Editorial November 6, 1926 Issue

"Blessings infinite"

Duncan Sinclair

The Psalmist writes, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Surely Christian Scientists should be the gladdest, happiest people in the world, because of the divine blessings which spiritual understanding has brought to them. But are they always so? And if not, there must be something wrong with their spiritual outlook. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy, thought and taught very positively on the subject, because she had no doubt as to the effect of the understanding and demonstration of pure Christianity. She writes in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 56), "The Science of Life needs only to be understood; its demonstration proves the correctness of my statements, and brings blessings infinite."

Every student of Christian Science has experienced the joy, the gladness, the blessedness, which accompany a demonstration of Truth. Almost in despair he may have approached the throne of grace, with heart bowed down and hope flickering as if on the point of extinction. Then there came to him the assurance of God's infinite love, infinite goodness, infinite power, and his whole outlook was changed; for now he saw the unreality of all inharmony. The fetters of material sense fell away; hope was revived, despair giving place to gratitude; and health was restored. Could he be other than happy on experiencing such a proof of the blessedness which spiritual understanding brings?

It is strange, however, to find that too often—far too often—happiness and gladness and joy are absent. If we were to ask the student the reason for this, we might be prepared to listen to an apology; for well he knows that he should be expressing what he understands of God, good. The reason, then, for the absence of happiness, gladness, and joy—so frequently shown in the somber countenance—would seem to be that God's goodness has been forgotten and that power has been ascribed to evil, the supposititious opposite of good. The Christian Scientist can plead no valid excuse for this forgetfulness, since Christian Science teaches that the divine Principle of all real being is infinite good. And those who find themselves in this predicament should at once silence the testimony of the false material senses by affirming the allness of God, good, until they again realize the truth sufficiently clearly to dissipate the illusion which has seemed to originate with these same senses. Then the smile will return.

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