TIMELY ACKNOWLEDGMENT

FRANK B. HOMANS

To withhold credit for good deeds done is one of the peculiar characteristics of human nature. One must not only conceive a valuable idea, but he must fight to secure its merited position in the world. The greater the ultimate success, the harder he must struggle to make it secure, and in face of the fact that the very ones who oppose it may be those whom it will most benefit. It is the other man's success which is opposed, not the idea itself. Fear that some other star may dim the brillancy of our own light, and a selfish desire to hold back the success of others, are the stumbling-blocks that stand in the way of every pioneer who starts in any direction which may suggest new or improved ideas. When one's success is attained and secure, then all men bow before it and do homage to him who has succeeded.

It is truly said that "nothing succeeds like success." The recognition of good deeds done, which would be so much appreciated by the toiler, and which he has a reasonable excuse for expecting, is too often withheld until after his departure from this earthly scene. The price of the flowers on the grave of many a man would have saved him from dying of hunger or perhaps paid the debt which caused his death. Had the tears shed and the kind words spoken at the bier found expression during the life of the departed, many an otherwise darkened life would have been brightened and many a sad heart made glad, but too often these generous impulses are withheld until it is too late

Christ Jesus, the wisest, purest, and best man that ever lived, was scorned, persecuted, and crucified not because of what he said or did, but from fear that he might succeed and establish some church, religion, or government which would interfere with the interests of the rulers. It was not Jesus, it was the pure thoughts which he presented that men hated. It was not Jesus, but the success of Jesus' doctrines they feared. It was not Jesus, but the Christ-power that they wished to crush out. Judged from a material standpoint they accomplished their object, thereby losing their greatest and best friend. While Jesus failed to receive but slight recognition from the Jews of his age, today his greatness, his wisdom, and his teachings are proclaimed far and wide by all nations; and yet Jesus' works and life were as great and grand and noble nineteen hundred years ago as they are now.

Again history is repeating itself. There is one living in this age who presents the word of God in its purity, who lives it in its simplicity, who has revealed and is daily revealing the glories of that grand old book, the Bible. Her one and only aim is to help every man, woman, and child in the world, to better in every way their condition. She has no personal motive in view, no selfish object to gain, only a loving desire to help mankind, to teach them what God is, who God is, and where God is, and show each one what man's relation to God is. While it is true that there are thousands listening, learning, and striving to gain this knowledge she so willingly imparts, yet a vast army of mortals reject it. Later on it will be acknowledged to be true by every church and every nation, even as Jesus' teachings are acknowledged to be true, but the great fact remains and exists now that this life which Mrs. Eddy is now living is just as great, grand, pure, and noble today as it will be two hundred years hence, and her teachings which are admitted and proved by the few are just as absolutely correct and scientific now as they will be then. For the past forty years the efforts of many have been directed to the task of finding imperfections in her fundamental teaaching, but the attempts have all failed. This failure is due to the fact which she very wisely states in Science and Health (p. 110), "No human pen nor tongue taught me this Science contained in this book, Science and Health; and neither tongue nor pen can overthrow it."

The love and gratitude which her followers are pleased to manifest for Mrs. Eddy, the great deference and respect they show her, are the result of an awakened spiritual sense which lay dormant until her statement of truth aroused it,—a sense which every man has, but which few appreciate as they should. This sense enables one to recognize what she has done and is doing for the world. The only reason there are not more Christian Scientists is because there are not more who understand what Christian Science is. When this light dawns upon human thought, it is irresistible; it leads and we follow, not satisfied until we reach the birthplace of the divine idea, and there lay down our material offerings in exchange for this spiritual perception. Error, evil, mortal mind, may well tremble as it sees the gathering impetus of this grand march heavenward; the Herod of today, although just as cruel, will meet with even less success than did the Herod in Jesus' time.

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THE WEDNESDAY EVENING MEETING

July 2, 1910

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