In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," under the marginal heading "Seeming and being" (p. 123), Mary Baker Eddy says, "Divine Science, rising above physical theories, excludes matter, resolves things into thoughts, and replaces the objects of material sense with spiritual ideas."

In obedience to their beloved Leader's teachings, students of Christian Science are consistently endeavoring to exclude matter from their thinking, and proportionately to their success they are able to replace "seeming" with "being," and to perceive the ideal man, God's image or idea, coexistent with Him. Through this spiritual discernment of true being, beliefs of sick organs and functions are being healed, poverty and unhappiness are being exchanged for affluence and joy; the blind see, the lame walk.

Is someone believing that he is suffering from disease, from sickness or loss, and is he puzzled perhaps as to how the replacing of "seeming" with "being" can possibly heal sick organs or functions? Let him study the method which Jesus used when he made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the cripples straight. In every case that Jesus healed he excluded matter—the opposite of God—so successfully from his thinking that he was able to replace the belief that man is composed of flesh, blood, and bones with a correct view of man as God's reflection, spiritual, perfect, indestructible, free!

The alert student of Christian Science yearns to follow the Way-shower, and he knows that in order to do so he must express Godlikeness in thought, word, and deed, for only by so doing will he learn how to free himself and others from the bondage of sin, disease, and death.

Mrs. Eddy, in her Message to The Mother Church for 1901, writes (p. 34), "Godliness or Christianity is a human necessity: man cannot live without it; he has no intelligence, health, hope, nor happiness without godliness." Every student of Christian Science who is striving to be Godlike is recognizing more and more God's divine system of creation, one universe of divine ideas, the embodiment of God's goodness, eternally manifesting law, order, and perfection.

It is interesting to note that a definition of the word "system" is as follows: "The whole scheme of created things . . . the universe . . . a complete exhibition of essential principles or facts, arranged in a rational dependence or connection . . . regular method or order."

Does one believe that his system is broken down, out of order, sick? Let him begin to glorify his Father which is in heaven, by knowing that he is included in God's perfect system of divine ideas. The emanation of divine Principle, God, is His infinite expression, His image and likeness, which cannot manifest anything unlike God, such as poison, hate, disease, or death. Of those who recognized this truth, Jesus said: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." He added, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." In the contemplation of man as God's image, spiritual and not material, disease, unhappiness, jealousy, and pride are cast out. One is surprised sometimes to find how petty are those things which occupy thought to the exclusion of divine ideas!

The day dawns when one learns more of the way Christian Science works, and realizes that the most successful and complete demonstrations of God's goodness are made by those who long to express exact Science in thought, word, and deed, and who unfailingly strive to follow the rules of goodness. He yearns, too, to love God with all his heart and mind and soul, and finds himself growing more tolerant, less critical, more loving, humble, meek. He ceases to think of material personality as God's likeness, and recognizes man as the infinite expression of eternal good!

In his longing to be worthy of the name "Christian Scientist," the right thinker and doer finds it imperative ceaselessly to strive to replace "seeming" with "being," to contemplate God's likeness, not only for himself, but for all with whom he comes in contact. This holy practice demands a constant watching to see where thoughts originate and what is their quality. Do they come from the Father, or from the so-called carnal mind with its beliefs in lust, sin, cruelty, hate, disease, death?

Today, when perhaps more than ever before in the world's history, "seeming" is aggressively trying to hide "being" from men; when idolatry, witchcraft, and nefarious hidden practices of the one evil—mortal mind—are being uncovered that they may be destroyed, it is imperative to replace the world's hatred of Truth with spiritual ideas. The Master said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;" and further, "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

There is a clarion call to Christians under every ensign to join the army of Christian Scientists who are resolutely refusing to accept evil as real, and are thereby helping to annul its pretenses; for in every case of Christian Science healing, evil's utter and final downfall is foretold.

God's way is an illumined way, where angels walk and talk with men. Mrs. Eddy's definition of "angels" in Science and Health (p. 581) is very beautiful and wholly comforting: "God's thoughts passing to man; . . . the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." There is no time or place where God's angels may not be sought and found and proved to be present to protect and save!

On one occasion, during the Great War, angel thoughts were sought and found by a student of Christian Science. A liner on a voyage across the Atlantic had encountered dense fog for six days. This necessitated the slackening of speed. On the sixth day, the student was suddenly attacked with a sense of acute apprehension. She hurried to her stateroom, praying for guidance and support. On opening Mrs. Eddy's Message to The Mother Church for 1902, she read on pages 19 and 20, "Christ walketh over the wave; on the ocean of events, mounting the billow or going down into the deep, the voice of him who stilled the tempest saith, 'It is I; be not afraid.'"

Instantly, the suggestion of apprehension was replaced with a sense of peace and calm! "God's thoughts passing to man" had enabled her to exchange the belief of fear for the spiritual ideas of safety and protection, and she was able to realize the fact that divine Love was at the helm. At the very moment her thought changed, the sun shone out brilliantly and the fog lifted! She went on deck to enjoy this sudden change in the weather. Hardly had she reached the deck when she heard the ship's bells. A sudden sharp turn was made, and everybody ran to the rail to see what was happening; and there, quite close, a submerged wreck was seen—a derelict—its masts bobbing up and down in the water. The great ship made a detour around the wreck, and immediately the fog closed in again! Had it not lifted at the right moment, the ship would have kept straight to her course and in all probability have collided with the wreck.

How gloriously "God's thoughts passing to man" had proved to be a mighty protection in seeming danger!

However intricate the problem, however hopeless the situation in which we may seem to find ourselves, may we not forget that God's angels are ever at hand to deliver us from the depths, to lift us gently out of "seeming" into "being."