Article May 31, 1913 Issue

"NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION"

LAURA S. DOW.

The Christian Scientist who is a parent may well be thankful to have a child grow up under the influence of the spiritual understanding of the teachings of Jesus as set before us in our text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. The writer makes this statement from the standpoint of one who spent a most unhappy childhood in puzzling over questions regarding God, and wondering how she ever could become good enough to go to heaven when the time came to leave this world. These thoughts were kept entirely within herself, her only comfort being that if she really tried to be just as good as she could every day of her life, perhaps God would forgive the wrong things she might do.

When I was about thirteen years old, my hopes were shattered by one of my playmates telling me that because I had not been baptized I could never go to heaven. She was a clergyman's daughter, and believing that she would know if any one did, I felt myself doomed, the result being a constant increase in the sense of unhappiness which had already darkened my mentality. Several years later, another school friend, who had also been brought up in a home where the study of the Bible was carefully supervised, told me that to reach heaven one had only to be baptized and believe that Jesus died to save us from sin: By this time I had begun to question the truth of such assertions, so that soon afterward, when some one at home suggested that it would be well for me to be baptized in order to become a member of the church at the next confirmation, I replied that I did not know any reason for so doing.

When this state of unhappiness had reached an almost desperate stage, it was indeed proved that "man's extremity is God's opportunity." Christian Science came to the rescue, awakening my thought to the true understanding of God as the divine Principle governing all reality, and to the fact that the real man as God's image and likeness is governed by this Principle, and can reflect no other than godlike qualities. Inexpressible relief came with the further knowledge that the true baptism is spiritual, "is a purification from all error" (Science and Health, p. 35), which continues in proportion to our relinquishment of sinful beliefs. The purification began with the awakening, which brought many sinful tendencies to the surface, where their false claims of reality were exposed and destroyed by the all-powerful light of Truth.

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