Article March 3, 1917 Issue

Ever-presence

ADA JANE MILLER

It matters not where we choose to locate our thought, as the psalmist discerned so clearly, whether in heaven or in hell, for God, divine Love, infinite good, is ever with us. In heaven we are conscious of His presence; in hell we doubt His existence. In heaven we know that He is omnipotent; in hell we are conscious only of a wretched selfhood that knows no God. The psalmist says frankly that he has discovered that even if he makes his bed in hell, God is still with him. If we find ourselves located where David admits he at times placed himself, what is our remedy? Christian Science here proves itself science perhaps as clearly as under any possible circumstance, and it is for us to apply the Principle it reveals or stay in our uncomfortable bed,—just as we choose. After we have tried the "bed" for a time, we usually have the wisdom to stop bemoaning a hard fate and to turn our eyes inward, with the inevitable result that we discover in our own thought that which built the bed on which we find ourselves. If our bed is in hell, we may rest assured that no one but ourselves is responsible for it.

Some may question this and ask, "Do we not suffer through others?" If we continue to suffer through others' sins it is our own fault. If there is aggressive suggestion that we have been wronged, we know what our duty is as Christian Scientists. If this suggestion finds place in thought, it is quite evident that we have failed to be obedient to our Leader's loving advice in regard to our daily work of protecting ourselves (see Manual, Art. VIII, Sect. 4), and we have carelessly or deliberately broken the first commandment. Have we not admitted as real something which claims to be power but is far from being the power of omnipotent good? If we have admitted this, yielded to it, and finally accepted it as real, we have made our bed in hell, and no one is to blame but ourselves. If the argument presents itself that we are discouraged, weary, or anxious, and we accept the suggestion and affirm it as true of ourselves, in this case as in the former we alone are responsible. Again we have been disobedient to the "heavenly vision" that was revealed to us to protect us from these very enemies; again we find ourselves in the uncomfortable place to which the psalmist refers.

But, thank God, we know through Christian Science how to take our bed and ourselves out of hell. We know that our first duty is to see that a false sense of self has placed us there, and that this self-mesmerism is not an expression of Mind, has not a vestige of intelligence. On page 266 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "The sinner makes his own hell by doing evil, and the saint his own heaven by doing right." Then our next step is to recognize the fact that whatever arrogates to itself power apart from God, omnipotent good, is false. We say that we believe in God; we profess to worship Him as supreme; we call ourselves followers of the Master. But what does this saying, professing, calling, profit us if we admit into consciousness as real every vagrant thought which presents an argument that would blind us to the truth that we are at-one with the Father? This at-one-ment is the central fact of existence, and this fact consciously and constantly realized keeps us ever progressive, efficient workers in whatever may be our profession, and earnest, honest followers of the Master along that upward way which leads to life eternal, life harmonious, now!

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