Hymns of Healing

CHARLES ROSSITER STUART

Paul knew the uplifting and restoring power of praise and gratitude, expressed through the singing of sacred songs, when he wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians, "Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

One stormy night a young mother, alone in her home, became stricken with fear as her infant child appeared to be experiencing intense suffering. She hesitated to take the babe out into the raging blizzard to seek for help, and in her trouble she cried out to God for succor and guidance. She then remembered that a Christian Science Hymnal was in the house. Turning to the "Mother's Evening Prayer"(Poems by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 4). a hymn that declares the power and presence of Love, the mother sang with fervent hope the five inspired stanzas. The child stopped crying, and there was soon evidence of a complete healing of what had seemed a painful ear malady.

Songs of salvation, deliverance, praise, and thanksgiving have filled countless hearts with assurance of the Father's ever-presence and availability in time of trouble. Deborah's song and David's psalms still bring comfort today. In like manner the inspired poems in the Christian Science Hymnal will uplift those who seek God and His righteousness when evil would appear to challenge their divinely bestowed right to health, joy, and peace.

At a meeting of the members of a branch church called for the purpose of electing seven directors, six were elected, but ballot after ballot failed to elect a seventh director. It was suggested that the members rise and sing that humble song prayer from the pen of our inspired Leader (ibid., p. 14), "Feed My Sheep." Following the singing of this earnest appeal to the Father for wisdom and guidance, another ballot was taken, and a seventh director was elected immediately. Again praise and prayer brought demonstration.

To imbibe fully the spirit and yield to the holy influence of these sacred lyrics in an hour of need is an effective Christian Science treatment. Many alert students keep the small size edition of the Hymnal(with words only) within convenient reach at all times. The writer has never failed to find comfort, assurance, inspiration, and frequently healing when he has turned to the poems of praise and prayer in this treasured little book, which contains the words of each of the several hundred songs in our church Hymnal.

Why has the reading or singing of a Christian Science hymn frequently effaced even the most aggressive forms of error? Because these psalms of gratitude, faith, hope, and love have been so fervently voiced that they reached the divine afflatus of true prayer —the prayer of realization of the ever-presence of God, good. Through this scientifically correct approach to the Father, which has been explained so clearly by Mrs. Eddy in her wonderful chapter on Prayer in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the one who prays invariably receives his blessing. "Before they call, I will answer."

While nothing will ever take the place of the Bible and Science and Health as guides to the Truth which heals, every student of Christian Science would do well in these trying days of world disorder to resort frequently to the Hymnal. Through pouring into consciousness the inspired, spiritually illumined words of comfort and healing which characterize these hymns, we find an effective antidote for all forms of aggressive mental suggestion—for the subtle propaganda of that arch-liar, mortal mind.

When clouds of error seem unusually dark, it is cheering and uplifting to fill one's consciousness with the life-giving substance of the message contained in a cherished hymn such as number 139, the first verse of which reads:

I walk with Love along the way,
And O, it is a holy day;
No more I suffer cruel fear,
I feel God's presence with me here;
The joy that none can take away
Is mine; I walk with Love today.

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