"He showed great presence of mind" is a statement indicating quick thinking and alertness in the face of sudden danger, threatened disaster, or other untoward circumstance. So far as human though is concerned, it is considered praiseworthy and courageous.

But with the understanding of God as Mind, as our Father-Mother, always present with His children, all-powerful to save from every conceivable danger, disease, or discord, and all-knowing to meet every one of our needs, Christian Scientists find that presence of Mind has a richness of meaning infinitely above the ordinary human concept of the phrase. Christ Jesus manifested presence of Mind better than anyone else in the world's history. By the understanding thereof every one of his marvelous demonstrations of divine power was achieved.

Through his understanding of the presence of Mind he astonished learned scholars and teachers with his intelligence when he was only twelve years old. As he grew to even greater understanding of the one Mind which he reflected, he healed his fellow men of all manner of disease. He restored sight and hearing. He overcome material so-called laws,such as that of gravitation, when he walked on the water, and other laws, when he calmed the storm at sea, and passed through closed doors. Jesus crowned these demonstrations by raising himself and others from the belief of death, all these works being practical and usually instantaneous proofs of the presence of Mind.

Proportionately as they come to realize that in reality they have the same Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," students of Christian Science are finding it possible to accomplish, at least in a gratifying degree, the works which he did. And this is according to his promise that those who understood his true nature should be able to prove the presence of Mind as he did. He said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

A university freshman facing his first semester's final examinations had carefully allotted his time in preparation for them, feeling that in one language course especially his review must be thorough. Then a circumstance occurred which cut in half the time he had allotted and at the same time made his study more difficult. But he had come to rely on the presence of Mind in such cases, and to study Mrs. Eddy's definitions of the words "Mind" and "intelligence" on pages 591, 588, and 469 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." He devoted a portion of the time yet remaining to the study of these and other passages in our Leader's writings, in conjunction with similarly appropriate Bible references. Then, with the thought of divine guidance and man's freedom from limitation filling his consciousness, he turned to his review for the examinations.

The results were satisfying and illuminating, especially in the language course. Although he had been able to review only portions of the semester's work, he found that he had been led to study that which covered every question of the examination. He wrote the answers in half the maximum time allowed, received an "A" in the course, and later learned that he had made but one error in the entire test. Certainly he had proved to some extent the presence of Mind, of which intelligence, as indicated in one of the definitions above mentioned (p. 469), "is the primal and eternal quality."

Students of Christian Science have often proved that the same benefits are to be had in connection with college or other activities outside the classroom, such as athletics, music, dramatics, the meeting of financial needs, and so on. For this Science elevates all right activities above the realm of brain and muscle. It proclaims the one Mind, "the divine Principle, of God, of whom man is the full and perfect expression" (ibid., p. 591). Man's capabilities are not finite and limited. One Mind governs all his activities in perfect harmony. Through reliance on this truth, records have been broken in track and field meets, while notable achievements have resulted in other athletic events by the same means. Not everyone can break a record or make the college team, but one can go far beyond restricted capacities by the comprehension of the presence of the one perfect and everactive Mind.

Reverting to the common use of the phrase under discussion, innumerable instances could be cited in which the belief of danger, accident, or disaster has been overcome or averted by an alertness made more alert, quick thinking rendered instantaneous—in short, by Mind governing the thoughts of Christian Scientists. And the preventive action of thought, reflecting right ideas, can be equally well proved. The reason is that Christian Science substitutes for human thought processes—slow or fast—the constant consciousness of harmony as the unalterable fact of man's true existence in every one of its phases.

We have God's promise, recorded in Exodus (33:14), "My presence shall go with thee." As we recognize and rely on this ever-presence, we experience harmony in all our activities, for we are indeed manifesting real presence of Mind.