Uninterrupted spiritual progress invariably accompanies the prayerful study and practice of Christian Science. The evidence of the carnal, or mortal, mind is false and erroneous, and its testimony is reversed by Science, which reveals the facts of spiritual existence. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 120), "Science reverses the false testimony of the physical senses, and by this reversal mortals arrive at the fundamental facts of being."

We can readily see that evil is the opposite of good, weakness the opposite of strength, hatred the reverse of love, and so on ad infinitum. Mortal mind, or the so-called mind of mortals, believes in what is termed a law of reaction, namely that for every action there is a reaction. If the student of Christian Science does not keep a close watch on this deceptive belief, he may come under it. There is in truth, however, no law of reversal or reaction. There never was such a law, and there never will be one. The nature of mortal mind is temporal. Its assumed existence depends upon a belief that mortals cannot break through the bounds of finiteness. Its edict is advance and recede, go forward and come back. Mortal mind keeps its victim tied to mortality, and in order to do so it must claim to have a law of reversal which can keep one from demonstrating uninterrupted progress.

The nature of man is not mortal but immortal. As an immortal, the reflection of God, man is under the law of unlimited and uninterrupted progress. Man is not bounded by mortality, nor can he come under any law of reversal or reaction. The business executive is well aware of the need to protect his business from the destructive belief of recession. Many business executives work up a business by honesty, industry, and good will, and consider themselves safe because of their exercise of these good qualities. It is not enough, however, to run a business on lines of human honesty alone. It needs protection against the claims of reversal and reaction which disrupt many projects not wholly reflecting divine law.

Mrs. Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 222), "Mankind will be God-governed in proportion as God's government becomes apparent, the Golden Rule utilized, and the rights of man and the liberty of conscience held sacred." One of the rights of man is progress, untouched and untrammeled by the belief in reversal or reaction. There is continued and uninterrupted progress under the government of God.

The one who is lifted out of error through the Christ as revealed in Christian Science cannot return to a position outgrown. There is no law to drag him back when once he has found and followed the Christly way of redemption. Based on Spirit, existence in Science is understood to be spiritual, and not subject to any reversal, reaction, human will, or adverse circumstance.

The prophet Balaam recognized this great truth when called upon by Balak, king of the Moabites, to curse the children of Israel because in his opinion they imperiled him by their strength and numbers. Balak said to Balaam, "Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people" (Num. 22:5, 6). The princes of Moab brought him rewards for divination, the king of Moab offered him promotion to great honor; but Balaam turned to God and received his directive.

Perhaps there was some hesitancy in Balaam's obedience, maybe a lingering desire for wealth, promotion, and prestige. He had received instructions from God not to go with the princes of Moab, and not to curse Israel, yet he went to God for further direction. He turned to ask for instructions a second time and was permitted to go, because he was obviously not ready to obey.

Balaam followed the princes of Moab. The anger of the Lord was kindled, the angel of the Lord appeared in the way and even the ass on which he rode rebuked him, so that at length his self-will was silenced and he refused to conform to the wish of Balak. Balaam at last realized the supreme power of God's law. He said (Num. 23:19, 20): "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it."

What a lesson for those who accept the mortal mind claim of reversal or retrogression. There is no reaction in Science. The law of God ensures progress for every individual who has found the way and walks in it. If one is confronted with a so-called reversal, whether in business, church, health, or home relationships, let him steadfastly maintain the fact of Science that actually he lives to reflect God's law, in which is no reversal. All good is forever maintained by the Mind that creates it, and man forever exists in divine Mind, not as a mortal bound by mortality, but as an immortal, unlimited, unfettered, and progressive in all his ways.

Robert Ellis Key