"If ... thine eye be single"

The dear Master, Jesus of Nazareth, told the Christian world in his Sermon on the Mount that singleness of purpose is an essential quality in one's individual progress Godward. Singleness of purpose in spiritual affairs, in faithfulness to the one God, in the laying up of spiritual treasure, in the consecration of life to Truth and Love, in the faithful discharge of one's duty for the day without anxiety for tomorrow, all this is placed before the attentive reader of the sixth chapter of Matthew, following closely upon the Lord's Prayer, which Mrs. Eddy says in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 16), indicates "the heaven-born aspiration and spiritual consciousness" which "instantaneously heals the sick."

There is beautiful accord running all through the wonderful teaching of the sixth chapter of Matthew, from its opening admonition not to give alms to be seen of men, to the last appeal to the faithful ones—to "take therefore no thought for the morrow;" that "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." It is a searching analysis of that mental state which sinks self out of sight; and it reveals the footsteps of an unselfed purpose, walking steadily forward in obedience to the rule of universal harmony. It describes the journey from sense to Soul of the consistent Christian Scientist. "If therefore thine eye be single," declares the Master, "thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness;" and then he adds the words, "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

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True Happiness
January 29, 1927
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