Editorial December 8, 1917 Issue

Waiting for the Waters to Subside

William D. McCrackan

When the world is covered by the fierce waves of error, humanity while it struggles waits for the waters to subside. At such times thought turns constantly to measures for the draining off of the inundating waters, in order that all life may not vanish from the face of the earth. Now we are told in Scripture that "a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads." Then why not let the waters of this river of Eden drive away the floods of error when they invade human consciousness, and let them water the soil of that consciousness with truth?

Mrs. Eddy in the Glossary of Science and Health has defined the meaning of the names of the four heads into which the great river was parted. The first one mentioned in the Bible is Pison, defined on page 593 of our textbook as "the love of the good and beautiful, and their immortality." Here is mentioned that trait of character which instinctively reaches out for truth, a fundamental quality which can be used as a channel for replenishing the earth as the waters of error subside. The great river of glory flowing through the consciousness of the spiritual man has on its surface and in its depth the love of the good and beautiful.

Another channel through which the sweet waters of salvation may be made to drive away the bitter floods of error is represented by the river Gihon, defined in the Glossary of Science and Health (p. 587) as "the rights of woman acknowledged morally, civilly, and socially." These rights are being crudely set forth by the advancing tide of woman suffrage beating back the mesmerism of strong drink and the exploitation of the weak through legislative methods. The higher hope, however, is found in the rights of Mrs. Eddy being established and maintained as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and as the Leader of the Christian Science movement. The rights of her copyright in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and her other works constitute a priceless inheritance whereby the whole world is blessed with the healing Christ, Truth. The third river channel, Hiddekel, is defined (p. 588) as "Divine Science understood and acknowledged." Only the spiritually minded who have ascended above the belief of sin or sickness, above the belief of mortal mind as having any reality or of matter as having any power, know the truth symbolized by Hiddekel. This understanding is the only gateway to heaven on earth.

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