How many times has the student of Christian Science been uplifted, encouraged, and protected by the singing of some hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal! The healing message is indeed as the voice of Truth, to which the Psalmist referred when he said, "Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance."

Mankind is seeking deliverance from human fetters and bondage; fears, worries, physical ills, and distress. An effectual antidote for these disturbances of everyday living is found in gratitude. When this quality is kept uppermost in one's consciousness, intruding thoughts are quickly dispelled. One cannot remain long under any mesmeric belief when a song of gratitude fills the heart.

That our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, recognized the value of the singing of hymns is evidenced by the fact that the order of service in Christian Science church services includes three hymns to be sung by the congregation. In a letter to The Christian Science Board of Directors, of March 3, 1903 (reprinted in the Christian Science Sentinel of April 18, 1931, and of November 12, 1938), Mrs. Eddy states: "It would be a good thing to have one of my hymns read and sung about every Sunday. It would spiritualize the thought of your audience, and this is more needed in the church than aught else can be."

Entrance into the spiritual realm is gained by a joyous, free, happy sense of man's oneness with God. If someone has perhaps been struggling with a problem for some time and as yet has not gained his freedom, should he but open the Hymnal and begin to rejoice and sing some of these messages, his thought will be aroused out of material sense into the spiritual. As one holds to this spiritual consciousness, mesmeric beliefs, which may monentarily be hindering and obstructing the perfect vision of true identity, will be ruled out of thought. The argument that would becloud or darken this vision is nothing but the suggestion of the adversary, animal magnetism, and if we confidently proclaim God's allness and our oneness with God as His reflection, who, or what, can hinder our realizing complete freedom?

Hymn singing has long been recognized as a means of uplifting thought. One of the most beautiful books in the Bible is the book of Psalms, which contains many hymns of praise. In the twentieth chapter of II Chronicles is recorded an incident when Jehoshaphat was surrounded on every side by enemies and opposing tribes. Praying with steadfast faith to God for deliverance, he said, "Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." The twenty-first verse then relates, And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever." Valiantly they went forth singing praises to God, and it is not surprising that the next verse records the victory: "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."

Many are the modern Jehoshaphats, who, when confronted with the foes of the carnal mind, calling themselves ill-health, unemployment, business depression, or governmental disturbances, are protected by going forth with a song of praise in their hearts and confident trust in God's allness.

Very often we become mesmerized into believing that some material condition is actual and must be laboriously worked out of. The solution to any problem is in knowing that the real man has never been touched by, or subject to, matter or material laws, and consequently has no problem to work out of. We have but to know that whatever sense testimony may be recording is only a baseless lie, an unreality. "We ought to weary of the fleeting and false and to cherish nothing which hinders our highest selfhood," as Mrs. Eddy plainly states on page 68 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." "Our highest selfhood" is the only real self, the spiritual selfhood which God knows, and which we should daily, hourly, and continuously strive to express. We should vigorously maintain that we have no selfhood except that which emanates from Deity. Our true selfhood is the expression, the reflection of God, spiritually derived from Him in whom "we live, and move, and have our being." This true selfhood expresses only Godlike qualities, such as purity, goodness, gentleness, wholesomeness, uprightness.

We can all sing hymns of praise and thanksgiving for belssings already received, and for blessings which we know are present to be claimed as our divine heritage. Man is forever within the radius of God's love and protection, and can never for an instant be outside of this love and care.

Our Leader gives us this tender assurance (ibid., p. 234): "Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love—be it song, sermon, or Science—blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ's table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty."