Article May 15, 1926 Issue

"His compassions fail not"

MAUDE M. BUTLER

What a sublime statement! What a promise to cling to: "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning"! Do we who, as Christian Scientists, are striving to reflect some of the attributes of the divine Mind, always remember these words? If we did, should we ever fail to be compassionate, instead of condemnatory, when a sister or a brother steps aside from what we believe to be the very narrow path of absolute integrity? In the quick impulse to judge, to condemn, have we not failed to reflect the divine compassion, which "never faileth"? Have we not forgotten the divine command: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged"? Already that judgment may have fallen upon us; for the fault or sin in another on which we have just passed judgment may not be a greater sin than our own disobedience to our Lord's command, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Paul saw very clearly into the workings of the human heart when he admonished the Corinthians, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." He knew well the danger of self-righteousness—that most subtle of sins, which lulls the consciousness into a false sense of peace and satisfaction. Paul was ever awake to the recognition of mortals' unworthiness—of their insufficiency to do any good thing of themselves. And even for his own marvelous preaching, his beautiful demonstrations of healing, he gave all glory to God. Always he pressed "toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." He knew he must be clothed with the garment of righteousness—with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Clothed in the righteousness of spiritual understanding, he could present his gifts—his labors of love—at the feet of the Christ.

Are students of Christian Science as awake to the first encroachment of self-righteousness as was Paul? Often we fail to draw others to the source whence we ourselves have found help and comfort, although we may have honestly and lovingly tried to do so, simply because our own reflection of divine compassion is imperfect. A touch of severity, a word, an accent, a little nameless manifestation of self-righteousness, may have betrayed a lack of the one thing needful. "Love," we have learned, "is the fulfilling of the law;" and it is easy to understand why this is so. A heart that is governed and controlled by Love, that reflects love to God and love to man, can manifest only "the fruit of the Spirit," which is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Self-righteousness can find no abiding place where these virtues abound.

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