Article September 12, 1908 Issue

To meditate on the "law of the Lord, day and night," and...

Alfred Farlow

The American Business Man

To meditate on the "law of the Lord, day and night," and to have delight therein, means simply that he who, through spiritual understanding, discerns the unseen but ever-present, ever-operative power of God in all things, and who readily yields his will to the divine impulse, shall surely prosper. There may be as many opinions as to what constitutes prosperity as there are individuals; nevertheless, there can be but one true prosperity. The only thing that one can desire which can be of any real benefit to him, considered from the standpoint of spiritual value, is to be better. As only that creed which makes its devotees better is beneficial, so only that occupation which improves the moral condition of those concerned is beneficial. It is what one does for God, good,—not material gain,—that improves his prospects. That material things are not essential to happiness is evidenced by the fact that there are many persons in the world who are happy and contented in spite of limited earthly means, while there are also many who have an abundance of this world's goods and yet are discontented and unhappy.

Having thus defined prosperity and happiness, it is readily seen how Christian Science aids us in securing them. It is a rule of right that one is never left comfortless during the course of his spiritual progress. God never takes away one's present footing until he gives another and a more advantageous, if not more desirable, one in its place. There are certain needs which pertain to the present stage of our advancement and the supply of which is requisite, but these will be eliminated from our experience as we progress. Science has regard not only for the spiritual fact of being which is to be obtained, but to a wise disposition of "the powers that be," and the human conditions in which it finds us.

When the Christian places himself under the dominion of God, Spirit, his present material wants are provided for, his "needs" are to be supplied. We infer that the term "needs" has reference to whatever provision is necessary to the health, comfort, and general well-being of the individual, and it is evident that such needs depend largely upon the situation and condition of the individual. Some need one thing and some another. To some an increase of earthly substance would be an advantage, while in other instances an abundance of supply would beget carelessness and indolence, and it would therefore prove a detriment not only to the individual but to those with whom he came in contact. There are many persons in the world who need to be richer, others who need to be poorer. Divine wisdom and human judgment might not always agree respecting the matter, therefore the human sense of the individual may rebel against an apparent ill fortune, may regard the situation as an evidence of ill success, while from the viewpoint of divine intelligence he may be advancing.

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