Article April 12, 1900 Issue

Cultivation

BY M. BETTIE BELL.

Spiritual culture is the outflow of the industrious practice and demonstration of the Principle and rules of Christian Science. From the revelation of such prayer and practice comes the real self-improvement, grace, and knowledge. Said Jesus, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." The words of Jesus are spiritual words; words of culture and refinement; words of light and life; words of health and harmony,—Heavenly Words. If heavenly words abide in us, we shall have whatever we ask for. To seek to possess such words, and have them abide in us, should be our every-day employment. The promise that goes with them is sufficient to attract the most careless and indifferent wanderer in the wilderness of sense.

The words of Spirit revive, repair, refresh, renew, and resurrect. Spiritual words clothe us with the language of life. In the Word is our riches, honor, and strength. To get a knowledge of the Word, we must be willing to be taken out of the wild waste of mortal words, and be planted in a garden where only spiritual words are sown. If a gardener sees a wild flower in the wilderness, his desire is to dig it up and transplant it to a good garden, where it may have the opportunity of cultivation.

In such a garden diligent work, delicate care, watchful protection are active until obstructions to growth are removed and the soil made light and free. Then the plant is set in the soil, watered, weeded, strengthened, given a chance to grow,—when finally it spreads its branches, puts on the glow of refinement and culture, and buds and blooms in full-orbed beauty.

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