Article October 5, 1912 Issue

"THEY SHALL FEED AND LIE DOWN"

ELLEN B. SMITH.

It has often been remarked by people who have gained some understanding of Christian Science, that they are most grateful for the light which this teaching has thrown upon the Scriptures, some parts of which they could never understand in the old way of thinking, the old view-points from which they studied. The writer had known the letter of the Bible very well, and had for years read a chapter or a certain number of verses most religiously every day, but this without an increasing understanding of God or any practical good. When, however, Christian Science was first brought to her notice, this teaching cleared away so much misunderstanding of the Bible that it became a new book to her.

For instance, the following passage in Zephaniah, "They shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid," had formerly conveyed nothing at all; in fact it was simply passed over as unintelligible in the old way. Now, through even a small understanding of Christian Science, made clear by a study of the Glossary in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by our dear Leader Mrs. Eddy, this entire passage has become one of the most comforting and reassuring of any that are found in the books of the minor prophets. It runs thus: "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." In this and the following verses, the prophet foresees the promises of the Messiah or Christ being fulfilled, not only for the remnant of Israel, but for all nations and all generations, therefore for us, too.

The words, "shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies," now seem to convey to the writer the total destruction of mortal sense or so-called mortal mind, as Christian Science teaches that it is only this so-called material mind which can deceive, sin, and speak lies. As we overcome this asserted mind, with its false testimony at all points, which we can do by knowing more of the allness of divine Mind, God, we shall gradually get into the calm, peaceful consciousness of which Zephaniah wrote, even the consciousness of perfect harmony which our Leader had in thought when she wrote in Science and Health (p. 568), "For the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain." One morning, when this passage was being studied by the writer, a member of the family had gone out manifesting anything but the consciousness of perfect harmony; and yet the understanding obtained from this Scripture, the assurance that none should "make them afraid," cast out all fear from her thought and showed so clearly the utter nothingness of the error (illness), that at noon the one who had been ill came home perfectly healed and happy. There certainly had been a glorious feeding on the truth, and consequently a peaceful lying down, a calm, fearless trust in that perfect Love which "casteth out fear."

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