Editorial June 21, 1919 Issue

High Resolve

William P. McKenzie

It is well sometimes to read the life history of those who have been great in their service to mankind. The nobility within one's self quickens and rejoices in view of the actions that are noble, gracious, and truly good. Accomplishment cries out to resolve, and the admirer of nobility says as he reads, Thus too shall I do. The boy taught to read wisely envisages the man that he shall be; and Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Solomon, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, Peter, James, and John, Philip, Nathaniel, Paul, and Stephen encourage the one who has chosen to be a follower of the Christ. Highest of all is the example of Christ Jesus, and by Christian Scientists this example is taken out of the realm of mysticism and brought into the region of love. It ceases to be miraculous and supernatural and becomes illustrative of beneficent law and comforting gospel; in other words, the doctrine and deeds of Christ Jesus become understandable, and mystery is removed from the promise, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

Christian Science requires the maintenance of high resolve. It is too customary for mortal mind to fool itself with good resolutions and to take false comfort in pledges and promises of reform. On recurrent birthdays, at every New Year, while suffering from the effects of sin or being punished for wrong-doing, weak, inconstant human sense proclaims loudly its good intentions; hence the proverb that the way descending to Hades is veritably paved with such good intentions. They are, however, too often mere counterfeits of repentance. They represent a seeking for the name of goodness to cover over a reluctance to pay the price of being good in fact. Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 342): "Seek Truth, and pursue it. It should cost you something: you are willing to pay for error and receive nothing in return; but if you pay the price of Truth, you shall receive all."

Why should mortals be reluctant to give up sin and sever every bond that would connect them with its promises? Is it because they love mortality, which alone is the finality of sin, the inevitable wages it pays to its servants no matter what its promises may have been? Curiously enough the great fear of mortal mind is the fear of death; and yet it will become servant to sin by obeying it and will believe the promises that there can be happiness in sin, when all the time death is the end. Truly the Scripture says that "to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness."

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