Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896 Part 69
Do human hopes deceive? is joy a trembler? Then, weary pilgrim, unloose the latchet of thy sandals; for the [15]
place whereon thou standest is sacred. By that, you may know you are parting with a material sense of life and happiness to win the spiritual sense of good. O learn to lose with G.o.d! and you find Life eternal: you gain all.
To doubt this is implicit treason to divine decree. [20]
The parable of "the ten virgins" serves to ill.u.s.trate the evil of inaction and delay. This parable is drawn from the sad history of Vesta,-a little girl of eight years, who takes the most solemn vow of celibacy for thirty years, and is subject to terrible torture if the lamp she [25]
tends is not replenished with oil day and night, so that the flame never expires. The moral of the parable is pointed, and the diction purely Oriental.
We learn from this parable that neither the cares of this world nor the so-called pleasures or pains of mate- [30]
rial sense are adequate to plead for the neglect of spiritual light, that must be tended to keep aglow the flame of
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devotion whereby to enter into the joy of divine Science [1]
demonstrated.
The foolish virgins had no oil in their lamps: their way was material; thus they were in doubt and dark- ness. They heeded not their sloth, their fading warmth [5]
of action; hence the steady decline of spiritual light, until, the midnight gloom upon them, they must borrow the better-tended lamps of the faithful. By entering the guest-chamber of Truth, and beholding the bridal of Life and Love, they would be wedded to a higher [10]
understanding of G.o.d. Each moment's fair expect- ancy was to behold the bridegroom, the One "altogether lovely."
It was midnight: darkness profound brooded over earth's lazy sleepers. With no oil in their lamps, no [15]
spiritual illumination to look upon him whom they had pierced, they heard the shout, "The bridegroom cometh!"
But how could they behold him? Hear that human cry: "Oh, lend us your oil! our lamps have gone out,- no light! earth's fables flee, and heaven is afar [20]
off."
The door is shut. The wise virgins had no oil to spare, and they said to the foolish, "Go to them that sell, and buy for yourselves." Seek Truth, and pursue it. It should cost you something: you are willing to pay for error [25]
and receive nothing in return; but if you pay the price of Truth, you shall receive _all_.
"The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light;" they watch the market, acquaint themselves with the etiquette of the exchange, [30]
and are ready for the next move. How much more should we be faithful over the few things of Spirit, that are able
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to make us wise unto salvation! Let us watch and pray [1]
that we enter not into the temptation of ease in sin; and let us not forget that others before us have laid upon the altar all that we have to sacrifice, and have pa.s.sed to their reward. Too soon we cannot turn from disease [5]
in the body to find disease in the mortal mind, and its cure, in working for G.o.d. Thought must be made better, and human life more fruitful, for the divine energy to move it onward and upward.
Warmed by the sunshine of Truth, watered by the [10]
heavenly dews of Love, the fruits of Christian Science spring upward, and away from the sordid soil of self and matter. Are we clearing the gardens of thought by up- rooting the noxious weeds of pa.s.sion, malice, envy, and strife? Are we picking away the cold, hard pebbles of [15]
selfishness, uncovering the secrets of sin and burnishing anew the hidden gems of Love, that their pure perfection shall appear? Are we feeling the vernal freshness and sunshine of enlightened faith?
The weeds of mortal mind are not always destroyed [20]
by the first uprooting; they reappear, like devastating witch-gra.s.s, to choke the coming clover. O stupid gar- dener! watch their reappearing, and tear them away from their native soil, until no seedling be left to propagate- and rot.
Among the manifold soft chimes that will fill the haunted [25]
chambers of memory, this is the sweetest: "Thou hast been faithful!"
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True Philosophy And Communion
It is related of Justin Martyr that, hearing of a Pythag- [2]
orean professor of ethics, he expressed the wish to be- come one of his disciples. "Very well," the teacher replied; "but have you studied music, astronomy, and [5]
geometry, and do you think it possible for you to under- stand aught of that which leads to bliss, without hav- ing mastered the sciences that disengage the soul from objects of sense, so rendering it a fit habitation for the intelligences?" On Justin's confessing that he had [10]
not studied those branches, he was dismissed by the professor.
Alas for such a material science of life! Of what avail would geometry be to a poor sinner struggling with temptation, or to a man with the smallpox? [15]
Ancient and modern philosophies are spoiled by lack of Science. They would place Soul wholly inside of body, intelligence in matter; and from error of premise would seek a correct conclusion. Such philosophy can never demonstrate the Science of Life,-the Science which [20]
Paul understood when he spoke of willingness "to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord." Such philosophy is far from the rules of the mighty Nazarene Prophet. His words, living in our hearts, were these: "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of G.o.d as [25]
a little child, shall in no wise enter therein." Not through astronomy did he point out the way to heaven and the reign of harmony.
We need the spirit of St. Paul, when he stood on Mars'
hill at Athens, bringing Christianity for the first time [30]
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into Europe. The Spirit bestows spiritual gifts, G.o.d's [1]
presence and providence. St. Paul stood where Socrates had stood four hundred years before, defending himself against the charge of atheism; in the place where De- mosthenes had pleaded for freedom in immortal strains [5]
of eloquence.
We need the spirit of the pious Polycarp, who, when the proconsul said to him, "I will set the beasts upon you, unless you yield your religion," replied: "Let them come; I cannot change from good to bad." Then they [10]
bound him to the stake, set fire to the f.a.gots, and his pure and strong faith rose higher through the baptism of flame.
Methinks the infidel was blind who said, "Christianity is fit only for women and weak men;" but even infidels [15]
may disagree. Bonaparte declared, "Ever since the reign of Christianity began the loftiest intellects have had a practical faith in G.o.d." Daniel Webster said, "My heart has always a.s.sured and rea.s.sured me that Chris- tianity must be a divine reality." [20]
To turn the popular indignation against an advanced form of religion, the pagan slanderers affirmed that Christians took their infants to a place of worship in order to offer them in sacrifice,-a baptism not of water but of blood, thus distorting or misapprehending [25]
the purpose of Christian sacraments. Christians met in midnight feasts in the early days, and talked of the crucified Saviour; thence arose the rumor that it was a part of Christian worship to kill and eat a human being. [30]
Really, Christianity turned men away from the thought of fleshly sacrifice, and directed them to spiritual attain-
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ments. Life, not death, was and is the very centre of [1]
its faith. Christian Science carries this thought even higher, and insists on the demonstration of moral and spiritual healing as eminent proof that G.o.d is understood and ill.u.s.trated. [5]
Origin Of Evil
The origin of evil is the problem of ages. It confronts each generation anew. It confronts Christian Science.
The question is often asked, If G.o.d created only the good, whence comes the evil? [10]
To this question Christian Science replies: Evil never did exist as an ent.i.ty. It is but a belief that there is an opposite intelligence to G.o.d. This belief is a species of idolatry, and is not more true or real than that an image graven on wood or stone is G.o.d. [15]