"What a glorious inheritance is given to us through the understanding of omnipresent Love! More we cannot ask: more we do not want: more we cannot have." These words of Mary Baker Eddy, which appear on page 307 of "Miscellaneous Writings," indicate that the inheritance of man is spiritual. Mankind is inclined to think of an inheritance in terms of money or material possessions only. An inheritance of money is believed to be valuable because it is expected to provide security and happiness.

The Apostle John assured us of a divine inheritance when he wrote (I John 3:1, 2): "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. ... Beloved, now are we the sons of God." The inheritance belonging to the sons of God is available to all who will receive it through acknowledging the omnipotence and omnipresence of Spirit and of man's inseparability from Spirit, divine Love. The nature of this inheritance is revealed in Paul's letter to the Romans, in which he declared that we are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (8:17).

Through an honest study of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and Mrs. Eddy's other writings, students of Christian Science are becoming more conscious of their legitimate, present heritage of good. They see that this heritage consists of spiritual ideas, which enrich and bless their daily experience. Anything that can undergo change or fluctuation is no part of man's heritage, for spiritual ideas are necessarily invariable.

Mrs. Eddy throws light on man's heritage when she states in "Pulpit and Press" (p. 3), "Know, then, that you possess sovereign power to think and act rightly, and that nothing can dispossess you of this heritage and trespass on Love."

The dispute over an earthly heritage has alienated many a friend and brother. But man's spiritual heritage is completely free from all misunderstandings and encumbrances.

The writer proved for herself that a so-called material inheritance was of no avail in solving a problem of human relations. Struggling with a false sense of herself as a mortal in a discordant family situation, she found anxiety, confusion, and disappointment claiming place in her consciousness.

When she turned the searchlight of Truth on her consciousness, the thought that if others would act differently her way would be happier was uncovered as an error in her own consciousness, not something external to her. Humbly she prayed for guidance and for the knowledge of how to hold a sense of harmony, to love with more Christianly scientific purity, to remain calm and unperturbed in the midst of personal agitation, and to prove man's God-given dominion.

An earnest endeavor was made to reject the mortal belief of a relationship based on material origin and to accept the fact that all God's ideas have one parent, divine Love. As this attitude was maintained, it became easier to realize that God's ideas cannot be discordant, nor can they harm or dominate one another.

Since Love is never less than omnipotent, and divine intelligence always governs its ideas, Love's ideas cannot misunderstand one another. And it follows that no discordant belief of mortal mind can disturb the harmony of one's home when the truth of man's relationship to God is recognized and applied.

A statement from "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 307), "God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies," was particularly enlightening when it was discerned that the word "give" implies that someone is ready to receive. Giving requires a recipient as well as a giver. God is giving continuously and abundantly His spiritual ideas, but unless they are accepted, the giving is not complete. When spiritual ideas are accepted, we are aware of them and, in our daily living, express them in increased alertness, kindness, honesty, patience, forbearance, and consideration.

There is no limit to the benefit that one may derive from the utilization of spiritual ideas. For example, the spiritual idea of abundance is infinite, eternal, ever present. When this idea is seen as governing one's daily existence, one experiences a sufficiency of everything needed.

The spiritual understanding that security is unshakable, continuous, incapable of being destroyed, brings stability and confidence into one's human affairs.

It became quite natural for the writer to rejoice in the abundance of Soul and to thank God that His reflection, man, never lacks one iota of good. Love forthwith opened the way for legitimate human pursuits which consummated in membership for the writer in The Mother Church and in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and for the relative who had been unhappy in her environment a home in the South, where she wished to be. Thus happiness and satisfaction were realized for the individuals concerned.

He who learns of his spiritual heritage through Christian Science beholds "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 21:1). Through the power of Christ, Truth, he finds himself lifted out of whatever difficulty had led him to seek divine help, whether it was sickness, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, or lack.

Dominion over material sense is possible to every individual. Since God is constantly giving of Himself to man and man is constantly receiving, it is right for us to expect every need to be met adequately and completely. We can prove our eternal birthright as we identify ourselves as "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," the recipients of infinite good. There is no need to wait until some future time or to a coming of age. We may claim our heritage now.