The foregoing stanza from a loved hymn bespeaks the desire of the earnest Christian Scientist. Jesus said, "Your joy no man taketh from you," and, "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." Every student of this demonstrable religion wishes to help others to find the happiness that Christian Science brings. Indeed, this is normal, for who can enjoy the fruits of spiritual thinking without experiencing a corresponding yearning to spread the gospel tidings far and wide? It is a praiseworthy inclination to share with others, under divine guidance, the fruits of one's own strivings for good.

Sometimes in his zeal to bring the happiness he has found to the consciousness of others the student of Christian Science may overlook, or fail to improve, his most persuasive argument—his own example of joy and usefulness. Mortals often resist the spoken word of Truth, but few can resist the influence of a good example. He who expresses peace, virtue, compassion, good works, and joy does much to encourage others to seek and to find these qualities of divine Love. Intrusive planning for others, the pride of priesthood, complacency in a limited understanding of good, may express a false sense of righteousness. "Forget self in laboring for mankind; then will you woo the weary wanderer to your door, win the pilgrim and stranger to your church, and find access to the heart of humanity," Mrs. Eddy writes on page 155 of "Miscellaneous Writings"; and she continues, "While pressing meekly on, be faithful, be valiant in the Christian's warfare, and peace will crown your joy."

Note this: in the words of Jesus and in those of Mrs. Eddy quoted above the reference is to "your joy." How important it is to remember that "your joy" is most useful as an example to others! Joy is contagious. We need not worry for fear our neighbor will not find the joy Christian Science brings, if we ourselves live this religion in daily life so as to express overflowing joy. To the extent that we live Christian Science we most certainly express the joy that is our heritage as sons and daughters of God.

Man, the true man, is in his right place, ever expressing the attributes of divine Love, and ever naturally manifesting all the qualities of Mind, among which is joy. This is an unalterable fact; it is capable of universal recognition by mankind, and of demonstration in each human consciousness.

A student once undiscerningly thought that in her writings Mrs. Eddy had not mentioned joy as often as he wished, although the word "joy" and its derivatives were found to occur nearly fifty times in the textbook alone. Later, with eyes opened by further study to the infinitude and boundlessness of the heavenly bliss available to man, the image and likeness of God, Love, he saw that even apart from those sentences which directly mention joy, almost every statement in Science and Health and her other writings indicates in some manner the joy which "no man taketh from you," and which is "full." Let us choose almost any statement, one perhaps which is the kind not ordinarily considered joyous, and one in which the unseeing might fail to find spiritual pleasure. Studying such a statement with a heart filled with humility and a deep desire to grow into the stature of the real man, do we not find it increasing our joy? In our human affairs do we not rejoice when the path to some goal we desire is clearly shown to us? Is it not uncertainty and fear that there is no path from where we are to where we wish to go, that cause us to be dismayed and saddened? Our textbook contains warning signals, and it also points out the way from sense to Soul. Herein are rules for well-being. To follow its leadings would be for us to enter heaven practically. What more can we desire? Seen in this light we can do naught else but shout for joy! Truly, even the gravity of our mistakes is simply an indication of their remoteness from our real being. From Science and Health and Mrs. Eddy's other writings we all may ask and receive, that our "joy may be full."

Mrs. Eddy concludes "the scientific statement of being" (Science and Health, p. 468) with the declaration, "Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." Wonder of wonders! Should not this make us sing for joy? It does this in the proportion that we grasp its meaning. Man—not material, not finite, limited by want and woe, subject to the ills of the flesh, but spiritual, free, expressing the infinite Mind, divine Love, and forever unlimited by material sense or matter!

Sometimes we consider the trials and tribulations of our beloved Leader, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, in bringing to suffering humanity a revelation of the Christ, Truth, which takes away its sins and sorrows. But in surmounting them she reached higher ground, where matter was seen as unreal, and Spirit all-pervading. She was joyous and vivacious, in the face of mortal mind's claims. If she was saddened temporarily by the impress of mortal mind, she rose above it into joyfulness and freedom from the dictates of sense. Think of the joy she must have had in bringing to the world news of the true relation of God to man, a revelation which would eventually completely overcome all evil, all disappointment and sorrow! She truly expressed her feelings when she wrote the following verse one New Year's Day

Ours is a religion of joy, spontaneous joy welling up in the heart, overflowing to our neighbor until he finds it welling up in his consciousness to be shed abroad again.