The need for accurate advice and unfailing direction in the working out of the problems common to human experience is seen by students of Christian Science to be imperious and universal in its scope. When an individual is confronted with the rock-ribbed obstacle of some so-called personal problem, which seems to baffle the understanding, naturally the person begins to cast about mentally for a stable source of advice and information, to which he can go with assurance that the answer to his mental query will be unerring.

To the mortal, baffled and perplexed by the wide diversity of human opinions as regards his particular problem and the correct manner in which it should be solved, the query arises from the heart, which borders upon a wail of despair, "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" as voiced by Job of old. In other words, where is there an unfailing source of unerring direction and infinite protection to be found? That such a source exists, we are assured by the glowing promises of the Bible as to God's guidance and protection for His own. It becomes more and more evident with the unfolding of life experience that this source must exist somewhere apart from and above and beyond mere human counsel and advice, for have we not all taken our seemingly most perplexing problems to intimate friends for their guidance, and found that the way which we should take under the particular circumstances was still not perfectly clear? Such experiences prove unmistakably that the guiding power of God is wholly apart from mere human premises and opinions. On page 454 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says: "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action." Cannot these statements of truth be properly taken as admonitions to all to seek to discern through spiritual understanding, instead of from human personality, the exact way to take? When we ask for advice from human personality, how many times does the person to whom the inquiry is addressed know all of the facts and the innermost sacred desires of the heart? Surely very seldom. Therefore not knowing all the facts, how can any person render a perfectly intelligent judgment? Yet is this not precisely what we are trying daily to do, and expecting others to do,—that is, to decide momentous problems correctly without being in full possession of the facts? What would we think of the consistency of the judge of a court who would hand down a decision in a case without taking into consideration all of the facts? The attempt to decide momentous issues of individuals and nations from ex parte knowledge has resulted and will result in dire consequences.

In the relation of God to His idea, the idea is responsible to God alone for its motives and aims, which means that we are not divinely bound to solve our life problems in the way which might seem best to others. This freedom of initiative should not be construed to mean, however, that we are at liberty to use our own willful pleasure in the solving of our problems, but means that when an individual has as his life motive the manifesting of God, good, he has the divine right to take the course which seems the best to his highest understanding of good, irrespective of the divergent and conflicting opinions of mortals. It has been said, and said with propriety, that a man's conception of God can be no higher than his conception of good, but it should be at least always that high. Our present perception of spiritual Truth may not be the absolute, yet if each person will consistently follow the leadings of his highest sense of good, what a wonderful amout of good would be bestowed upon humanity. We cannot if we wish take the second step before the first, inasmuch as Christian Science is a perfectly orderly demonstrable Science, which must develop its proofs with mathematical accuracy from the more simple demonstration to the more complex.

Among the leading statesmen of the world there is seen an international policy growing and gaining favor, to the effect that each nation, great or insignificant, should be accorded the right to determine its own destiny, untrammeled and unhindered by other nations. It is recognized by the advocates of this policy that undoubtedly mistakes would be made by the different nations if left to their own initiative in the working out of their own ends; yet it is the conviction of the upholders of this policy of international freedom that the evil inuring from this source would be small in comparison with the dire consequences of one nation imposing its policies upon another, with no regard to the differences in the conditions of the two nations. This aforesaid basis, it seems, may be applied to equal advantage between individuals, as well as nations, and if followed consistently we shall not find ourselves unduly concerned in the way in which the "other person" is endeavoring to work out his problem, nor will we be seeking to ascertain how the "other person" thinks we should work out our problem, but each will seek to learn directly and not indirectly from divine Mind just what to do.

Copyright, 1920, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.