Perhaps our church is not yet quite sensible of what [15]
we owe to the strength, meekness, honesty, and obedi- ence of the Christian Science Board of Directors; to the able editors of _The Christian Science Journal_, and to our efficient Publishing Society.
No reproof is so potent as the silent lesson of a good [20]
example. Works, more than words, should characterize Christian Scientists. Most people condemn evil-doing, evil-speaking; yet nothing circulates so rapidly: even gold is less current. Christian Scientists have a strong race to run, and foes in ambush; but bear in mind that, in the [25]
long race, honesty always defeats dishonesty.
G.o.d hath indeed smiled on my church,-this daughter of Zion: she sitteth in high places; and to de- ride her is to incur the penalty of which the Hebrew bard spake after this manner: "He that sitteth in the [30]
heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision."
[Page 127.]
Hitherto, I have observed that in proportion as this [1]
church has smiled on His "little ones," He has blessed her. Throughout my entire connection with The Mother Church, I have seen, that in the ratio of her love for others, hath His love been bestowed upon her; watering [5]
her waste places, and enlarging her borders.
One thing I have greatly desired, and again earnestly request, namely, that Christian Scientists, here and elsewhere, pray daily for themselves; not verbally, nor on bended knee, but mentally, meekly, and importu- [10]
nately. When a hungry heart pet.i.tions the divine Father- Mother G.o.d for bread, it is not given a stone,-but more grace, obedience, and love. If this heart, humble and trustful, faithfully asks divine Love to feed it with the bread of heaven, health, holiness, it will be conformed to [15]
a fitness to receive the answer to its desire; then will flow into it the "river of His pleasure," the tributary of divine Love, and great growth in Christian Science will follow,- even that joy which finds one"s own in another"s good.
To love, and to be loved, one must do good to others. [20]
The inevitable condition whereby to become blessed, is to bless others: but here, you must so know yourself, under G.o.d"s direction, that you will do His will even though your pearls be downtrodden. Ofttimes the rod is His means of grace; then it must be ours,-we cannot avoid [25]
wielding it if we reflect Him.
Wise sayings and garrulous talk may fall to the ground, rather than on the ear or heart of the hearer; but a tender sentiment felt, or a kind word spoken, at the right moment, is never wasted. Mortal mind presents phases of charac- [30]
ter which need close attention and examination. The human heart, like a feather bed, needs often to be _stirred_,
[Page 128.]
sometimes roughly, and given a variety of _turns_, else it [1]
grows hard and uncomfortable whereon to repose.
The lessons of this so-called life in matter are too vast and varied to learn or to teach briefly; and especially within the limits of a letter. Therefore I close here, [5]
with the apostle"s injunction: "Finally, brethren, what- soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any [10]
praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the G.o.d of peace shall be with you."
With love, Mother, MARY BAKER G. EDDY
CHAPTER V. LETTERS.
[Page 129.]
To The Mother Church.
My Beloved Brethren:-If a member of the church is inclined to be uncharitable, or to condemn his brother without cause, let him put his finger to his lips, and forgive others as he would _be_ forgiven. One"s first [5]
lesson is to learn one"s self; having done this, one will naturally, through grace from G.o.d, forgive his brother and love his enemies. To avenge an imaginary or an actual wrong, is suicidal. The law of our G.o.d and the rule of our church is to tell thy brother his fault and thereby help [10]
him. If this rule fails in effect, then take the next Scrip- tural step: drop this member"s name from the church, and thereafter "let the dead bury their dead,"-let silence prevail over his remains.
If a man is jealous, envious, or revengeful, he will seek [15]
occasion to balloon an atom of another man"s indis- cretion, inflate it, and send it into the atmosphere of mortal mind-for other green eyes to gaze on: he will always find somebody in his way, and try to push him aside; will see somebody"s faults to magnify under the lens that [20]
he never turns on himself.
What have been your Leader"s precepts and example!
Were they to save the sinner, and to spare his exposure
[Page 130.]
so long as a hope remained of thereby benefiting him? [1]
Has her life exemplified long-suffering, meekness, charity, purity?
She readily leaves the answer to those who know her. [5]
Do we yet understand how much better it is to be wronged, than to commit wrong? What do we find in the Bible, and in the Christian Science textbook, on this subject? Does not the latter instruct you that looking continually for a fault in somebody else, talking about it, [10]
thinking it over, and how to meet it,-"rolling sin as a sweet morsel under your tongue,"-has the same power to make you a sinner that acting thus regarding disease has to make a man sick? Note the Scripture on this subject: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the [15]
Lord."
The Christian Science Board of Directors has borne the burden in the heat of the day, and it ought not to be expected that they could have accomplished, without one single mistake, such Herculean tasks as they have [20]
accomplished. He who judges others should know well whereof he speaks. Where the motive to do right exists, and the majority of one"s acts are right, we should avoid referring to past mistakes. The greatest sin that one can commit against himself is to wrong one of G.o.d"s "little [25]
ones."
Know ye not that he who exercises the largest charity, and waits on G.o.d, renews his strength, and is exalted?
Love is not puffed up; and the meek and loving, G.o.d anoints and appoints to lead the line of mankind"s tri- [30]
umphal march out of the wilderness, out of darkness into light.
[Page 131.]
Whoever challenges the errors of others and cherishes [1]
his own, can neither help himself nor others; he will be called a moral nuisance, a fungus, a microbe, a mouse gnawing at the vitals of humanity. The darkness in one"s self must first be cast out, in order rightly to discern [5]
darkness or to reflect light.
If the man of more than average avoirdupois kneels on a stool in church, let the leaner sort console this brother"s necessity by doing likewise. Christian Scientists preserve unity, and so shadow forth the substance of our sublime [10]
faith, and the evidence of its being built upon the rock of divine oneness,-one faith, one G.o.d, one baptism.
If our Board of Directors is prepared to itemize a report of the first financial year since the erection of the edifice of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, let it do so; other- [15]
wise, I recommend that you waive the church By-law relating to finances this year of your firstfruits. This Board did not act under that By-law; it was not in ex- istence all of the year. It is but just to consider the great struggles with perplexities and difficulties which the [20]
Directors encountered in Anno Domini 1894, and which they have overcome. May G.o.d give unto us all that loving sense of grat.i.tude which delights in the opportunity to cancel accounts. I, for one, would be pleased to have the Christian Science Board of Directors itemize a bill of this [25]
church"s gifts to Mother; and then to have them let her state the value thereof, if, indeed, it could be estimated.
After this financial year, when you call on the members of the Christian Science Board of Directors to itemize or audit their accounts, these will be found already itemized, [30]