We learn in metaphysics that life abides in consciousness; that the character of any one's life is determined by his thinking, hence right thinking means a right life. But how can we know how to think rightly? Most people naturally want to think and to do what seems to be right, but the amount of sickness, accidents, troubles, and failures in most lives, indicates that much of the thinking of the past has not been right. In Christian Science, as set forth in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy has shown us how to think rightly by teaching us the Principle of all true being and the rules for its demonstration. These the earnest and faithful student can learn to understand and live accordingly.

The beginning of all right thinking is God, the divine Mind, the creator and cause of all that is real, and we begin to apprehend God's character and how to distinguish His creation from everything else, when we accept Jesus' statement that God is Spirit. This being true, His creation is spiritual, and the spiritual is the only real. Matter being the opposite of Spirit, material things are unreal. Having grasped this clearly, we begin to think rightly, and if we adhere to this truth, namely, that God is the Principle of all real being, we shall continue in right thinking. The recognition of Spirit as divine Principle is the touchstone, as it were, by which we can test all thoughts to see if they are true and right.

But according to the teachings of Christian Science, besides being Spirit, the Principle of being, God is divine Mind, the source of all right ideas; hence all true thoughts are from God. Moreover, God is infinite, therefore the study of God is an infinite subject; and we can think rightly about everything only when we have a perfect knowledge of God. However, the habit of right thinking will fit us for further revelations of God's nature, until He is fully revealed in us and we are at one with Him. God being the source of all intelligence and all good, if we look constantly to Him we can but have an abundant supply of right ideas. Every idea that comes from God partakes of His nature; hence man, who is God's highest idea, is spiritual and perfect, and we should thus think of him. Furthermore, it is manifest that we can know the real man only as we know God.

The thinking subject is called consciousness, and mortal consciousness is largely made up of perceptions of material objects, which seem to exist independent of our thinking. In Christian Science, however, we learn that thoughts are things, that thoughts which do not proceed from the divine Mind are only illusions, and that the objects of right thought (ideas) are the creations of Mind. Knowing this, we can control the stream of our consciousness by testing our thoughts, by considering their relation to Principle as a criterion by which to retain true concepts and reject the false. To illustrate, memory may be said to be the faculty of recalling to consciousness some fact or experience. Memory is commonly supposed to be a function of the human, mortal mind (so called), strong in some persons, weak in others, according as it has been inherited or developed by some process of training. Considered thus only as a belief, it is often supposed to be lost. And when one holding this belief has a lapse of memory, he thinks he must use great will-power to regain it.

In Science and Health (p. 407) Mrs. Eddy says that "no faculty of Mind is lost." Since the divine Mind is all-knowing, it never forgets, and in proportion as we realize our oneness with this Mind, we manifest a perfect memory. Again (p. 84), we read that "it is the prerogative of the ever-present, divine Mind, and of thought which is in rapport with this Mind, to know the past, the present, and the future." Knowing this, we need not exercise the human will to recall any of the past beliefs or experiences of our consciousness, but we can calmly realize man's oneness with the divine Mind, and so find the thought we want. This faculty does not require any long, tedious processes and expedients to develop it, but it is inherent in man as the child or reflection of Mind; and it is gained in proportion as we put aside the false material belief of self, and learn through Christian Science man's at-one-ment with divine Mind.

Thinking involves both knowing and feeling, and Christian Science brings us both. We are to test our feelings and see if they accord with divine Principle, which is Love. Feelings such as fear, anger, hatred, lust, and self-pity, are obviously unlike divine Love, because they relate to a belief in a material self. On the other hand, meekness, faith, joy, love, and peace, being spiritual, are reflections of divine Love, and so deservedly part of right thinking. Love, in a human sense, may be said to be a desire for good, and when this is our actuating motive, we are safely and rightly guided in our thinking.

When we meet with appearances of evil in the form either of sickness or other discord, we can destroy them by the power of Truth, remembering that "the spiritual power of a scientific, right thought, without a direct effort, an audible or even a mental argument, has oftentimes healed inveterate diseases" (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 9). He who thinks rightly, expresses so much health, harmony, happiness, and peace that he cannot help attracting the interest of those who have not yet learned to do likewise; and they, in time, are led by example to do the same. For, as Jesus said, "If I [the Christ ideal] be lifted up . . . [I] will draw all men unto me." When all men think rightly, truly and lovingly, both of themselves and of one another, they will live in perfect harmony. As Jesus said, this heaven is "at hand," "within," and it is realized by right thinking.

But one Light shines; ten thousand rays
Through earth's dark clouds are breaking,
And envy flees before the gaze
Of brothers, joyous waking.
But one Mind guides, but one God is,
One Love does all the righting;
The workers and the work are His,
All in one cause uniting.

Arthur F. Fosbery.