Article April 29, 1905 Issue

The Price of Liberty

SAMUEL GREENWOOD.

That is a poor general who in time of war leaves camp or fort unguarded or unwatched, at any point or at any hour, for sooner or later he may meet defeat through these very weaknesses, when a proper vigilance might ensure his safety and success. At an hour when he is not prepared, his enemy may overwhelm him; then what will all his watchful hours avail, if his adversary descend upon him while he sleeps? What will it signify that he has ninety-nine good points of defence, if at the hundredth the entrance of the enemy is unopposed?

Christian Scientists have enlisted in the warfare between Spirit and the flesh, and must conquer in the struggle. They must meet at every point that enmity to good which comprises all there is of mortal or carnal mind, otherwise called matter and evil. The fears and superstitions of a thousand generations must be overcome through our unfaltering loyalty to Truth. Those unacquainted with the power of divine Love have been kept in perpetual dread, while error has seemed to inflict upon them every conceivable torture and suffering, and how can we except to triumph over it without that vigilance and activity which the Christ teaching demands.

When we go to sleep, thought should take refuge in the citadel of Spirit, ever ready to use the weapons of true warfare. We cannot expect the material senses to give up the seeming power which belief has bestowed upon them, without a struggle, nor can we rightly expect to reach the reach the Christian's final reward unless we measure our strength day after day with the so-called forces of evil, maintaining ceaseless vigilance against foes without and weaknesses within. When our enemies, the errors of human belief, cease to fight they will have been destroyed, but until then we have need to meet every effort of these false senses to invade our consciousness. Not to do this means possible suffering, or at least the prolonging of our conflict.

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