In John's writings the metaphor of the door appears in messages of particular helpfulness for us today. The beloved disciple records Christ Jesus' parable which exposes the error of those who would enter, by some wrong way, the sheepfold, typifying salvation. In his explanation the Master said (John 10:9, 10) : "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. ... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Thus "the door" stands for Jesus' teaching and demonstration of the Christ, Truth. Christian Science shows this teaching to be the way of spiritual Love and Life abundant.

Again, in revealing "what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Rev. 2:11), John records Christ Jesus' message to the church at Philadelphia, part of which reads (Rev. 3:8), "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."

This is encouraging to many students of Christian Science today who, though having only "a little strength," or grasp, of this Science, work on persistently through trials of their faith toward a fuller understanding of this vast subject. Even if they fail to solve every problem early in their study and application of Christian Science, they do not deny or doubt the authenticity of this Science as the complete and final revelation of Truth. They know that not even their own at present limited sense of themselves can close the door to their God-given freedom, health, and abundance,

This door that "no man can shut" is the only door to salvation, to harmony, and to peace. It is the door through which the human consciousness is led to God, Truth, Life, Mind, and Love, the divine Principle of being. It is open to "what the Spirit saith," but not to the voice or evidence of mortal mind with its materiality and error. It is the door of scientific thinking through which we find the divine Mind to be the only real consciousness of its idea, spiritual man, and therefore the only Life, substance, and intelligence of all.

In the parable, Jesus said of that quality of thought which "entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way" that it is "a thief and a robber" (John 10:1). Are not egotism, rivalry, and vainglory, or perhaps mental laziness and laxness, some of the elements which would lead one astray and rob him of his true individuality as Truth's expression?

One may think that he is climbing up a so-called easier or better way than Christian Science when he has merely gone up in his own esteem. Let him consider whether any such way is not more concerned with human personality or with the letter than with the humble spirit of Christlikeness. Let him watch for the telltale badge of thievery: plagiarism of the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

"Through all human history, the vital outcomes of Truth have suffered temporary shame and loss from individual conceit, cowardice, or dishonesty." This statement by Mrs. Eddy appears in an article on "Vainglory" in her book "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 267). And on the next page of the same article is the following: "Earthly glory is vain; but not vain enough to attempt pointing the way to heaven, the harmony of being. The imaginary victories of rivalry and hypocrisy are defeats."

These statements of our Leader's show that one must be on guard against any phase of mortal mind that would steal his treasures of Truth by tempting him to use some door other than the one Christian Science has opened for him. If he is awake, any such bypath will betray its counterfeit nature by its departure from the pure revelation of our Leader, who asks us to follow her only so far as she follows Christ (see Message to The Mother Church for 1901).

If one has been tempted to pursue for a while another way, he can awaken and can then retrace his steps to the true path. Each of us can know and expect that eventually Truth will uncover and destroy whatever error in his thinking would rob him of the Christ, Truth.

In my own experience, when I had just begun the study of Christian Science and before it healed me, an acquaintance gave me literature of a system which she claimed was the same, but simpler. Open-mindedly, so I thought, I had a look at it. But I quickly saw that despite a similarity of terminology in some respects, which revealed its plagiarism, it differed radically, from Science by departing from the exclusively spiritual basis for demonstration. So convincing was my later healing through Science that I never again seriously considered other systems.

It was the consistency of Mrs. Eddy's discovery, with Christ Jesus' teachings, as well as the reason and logic of Christian Science, which lifted me out of agnosticism and what doctors called an incurable physical condition. And truly I have found in Christian Science the door to Life abundant. I have enjoyed good health and a progressively better sense of occupation, home, and companionship; and limitations seemingly imposed upon me by heredity and early environment have been broken down.

The door of Life abundant opens wide to the horizon of infinite possibilities. It opens our thought to perceive our true selfhood as the individualized expression of omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Mind. This self can never be found in matter or in material modes of thought. Every action, function, and experience of the real man is spiritual, harmonious, perfect. Thus the door of Life is shut on sin, disease, and death, Life's opposites, but open to all the glories of heaven, the harmony of true being.

After speaking of mortal man's idolatry, his belief in false gods, false creators, and false creations, our Leader writes (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 535) : "When will man pass through the open gate of Christian Science into the heaven of Soul, into the heritage of the first born among men? Truth is indeed 'the way.' "