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!"

In conformity with the spirit of this teaching, the student finds in Mrs. Eddy's published writings numerous admonitions to those who would follow Christian Science to stand guard constantly over mortal mind, to learn the divine Principle of Christian Science and demonstrate its scientific practice in healing the sick, saving the sinner, comforting and releasing those bound by human misery or lack. In Science and Health (p. 419) she writes, "Observe mind instead of body, lest aught unfit for development enter thought." Other citations of similar import will readily occur to the reader who is familiar with Mrs. Eddy's writings; and especially will one remember the rule laid down in the Church Manual (p. 42), whereby all members of The Mother Church are required daily to defend themselves against the aggressive mental suggestions of mortal mind, which would cause them to falter in the performance of their constant spiritual duty. The admonition of James (Chapter 1, verses 5–8) as to the sad results of double-mindedness and instability, contains a warning that should be heeded by every student of Christian Science; for does not he tell us, "Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord"? No one would willingly or knowingly enter upon a course of thought and action that would shut him out from the number of those who do receive the blessings of conscious communion with our Father-Mother God; and yet, the constant effort of evil is to lead men and women to adopt that course, often and always, if possible, cloaking its temptations in the appearance of some good.

Singleness of purpose goes straight to the mark. "If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." And how great is the darkness of mortal mind unillumined by the light of Truth, the Master warningly pointed out on more than one occasion. To the Christian Scientist a clear vision is indispensable to even a measure of success; and Mrs. Eddy's clarion cry, on page 392 of Science and Health, "Stand porter at the door of thought," if constantly remembered, will prove to be a watchword of superlative value. Evil is constantly assailing the human consciousness with suggestions of misrule, which, if permitted to take root in one's thought would, all unwittingly to one's self, misshape one's purpose and enlist one on the side of evil, and against God, good. The air seems to be full of the arrows of human misrule; one needs therefore to be constantly awake to the assurance of the word of Truth voiced by the Psalmist so long ago: "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."

One of the ways of error, seeking to destroy the work so wonderfully performed by our dear Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, is to engender in those Christian Scientists who can be reached by error's allurements a spirit of criticism of that work or parts of it, under the guise of constructive suggestion. This is a deadly thing which should be most stoutly resisted by everyone who values his own salvation and regeneration through Mrs. Eddy's teaching. To a loyal Christian Scientist there can be no constructive amendment of Christian Science, as Mrs. Eddy revealed it, established it, and left it to the world. Mrs. Eddy wrote its textbook, which has the confidence of the entire field, and an immortal place in the religious history of the world. Mrs. Eddy planned and established the present Christian Science church organization; and she herself lived under it for many years, pruning it and trimming it and shaping it into the ideal which she strove to work out by spiritual inspiration, intuition, and research. Who is there to-day who is so spiritually minded, and so spiritually poised, and so near to the Christ-idea as was she, when she put her seal upon the Church Manual, and upon the church organization, which is functioning to-day as it functioned sixteen years ago, and when she called upon her church to support The Christian Science Board of Directors in their efforts to maintain that establishment according to her ideas and under her kindly supervision and direction?

Mrs. Eddy's teaching of Christian Science, with the establishment she made to carry on its work for the uplifting of mankind and the coming of the kingdom of God on earth, was complete as she left it, and needs no amendment or fanciful interpretation at the hand of any critic who claims to be a Christian Scientist. Mrs. Eddy built for the ages, not for persons. Every brick in her building has been put there with a purpose which was clear to her inspired consciousness; and the building will outlast persons, and tongues, and ages, if Christian Scientists go about their allotted work with a vision clear and single, a purpose unselfed and self-effacing, and a sense of the goodness of God, seeing in Mrs. Eddy's work the finished product of divine Mind, unfolded in this age. "If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light": so said the Master.