In Proverbs it is written, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." These words offer full comfort to those concerned about their moral or physical standard, their health and longevity. Spiritually interpreted, they turn thought away from the material to the spiritual, from bondage to freedom. Who would not be rid of suffering if he could? Who would not acquire undimmed joy, together with wisdom, activity, abounding health and strength, guidance and success in all his undertakings? Christian Science points the way both to the riddance and the acquisition.

The inquirer who turns to Christian Science to restore his health soon discovers from his study of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, that he must outgrow the old belief that life is organic and material, and must acknowledge God, Spirit, as the one universal Life of all here and now. As he surrenders the old fears and dwells with confidence on his heritage as the offspring of Love, Spirit, he finds himself expressing health and vigor on a new basis—the sound basis of Spirit.

Many a one lavishly expending time, thought, and funds in cultivating health according to material theories may disregard the more vital question of his thoughts and feelings. Unmindful of their detrimental effect on health and longevity, he may habitually indulge in irritability, worry, and other errors which are minus life and truth.

On page 587 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy defines "heart" as "mortal feelings, motives, affections, joys, and sorrows." Humanity's need is to enlarge the affections from self to the expression of universal love. In the measure of this accomplishment, self-love will be dropped and its deleterious effect on health and character nullified. The student of Christian Science centers his attention on his mental rather than his physical state. Accepting the premise that God, good, is All-in-all, he analyzes his motives, mortal feelings, and affections, and is obediently determined to bring them under the control and guidance of the all-wise and harmonious divine Mind. With diligence he cultivates the qualities of true manhood, which are allied to happiness and life eternal.

If one who is said to be suffering from heart trouble turns to Christian Science for healing, he looks away from the body and seeks spiritual regeneration. Through increasing Godlikeness he puts off "the old man" and finds that his human requirements of health and harmony are being cared for as never before. He moves out of the category of invalids, making a study of matter, into that of students of Christian Science, whose thoughts are held to the heights of divine Mind, where freedom reigns. Each one's necessity is to exalt his joys and utterly banish his sorrows and fears. It is to have, in short, a perfect heart, loyal to God, divine Principle, the one Life.

In her illuminating answer to the question "Do you believe in change of heart?" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 50), Mrs. Eddy writes in part: "The human affections need to be changed from self to benevolence and love for God and man; changed to having but one God and loving Him supremely, and helping our brother man. This change of heart is essential to Christianity, and will have its effect physically as well as spiritually, healing disease." What a heavenly change—to cease being obsessed by the old sense of imperfection in health, character, and circumstances, and to dwell with rejoicing on the perfect model of spiritual man, who is incapable of knowing or expressing anything short of his creator's perfection. To human sense, this thought of spiritual perfection may first appear as aspiration, but this inevitably leads on to the realization of Spirit's perfection in reflection, for God's image consciously abides in spiritual understanding and harmonious being.

The Psalmist declared: "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. ... I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." This resolve is beyond the scope of the physical senses and directly traceable to the inspiration of Christ, Truth. By carrying out this spiritually inspired resolve, every individual can move mentally on to the discovery and demonstration of his God-given spiritual identity, which of course includes health.

Through the elevating influence of Christian Science, the human being finds himself spontaneously expressing more love, unselfishness, health, wisdom, kindness, purity. As his heart or mental state is brought under the government of the one Mind, he is liberated from the old mental discord and palpitating fear of sickness and death. Since divine Love alone is Life, no one obtains from the physical body either health, strength, or existence: these are divine Mind's permanent gifts, and intact. The condition of spiritual man reflects the condition of divine Mind. Man lives in Mind, as idea, free, expressing without lapse joy, purity, immortality, in a word all the characteristics of his creator.

In what Mrs. Eddy refers to as "the great heart of Christ" (Science and Health, p. 568) perfection is everlastingly established, and on this basis each one can prove for himself the truth of the Master's saying, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

Violet Ker Seymer