Article April 15, 1944 Issue

"The beauty of holiness"

RICHARD C. MOLLOY

A Christian Scientist , on a business trip to another city, awakened in the morning quite ill with influenza and laryngitis. It was necessary for him to be at a conference later that morning and he made preparations to go ahead. However, when he arrived in the business district of the city, he felt it was impossible for him to go farther, and forthwith engaged the services of a Christian Science practitioner whom he knew. A Christian Science Reading Room was close by and going there he began a thorough study of the Lesson-Sermon. His attention was arrested by the following words in I Chronicles: "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

He saw very clearly that to worship God "in the beauty of holiness" is to purify human consciousness to the extent that man can be seen as the perfect likeness of his creator. He realized that man possesses both beauty and holiness by reflection, and therefore can no more be separated from them than the sunbeam can be separated from the sun. Accepting these truths, he began to claim his ability to express health and strength. His condition improved, so that he was able to attend the conference and enter into the discussions. By train time in the late afternoon all physical manifestations had disappeared, except for a slight weakness. This also was healed by the next morning. The "word of God" had again been proved "quick, and powerful."

It is related in the story of Jehoshaphat that a "great multitude" from Moab, Amnion, and Mount Seir came to fight against him. In his fear of the enemy. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and prayed before the whole congregation "in the house of the Lord," Jehaziel, unto whom "came the Spirit of the Lord," encouraged him with these words: "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." The following morning Jehoshaphat "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." As a result of this trust in God the enemy was overthrown.

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Be Not Afraid
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