"Godward gravitation" is the arresting marginal heading for a paragraph on page 265 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," in which Mary Baker Eddy speaks of mortals' necessity to gain a correct concept of the infinite. And on page 536 of this book she writes: "If man's spiritual gravitation and attraction to one Father, in whom we 'live and move and have our being,' should be lost, and if man should be governed by corporeality instead of divine Principle, by body instead of by Soul, man would be annihilated."

From the material standpoint terrestrial gravitation is the attraction of the greater mass called earth for smaller objects within its sphere of influence. Christian Science shows that no theory of life that is based on matter can explain the universe of God's creating. The only gravitation in God's universe is the gravitation of man towards Spirit, of idea to its Principle; in other words, it is the irresistible attraction by which man is forever bound and united to God in perpetual harmony. Contrary to the material concept, in which two objects are separate and come together by a material force, God and man are forever one, and this truth is a law of oneness for the universe and every idea.

Godward gravitation implies more than a yearning or aspiration Spiritward. It is a drawing that cannot be resisted. God will not be deprived of or separated from His expression, man. He will not allow Himself to be reduced to a nonentity, as He would be by being unexpressed. Deity cannot be deprived of the right to maintain His own individuality and existence, as He would be by being reduced to an expressionless cause. Lifeless materiality cannot interpose its own foundationless nonexistence between Mind and its idea or keep Mind from expressing its own complete perfection.

Then let mortals yield their thought to the irresistible gravitation towards infinite Spirit, Love. One cannot ask for a closer relationship than that inevitable attraction between Principle and idea, Father and son. Such oneness can never be lost or broken up. In this spiritual embrace the human may rest and be at peace; here draw closer to the everlasting arms of Love; here yield the human will to the divine and know that man is one with God, Mind, not absorbed in Deity, but inseparable from Him a effect of the one cause. As the human yields to the divine, we find our satisfaction in Soul. We then can go forward in full assurance that our being is eternally sustained by the forces of spiritual gravitation, adhesion, cohesion, and attraction. For Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, p. 293), "The material so-called gases and forces are counterfeits of the spiritual forces of divine Mind, whose potency is Truth, whose attraction is Love, whose adhesion and cohesion are Life, perpetuating the eternal facts of being."

Let each one of us ask himself: "Am I willing to go forward in this line of spiritual light? Am I willing to leave all for this Christ-principle, leave all error and have singleness of purpose?" To do so requires the same consecration that has always characterized the real Christian. Christianity has not changed in its standards and requirements, and Christian Science in its revelation of the great verities of being demands that we leave the mortal self and know that there is no selfhood apart from God; leave all material concepts, with their fears, theories, suppositions, and false conclusions; cease clinging to matter, with its false pleasures and pains, human fears and superstitious outlines. Thus we keep our eye single that our whole body may be full of light. Then we know that our joy no man—no human personality, either our own or another's —can take from us.

We cannot be too vigilant in holding to the spiritual facts of existence. Some Christian Scientists have gone far in the demonstration of Principle and then have become complacent and neglectful of their daily mental work, study of the Lesson-Sermons, reading of the Christian Science periodicals, and attendance at church services. They have become quite satisfied with their understanding of Science, and have failed to add daily to their spiritual treasures.

We must remember that our treasures are in earthen vessels which are easily broken if we are depending on ourselves or our past accomplishments in Science. Let us remember that the excellency of power is of God and not of us, and that we must constantly renew and add to our understanding of Spirit. Let us keep ourselves firmly and understandingly in accord with the irresistible law of spiritual gravitation toward the all-knowing and all-governing Mind, and declare its ceaseless ability to hold man forever in spiritual harmony. Because man is wholly governed by the law of spiritual gravitation, we may confidently know that we shall be guided to take steps that can only lead us Godward, even though the material evidence does not at first corroborate the spiritual fact. There is joy in the spiritual assurance that the harmonious law of Mind has no tendencies downward. There is no downward gravitation in Spirit; it is always upward.

The lesson must be learned of scientific, right thinking every moment; if we wish divine protection from the seeming forces of evil constantly gravitating downward. The need at the moment of every Christian Scientist is more obedience to our Leaders command for "Alertness to Duty," prescribed for daily work in our Church Manual, so that error does not snatch from us our deliverance, sometimes even at the moment when we are congratulating ourselves on our escape. We must put on the garments of praise and gratitude constantly. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God" (Ps. 50:23).

Consider the downward steps of the prodigal in the Bible narrative. The first evil suggestion knocking at his mental door was self-will, the selfish desire for gratification of the senses. This led to separation from the father's loving protection, and thence through degrading steps of sensuality he was brought to starvation. But with the awakening desire to return to his father, the process of gravitating Godward began. The next step was repentance, and the resolve to return to his father's house. The story stops after telling of the father's loving reception of him but the upward gravitating steps following the experience may be taken for granted in the light of Christian Science, which points to the watchfulness and effort needed by the individual in order for him to hold the good already gained and to add to it.

All of us have been prodigals in varying degrees, and we must constantly watch that we are not willfully misled or tempted to wander from the Father's house, To believe in the existence of matter is a constant temptation for us to leave His house. Let us not yield to the claims of matter, but steadfastly maintain our oneness with Love. We can be assured that the poet's words apply to us individually: