"BE NOT AFRAID."

Archibald McLellan

The urgent need of Christian Scientists is to make practical use of the teachings of their text-book, Science and Health, and as a first step in this direction they should turn to page 410 of this book and read and ponder Mrs. Eddy's words, "Christian scientific practice begins with Christ's key-note of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'" then to page 192, where they will find the statement, "Evil is not power." To be afraid, or to give power to evil, is to admit that there is a creator apart from God, good, an admission which in effect denies that first and fundamental plank of Christianity, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

Elsewhere in Science and Health Mrs. Eddy makes many statements of similar nature, notably the one on page 454, where she writes, "The understanding, even in a degree, of the divine All-power destroys fear, and plants the feet in the true path,--the path which leads to the house built without hands 'eternal in the heavens.' Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned. That evil or matter has neither intelligence nor power, is the doctrine of absolute Christian Science, and this is the great truth which strips all disguise from error." Again, on page 469, she says, "Evil can have no place, where all space is filled with God."

It is from such statements as these that Christian Scientists have been able to draw the courage and inspiration which has enabled them to meet practically every phase of evil without flinching. The understanding that God is omnipotent does not tolerate a belief that there is another power called evil, nor does it tolerate a fear of that which it knows does not exist.

In order to be consistent, Christian Scientists must know that no harm can come to them if they "do right and fear not," and if they know this they will have no fear. Mrs. Eddy, on page 442 of the text-book, lays special emphasis on the importance of this duty, and if we heed her admonition we shall know that neither person, place, nor thing can harm the Christian Scientist who is "clad in the panoply of Love," and is faithfully following Christ. Every student of the text-book who has absorbed even the smallest grain of Christian Science has obtained enough understanding to free himself from fear, and it is his duty and his privilege to assert his God-given right to freedom from every belief of mortal mind which would enslave him.

The psalmist said. "Yea. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." He had that assurance in the protecting power of divine Love to which the apostle referred when he said, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear;" and Christian Scientists are fortunate in having learned how to make "perfect love" available.

Archibald McLellan.

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