Sec. VII. Page Line 42 After understanding true prayer I tried to pray for the congregation generally whenever a moment was available. About ten years ago, when it became clearer that during services patients should be healed, the work was done for those present who came specifically to the services with that object; later, for the one whose need was greatest, and a few years ago I recognised that the one to be prayed for was that one whose healing at the service, either of sin or of sickness, would be of the most benefit to humanity. Results are in accordance with our thoughts, and this equally applies to the 10 object of our prayers. We cannot tell whom it is best to help. The instantaneous healing of a beggar of sin, sickness, or want, may revolutionise a nation.* Consecration of Self. "No man has come to true greatness who has not felt in some degree that his life belongs to his race, and that what 15 God gives him He gives him for mankind” (Phillips Brooks). 534 So used have we been in the past to hear others talking of sin, sickness, and suffering, as if they were normal and unavoidable, that, unfortunately, we have fallen into the same habit of evil thought, and constantly put ourselves into direct touch with 20 conditions that, were we wider awake, we should carefully avoid. A crowd of people will rush to obtain a newspaper full of appalling horrors, innocently unaware that in so doing they bring into their homes a devastating army of ethereal, wrongly called "mental," bacteria. A sensibility to the suffering of others, without a know25 ledge of how to help them that has led many gentle natures to the verge of insanity, is now merely the call to wield the "rod of iron," 148 the invincible power Mind confers upon man. This destroys with unfailing certainty the rampant evil, and rescues its innocent victims 321 24 from the throttling grasp of false law. 30 P. 2:9 Rev. 2:27 3 7 374 6 30 31 299 222 We have to offer a firm resistance to the old false habit of talking 300 gossip, or even talking uselessly of material things of the world. We have to endeavour as quickly as possible to view life from its truer mental standpoint. We should never think, say, nor do anything, except with the object of helping another in some way, or 35 becoming ourselves better men. This may make a person somewhat 138 silent at first, but he will soon have plenty to say that is worth hearing. "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" (Hab. 2, ver. 20). Jesus saith, "Except ye fast to the world, ye shall in no wise find 40 the Kingdom of God; and except ye make the Sabbath a real Sabbath, ye shall not see the Father" (Sayings of Jesus, discovered in 1897). Most Being silent with people will not surprise them, if you pray. people prefer hearing themselves speak, and you will find that 45 if you silently deny any error that may come up, and realise the truth, they will enjoy themselves and think you a most sympathetic * Since this was written I have recognised that each denial of error or statement of truth, as I mentally make it, should help the member of the congregation for whom this help is of most benefit to humanity; for one a realisation of love, for another the denial of pain, for a third the realisation that man knows and loves Truth. 335 37 26 Sec. VII. listener. Under some circumstances, "To say nothing is, like honesty, generally the best policy" (C. Evans Jones). At the same time, "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Prov. 25, ver. 11). "Make yourselves nests of thoughts which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take from us" (Ruskin). Better Beliefs." Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Luke 12, ver. 31). 5 Do not limit good by thinking that your demonstrations must be made in the way that you expect. Do not try to teach God His 10 business. "It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good" (I. Sam. 3, ver. 18). When you pray to dispel evil or limitation, you cannot know what form of good will appear in its place, as this depends upon the material so-called thoughts that are latent, and which then 15 come into action. These are humanly bound to pass over you at that particular time. Whenever wrong thoughts are destroyed, so-called, good thoughts then take their place. These, again can be destroyed by scientific prayer, and still better ones be manifested. These, again, can be destroyed until the last 20 moment, when your material consciousness is finally and completely dematerialised by the action of God as you realise Truth and Love. So-called good human thoughts are never really good; they are only good in comparison with cther material thoughts, and if you are certain that a particular kind of good will come you may intensify 25 these thoughts until they act, and very likely so prevent thoughts that are ever so much better from appearing. Rely not on human intelligence. "The carnal mind is enmity against God" (Rom. 8, ver. 7). Trust in God." Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is 30 stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Is. 26, ver. 3). When men know how to pray rightly, "None can trust too much in God; and no one has ever been forsaken by Him who has turned to Him with his whole heart and leant upon Him with loving confidence" (German Mystics). 35 If, when you are doubtful how to act, you pray scientifically, and do then what first comes into your consciousness, you will find that you have done what is right. By following this principle you obtain perfect trust in God, trust in good, and are always doing what 18 best. Before, however, you can thus get rid of all responsibility, 40 you must have demonstrated your knowledge of how to pray scientifically, and this you do by the habitual instantaneous healing of sin and sickness. Self must be eliminated as well as belief in human personality, belief in a person who is capable of choosing that which is best. Be what you ought to be; the rest is God's affair ' (Amiel). 45 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3, ver. 5, 6). Leave self for God; abandon as fast as possible all reliance on material means. "Nothing venture, nothing have." “One on God's side is a majority 50 (Wendeli Phillips). Not failure, but low aim is crime" (J. R. Lowell). 3 Sec. VII. Page Line At the same time, as Dr. Inge says: "Illumination is not granted to the mere thinker, but to him who acts while he thinks, and thinks while he acts. . . . No one can try to purify himself, even as God is pure, without knowing the meaning. . . of sin." Even when with others, always leave human arrangements, as far 312 as possible, to them, and rely upon your prayers to bring about the 355 manifestation of the action of God through them. "It is not int man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10, ver. 23). "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him" (Ps. 37, ver. 7). Never push 10 forward your own ideas. "Wait on thy God continually" (Hosea 12, ver. 6). We have to practice simplicity, the ultimate of wisdom, and we must give up that mythological material intelligence called energy, and in its stead present to all the idea of divine humility, divine wisdom, and the consequent divine power. "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be 15 thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Josh. 1, ver. 9). Do Not Limit God.-" If God be for us, who can be against us ?” (Rom. 8, ver. 31). 349 35 554 Do not limit "the Holy One of Israel" (Ps. 78, ver. 41). "He 20 hath done marvellous things" (Ps. 98, ver. 1). "In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust" (Ps. 71, ver. 1). Each time that you try to do things by prayer alone it becomes easier. "I can do all things 333 through Christ" (Phil. 4, ver. 13). "Do that which is assigned you, 534 and you cannot hope too much or dare too much" (Emerson). 38 29 42 23 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made 343 us free" (Gal. 5, ver. 1). Never rely upon the broken reed of] 489 9 human assistance. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, said to the sleeping students: Could ye not watch with me one hour?" Matt. 26:40 and then, receiving no response, finally turned away from any 30 human aid. to find. in consequence, the unfailing, living support of God, Spirit, as All-in-all. Pray until Fear is Destroyed.-“ Fear ye not, neither be afraid : have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are eren my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God.; 35 I know not any" (Is. 44, ver. 8). Fear is man's recognition of the evil thoughts that are attacking or are about to attack. Destroy the fear and the trouble cannot happen. The sign by which one can tell when the work has been done well enough to rely solely upon prayer to overcome a difficulty, is whether, after having prayed, all fear that the evil may not be 270 destroyed has disappeared. Seest thou how faith wrought with 40 his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2, ver. 22). If, morning and evening, man turns to God in true prayer, and works against the different forms of false thought, it will be found that his work throughout the day is much reduced. 32 132 34,38 Sec. VII. Let nothing appear to you to be too difficult of accomplishment. "Difficulties are the things that show what men are" (Epictetus).* Like Chatham, never accept the verdict "impossible." Nothing is impossible to God. Try to do everything by prayer, and although you may fail sometimes, the fact that you try difficult things not only makes the difficult things ultimately become easy, but it makes your demonstrations over easy things a certainty. Whenever you get an opportunity, even where possible failure appears likely to do a little seeming harm, and always when it would only affect yourself, take no material means, but turn to God in thought and pray. Rely then solely upon the prayer to bring about the required result through 10 the action of divine Principle, that unerringly guides and protects men, instead of trying to force your way through the miasma of earth by doing it materially. If you treat thus and can get rid entirely of the thought that your prayer will not be heard the demonstration will be made, and the difficulty will disappear. "Ye 15 shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (Jer. 29, ver, 12). Jesus said: He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14, ver. 12). These greater things have not yet been done, and we have to recognise that we have 20 to do them, and do them soon, for there is not much time left. "If thou trust in the Lord, strength will be given thee from heaven, and the world and the flesh will be made subject to thy sway (Thomas à Kempis). OUR WORK. " "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the 25 opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. . . . But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God” (Is. 61, ver. 1, 2, 6). Our aim must be the greatest good for the greatest number. "To render less the sum of human wretchedness" (Whittier). We have to wake up from this hideous dream of life in matter 30 and stand shoulder to shoulder with those of other religious views, fighting against evil in the final so-called mental fight, the battle of Armageddon-the anti-christ, versus the Christ.† (Rev. 16, ver. 16). "We have hard work to do and loads to lift, Shun not the struggle- face it-tis God's gift" * E.D. 1. 24. (Goethe). No one ought to attempt any "mental working except on true scientific 35 lines. The best way of gaining the necessary knowledge for this is from a systematic reading of "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures." by Mary Baker Eddy. Directly I saw that there must be a great truth underlying the statements made, I determined that for twelve months I would read no books but the Bible, "Science and Health." and works by the same author; this does 40 not include mere reference to technical literature for business purposes. I also determined that I would never read less than ten pages of "Science and Health" any day, and as much more as was possible. These resolutions I kept to, and I cannot be too thankful, as it enabled me to get a good idea of the facts without being disturbed by any other form of so-called "mental" science. At the end of this twelve months I thought I knew something. At the end of another six months I found that I was only on the borderland of knowledge, and it was not for two and a-half years after having started that I was absolutely certain that Christian Science presented the highest truth. And yet within a 45 Sec. VII. Page Line 36 9 41 Many of these comrades have neither weapons nor any defensive 179 armour. Some have the armour, namely, the intellectual knowledge of the truth, the knowledge of the letter, but are not using it. We 471 have indirectly to shield and protect both these classes, by the ар- 147 17,30 5plication of our knowledge of the truth, demonstrating over the evil that is endeavouring to attack us through them. This we have to do, 353 however much in their writhing from the torture of an unseen and 354 even unrecognised enemy, they try to injure "him . . . that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto 10 Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Is. 52, ver. 7). "By loving whatever is 356 lovable in those around us, love will flow back from them to us, and life will become a pleasure and not a pain" (A. P. Stanley). 15 31 38 73 30 At the same time we cannot do the work of everyone else, and 355 we must be careful not to attempt to "steady other people's altars." We must weed our garden instead of pulling up what we regard as weeds in that of our neighbour's, and often pulling up in our endeavours some of the plants that, left alone, would have borne lovely flowers if not beautiful fruit. "There is an idea abroad among moral people that they should make their neighbours good. One person I have to make goodmyself. But my duty to my neighbour is much more nearly 294 expressed by saying that I have to make him happy" (R. L. Stevenson). 19 Phil. 2: 12 20 Each man has to work out his own salvation. We only help our 30 Since this time I have never studied any other writings, though I have referred to many, not for the old purpose of learning truth, but simply to acquaint myself with the various beliefs of the human mind for the sole purpose of knowing better how to expose their fallacies, and so enable them more easily to be destroyed by the denial of their truth and reality. It will, by this time, 35 be clear to those who have intelligently followed the statements made, that such false beliefs merely bind one down to a submission to false, evil power until denied and so destroyed. Never mind if you cannot understand "Science and Health at the first reading, and there appear inconsistencies. They will all clear away as the false ideas, 40 upon which previous conclusions have been based, disappear through the true knowledge gained, until you find that you can heal instantaneously, not only sickness and sin, but help a fellow-being out of any trouble under the sun. This power of demonstration gained therefrom is the proof of its scientific accuracy, and until a man can get these results he has no right to criticise. His 45 failure is an absolute proof that he has not understood the teaching. "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7, ver. 20). You will find it a difficult thing to do, even at the beginning, and it increases in ease and simplicity in proportion as we progress in our understanding of God, until it is found that all we have to do is to live in the presence 50 of God, to allow no false thought to enter our consciousness, and to banish instantaneously any recognition of evil by the denial of its reality, turning instantly in thought to the real world. heaven, that glorious world, the kingdom of God that is within reach of all. BB not 2 22 23 20 17 |