"When we go to church we ought to acknowledge and emphasize every true statement made by the clergyman with our silent affirmation, and as emphatically deny every erroneous statement, that we may turn the tide of Truth into a broad stream of spiritual uplifting for the whole congregation.
"Should the minister be inclined to speak about the awfulness and power of God's wrath and punishment, we can silently assure him that God is a God of love, not wrath, and tell him he desires to present only the true side of religion. Some people might say this would be wrong, to dictate to any one how they should talk, but you will notice that it is not dictation of action, but rather recognition of motive—the true motive of the true self. We have a right to recognize the highest and best of every person. Indeed, we are going directly opposite God's commands if we acknowledge any but the good creation, which is the spiritual.
"What can the spirit, which is perfect, made in God's image and likeness, have to say of God's anger or punishment, when it knows neither, inasmuch as it is pure as the Father in heaven? 'Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?'
"Not only in the social circle and in the church, but in all kinds of work, in all affairs of business, and above all, in the home, must we thus live up to our principles which soon prove our sublimest theory by our sublimest practice. And, blessed privilege, we do not need to understand all, before we can begin to demonstrate our precious religion.
"We need not worry about the burden of to-morrow and thus drop that of to-day, but only carry that of to-day with the strength that is given for the day. 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;' daily appropriating their portion of sunshine and air and dew, they unfold and blossom, exhale their fragrance, display their matchless beauty, thus fulfilling their appointed mission; so we may unfold and blossom into rare excellence and strength of character. Refreshed by the dew of a pure purpose, nourished by the sunlight of true thoughts, fed by the all-abounding manna—the living word, we soon grow strong enough to withstand driving tempest or boisterous gale.
"Mentally we are quickened, learning to discern the opposing force in ourselves, and meeting it with the sharp sword of truth, lay it low at once. But it requires practice to wield this spiritual weapon; it takes judgment faculty to discover whence comes selfishness that exhausts and weakens; whence comes the material or sensual thought that sickens and wearies, or the jealousy that poisons and embitters the life-forces.
"Faithfully and diligently do we use the word of denial, that sets us and our patients free from these subtle enemies; faithfully and earnestly we affirm all truth and purity and goodness as our portion, as our strength, our refuge, and our defense.
"By the blessed law, when we have thus cleansed ourselves, we become at one with the one Life. We intuitively draw to ourselves the best quality of friendship and give forth the best; we seek the most uplifting and spiritual literature, because it gives us a fresh baptism of spiritual light, which in turn we give to others, so there is a continual receiving and giving, a continual blessing and being blessed.
"'Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends,' said the Master before his departure. Now 'the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the son abideth forever.' We came as servants to be taught. While in our ignorance, we were the servants or inferiors; knowing the Truth we became free, and henceforth are brothers, sisters, 'heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.' We now claim our inheritance, the privilege to enter into the kingdom and possess the land, our royal birthright. In this kingdom are 'hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'
"The patient who comes to us must on this day be told of the royal gift of health, and we may say: 'Now are ye clean through the word I have spoken unto you.' He, too, must now become the friend, and need no longer be the servant. When he first came to us he was like a little child that had lost his way. We could not show him the way to the velvet slopes of health without taking hold of his hand and leading him through the thickets and underbrush in which he was lost. So we graciously reached down to him, by talking of things with which he was familiar, of animal passions, of selfishness, of sin. We gently and kindly showed him they were not the true, proved to him that his belief in them had led him off the right path, and talked to him of brighter, better, truer thoughts that led to smiling skies of hope, to balmy airs of peace.