Comfort, assurance, and light are given to students of Christian Science in these words of Mary Baker Eddy on page 558 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "To mortal sense Science seems at first obscure, abstract, and dark; but a bright promise crowns its brow. When understood, it is Truth's prism and praise. When you look it fairly in the face, you can heal by its means, and it has for you a light above the sun, for God 'is the light thereof.' "

Mrs. Eddy soon came to recognize that Truth, as revealed to her, would not readily be accepted, but she knew that the time for its reappearance had come, and that it was her mission to reveal it in all its radiance to benighted mortals. She realized that Truth's promise, though apprehended slowly, would at last glow in spiritual understanding, and that no so-called forces of evil could thwart the divine promises.

Deep in every individual heart is a desire for good, however temporarily darkened with mortal beliefs that heart may be. One may not always at the outset understand just how the quest for good may be undertaken, but as one goes deeper into the study of Christian Science he soon learns how to turn from the presentments of evil and the darkness of mortal strife to the immutable and enlightening facts of Spirit.

Every desire for good is a prayer, and must inevitably lead out of captivity to wrong beliefs and practices into a brighter and holier sense of existence and an increase of knowledge in the line of spiritual light. It was Jesus' promise that those who hungered for righteousness would be filled. Even a brief perusal of Mrs. Eddy's works is sufficient to convince one that they are filled with spiritual light, beauty, and soundness of doctrine.

A promise usually promotes hope and expectancy, but very often the fulfillment of a promise is conditional. These conditions may appear severe, demanding, and devoid of inspiration, but the hardships of any trial are often lightened by the beauty of the envisioned goal. Remaining true to the purpose of casting off earth weights, one steadily rises to un-obscured heights and brighter achievements.

Liberation of the human mind from mesmeric suggestions is brought about by strict observance of divine demands. By refusing to give credence to the insidious suggestions of mortal mind, one comes into the sunlight of divine understanding, where he finds that spiritual reality is the only-fact of existence, and that one is rightfully endowed with power and ability to overcome every so-called material condition.

Divine Love is ever blessing its ideas and causing them to manifest newness of life, strength, and vitality. Physical sense testimony would, if accepted, reverse the knowledge of true being and so belittle the omnipotence and omnipresence of God. Evil has never existed in the divine consciousness. We need, however, constantly to strive to reflect every true quality of Mind in order to annul the false insinuations of the human mind. Spiritual light poured into thought purifies and stimulates. Christian Science healing is the effect of the light of Truth permeating the darkened mortal senses.

However essential and vitalizing we feel sunlight to be, its earthly properties can never approximate the divine qualities, for light is symbolic of God, Mind. Pure Mind only can reveal all its radiant fullness and glory. As a prism which is placed in the sunlight exhibits all the rainbow hues, so consciousness filled with the light of Spirit radiates the glow and effulgence of divine beauty, purity, and perfection.

One student of Christian Science who had been blessed with innumerable proofs of God's goodness, supply, protection, and healing was struggling with a darkened sense of human existence, one in which the thought of death seemed uppermost as a means of release. When fear and discouragement were claiming to override thought, she was guided to her Bible, and on opening it her eyes fell on these words (Eccl. 7:16-18): "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all."

There was a sudden influx of light, truly "a light ... above the brightness of the sun" (Acts 26: 13), and streams of gratitude flooded thought. Where despair and darkness had seemed to hold sway, now hope rose higher. Here was an angel message, telling her to "take hold of this" aggressive, mesmeric suggestion of evil, warning her not to withdraw in confusion and dismay, but to handle it in all its darkened phases. Thought was aroused, and with renewed courage and a more clarified state of thought she began to claim the truths of divine Science for healing, and as a result she did "come forth of them all." Every delusive phase of the difficulty vanished, and there was convincing evidence that evil is never real or beyond remedy.

This student saw that perfection of being was not conditional upon passing through death, nor was it dependent upon any form of matter; for now is man the son of God, perfect, free. Her realization of this spiritual fact was conditional upon her gaining a true sense of Life.

When one has emerged from a bewildering and confused mental outlook to clearer views of goodness and light, his ability and power to master sin are enhanced, and his love of good is perceptibly strengthened. Christian Science very tenderly and persuasively leads thought into brighter channels, away from the material and unreal into the spiritual and eternal facts of being.

In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany." we find these helpful words of our Leader (p. 164): "What is gratitude but a powerful camera obscura, a thing focusing light where love, memory, and all within the human heart is present to manifest light." Truly gratitude acts as a light which strengthens and enriches our every experience. It helps us to step out of earth's dark shadows into the pure sunlight of Love.