Article September 2, 1911 Issue

A GOLDEN KEY

ELLEN C. H. PARSONS.

We often hear it said by Christian Scientists that they never really appreciated the Bible until they began to understand Christian Science. In my family our parents brought us up to know the Bible well, but I never truly understood it until I became interested in Christian Science. Reading has always been a great pleasure to me, but now the reading of all other books fades into mere shadowland of interest beside the study of the Bible with the light which Mrs. Eddy's wonderful book, ''Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,'' brings to this study. The teaching of Science and Health is like the sunrise on a fine autumn morning, when the blue sky is faintly flecked with clouds on the horizon, and the rising of the sun fills the watcher with deep and ever growing wonder and admiration. As the increasing light and warmth bring an increasing sense of happiness, so the light of Truth which comes with the growing understanding of this book brings ever increasing happiness into our lives. It is indeed a golden key, and with this key we may have many golden hours with our Bibles.

I love to take a chapter of the Bible and find for myself the correlative passages from Science and Health which throw new light upon each verse and give to it a fuller meaning. What a wealth of spiritual food we get, and we can never have too much. With what courage we go forth to meet "the trivial round, the common task." Perhaps we are seated quietly in charge of the Christian Science reading-room, and an inquirer comes in, longing for the help that we are there to give; or perhaps some learned theologian comes with arguments to oppose. Of ourselves we know we can do nothing, of ourselves we know nothing, but with the Concordance to Science and Health beside us, we are ready to answer any question with most wonderful and enlightening replies. We grow in understanding as we give our answers with the help of this wonderful book. We simply become a channel through which the truth flows. The key has unlocked the door, and we are just handing out the gifts from the treasure-house within.

A Bible chapter which is very dear to me is the fourth of Ephesians, but it is only one of the many beautiful and helpful chapters of the Bible. In the light of Christian Science how it glows, and what spiritual strength it gives! I found for the first verse some interesting passages from Science and Health, and as the chapter advanced the interest deepened and grew. When I reached the seventh verse I did not at first see very much in it, and left it, also the following three verses, which I found .difficult to understand, intending to work them out later; but when reading on page 98 of our text-book I came across a passage which seemed a wonderful interpretation to the first of these verses. For what is "the gift of Christ"? And who shall receive it? The Master promised that all his faithful followers should receive the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. He also promised that all should do the works that he did, and the gift of Christ is surely the power to do these works. And to whom shall the power be given? Is it not to those only who follow the Master's example and obey his commands?

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