Articles

Widely differing opinions are held as to what constitutes the happiness which mankind is seeking for, searching for, in all directions. Some are seeking it in idle amusement; others think material wealth will bring it, and so spend their lives accumulating vast fortunes; some think fame will secure it; while others look for it in social prominence.

Memories of childhood days in homes where parents were religiously inclined, usually recall the reading of the Bible as one of the required duties. What mysteries surrounded the apparently strange phenomena related in some of those stories! With what interest the youthful imagination attempted to draw a mental picture of a God so satisfying as to make those stories seem really true! In course of time the same "still small voice" that enabled the true idea to triumph in times of flood, famine, persecution, war, and disease, revealed through Mary Baker Eddy the Science of Christianity.

It is noteworthy that students of Christian Science who have made some degree of progress are more often heard to express their gratitude for greater spiritual enlightenment than for the alleviation of physical sickness. One reason for this may be that as they have advanced they have learned to apply their understanding of Christian Science more as a preventive agency.

When for the first time there comes to anyone the privilege of teaching in the Christian Science Sunday School, he naturally turns to the Manual of The Mother Church to find out what provision the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, has made for this work; and on page 127 of the Manual, in the order of exercises for the Sunday school, he is at once impressed by the demand for united action. First a hymn—sung together; then the Golden Text—recited together; the Responsive Reading—read together; silent prayer— offered together; the Lord's Prayer —repeated together—all this before the classes take up their individual study of the lesson in accordance with the Manual.

The Psalmist says, "Thou [God] hast given commandment to save me;" and again, "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. " Man is immortal by divine decree.

We read in the Gospels that when Jesus was asked the question, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" he answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

The gentle message of Christianity has been ringing down the centuries, finding expression from time to time in the utterance of inspired men and women, whose pure, noble lives enabled them to discern the secret of the everlasting verities. What a reward for their purity, for their unselfed lives, to be able to perceive that which sensuality and sin alone can claim to hide, that which is unchanging—the truth about God and man! All Christians know that Christ Jesus, the Way-shower, attained heights which towered above all materiality.

Every loyal Christian Scientist desires to progress more rapidly in the understanding and demonstration of Christian Science, to heal more quickly, to be more truly useful. A significant paragraph entitled, "True estimate of God's messenger," on page 560 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, explains how this spiritual desire for greater usefulness may be realized.

IT is of vital interest to mankind to note that our beloved Master commenced his prayers with the acknowledgment of the fatherhood of God. When his apostles appealed to him to teach them to pray, his first words were, "Our Father.

IT is often thought that it is good to make haste; whereas, in certain circumstances, though it may seem to be the easiest way, it is merely a careless method of approaching a problem, and one that may multiply our difficulties instead of scientifically overcoming them. This is a subtlety hard to detect, as haste has more frequently been presented to the human mind in its good aspect than m its bad.