0.0 – Christian Science Publication Contents

 1	THE WAY 

  	    The present stage of progress in Christian Science pre-
 3	sents two opposite aspects, — a full-orbed promise, and
  	a gaunt want. The need, however, is not of the letter,
  	but the spirit. 
 6	    Less teaching and good healing is to-day the acme of
  	"well done;" a healing that is not guesswork, — chronic
  	recovery ebbing and flowing, — but instantaneous cure. 
 9	This absolute demonstration of Science must be revived. 
  	To consummate this desideratum, mortal mind must pass
  	through three stages of growth. 
12	    First, self-knowledge. The physician must know him-
  	self and understand the mental state of his patient. Error
  	found out is two-thirds destroyed, and the last third
15	pierces itself, for the remainder only stimulates and gives
  	scope to higher demonstration. To strike out right and
  	left against the mist, never clears the vision; but to lift
18	your head above it, is a sovereign panacea. Mental dark-
  	ness is senseless error, neither intelligence nor power, and
  	its victim is responsible for its supposititious presence. 
21	"Cast the beam out of thine own eye." Learn what in
  	thine own mentality is unlike "the anointed," and cast
  	it out; then thou wilt discern the error in thy patient's
24	mind that makes his body sick, and remove it, and rest
  	like the dove from the deluge. 
  	    "Physician, heal thyself." Let no clouds of sin gather
27	and fall in mist and showers from thine ow...n mental
  	atmosphere. Hold thy gaze to the light, and the iris of
  	faith, more beautiful than the rainbow seen from my
30	window at the close of a balmy autumnal day, will span
  	thy heavens of thought. 
 
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 1	    A radiant sunset, beautiful as blessings when they take
  	their flight, dilates and kindles into rest. Thus will a
 3	life corrected illumine its own atmosphere with spiritual
  	glow and understanding. 
  	    The pent-up elements of mortal mind need no terrible
 6	detonation to free them. Envy, rivalry, hate need no
  	temporary indulgence that they be destroyed through
  	suffering; they should be stifled from lack of air and
 9	freedom. 
  	    My students, with cultured intellects, chastened affec-
  	tions, and costly hopes, give promise of grand careers. 
12	But they must remember that the seedtime is passed,
  	the harvest hour has come; and songs should ascend
  	from the mount of revelation, sweeter than the sound of
15	vintage bells. 
  	    The seed of Christian Science, which when sown was
  	"the least of all seeds," has sprung up, borne fruit, and
18	the birds of the air, the uplifted desires of the human
  	heart, have lodged in its branches. Now let my faithful
  	students carry the fruit of this tree into the rock-ribbed
21	nests of the raven's callow brood. 
  	    The second stage of mental development is humility. 
  	This virtue triumphs over the flesh; it is the genius of
24	Christian Science. One can never go up, until one has
  	gone down in his own esteem. Humility is lens and
  	prism to the understanding of Mind-healing; it must be
27	had to understand our textbook; it is indispensable to
  	personal growth, and points out the chart of its divine
  	Principle and rule of practice. 
30	    Cherish humility, "watch," and "pray without ceas-
  	ing," or you will miss the way of Truth and Love. Hu-
  	mility is no busybody:  it has no moments for trafficking
 
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 1	in other people's business, no place for envy, no time for
  	idle words, vain amusements, and all the et cetera of the
 3	ways and means of personal sense. 
  	    Let Christian Scientists minister to the sick; the school-
  	room is the dernier ressort. Let them seek the lost sheep
 6	who, having strayed from the true fold, have lost their
  	great Shepherd and yearn to find living pastures and
  	rest beside still waters. These long for the Christlike-
 9	ness that is above the present status of religion and be-
  	yond the walks of common life, quite on the verge of
  	heaven. Without the cross and healing, Christianity has
12	no central emblem, no history. 
  	    The seeds of Truth fall by the wayside, on artless
  	listeners. They fall on stony ground and shallow soil. 
15	The fowls of the air pick them up. Much of what has
  	been sown has withered away, but what remaineth has
  	fallen into the good and honest hearts and is bearing
18	fruit. 
  	    The third stage of mental growth is manifested in love,
  	the greatest of all stages and states of being; love that
21	is irrespective of self, rank, or following. For some time
  	it has been clear to my thought that those students of
  	Christian Science whose Christian characters and lives
24	recommend them, should receive full fellowship from us,
  	no matter who has taught them. If they have been taught
  	wrongly, they are not morally responsible for this, and
27	need special help. They are as lambs that have sought
  	the true fold and the great Shepherd, and strayed inno-
  	cently; hence we should be ready and glad to help them
30	and point the way. 
  	    Divine Love is the substance of Christian Science, the
  	basis of its demonstration, yea, its foundation and super-
 
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 1	structure. Love impels good works. Love is greatly
  	needed, and must be had to mark the way in divine
 3	Science. 
  	    The student who heals by teaching and teaches by
  	healing, will graduate under divine honors, which are
 6	the only appropriate seals for Christian Science. State
  	honors perish, and their gain is loss to the Christian
  	Scientist. They include for him at present naught but
 9	tardy justice, hounded footsteps, false laurels. God
  	alone is his help, his shield and great reward. He that
  	seeketh aught besides God, loseth in Life, Truth, and
12	Love. All men shall be satisfied when they "awake in
  	His likeness," and they never should be until then. Hu-
  	man pride is human weakness. Self-knowledge, humility,
15	and love are divine strength. Christ's vestures are put
  	on only when mortals are "washed in the blood of the
  	Lamb;" we must walk in the way which Jesus marked
18	out, if we would reach the heaven-crowned summit of
  	Christian Science. 
  	    Be it understood that I do not require Christian Sci-
21	entists to stop teaching, to dissolve their organizations,
  	or to desist from organizing churches and associations. 
  	    The Massachusetts Metaphysical College, the first
24	and only College for teaching Christian Science Mind-
  	healing, after accomplishing the greatest work of the
  	ages, and at the pinnacle of prosperity, is closed. Let
27	Scientists who have grown to self-sacrifice do their
  	present work, awaiting, with staff in hand, God's
  	commands. 
30	    When students have fulfilled all the good ends of
  	organization, and are convinced that by leaving the
  	material forms thereof a higher spiritual unity is won,
 
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 1	then is the time to follow the example of the Alma Mater. 
  	Material organization is requisite in the beginning; but
 3	when it has done its work, the purely Christly method
  	of teaching and preaching must be adopted. On the same
  	principle, you continue the mental argument in the prac-
 6	tice of Christian healing until you can cure without it
  	instantaneously, and through Spirit alone. 
  	    St. Paul says: "When I was a child, I spake as a
 9	child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:  but
  	when I became a man, I put away childish things. For
  	now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to
12	face." Growth is restricted by forcing humanity out of
  	the proper channels for development, or by holding it in
  	fetters. 
15	    For Jesus to walk the water was scientific, insomuch
  	as he was able to do this; but it is neither wisdom nor
  	Science for poor humanity to step upon the Atlantic until
18	we can walk on the water. 
  	    Peter's impetuosity was rebuked. He had to learn
  	from experience; so have we. The methods of our
21	Master were in advance of the period in which he per-
  	sonally appeared; but his example was right, and is
  	available at the right time. The way is absolute divine
24	Science:  walk ye in it; but remember that Science is
  	demonstrated by degrees, and our demonstration rises
  	only as we rise in the scale of being. 
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