Intrenchment

In warfare one purpose of trenches is, of course, protection. The trenches of to-day, just as in the time of David, represent the best protection that the human mind has been able to devise in the circumstances. Since any human concept, however, is but a counterfeit of the perfect spiritual idea, Christian Science requires us to turn our attention to the truth about even intrenchment.

What is the one perfect protection? What is the true intrenchment which must be understood by all who would put on the whole armor of God? The one surety is simply that Life is indeed eternal. In the trenches to-day the soldiers themselves are getting glimpses of this fundamental fact and are willing, therefore, to turn more and more from a human sense of life to Principle. No one can give up immortality. Consciousness demonstrably is, and what really is always is, for it could not possibly include any element of nonexistence, any element of destruction. Infinite divine consciousness, which, in the last analysis, is all that probably exists, is God, in whom man lives and moves and has his being. Instead of living in a material body, man lives thus as the forever expression of indestructible consciousness. The sureness of this must take the place of any fear.

The only enemy of mankind is the supposition denying this metaphysical truth that the real man lives as the uninterruptedly active manifestation of perfect consciousness. Supposition of any opposite or denial of the one spiritual consciousness which is all there is, must be, however, mere supposition of an impossibility. What is, cannot be denied. Dwelling in the infinite divine consciousness of present right activity, man is ever safely intrenched from any suppositional destruction. Spiritual consciousness is his eternal heritage and fortress, absolutely impregnable against any enemy.

As Mrs. Eddy says on page 2 of “Pulpit and Press,” “The enemy we confront would overthrow this sublime fortress, and it behooves us to defend our heritage.” Even so, there is nothing to fear. Unlike the Mycetes of Marlowe’s “Tamburlaine,” hiding his crown in a “simple hole,” we need to defend our heritage through the fearless maintenance of man's identity. “How can we do this Christianly scientific work?” Mrs. Eddy continues, and straightway declares, “By intrenching ourselves in the knowledge that our true temple is no human fabrication, but the superstructure of Truth, reared on the foundation of Love, and pinnacled in Life.” The one infinite consciousness which is God, Truth, Love, Life, is forever conscious of its indestructible idea, man. Man's whole spiritual identity as idea is completely defended by this consciousness from any demolition, injury, or disturbance.

Spiritual intrenchment, however, is aggressive as well as defensive. The word trench means a cutting, and one purpose of intrenchment is a constant advance or cutting through the opposing lines. Metaphysically, the reliance upon Principle means a constant cutting through any suppositional resistance. The sleep-loving world often marvels at the progress of the Christian Scientist, fearlessly accomplishing what had seemed impossibilities, and even opposes the very trenchancy which is for the blessing of all mankind. As Mrs. Eddy says on page 160 of “The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany”: “Most of us willingly accept dead truisms which can be buried at will; but a live truth, even though it be a sapling within rich soil and with blossoms on its branches, frightens people. The trenchant truth that cuts its way through iron and sod, most men avoid until compelled to glance at it. Then they open their heart to it for actual being, health, holiness, and immortality.”

In proportion as we accept the consciousness which is deathless and unfolding Life as the only real consciousness and refuse to admit that the true self could even be conscious of anything but vigorous harmony, we are really intrenched in Spirit. Depending thus upon what is all there is, we necessarily reduce to its native nothingness what is not and never has been a real entity. This stanch recognition that more than infinite good is a supposititious impossibility cuts its way through that preposterousness as irresistibly as light cuts its way through darkness. And just as the streaming light is forever defended from any attacks of darkness, so the realization of Principle is forever defended from what has no Principle. That is why disease, injury, any condition of inaction or overaction, death itself, are all powerless against one's unremittingly active understanding of spiritual consciousness.

Unfolding mental activity in accordance with the divine Mind is the very essence of spiritual intrenchment and trenchancy. Since the divine Mind manifest is actually infinite and there cannot be more than one infinity, the activity of the divine Mind is the one incisiveness before which every illusion of mere earthliness must vanish. Man emanates from God to do, and the doing of Mind penetrates perfectly every dream of ineffectiveness. The great First Cause keeps His expression perpetually going. It is with the utmost joy, therefore, that, fully intrenched in the secret place of the Most High, a man meets such a demand as that phrased by Clough, the poet,