Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures | Page 7

debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has 4:9 done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
4:12 The habitual struggle to be always good is unceas- ing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring,- blessings which, even if not 4:15 acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love. Watchfulness requisite
Simply asking that we may love God will never 4:18 make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchful- ness and in striving to assimilate more of 4:21 the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through demonstration of the 4:24 divine nature; but in this wicked world goodness will "be evil spoken of," and patience must bring experience. Veritable devotion
4:27 Audible prayer can never do the works of spiritual understanding, which regenerates; but silent prayer, watchfulness, and devout obedience enable 4:30 us to follow Jesus' example. Long prayers, superstition, and creeds clip the strong pinions of love, and clothe religion in human forms. Whatever mate- 5:1 rializes worship hinders man's spiritual growth and keeps him from demonstrating his power over error. Sorrow and reformation
5:3 Sorrow for wrong-doing is but one step towards reform and the very easiest step. The next and great step re- quired by wisdom is the test of our sincerity, 5:6 - namely, reformation. To this end we are placed under the stress of circumstances. Temptation bids us repeat the offence, and woe comes in return for 5:9 what is done. So it will ever be, till we learn that there is no discount in the law of justice and that we must pay "the uttermost farthing." The measure ye mete "shall 5:12 be measured to you again," and it will be full "and run- ning over." Saints and sinners get their full award, but not always 5:15 in this world. The followers of Christ drank his cup. Ingratitude and persecution filled it to the brim; but God pours the riches of His love into the understanding and 5:18 affections, giving us strength according to our day. Sin- ners flourish "like a green bay tree;" but, looking farther, the Psalmist could see their end, - the destruction of sin 5:21 through suffering. Cancellation of human sin
Prayer is not to be used as a confessional to cancel sin. Such an error would impede true religion. Sin is forgiven 5:24 only as it is destroyed by Christ, - Truth and Life. If prayer nourishes the belief that sin is cancelled, and that man is made better merely by praying, 5:27 prayer is an evil. He grows worse who continues in sin because he fancies himself forgiven. Diabolism destroyed
An apostle says that the Son of God [Christ] came to 5:30 "destroy the /works/ of the devil." We should follow our divine Exemplar, and seek the de- struction of all evil works, error and disease included. 6:1 We cannot escape the penalty due for sin. The Scrip- tures say, that if we deny Christ, " he also will deny us." Pardon and amendment
6:3 Divine Love corrects and governs man. Men may pardon, but this divine Principle alone reforms the sinner. God is not separate from the wis- 6:6 dom He bestows. The talents He gives we must improve. Calling on Him to forgive our work badly done or left undone, implies the vain supposition 6:9 that we have nothing to do but to ask pardon, and that afterwards we shall be free to repeat the offence. To cause suffering as the result of sin, is the means 6:12 of destroying sin. Every supposed pleasure in sin will furnish more than its equivalent of pain, until be- lief in material life and sin is destroyed. To reach 6:15 heaven, the harmony of being, we must understand the divine Principle of being. Mercy without partiality
"God is Love." More than this we cannot ask, 6:18 higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go. To suppose that God forgives or punishes sin according as His mercy is sought or un- 6:21 sought, is to misunderstand Love and to make prayer the safety-valve for wrong-doing. Divine severity
Jesus uncovered and rebuked sin before he cast it 6:24 out. Of a sick woman he said that Satan had bound her, and to Peter he said, "Thou art an of- fence unto me." He came teaching and 6:27 showing men how to destroy sin, sickness, and death. He said of the fruitless tree, "[It] is hewn down." It is believed by many that a certain magistrate, 6:30 who lived in the time of Jesus, left this