Article November 3, 1928 Issue

The Beneficence of Godliness

CORALYN DOOLITTLE BERTLE

THE quality of godliness manifests itself in a far-reaching beneficence, attained through daily and constant application of the fundamental truths of right thinking and living. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says (p. 258), "The human capacities are enlarged and perfected in proportion as humanity gains the true conception of man and God."

The truth of this statement was illustrated many centuries ago when the patriarch Jacob, in Egypt, calling his sons together for the purpose of telling what should befall each of them in the last days, said to Joseph, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall." The history of Joseph and the development of his life show how God overruled the failures of men for the ultimate good of mankind. The spiritual consciousness of a constant, unwavering faith that God was actually his abiding protection and his unfailing guide gave Joseph calm assurance under all circumstances; and this enlarged his capacity for doing good.

When Joseph was in the dawn of life, where the light of youth was everywhere, he was building castles, dreaming dreams, seeing visions. Not understood by his brothers, his dreaming was denied by them, his visions derided. However, even in his youth he was devoted to duty, feeding his flock; and because of his obedience, purity, and artlessness, at the age of seventeen he was sent by his father to go to Shechem to find his brothers and see if all was well with them and the flocks. This was a test of his faith in God. Not only to Shechem, but farther on to Dothan, he must go to carry out his commission to those brethren who were jealous of him, who hated him, and who did not therefore speak peaceably to him.

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