Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures | Page 9

a fault, do we listen pa- tiently to
the rebuke and credit what is said? Do we not 9:1 rather give thanks
that we are "not as other men"? During many years the author has been
most grateful 9:3 for merited rebuke. The wrong lies in unmerited cen-
sure,- in the falsehood which does no one any good. Summit of
aspiration
The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these 9:6 questions: Do we
love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old
selfish- ness, satisfied with having prayed for some- 9:9 thing better,
though we give no evidence of the sin- cerity of our requests by living

consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness,
9:12 we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse
us; but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may
be done. There is 9:15 a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the
fruition of our hope and faith. Practical religion
Dost thou "love the Lord thy God with all thy 9:18 heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind"? This command includes much, even
the sur- render of all merely material sensation, affec- 9:21 tion, and
worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science
of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul
is our master, 9:24 and material sense and human will have no place.
The chalice sacrificial
Are you willing to leave all for Christ, for Truth, and so be counted
among sinners? No! Do you really desire 9:27 to attain this point? No!
Then why make long prayers about it and ask to be Christians, since
you do not care to tread in the footsteps of our 9:30 dear Master? If
unwilling to follow his example, why pray with the lips that you may
be partakers of his nature? Consistent prayer is the desire to do right.
10:1 Prayer means that we desire to walk and will walk in the light so
far as we receive it, even though with bleed- 10:3 ing footsteps, and
that waiting patiently on the Lord, we will leave our real desires to be
rewarded by Him. The world must grow to the spiritual understanding
10:6 of prayer. If good enough to profit by Jesus' cup of earthly sorrows,
God will sustain us under these sor- rows. Until we are thus divinely
qualified and are 10:9 willing to drink his cup, millions of vain
repetitions will never pour into prayer the unction of Spirit in
demonstration of power and "with signs following." 10:12 Christian
Science reveals a necessity for overcoming the world, the flesh, and
evil, and thus destroying all error. Seeking is not sufficient. It is
striving that enables 10:15 us to enter. Spiritual attainments open the
door to a higher understanding of the divine Life. Perfunctory prayers
One of the forms of worship in Thibet is to carry a 10:18
praying-machine through the streets, and stop at the doors to earn a
penny by grinding out a prayer. But the advance guard of progress has
10:21 paid for the privilege of prayer the price of persecution. Asking
amiss
Experience teaches us that we do not always receive the blessings we

ask for in prayer. There is some mis- 10:24 apprehension of the source
and means of all goodness and blessedness, or we should certainly
receive that for which we ask. The Scrip- 10:27 tures say: "Ye ask, and
receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts." That which we desire and for which we ask, it is not always
10:30 best for us to receive. In this case infinite Love will not grant the
request. Do you ask wisdom to be mer- ciful and not to punish sin?
Then "ye ask amiss." 11:1 Without punishment, sin would multiply.
Jesus' prayer, "Forgive us our debts," specified also the terms of 11:3
forgiveness. When forgiving the adulterous woman he said, "Go, and
sin no more." Remission of penalty
A magistrate sometimes remits the penalty, but this 11:6 may be no
moral benefit to the criminal, and at best, it only saves the criminal
from one form of punishment. The moral law, which has the 11:9 right
to acquit or condemn, always demands restitu- tion before mortals can
"go up higher." Broken law brings penalty in order to compel this
progress. Truth annihilates error
11:12 Mere legal pardon (and there is no other, for divine Principle
never pardons our sins or mistakes till they are corrected) leaves the
offender free to re- 11:15 peat the offence, if indeed, he has not already
suffered sufficiently from vice to make him turn from it