Article November 1, 1913 Issue

Songs of Deliverance

ELIZABETH EARL JONES

Since most people are prone to make mistakes at times, or to be misunderstood and misjudged, there are perhaps few temptations so subtle and insistent as the temptation to revert in thought or conversation to troubles past, or to persecutions "for righteousness' sake," perchance, from which divine Love has delivered or is delivering us. From this mesmerism of self-pity, or selfishness, we need to rouse ourselves, since it must of necessity hinder progress. We need to look up, give thanks, and endeavor to understand and emulate that mental state of our Master which culminated in his ascension. If Jesus had tarried in thought upon the cruelty of mortal mind which laid our stripes upon him, if he had dwelt upon injustice, suffering, and the humiliation of Calvary, he would have remained in Golgotha, have ceased to progress, and we would have been deprived of the glorious proof which his final overcoming sealed; proof of the impotence of evil, and that all is Spirit; that there is no matter, even as Mrs. Eddy teaches.

The most beautiful and significant point brought out in the story given in the third chapter of Daniel respecting the victory of the three young Hebrew captives who were cast into the "burning fiery furnace," is, that not even "the smell of fire had passed on them." Christian Science insists that man as God's image is spiritual and perfect, "yesterday, and today, and forever," and has never in reality had a material experience or earthly history, hence he has never been in the furnace of affliction, for he has never been outside the embrace of the divine consciousness, never apart from Life, Truth, Love, purity, joy, peace, plenty, honor, and dominion. Therefore we should not go about with the smell of smoke and conflict upon us, but ever singing the songs of the redeemed.

Seemingly incomplete demonstrations are often brought to completion by a joyous, grateful recognition of the good already received and by denying self and its false demands for sympathy; by turning thought unreservedly to God, acknowledging and glorying in His infinite goodness, allness, and sufficiency, and realizing that evil has no history. On page 281 of "Miscellaneous Writings," Mrs. Eddy says that we must "count ourselves always as debtors to Christ, Truth." Jesus counseled his disciples to depart from whatsoever city would not receive their message, and in departing to shake off the very dust thereof as a testimony against it. Our testimony of the nothingness of evil and the allness of God, good, is not sincere and complete so long as we allow the dust of persecution or affliction to remain with us, to obscure our spiritual vision, and to stain the purity of our ideal and its expression. If a city or mental state is unworthy of our abode, its least reminder is unworthy to remain in our consciousness. Says our Leader, "Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought" (Science and Health, p. 495).

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