Article January 11, 1900 Issue

Every Blow Counts

BY C. F. HACKETT.

A gentleman while passing a building in the process of construction, noticed a workman trying to break a large stone with a sledge-hammer. He struck a hard blow, then another and another, until finally, after many hard, well aimed blows, the stone broke. Looking up he said, "Which blow did that?" The gentleman replied, "The last one, of course." "No," said the man, "Not the last blow or the first blow, but the first and the last and every one in between."

So when we come to Christian Science to be healed of sickness and sin, after everything else has failed, we should not be discouraged if the first blow of Truth does not destroy the error. It has done its part, and more blows will surely do the work. Perhaps the stone has been hardened by years of hygiene and medical treatment; perhaps sin has toughened the rock. No matter, persistent effort will destroy it. God is all powerful, and did we fully understand this we should destroy the error at one blow, but many lighter ones will finally do the work, and meanwhile we are learning how to strike harder ones. Our blows (our thoughts of Truth) must be as clear as possible and well directed, we must not "scatter fire" or lose valuable time by striking lightly or at random. Every blow must count. We should expect every one to be the last. Before the stone is broken, we can see the chips fly, many signs that Truth is at work, and finally, when the work is done, when the error is destroyed, it cannot return, for error destroyed by Truth is gone, as surely as darkness before the light.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Every Blow Counts

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access