WHEN the children of Israel were being pursued by Pharaoh and his army, they were sore afraid and cried out to Moses that it were better to serve the Egyptians than to die. Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." They did go forward, and crossed the Red Sea in safety. There is no greater example of moral courage recorded in the Old Testament than Moses, who listened to the voice of God, obeyed, and went forward.

In our human experiences we, too, encounter Pharaoh and his army of personal sense, with their arguments of limitation, fear, greed, selfishness, and kindred qualities; and many times, like the Israelites of old, we are tempted to give up rather than fight to the overcoming of the enemy. Especially when wounded by another's seeming neglect, indifference, lack of love, ingratitude, injustice, or when misunderstood and maligned, we let the archenemies of discouragement and resentment into thought; but there is no surer or quicker way out of these difficulties than by learning to lift one's self up by going forward.

There is a race to be run, a prize to be gained; and with this in thought we can press forward, knowing that the really worthy person is he who surmounts obstacles, and keeps in view the one and only motive in life worth working for, namely, the overcoming of self, the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new. This task may at first seem difficult; but the most arduous part is usually the start,—getting self out of the way sufficiently really to live the truth. This battle won, the way out of the wilderness of mortal error, with its temptations and discords, grows less irksome and more gladsome each step of the way. Progress will be easier after the first false beliefs of materiality have melted away before the glorious reality of true being. With an ax we strike the hard surface of a tough tree trunk, making little impression to begin with. After a while a deep incision is made; and then the felling of the tree becomes easier. So it is with human beliefs. At first they may seem to resist the Christ, Truth; but once admit this angel-messenger, and it becomes easier to find lodgment for right thoughts, which, if entertained, will multiply until God's kingdom comes on earth "as it is in heaven."

Another lesson to be learned in going forward is the resisting of the temptation to look back. Once we have turned our back on personal sense, we can rest in the thought that we can "go forward." It requires courage like unto that of Moses to take the step of putting the "army" behind, and going forward with faith in ever present good to supply our needs. In her Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (p. 7) Mrs. Eddy gives us these comforting and assuring words: "Does not our heavenly Parent—the divine Mind—include within this Mind the thoughts that express the different mentalities of man and woman, whereby we may consistently say, 'Our Father-Mother God'? And does not this heavenly Parent know and supply the differing needs of the individual mind even as the Scriptures declare He will?" Mrs. Eddy also says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 252), "A knowledge of error and of its operations must precede that understanding of Truth which destroys error;" but she does not tell us that we must continue to look at error. Many times error would disappear, but for the tendency of the so-called human mind to look back. One friend once said to another, "Do not go to sleep at night until you have erased from your blackboard of thought all errors; then you will wake each morning knowing you have a clean, fresh board before you."

It is a joyous overcoming, this battle with self, this overcoming of evil; and that one is brave who can rise above the temptation to resent a wrong, to repine over a loss, to sigh because he is not understood, to long for human recognition and approbation, and in their stead learn to win the approbation of a wholesome, clean conscience, at peace with God and the world, because, having refused to agree with the lie of personal sense, it has allied itself with the power of God, good. In "Unity of Good" (p. 17) Mrs. Eddy says, "Be allied to the deific power, and all that is good will aid your journey." As the reflection of the infinite Mind, man has the ability to "go forward," the ability to surmount and overcome all that is unlike himself, the perfect idea of God. It matters not how loudly Egyptian taskmasters may speak to us through personal sense; spiritual sense can silence and annihilate all that is unlike good; and we can continue to go forward.

There are also waiting times in this journey heavenward. The soil must be prepared to receive the seed; so we need not fret or worry if we must halt for a season. There are no idle ideas in God's kingdom; but there is work to be done in human consciousness in the preparation of the soil; and often we come to what appear to be seasons of standing still. Even then the way is being prepared and opened for greater growth. Longfellow wrote in his "Psalm of Life":—

When we think of the master Christian, Christ Jesus, how nobly he went forward, taking each step in the overcoming of the flesh, or matter, and how in our own time our dear Leader bravely followed in his path, we can but rejoice that we can humbly follow, grateful for every step we are given the courage and wisdom to take in our ascension out of matter into the recognition of the spiritual real. How much reason the Christian Scientist has to be grateful, joyous, and happy, since he has a vision of the promised land! Like the mountain climber he can look up, not down; and though he slips and has to retrace some steps of the way, he can know he is nearing the goal with each victory over seeming evil. How often the help of a more experienced Christian Scientist has served to waken us to "go forward," to shake off the suggestions of discouragement and fear, and to take another step up the mountain, so that we may gain in spiritual understanding. It is well not to forget our brother, who is also endeavoring to reach the summit, to whom we can lend the same loving aid.

It is an individual ascent, this mountain climbing, in winning spiritual vision; and we cannot burden ourselves by thinking we can work out another's problem; for we cannot: but we can remember we are brothers all the way, and give the helpful word, just as Moses did to the children of Israel. His vision beheld the truth; and he helped those around him according to his own discernment of the truth and their willingness to accept it. Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." So in our individual progress Spiritward we are helping all mankind, making the path brighter, easier, for each pilgrim to the Celestial City. We are helping to break up the claims of matter and all of its false laws. We are but parts of a great army, enlisted to overcome evil,—all sickness and sin. Music makes the marching easier for the soldiers: it stirs the heart to be brave, and keeps up the courage. So it is with us. As we learn to be joyful in the overcoming; to rejoice that we have found the Christ; to love the doing of God's will, not the will of self; to be happy in companioning with God and His ideas,—so shall we find the marching easier, have more courage with which to meet and conquer the foes of mortal belief, and be quicker to recognize the subtle suggestions of the claim of pleasure in materiality, quicker to turn to the divine Mind for rest and health.

When we encounter the Red Sea of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we can, like the Israelites of old, "go forward," and watch the waters of mortal error part until we have passed over, shod with the understanding of God's dear love. The errors of personal sense, which so hotly pursued us all these years of our wandering in the wilderness, can be swallowed up to their utter destruction, as of old. God is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." All we need to do is to rise and "go to the Father." We cannot stand still: we are either slipping back or going forward. Then let us always be sure that we "go forward"!