Delusion, sin, disease, and death arise from the false testimony of material sense, which, from a supposed standpoint outside the focal distance of infinite Spirit, presents an inverted image of Mind and substance with everything turned upside down." It is in this suppositional area of the "inverted image of Mind and substance with everything turned upside down" that one conceives of life as material and mortal, and that one believes himself to be imprisoned in matter, subject to matter, supported by matter, and through his own personal efforts obliged to support matter in order to keep on living.
In this suppositional realm, one too often finds himself weary and heavy-laden, burdened beyond bearing, questioning why this is so, and where the remedy may be found. Ignorant of the mental nature of all things, a mortal fails to see that the weariness comes from his accepting as true the burden of false beliefs which he is mentally supporting, and which are breaking him with their weight. The false belief of separation from God or good brings its accompanying load of beliefs in poverty, loneliness, ill-health, idleness, and so on. These beliefs come to humanity for its sanction and support, and, ignorant of their utter falsity, humanity in general accepts them and bears their burden.
