The student who is questioning his lack of progress in the understanding of Christian Science may well heed the words of the Apostle Peter (l Pet. 2:2). "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Is the student willing to know more of God. Truth? Does he desire this knowledge above all else? Our beloved Leader. Mary Baker Eddy, assures him in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 86). "A student desiring growth in the knowledge of Truth, can and will obtain it by taking up his cross and following Truth." The student has but to follow Truth: then his "growth in the knowledge of Truth" is assured.

To be an obedient follower the Christian Scientist must work, watch, and pray. He will pray for obedience. He will work consistently and conscientiously to be led by Truth. He will watch that his application of each new unfolding thought is attended by a more loving consideration of others in daily living, by intelligent activity, and by an alertness to righteous thinking. "For." we read in Isaiah (28:10). "precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line: here a little, and there a little."

Progressing to the understanding that man is idea, the image and likeness of Mind. God the student perceives that man is not subject to growth and decay, but is ever spiritual and complete. The recognition of man's true selfhood uncovers the false beliefs and illusions which men have accepted about themselves, and these false beliefs of life, substance, and intelligence in matter, manifested in fear, ignorance, and limitation, begin to fade away.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus went up into a mountain, denoting thought ascending above the material and corporeal, and then gave what is called the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Lord's Prayer, to guide our every thought and act. Coming down from the mountain he healed a leper and, entering into Capernaum, restored the servant of the centurion; later he healed Peter's wife's mother of fever.

Do we go up into the mountain of ascending spiritual thought? if so we too find, on coming down into the valley and putting the truth into practice, that error's seeming resistance to Truth lessens in proportion to our vision. Healing becomes not an arduous task, but the spontaneous recognition and acceptance of the omniscience and ever-presence of Love. Let us sing with the Psalmist (Ps. 43:3), "O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me: let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles."

Is some student tempted to believe that he sees little proof of progress? Is he accepting the falsity that man is or can be in the doldrums? Is he consenting to error's entering, taking root and growing in his consciousness? Then let him awake! God is divine Mind, all-knowing and omniscient; man is God's spiritual idea and must of necessity express this all-knowing Mind. Man knows that which God knows, and he is obedient to God's law.

The writer was once experiencing a condition of unsightly warts on her hands. Dozens of them covered her palm, the inside of her fingers, and her wrists. She used the Concordances to our Leader's writings in her study of such words as perfection, substance, and beauty, but still the growths increased in number and in size.

Attending a Christian Science lecture, she heard the lecturer relate a healing of a tumor. The condition had persisted for a long time and finally the practitioner said, in substance, to the seeker for healing, "When you grow spiritually, this counterfeit growth will disappear." The patient's thought, he said, was awakened and the healing was immediate.

The writer returned home with Mrs. Eddy's statement from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" in thought (p. 4). "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." Also these words from a loved hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal (No. 269) kept coming to her:

She had a sincere desire to know more about God, more about the Christ, Truth, which brings restoration to sick and sinning humanity, and to learn how to utilize more fully this continuing unfoldment of Truth. The appearance of the hands was unnoticed for some time, and when it was again brought to thought the largest growths were almost gone and the others were fading away. No others appeared, and soon the healing was complete.

Christian Science teaches that matter is nonintelligent and causeless. It is then evident that it cannot of itself grow or increase, call itself a wart, a tumor, or adipose weight. Such manifestations of error are the false beliefs of mortal mind externalized. In her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 10): "When the human mind is advancing above itself towards the Divine, it is subjugating the body, subduing matter, taking steps outward and upwards. This upward tendency of humanity will finally gain the scope of Jacob's vision, and rise from sense to Soul, from earth to heaven."

If the student is sincere in his desire for a higher knowledge of God and His creation, lie will live consistently with his prayer for spiritual unfoldment. Desiring lo know Truth, God, he will be alert to recognize and reject that which is untrue about himself, his home, and his neighbor. Praying to know God as divine Love, he will strive to be loving, unselfish, compassionate and tolerant. Perceiving Mind to be God, the student will give evidence of watchfulness, wisdom, and ability. The honest desire for growth in the knowledge of the Science of Christ, and the willingness to replace idle moments with the contemplation of spiritual truths, will bring undreamed-of proofs of progress and fruition.

Holiness, purity, and humility lead to Truth, God. The Psalmist points the way (Ps. 24:3, 4): "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart." This is the way of progress: this is the way of "growth in the knowledge of Truth."