Articles

If it is true, as John affirmed, that men are even now the sons of God, there must be a degree in which that fact can be at once perceived and made practical by human beings. The great outstanding point in the apostle's statement is that man's divine sonship is a present reality, whether or not mortals are willing to acknowledge it or to make it the guiding influence in their affairs; and there must be a way by which men may come into conscious possession of that divine manhood, here and now.

Students of Christian Science often find in the words of poets hints of the great truths declared by Mrs. Eddy.

To think as God would have us is prayer. Constantly to receive His angels into the temple of consciousness and there let them remain is to abide with Him in love and prayer.

Referring briefly to the story of Nehemiah, we recall that a large number of the Jews who had gone into captivity had escaped and had congregated at Jerusalem, which they found in utter ruin, with the great walls broken down and the nine huge gates burned. When news of the devastation reached Nehemiah he asked of King Artaxerxes permission to go to Jerusalem, and that letters be given him to "the governors beyond the river" and also to "the keeper of the king's forest" that timber might be supplied with which to rebuild the city.

In considering how constant has been the human struggle against sin and its baneful effects; how universal and unceasing have been the prayers going forth from human hearts for freedom from the seeming power of evil in human affairs, yet with sin and its effects as apparent to-day as at any time in human history, the pertinency of the question is obvious: Can sin and its effects be overcome and destroyed? It may be truly said that what is called "sin" underlies all the misfortune and suffering in human experience. The Bible declares, "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The experience of each one to whom the truth of Christian Science becomes apparent is, from that time forward, the process of the unfolding of truth to the human mind, the process of regeneration. The ceaseless activity of the Word of God makes it certain that the power of this Word will at last be admitted by all men.

How many heartaches might be healed in the midst of the world's tumult if the human race would stop to ponder Mrs. Eddy's prophetic statement to be found on page 174 of Science and Health, "The thunder of Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount are pursuing and will overtake the ages, rebuking in their course all error and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Foremost and with increasingly insistent demand on the part of the inquirer, is the question: How does Christian Science heal? To those who have devoted themselves unavailingly to material means and remedies for healing, the basis of Christian Science may appear intangible. Possibly its claims and teachings are foreign to all past experience, yet the assurance of its healing power, its offer of release from disease and sin, persuade many to ask how they can know this Science which destroys disease and evil.

In his letter to the Philippians Paul expressed the following bit of wise determination: "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. " Such Christianly scientific practice is certainly indispensable to progress.

The term appreciation is often used as a synonym for gratitude, when in reality the former spiritual quality is a correlative of the latter, and each, upon analysis, is found to be dependent upon the existence of the other for its own perfect expression. Webster defines gratitude thus: "State of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness;" and appreciation as "a valuation or estimate; accurate perception; true estimation;.