Article January 16, 1926 Issue

Early Shall Ye Praise Him

ALMA N. NEWTON

As the first faint streaks of light in the east gave token of the beginning of a new day, a bird near a Christian Scientist's chamber window was heard to give a glad little twitter, which increased in volume and power until it was a vibrating, joyous pæan of praise. This continued with short intervals of silence, broken only by sleepy chirpings from some other birds, until the singer had succeeded in arousing his neighbors with his song to the realization that the day was approaching and that it was time to acknowledge it. All of a sudden the solo changed into a glad chorus, in which the solo warbler's notes could be clearly distinguished above the rest, and to the listening Scientist it seemed as though, because of this bird's longer practice in voicing praise, his notes were richer in the quality of gladness.

The east now resembled a rosy cloud shot through with streaks of light, which became broader in expanse as they mounted higher; and, as the sun appeared above the horizon, the chorus seemed to reach its climax through a crescendo in which every one of the participants exceeded his highest anticipations. The awe of it, or perhaps it was the glories of the newborn day, brought a reverent hush like unto that of benediction. In "Christian Science versus Pantheism" (p. 3) Mrs. Eddy writes: "'Solitude is sweet.' Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet."

How typical this was of the Christian Scientist's experience, of him who had often worked through a long, dark night of mortal beliefs! On perceiving the first faint streaks of light, which promised the coming of new day in Science instead of the full, glad song of thanksgiving and praise, typified by the bird's solo, he had too often given only half-hearted expressions of gratitude, wholly lacking in spontaneity—yes, had even thought and expressed impatience because the outward manifestations were so faint, or the complete demonstration was so long in making it appearance; and at last, when the radiance of the complete demonstration appeared, he had found himself experiencing such an overwhelming sense of gratitude that, together with those near and dear to the one healed, he was lifted to awe-inspiring contemplation of God's wonderful and loving care of His children.

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