In writing of the so-called activities of human existence, our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us in "Science and Health with Key 'to the Scriptures" (p. 283), "Matter and its effects—sin, sickness, and death—are states of mortal mind which act, react, and then come to a stop." She also says (ibid., p. 507): "Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity. This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation, and the immortality of man and the universe. Creation is ever appearing, and must continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source."
In these two statements the senseless beginnings and endings of mortal beliefs are contrasted with the eternal continuity of spiritual activity—without beginning or ending. The enervating human struggle to get something is opposed to the restful, unlabored expression of what already divinely is. Nothing new is being created. The inexhaustible, infinite variety of the spiritual ideas of God is continually appearing to the spiritually enlightened thought. Material beliefs cannot stop the continuous expression of infinite Mind, nor can they interfere with it, because material beliefs are illusions and spiritual activity is real.
The disheartening methods of mortal mind have been quite generally accepted as real activity. But if God, Spirit, is All, and He is, it is a mistake to believe that activity can be both spiritual and material. The understanding of what constitutes true activity corrects any belief of being impressed, depressed, entertained, or wearied by suppositional material activities of which God knows nothing. God knows only Himself and His ideas, which constitute creation. Realizing this, one is lifted above the transient illusions of time and matter as means for expressing good. Then he no longer bows down expectantly before them, having ceased to believe in them as a medium of anything valuable or necessary to man's welfare.
