According to the Scriptures, as recorded in the book of Acts, two men prayed. One, by the name of Cornelius, prayed to know God; the other, Peter, prayed to help others to know God. As a result of their prayers, both men had a vision in which they were given divine commands which, though they were strangers to each other, brought them together for the godly purpose of the one receiving and the other imparting the truth. To-day, in these times of world fermentations, there is many another Cornelius who is earnestly crying out for a knowledge of the truth. There are also many loving hearts who, like Peter, having found the truth, yearn to share it with their fellow-man. Surely, the desire that reaches out hungering for righteousness is of God and God-directed, while the heart that is longing to be of service to its fellow-men is also of God and God-directed. Such desires being one in purpose and fulfillment, it is not surprising that those in whose hearts these desires are burning should again be brought together in answer to their prayers and through the working of spiritual law.

The Peter of to-day has the Bible and all the revealed writings of Mary Baker Eddy through which to present the truth to the Cornelius of the present time. He has also the Christian Science periodicals, the gift of our beloved Leader to humanity, to offer every honest seeker. The periodicals, with their messages of truth, have the possibilities of performing similar mission to that of Peter in lifting human thought out of darkness into light. And the world, like Cornelius, is waiting to receive these precious messages of truth, for it is awakening to a new mental state; it is crying out for spiritual light with a louder and more earnest cry than ever before. Well does Mrs. Eddy describe this situation in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 124), where she says, "The fruition of friendship, the world's arm outstretched to us, heart meeting heart across continents and oceans, bloodless sieges and tearless triumphs, the 'well done' already yours, and the undone waiting only your swift hands,—these are enough to make this hour glad." Thus, the time has come for a wide spreading of the periodicals; it is the need of the hour all over the field. In meeting this need, it is quite natural that new ways and means for extending the circulation of the literature should unfold, and that Christian Scientists in their gratitude for the periodicals should love to do this work.

Throughout the world are committees of the different branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, formed for the purpose of promoting the circulation of the periodicals in order the better to respond to this present-day cry of humanity to know God. These committees are learning to carry on their work through prayer and vision. Each worker discovers, sooner or later, that if he is to be at-one with the true purpose and method of extending the blessings of the literature, he must deal with whatever suggestions he finds in his consciousness that stand between him and a true vision of the periodicals. The committees, therefore, do not go forth to distribute the literature indiscriminately; nor do they look merely to material methods or personal endeavors to carry on their work. Instead, they seek to let function in their activities the same spiritual law on which Peter depended, knowing that it is just as necessary to-day to pray for guidance in serving one's fellow-men as it was in the days of old, if there is to be a coming together appointed of God. Indeed, if the efforts to bless humanity through the spreading of the periodicals are to prove effectual, the activities connected therewith must be the result of "prayer and fasting" until the work is placed upon a demonstrable basis.

Lifted to the plane of demonstration, the literature distribution and subscription activities function to the fulfilling of the law of Love. If we go forth in the spirit of unselfed love, expressing such kindness or Christian virtue as may unfold, an opportunity of presenting the periodicals to friends or strangers is not soliciting subscriptions, but is letting subscriptions come forth as the result of demonstration. Subscriptions that unfold in this way are brought about, not through a spirit of human will, coercion, or commercialism, but as a result of the holy purpose to spread the truth in response to the demand of the hour. Subscribing our hearts to the sacred mission of the periodicals, our activities in connection with them are brought under the law of spiritual demonstration, where the work becomes animated with divine wisdom and inspiration. The simple deed of passing along the healing messages of the periodicals, when done under divine direction and in spontaneous and tender ministry to our fellow-men, is closely associated with the spiritual idea of universal brotherhood. As we reflect this spiritual idea upon our work, a fragrance of love is imparted in all that we do and say, which takes down the signs of "no admittance" to Christian Science in prejudiced mentalities, until closed doors open wide to receive the bread of Life through the periodicals. Then again, amid life's press are heard these words of our Master: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Placed on the basis of demonstration, there is spiritual momentum, fruitage, and unspeakable joy in all the activities of distributing the periodicals.

Aside from the collective work, there is also a specific way in which every individual Christian Scientist may take active part in the circulation activities in a most effectual manner. If he will but carry a subscription blank and daily seek God's guidance for its use, he will be prepared to receive subscriptions that will come forth as a natural result of his alertness and preparedness to render in this way a Christian service to his brother-man. The following experience illustrates this fact. A student of Science who was somewhat doubtful of her opportunities of introducing the periodicals to others through the medium of subscriptions, determined to entertain at least a thought of expectant unfoldment along this line of activity and prepare for it. So, as she started downtown one morning, she put a subscription blank in her purse, prayerfully asking to be guided. On the street car a fellow-passenger fell into conversation with her. The subject of newspapers was touched upon, and the stranger, on bewailing the crime-filled columns of the average paper, was asked by the Scientist if she had ever heard of The Christian Science Monitor; and after a few moments' talk about it, the woman eagerly inquired how she might procure a subscription to this newspaper. Joyously, the student took out her subscription blank and received the first of the three subscriptions which unfolded that week as a result of her awakened thought to be prepared to receive whatever might come forth as a result of right mental work.

Through such kindly interest in friend or stranger many an answer is found to the prayer expressed in these words of our Leader (Poems, p. 13):

Praying each day to be alert and divinely guided in taking advantage of every opportunity either to speak of the Monitor or to send it to some one to whom it will be acceptable, will bring about the day when the Monitor, and eventually all the periodicals, will go into every home in the land.

The literature circulation responsibilities are not only individual, but also collective; they require the concerted activity of the entire church membership, for many of the decisions of the committees must be ratified by the churches before right action can be taken. How necessary, then, for every church member to be collectively, as well as individually, interested in the literature distribution work! Under the watchful care of the church, its individual members awaken to a great love of the work and learn how to spread wisely the healing messages of Truth, and thus avoid any spasmodic or promiscuous efforts in fulfilling their obligations to the periodicals. The opportunities for cooperation, unity, and brotherly love among churches offered by the literature circulation activities are many. Those churches which take active part in extending the periodicals become permeated with the universal and Christian spirit that characterizes the periodicals. Is it surprising, then, if these churches receive new life and pulsate with added good will to all mankind through this particular department of promulgating the truth?

In dealing with the periodicals, we are uniting ourselves with the currents of true spirituality that flow out to human consciousness with joy and healing. Thus, committees and churches, practitioners and students, can unite collectively in spreading the good news on a larger scale than ever before, to meet the increasing demand of those in other folds. The primitive Christians gave their lives to the spreading of the good news, and due to their efforts Christianity has been preserved for us. We are learning that we have a similar responsibility. Shall we, then, allow apathy or the world's opposition to Truth to dull our ears to humanity's cry, or deaden our willing hearts to this imperative world service? Nay, we should challenge every suggestion that would cause us to be lukewarm toward the activities of the periodicals or to stand in judgment of them. As we faithfully continue to give to this work our hearty and prayerful support, the periodicals will "go across the ocean," as the hymn reads,

As our churches awake to the advancing demands and responsibilities of the literature activity, and as, like Peter, they seek the Cornelius of the present time in obedience to spiritual guidance, they will be prepared to help usher in the dawn of that glorious new day described in these prophetic words of our Leader (Miscellany, pp. 184, 185): "Surely, the Word that is God must at some time find utterance and acceptance throughout the earth, for he that soweth shall reap. To such as have waited patiently for the appearing of Truth, the day dawns and the harvest bells are ringing."

Copyright, 1926, 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.