Editorial September 13, 1913 Issue

Neglect Inadmissible

Annie M. Knott

A great deal is said at the present time respecting the wrongfulness of neglect, especially of one's health. It is argued, and with good reasoning, too, that if it were not for the neglect of certain things we should never have accidents, misfortunes, and sicknesses come upon us. There is, however, another kind of neglect of which we hear little or nothing in the world's busy marts, and yet it deals with a subject so vital and all-inclusive that we could well afford to forget other things in order to give it due consideration.

This subject is strikingly set forth in the epistle to the Hebrews, where the writer reminds us that God has "at sundry times and in divers manners" made known to mankind the divine will, the highest manifestation being through Christ Jesus, who was willing to forego the glory of spiritual being while he was making known to mortals the truth which sets free from all evil. The second chapter begins with a solemn warning against any neglect of the truth which had thus in the goodness of God been sent forth to bless mankind, especially the revelation of Truth and Love given by Christ Jesus and his apostles, which was characterized by "signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost." This revelation includes perfect salvation from all the ills of mortal experience, salvation which is thus described by our revered Leader on page 593 of Science and Health: "Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed."

The writer of this epistle keeps well before us the real man who is God's likeness,—the man who has dominion over all things,—but he adds that "we see not yet all things put under him." He explains how Jesus taught the way of salvation by entering into the bitterest human experiences, and that he was "crowned with glory and honor" because at every step of the way he overcame evil with good, up to the victory over death and the grave. Here it is important to note that he did this, not by admitting that God is in any wise responsible for sin, disease, or death, for we have the unequivocal statement that Christ Jesus took part in the human belief of flesh and blood "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil [not God]; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

"The sea is his"