Article February 19, 1910 Issue

THE ONE THING NEEDFUL

MATHER ALMON ABBOTT

When the light of Truth strikes upon a man's consciousness for the first time, showing up in evil's own colors the belief in the attractiveness of sin, a strong revulsion occurs, and the abhorrence of all unlike itself which Truth engenders is so intense that a general purification of character necessarily results. Under the action of Truth, sins and errors that have been lifelong companions fall of their own weight; temptation vanishes before the knowledge of the nothingness of that to which temptation directs its efforts, and a man finds himself in a greater, larger world with perfect freedom in sight.

The contrast between this glorious present, full of untold possibilities, and the past, hopeless on account of its failures and sins, is so tremendous that a certain self-admiration is likely to result, unless a man's defenses are kept strong and well guarded. For the battle has been fought and won, self-indulgence has been throttled and cast out, the myriad forms of sensuality have lost their power, and the victor, filled with the glory and the happiness of it all, keeps it not to himself, but starts out to help his fellows. In his contact with these, as he listens daily to stories of sin, disease, and death, the contrast between the present and the past becomes still further marked, and there is danger lest, forgetting that to which he owes his freedom, forgetting that "none is good, save one, that is, God," almost without knowing it this man is thanking God that he is "not as other men are." Conscious of the vantage-point which he has won, forgetting that he in reality owes all of his victories to divine wisdom and goodness, he thinks that his own purity and grace entitle him to pass criticism, to judge and condemn.

Because of the astonishing success over the so-called laws of materiality which Truth achieves, one may be tempted to feel that his inward goodness is gaining its reward, and that his advance is rapid and sure. Thinking too much of his own virtue, a certain sense of pity for and criticism of others may spring up. Such an one is not content with the knowledge that the Christ is come, he is not content to rejoice that his name is written in heaven, but with too great a personal joy he exults that the devils are subject unto him, demands that others shall see it to applaud, and feels that a certain amount of reverence and respect is due from them. Once there is a breach in his spiritual defense, the step to criticism, jealousy, and doubt of those more successful than himself is likely to follow. The sense of personality has come in, the consequence of which is to bring wide-reaching disaster to himself and others. Let personality gain a foothold, and then jealousy, suspicion, false criticism, slander, with their countless attendant evils, present themselves.

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