Paul recognized a certain obligation as resting upon each member of the human family, pertaining to the fulfillment of the sacred and inspired gospel as preached by Jesus the Christ. In the thirteenth chapter of Romans he accordingly admonishes his readers to "render therefore to all their dues," and adds, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another." It is therefore quite apparent that "love," as preached by Paul in his healing ministry, is the chief debt we individually owe to others. According to the gospel of the Master it is also obvious that love is the fulfilling of God's law. Then, as the law of Love, or God's law, functions in our human affairs, even with regard to an honest desire to pay our just debts, we may anticipate without disappointment a complete and abundant manifestation of supply wherewith to meet our obligations through this divine process. This is the operation of the Golden Rule, of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. There have been far more failures in scientific debt-paying from lack of love than from lack of money. When we are aware that Love is ever present, and that, in this instance, money is the objectified expression of gratitude, we shall no longer find it difficult to pay our debts.

It is well to remember, too, that this debt of love is never a one-sided affair. There is never a debtor without a creditor. When two people come in contact with each other, whether the contact be of a social nature or a business transaction, the rendering of dues must be mutual. If the contact be a business transaction and credit is extended, the debtor should feel a deep sense of love for the confidence the creditor has placed in him respecting his honesty and uprightness. In like manner, the creditor should feel that same sense of love for the debtor's patronage, as well as for his confidence in the quality of his wares.

A striking illustration of the operation of this law of love and how it literally pays off one's creditors, is beautifully set forth in the story of the widow who became heavily involved with many debts, so much so that her creditor came to take her two sons to be bondmen, thus cutting off even that source of supply for her. Now, the widow knew of Elisha, the prophet, as being a man of God, expressing the qualities of Love. Her confidence was great in his ability to prove this law as sufficient to meet her debt; so in dire distress she turned to him for help, never doubting the divine power. Elisha, knowing that the law of Love could no more fail in its perpetual operation than could the Author of that law, turned immediately to the divine source of all good for aid. Recognizing the mesmerism of lack overshadowing the woman's thoughts, he saw her need as wholly spiritual; and, as a result, he asked her two questions, both of which were vitally important in making the demonstration. The first was, "What shall I do for thee?" It was necessary for the widow to acknowledge her just debts, humbly ask for the help she so much needed, and also to agree with Elisha that through the divine power her need could be met. The second question put forth by Elisha was, "What hast thou in the house?" There was only a small "pot of oil." Had the widow considered this oil of no value and said to Elisha that she did not have anything left in her house, that it was empty and she was entirely without resources, her demonstration of supply might not have been realized; but, on the contrary, she brought out all that she possessed—she withheld nothing. With honesty of purpose she produced her all.

Now "oil," Mary Baker Eddy tells us on page 592 of her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," typifies "consecration; charity; gentleness; prayer; heavenly inspiration." Even though this impoverished widow may have possessed only a small portion of the foregoing qualities, which she saw expressed in Elisha, they nevertheless awakened in her thought that pure, sincere desire to satisfy her creditors. And, as a consequence, she immediately set to work to increase her supply of "oil." She must first secure proper containers, so that nothing would be lost. She must also shut the door of her thought, thereby protecting herself and her two sons from fear, doubt, and worry, so that nothing should defile that calm, consecrated, gentle prayer and heavenly inspiration.

Is it any wonder that, when the widow turned to Elisha for help with the sincere desire to rid herself of the burden of debt, he in turn should feel his great debt of love and gratitude to God? It was imperative that Elisha, too, should render his dues. He, therefore, saw the occasion as an opportunity to pay his debt of love, that great love for God and man which filled his heart. His consecrated thought was overflowing with "heavenly inspiration," "prayer," and "charity," and it must have an outlet. So with joy he paid his debt by lifting the widow's thought high into the realm of Spirit, an altitude perhaps never before reached by her. She realized her real need to be that of Spirit instead of matter. No more did cramped, limited, impoverished beliefs fill her thinking; instead, she had learned to think in pure, wholesome, abundant spiritual terms. And governed by such thoughts, nothing could prevent her from paying her debts.

The question may come to some, When shall I pay my debt? The time to begin is this very moment. If we neglect to clear away our obligations, we may find the inspiration wanting or our prayer apparently fruitless. This moment we should find ourselves deep in the debt of love, due and payable on demand. The situation as between Elisha and the widow was not unlike that between a Christian Science practitioner and patient to-day. Healing is a mutual task, and the desired results are obtained through spiritual thinking and divine activity.

Many have been robbed of the most beautiful demonstrations of supply by failing to open up channels through which love may find a way. When we are asked by divine Love, "What shall I do for thee?" are we always ready meekly and humbly to acknowledge our sincere debt of love to those with whom we come into rightful contact, and likewise express our sincere desire to pay this obligation? And when asked, "What hast thou in the house?" are we not inclined to want to hold back some little thing that we would rather the world knew nothing of; something upon which we have been leaning far too long already, instead of coming out openly and clearly with the statement that we have only a small "pot of oil"? When we acknowledge all we possess, even though it be ever so little, and see our possessions humbly and meekly for what they are worth, we shall find the flow of oil perpetually increasing, and to such an extent that we shall soon find ourselves doing as the widow did, hastening to find more vessels to receive the overflow.

Our great need, if we but knew it, is not of a material nature. It is not primarily work, or food, or money we have need of, but inspiration of thought, the unfolding of spiritual ideas, presenting to us, and others as well, the angels of God's presence which give us our daily supply. These will provide enough to pay all our debts.