Article March 20, 1920 Issue

Progressive Deliverance

LOUISE E. TEWKSBURY

"Final deliverance from error, whereby we rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached through paths of flowers nor by pinning one's faith without works to another 's vicarious effort" (Science and Health, p. 22). In pondering this sentence in a recent Lesson-Sermon the writer recalled some experiences in Christian Science. Like many students of Christian Science she had been remarkably helped by a practitioner in an experience which seemed to lift her above unhappiness and discord into an atmosphere of peace and happiness which she supposed would be for all time. She recalls her surprise later when she was called upon to meet certain problems for herself. The thought kept coming, "Why do I have to meet this? Why should I be faced with this problem?" It was some time before she learned that no practitioner can work out all of another 's life problems. She learned further that while we are justly grateful to our practitioners for performing for us very helpful services because of their having a clearer understanding of God's laws, we are all confronted with the demand to work out our own salvation, which no one can finally evade. She found that going into the valley and overcoming for herself one problem after another was no unusual experience but a necessity for every student.

Another thing that greatly surprised the student was the slowness of the overcoming of some mental difficulties. She had experienced some instantaneous healings and had even helped others out of difficulties very quickly, and at first she could not understand why some other conditions did not disappear in such a "presto, change" manner. It was because she did not realize the vastness of the subject nor the length of the road from matter to Spirit. All faults are not overcome in a moment; hence complete satisfaction, harmony, and peace cannot be won in a moment. In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 15) Mrs. Eddy says: "The new birth is not the work of a moment. It begins with moments, and goes on with years; moments of surrender to God, of childlike trust and joyful adoption of good; moments of self-abnegation, self-consecration, heaven-born hope, and spiritual love." Also in Science and Health (p. 254) she says, "Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much." So now with an increasing sense of humility the student is grateful for the great good that has come to her and is also thankful for the steps already taken, however few, on the road to perfection, which we must all sometime attain.

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