WE may be certain that Mrs. Eddy was reaching out to God when she was inspired to make the human provision for practitioners as one of the aids in relieving humanity from its beliefs in evil. Equally certain may be our conviction that the divine Mind which furnished the inspiration that resulted in the office of practitioner will continue to direct and sustain it. Yes, we are confident that Mind will always inspire and protect this sacred ministry.
Because the healing work of a practitioner really is born of God, evil would oppose it in any way possible. The practitioner should be alert to see through the attempt of animal magnetism to impose upon him physical or human relationship problems of his own. This endeavor of the carnal mind to turn the thought of the practitioner to the body or cause it to dwell anxiously on personal affairs is, when seen as unreal, powerless to divert thought from the high goal of abiding in a healing consciousness. Any suggestion that comes to a patient or a practitioner to rely on material means for healing is often the result of impersonal opposition to Christian Science practice. Of course, reliance on a material system is not conducive to receiving the spiritual healing which follows full reliance on Truth and should be avoided.
These words of our Leader, describing the heavenly city, may certainly be applied to the consciousness of every Christian Science practitioner (Science and Health, p. 577): "Its gates open towards light and glory both within and without, for all is good, and nothing can enter that city, which 'defileth, ... or maketh a lie.'"
