At this Thanksgiving time, when thought is going out...

Mary M. Bell

At this Thanksgiving time, when thought is going out in gratitude for the many blessings received, may I, too, give thanks for this great truth that has come into my life, making the desert to blossom and bring forth fruit, refreshing the parched ground, and causing the springs of life to burst forth anew.

Since early childhood there had always been hidden away in the most sacred place in thought, where none could touch it to shatter it by unbelief, a hope, yea a certainty, that some time the Christ-cure would come to me, even as it came to those who were privileged to walk with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee; that I, too, would feel Truth's healing touch, and the discord which had blighted all my life would be taken from me. I waited many years for its appearing; I knew not in what guise it would come, but I knew that when it came I should recognize it.

And at last it did come, through our inspired text-book, Science and Health, with the healing for which I had waited so long. It has filled my every need, and like all that comes from divine Love, it has given me far more than I had asked. I see now that I did not know how to ask aright. I was only seeking for physical healing; but our heavenly Father knew what I had need of, and that was the spiritual healing. This healing is coming to me daily, as I reach out for it, and as I grasp this uplifting, enfolding truth, the physical externalization follows as a natural consequence, just as the melting of the ice follows the action of the sun's rays, as the bursting of the buds follows the gentle spring rains.

My thoughts has gone out so much of late to the work of the primitive Christians,—those faithful followers of our dear Master to whom this sacred truth had been revealed, who saw so clearly that it was only by living close to Christ that this healing power could be retained. They knew that if they let this teaching become adulterated with materiality, it would gradually but surely be lost to them and to the world. One by one they suffered marytyrdom rather than prove disloyal to their teaching. and as their treasured writings were being destroyed, they may have felt that it would only be a question of time until all would be swept away from the earth. When the last faithful follower saw that hate was soon to seal his lips, his heart must have gone out in a yearning cry, a longing to know who would be called to take up this work again; when, in future ages, this Christ-healing would be taught upon the earth again, and Christ's kingdom be established, even as the Master promised. But divine Love had already provided for the need, and to one in our day, who was consecrated and loyal to God, this truth has been revealed, and thereby the centuries have clasped hands, the abyss of darkness has been bridged over. Thus is Love seen to be "the master of hate" (Science and Health, p. 44). Christian Science is proving to a long-waiting world that Christ's kingdom is here and now,—a spiritual kingdom which is being built up in consciousness.

The disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray," and he taught them, "Thy kingdom come." Our Leader says, "Thy kingdom is come" (Ibid., p. 16), and after studying along these lines, and trying to grasp a fuller sense of this great truth, I realized as never before our beloved Leader's mission her continuance of this work in direct line with that of those loyal witnesses of the early day, and her noble efforts to retain the purity of her God-given message. On studying again in Science and Health I found it glowing with a new meaning, the spiritual sense of its teachings had come to me, and I saw as I had never seen before that the kernel of Jesus' teachings and of our dear Leader's is one and the same, both point to the setting up of a spiritual kingdom.

Mrs. Eddy says, "Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven,—the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen" (Ibid., p. 208). Just as fast as belief in matter is laid aside, just so fast are we helping to accomplish this glorious work, and this can only be done through love, meekness, humility; by casting out self and knowing God's allness. An uplifting sense of its beauty and completeness has dawned upon me, I have indeed been taken up on the mountain-top and permitted to obtain a glimpse of the promised land.

Mrs. Mary M. Bell, San Diego, Cal.

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