"Vigor, freshness, and promise"

Duncan Sinclair

Mortals are held in subjection to traditional beliefs sometimes to an extraordinary extent. Consider for instance the prevalent belief of the comparative shortness of the span of human existence on earth. It is generally held that few may reach their hundredth year, that for most people the span will not exceed the "threescore years and ten."

What must be the effect—first the mental effect and secondly the physical effect—on those who allow themselves to be taken in by this false dictum of mortal mind? Unless it is counteracted by spiritual truth, the individual will inevitably find himself acquiescing in its demand that he shall go the traditional way of mankind. And to his mental mood his body will respond. Vigor and freshness will forsake him; feebleness will come upon him; and then—"the last enemy." It is a pathetic picture, this of human frailty, but, speaking scientifically, an utterly false one.

Now in spite of the fact that through untold generations mortals have believed in a limited span of existence on earth, and have reaped what they have entertained in their consciousness, there has always been on the part of the majority strenuous opposition to what was regarded as the inevitable. They have felt the injustice of the belief and have rebelled against it. But how to meet it, how to overcome it, that has ever been the problem! The alchemists of long ago thought that human existence might be prolonged indefinitely through the use of a material substance, and they diligently sought for what they called "the elixir of life." But they failed in their search. Sometimes in these latter days we hear of theories which would have us believe that after the material body had been sufficiently manipulated, or treated with certain chemicals, life will be greatly prolonged. But all such material theories will go the way of the theory of "the elixir of life"—into oblivion.

That the prophet Isaiah sensed the true way to longevity is shown in his words (Isaiah 40:31), "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Note the words, "They that wait upon the Lord," for they contain the secret. What do they imply? That we must first of all gain an understanding of the Lord, that is, of God or real Being, and then be faithful in the application of our understanding.

Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 128), "A knowledge of the Science of being develops the latent abilities and possibilities of man." This knowledge can be obtained from a study of the Christian Science textbook, from which we have just quoted, in conjunction with the Bible. The study, if honestly pursued, will in all probability revolutionize the thought of the student. It will show him that man—the real man—is not material, but spiritual. It will reveal to him the truth that man, since he is the reflection of God, expresses only divine qualities, or ideas, such as goodness, wisdom, love, and life, and this to an unlimited degree. It will make plain to him that the belief that man lives in a material body is an illusion—a myth. It will make clear to him that as he realizes these truths he will think less about the so-called material body, thereby gaining dominion over it. The result will be better health and greater longevity.

The need, then, is for men to learn more and still more concerning the real man, and with the knowledge they gain dispute and overcome the mistaken beliefs of material sense. It is these false beliefs that would mesmerize us into thinking that goodness and beauty and strength are limited; it is they that would argue against the eternality of man's existence; it is they that would convince us that just when we are reaching a measure of maturity, when through self-discipline and experience we have reached the point when we should be of most value—that then we should lose our promise, our freshness, our strength, and begin to decline. All such false material beliefs must be reversed by the truth about spiritual man, if we would retain that vitality which in reality has always been ours. Our Leader says (ibid., p. 246), "Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise."

What will a full awakening to the truth of real being mean to mankind? It will mean the overcoming of the belief that matter or evil is real, the victory over material sense, the mastery over all the difficulties attendant upon a material sense of existence. It will mean increased "vigor, freshness, and promise"—the destruction of the "three score years and ten" fallacy. The following from pages 218 and 219 of Science and Health answers the question better than could any words of ours: "When we wake to the truth of being, all disease, pain, weakness, weariness, sorrow, sin, death, will be unknown, and the mortal dream will forever cease."

Duncan Sinclair

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