Address Before The Christian Scientist Association Of The Massachusetts Metaphysical College, In 1893
Subject: Obedience [10]
My Beloved Students:—This question, ever nearest
to my heart, is to-day uppermost: Are we filling the
measures of life's music aright, emphasizing its grand
strains, swelling the harmony of being with tones whence
come glad echoes? As crescendo and diminuendo accent [15]
music, so the varied strains of human chords express
life's loss or gain,—loss of the pleasures and pains and
pride of life: gain of its sweet concord, the courage of
honest convictions, and final obedience to spiritual law.
The ultimate of scientific research and attainment in [20]
divine Science is not an argument: it is not merely say-
ing, but doing, the Word—demonstrating Truth—even
as the fruits of watchfulness, prayer, struggles, tears, and
triumph.
Obeying the divine Principle which you profess to un- [25]
derstand and love, demonstrates Truth. Never absent
from your post, never off guard, never ill-humored, never
unready to work for God,—is obedience; being “faith-
ful over a few things.” If in one instance obedience be
lacking, you lose the scientific rule and its reward: namely, [30]
to be made “ruler over many things.” A progressive [1]
life is the reality of Life that unfolds its immortal Prin-
ciple.
The student of Christian Science must first separate the
tares from the wheat; discern between the thought, [5]
motive, and act superinduced by the wrong motive or
the true—the God-given intent and volition—arrest
the former, and obey the latter. This will place him on
the safe side of practice. We always know where to look
for the real Scientist, and always find him there. I agree [10]
with Rev. Dr. Talmage, that “there are wit, humor, and
enduring vivacity among God's people.”
Obedience is the offspring of Love; and Love is the
Principle of unity, the basis of all right thinking and
acting; it fulfils the law. We see eye to eye and know as we [15]
are known, reciprocate kindness and work wisely, in
proportion as we love.
It is difficult for me to carry out a divine commission
while participating in the movements, or modus operandi,
of other folks. To point out every step to a student and [20]
then watch that each step be taken, consumes time,—
and experiments ofttimes are costly. According to my
calendar, God's time and mortals' differ. The neo-
phyte is inclined to be too fast or too slow: he works
somewhat in the dark; and, sometimes out of season, [25]
he would replenish his lamp at the midnight hour and
borrow oil of the more provident watcher. God is the
fountain of light, and He illumines one's way when one
is obedient. The disobedient make their moves before
God makes His, or make them too late to follow Him. [30]
Be sure that God directs your way; then, hasten to follow
under every circumstance.
Human will must be subjugated. We cannot obey [1]
both God, good, and evil,—in other words, the ma-
terial senses, false suggestions, self-will, selfish motives,
and human policy. We shall have no faith in evil
when faith finds a resting-place and scientific under- [5]
standing guides man. Honesty in every condition,
under every circumstance, is the indispensable rule of
obedience. To obey the principle of mathematics ninety-
nine times in one hundred and then allow one numeral
to make incorrect your entire problem, is neither Science [10]
nor obedience.
However keenly the human affections yearn to for-
give a mistake, and pass a friend over it smoothly, one's
sympathy can neither atone for error, advance individual
growth, nor change this immutable decree of Love: “Keep [15]
My commandments.” The guerdon of meritorious
faith or trustworthiness rests on being willing to work
alone with God and for Him,—willing to suffer patiently
for error until all error is destroyed and His rod and His
staff comfort you. [20]
Self-ignorance, self-will, self-righteousness, lust, covet-
ousness, envy, revenge, are foes to grace, peace, and
progress; they must be met manfully and overcome,
or they will uproot all happiness. Be of good cheer;
the warfare with one's self is grand; it gives one plenty [25]
of employment, and the divine Principle worketh with
you,—and obedience crowns persistent effort with
everlasting victory. Every attempt of evil to harm good
is futile, and ends in the fiery punishment of the
evil-doer. [30]
Jesus said, “Not that which goeth into the mouth
defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth,
this defileth a man.” If malicious suggestions whisper [1]
evil through the mind's tympanum, this were no apology
for acting evilly. We are responsible for our thoughts and
acts; and instead of aiding other people's devices by
obeying them,—and then whining over misfortune,— [5]
rise and overthrow both. If a criminal coax the unwary
man to commit a crime, our laws punish the dupe as ac-
cessory to the fact. Each individual is responsible for
himself.
Evil is impotent to turn the righteous man from his [10]
uprightness. The nature of the individual, more stub-
born than the circumstance, will always be found argu-
ing for itself,—its habits, tastes, and indulgences. This
material nature strives to tip the beam against the spir-
itual nature; for the flesh strives against Spirit,—against [15]
whatever or whoever opposes evil,—and weighs mightily
in the scale against man's high destiny. This conclusion
is not an argument either for pessimism or for optimism,
but is a plea for free moral agency,—full exemption
from all necessity to obey a power that should be and is [20]
found powerless in Christian Science.
Insubordination to the law of Love even in the least,
or strict obedience thereto, tests and discriminates be-
tween the real and the unreal Scientist. Justice, a
prominent statute in the divine law, demands of all [25]
trespassers upon the sparse individual rights which one
justly reserves to one's self,—Would you consent that
others should tear up your landmarks, manipulate your
students, nullify or reverse your rules, countermand
your orders, steal your possessions, and escape the [30]
penalty therefor? No! “Therefore all things what-
soever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even
so to them.” The professors of Christian Science must [1]
take off their shoes at our altars; they must unclasp
the material sense of things at the very threshold of
Christian Science: they must obey implicitly each and
every injunction of the divine Principle of life's long [5]
problem, or repeat their work in tears. In the words
of St. Paul, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your-
selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness?” [10]
Beloved students, loyal laborers are ye that have wrought
valiantly, and achieved great guerdons in the vineyard
of our Lord; but a mighty victory is yet to be won, a
great freedom for the race; and Christian success is
under arms,—with armor on, not laid down. Let us [15]
rejoice, however, that the clarion call of peace will at
length be heard above the din of battle, and come more
sweetly to our ear than sound of vintage bells to villagers
on the Rhine.
I recommend that this Association hereafter meet tri- [20]
ennially; many of its members reside a long distance from
Massachusetts, and they are members of The Mother
Church who would love to be with you on Sunday, and
once in three years is perhaps as often as they can afford
to be away from their own fields of labor. [25]