Christ Jesus, the foremost teacher of all time, gave this message of Love to all who would listen (Matt. 11:28): "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Since his day millions have heard his message, have treasured its assurance of hope and comfort, and have yearned to know some measure of its promise. But not understanding the scientific law upon which it is based, all too many have failed to experience the peace and comfort it offers. Out of these failures has come the belief that the rest promised by the Master is largely reserved for those who, having lived good lives according to human standards, have passed through the portals of death into some unknown place called heaven. As a consequence of this belief, human existence appears to many to be a constant and hopeless struggle.

Christian Science exposes the falsity of this belief in all its aspects and lovingly releases mankind from its bondage. It sets forth in clear and understandable terms the underlying divine Principle which Christ Jesus preached and practiced throughout his ministry and shows the way by which all may begin to live as he lived. It does not require an educational background or compliance with creeds or doctrines, but rather a childlike willingness to accept the truth. It says with the Master (Matt. 11:25), "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

Christian Science clearly reveals that God is divine Mind and that Mind produces all real action. It also shows that man reflects this all-acting Mind. The Apostle Paul, speaking to the men of Athens in his masterful explanation of their "unknown" God, quoted these immortal words (Acts 17:28): "In him [Mind] we live, and move, and have our being." As we understand this statement of the divine law of being and practice it faithfully in daily living, we are able to drop the delusion that there is any true activity or existence apart from Him. In this way our human sense of life is so transformed that it manifests in ever-increasing measure the harmony, joy, and fruition which are man's heritage.

Revelation is the unveiling of that which is true. As a mother tenderly raises the window shade to let in the sunlight and waken her child, so divine Love lifts the veil of matter for us. Let us examine some of the veils that seem to obscure the truth, in order that we may more readily perceive reality. Probably the first is indicated by the marginal heading "Human egotism," on page 263 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. There she writes: "Mortals are egotists. They believe themselves to be independent workers, personal authors, and even privileged originators of something which Deity would not or could not create. The creations of mortal mind are material. Immortal spiritual man alone represents the truth of creation." When we mistakenly identify ourselves as mortals, we seem to experience the strife and frustration that inevitably accompany the mere human effort to be or to do something. Out of these experiences dawns a recognition of personal inadequacy and an impelling desire to utilize divine power. Thus Love tenderly unveils an increasing willingness to accept God as the source of all true action.

In this more enlightened state of thought we find ourselves praying earnestly to the Father for His aid in our daily tasks, and we feel a greater sense of peace and harmony as our faith in and understanding of the presence and power of God increase. However, even in this more spiritual way of living we may still seem beset with uncertainties. Forgetting the assurance, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine" (Luke 15:31), we are all too frequently tempted to pray for some material thing or privileged condition which seems very right to attain and yet is apparently denied.

When we are truly willing to abandon this mistaken position, divine Love gives us a clearer and clearer revelation of what real being is. "That which hath been is now; and that which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past" is the way this truth was revealed to the writer of Ecclesiastes (3:15). From the spiritual standpoint of that statement, later completely elucidated by Christian Science, we find it much easier to throw aside the veil of matter with its claims of limitation and separation and replace it with the understanding of the oneness and allness of true being.

Man's being is sometimes veiled by ignorance or self-righteousness, by a false sense of duty which denies the practicality of spiritual inspiration in daily life and subtly insists that a lapse or departure from some traditional line of human activity is occasion for condemnation. The falsity of such a belief is illustrated in the experience of a businessman who had been following a certain line of endeavor for some twenty years with very considerable success. While he was discussing his work with a friend who was a student of Christian Science, it was brought to light that in spite of promotion and ample financial return he had found no inspiration or joy in his business and inwardly yearned to devote all his time to painting.

When it was pointed out that everyone has the inherent right to find himself in the work for which he is suited and which he truly loves, this businessman was for the moment taken aback at the thought of breaking with the tradition and the fear that were keeping him at his present job. Greater reliance on God enabled him, however, to move courageously in the new direction, and very shortly he attained greater success in his beloved art than he had ever dreamed possible.

The following experience will help to illustrate the value of steadfastness. Shortly after the writer began the study of Christian Science, he was able to drop a longtime habit of smoking. However, after he had joined The Mother Church and a branch church and was irrevocably associated with their activities, he found himself again in bondage to the habit. He struggled desperately to stop smoking. He prayed daily for relief. He sought help from practitioners. Discouragement and self-condemnation seemed ever present. Continuing to hold to the ever-presence and all-power of Truth, he was instantaneously, completely, and permanently healed one day when he clearly realized that the repetition of evil, which the act of smoking seemed to be, could not possibly have presence or power in the infinitude of true being.

It must not be imagined from a reading of the foregoing that one has nothing whatever to do himself in his quest for salvation. Such a conclusion would be false in every respect, as may be seen from these words of our Leader's on page 426 of Science and Health: "The struggle for Truth makes one strong instead of weak, resting instead of wearying one." The spiritual understanding of one's true being as the reflection of God comes only as he watches for the divine light, prays daily for more light, and walks in this light. It comes through unceasing prayer and practice; it comes through our utilizing love in the way that divine Love directs. When we thus actively and wholeheartedly consent to the laying aside of whatever false material concepts about God and man we may have entertained, we begin to see the fulfillment of the Master's loving promise quoted above, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

As divine Love gently removes each veil, until mortal mind is progressively relegated to its nothingness, we no longer look at life from the standpoint of the human, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. Rather, we find that the Word truly is made flesh, and our endeavors become dynamic, unlabored, and effective. We begin to experience what Mrs. Eddy saw when she wrote as follows in Science and Health (p. 519): "Thus the ideas of God in universal being are complete and forever expressed, for Science reveals infinity and the fatherhood and motherhood of Love."