Unfortunately for humankind, the accumulative effect of centuries of erroneous thinking about business and about supply has periodically culminated in conditions such as the present universal business depression. Finding themselves confronted by this experience, calling itself "depression" and claiming for itself a power that would threaten the very life of multitudes and to some extent the comfort and well-being of all, men have cast about in matter for a cause, with the idea of applying an effective remedy.

However, for a remedy which can prove really effective, we must look above matter and mortal experience. In fact, we must carry the problem in prayer to our heavenly Father. Christ Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," and, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

No matter what economic conditions may seem to have caused the experience we call "depression," the fact is that it is the culmination of general erroneous thinking. The question then occurs as to how we shall proceed to rid ourselves of this sinister error, this self-styled law of limitation. The remedy is plain and effective. Since the seeming discordant and hurtful condition was brought about by erroneous thinking, the remedy must lie in right thinking.

At this point, Christian Science offers us a sovereign remedy in its reiteration of the teaching of the master Christian, Jesus the Christ. When Jesus fed five thousand men besides women and children with no apparent food supply but five loaves and two fishes, he applied a definite law. Likewise, when he sent Peter to procure from the fish's mouth a coin with which to pay tribute, he applied this same law.

The law of God is made available to us now through the inspired word of the Scriptures as revealed and made plain to us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." This law, our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, on page 494 of this textbook, has expressed as follows: "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."

This experience, which we call "depression," is made up mainly of fear: and when we attain a fearless mental attitude, born of an abiding faith and confidence in God, thereby actively applying His law in our thinking, we shall free ourselves from the limiting sense of depression and find in its place a fulfilling sense of the infinite spiritual supply which will adequately meet our needs.

The depression which claims to limit the business of the world is indeed well named, for the word "depression" is defined thus: "State of being depressed; a low state; abasement; dejection; a state of dullness." Thus, it is plain that our mental surrender to the claim of business depression is an entry into "a low state" of thinking or "a state of dullness." But the consciousness alive to the opportunities afforded under the infinite law of God does not surrender to the error which would limit God and doom His image and likeness, man, to limitation and despair.

Mrs. Eddy has said, on page 129 of her textbook, "If you wish to know the spiritual fact, you can discover it by reversing the material fable, be the fable pro or con,—be it in accord with your preconceptions or utterly contrary to them." Then let us reverse this belief of depression and become aware of the spiritual facts which it strives to overshadow. Instead of accepting this "state of being depressed," let us attain to a state of spiritual exaltation by conscious communion with God. Instead of abiding in "a low state" of thought, let us attain to the loftiest respect for the law of God and for our ability to apply His law in our own behalf. Instead of mental "abasement," let us attain an exalted sense of our status as the children of God, who is Love, and who is ever careful for the welfare of His creation. In place of "dejection," let us strive to reach divine heights of confidence and exalted faith. And abandoning "a state of dullness," let us lift our thought toward the realization of the truth about God and man.

"Having eyes," let us see; and "having ears," let us hear, that in the sanctuary of our innermost consciousness we may see the Christ-idea and receive divine guidance. Let us entertain angels, God's thoughts, and exclude all else from our thinking, so that we may no longer accept the belief that man, God's reflection, can be circumscribed by mortal or material conditions, circumstances, or enviornment.

Christian Science operates wholly to release us, to free us from bondage; never to bind us, to restrict our vision, or to limit us in any direction. The Master said, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." He could not have spoken more plainly, or better stated God's law of supply and demand. Whatever legitimate demand may be made, the spiritual supply is readily available, for, said the Master, "your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

Each individual is master of his own destiny, in the sense that each can have God-given dominion over all that affects his life, his health, his happiness, his prosperity. We should awaken to our birthright as the sons and daughters of God, and assert the dominion He has given us, thus bringing out in our experience health, peace, happiness, and prosperity.

Our Leader has written on page 199 of Science and Health, "The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible." There can be no doubt that the annihilating of belief in any seeming law of depression and bringing our thinking and our experience into harmony with God's law of infinite supply is a good and an honest achievement; and this is possible to each one who understands the truth about God and man, as taught in Christian Science, and who is willing to keep unceasing ward over his thinking until it is filled with the spontaneous expectancy of good.

In Christian Science, we learn that "metaphysics resolves things into thoughts" (Science and Health, p. 269), and that what we call matter is not real or substantial, since it is but mortal mind calling itself matter. This brings us to the conclusion that Mind is the only reality; and since infinite Mind is God, we have God's infinite law to enforce health, happiness, and bountiful supply in our experience. Following the same line of reasoning, we come to know that since God is the only Mind, and in our real selfhood we are His reflection, our needs are primarily spiritual, as is our supply. And as a result of our application of this truth, our supply will appear to us in such form as we can understand.

Man necessarily reflects the abundance of his Father-Mother God. But we must engage in a specific application of this fact in order to avail ourselves of the abundance indicated in the words, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." We must take up the cross in the destruction of all error. It is not enough that we declare that God is All and that man, as His image and likeness, is unlimited. We must daily and hourly affirm specifically that the law of God is a law of annihilation to the seeming law of limitation and to the seeming law of discord of whatever name or nature. And we must constantly utilize the truth of continuous opportunity to reflect that which is real.

We must cease trying to change material conditions and recognize the fact that the only place where we can primarily meet and destroy the error which calls itself discordant conditions is in thought. We must meet it there, courageously and confidently and with abundant faith in God, and make sure that we resolve it into nothingness. Error must always be met as nothing, never as something.

God's law is infinite and operates constantly and continuously, but we can benefit by its operation in our own experience only as we assert the divinely bestowed dominion which is our right. Since error has only a fabulous existence, it appears only to disappear; and we must keep ourselves alive to this fact, insist upon its disappearance from our thinking, and consequently from our experience, and upon the establishment therein of all that is true about man as God's image and likeness.

Whatever the character of the error to be overcome, our God-given understanding should be sufficient to accomplish our deliverance if we are honest and consistent, and if we approach the problem with the full confidence of an abiding faith in the omnipotence of divine Mind. Calm and peaceful insistence that God is the only healer, and that the fruit of right thinking, guided by understanding and faith, must inevitably lead to the establishment of that which is right and good in our present experience.

Copyright, 1931, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.