Part 2 (2/2)

Simply count your enemy to be that which defiles, defaces, and dethrones the Christ-image that you should reflect. Whatever purifies, sanctifies, and consecrates human life, is not an enemy, however much we suffer in [20]

the process. Shakespeare writes: ”Sweet are the uses of adversity.” Jesus said: ”Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you _falsely_, for my sake; ... for so persecuted they the prophets which were before [25]

you.”

The Hebrew law with its ”Thou shalt not,” its de- mand and sentence, can only be fulfilled through the gospel's benediction. Then, ”Blessed are ye,” inso-

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much as the consciousness of good, grace, and peace, [1]

comes through affliction rightly understood, as sanctified by the purification it brings to the flesh,-to pride, self- ignorance, self-will, self-love, self-justification. Sweet, indeed, are these uses of His rod! Well is it that the [5]

Shepherd of Israel pa.s.ses all His flock under His rod into His fold; thereby numbering them, and giving them refuge at last from the elements of earth.

”Love thine enemies” is identical with ”Thou hast no enemies.” Wherein is this conclusion relative to [10]

those who have hated thee without a cause? Simply, in that those unfortunate individuals are virtually thy best friends. Primarily and ultimately, they are doing thee good far beyond the present sense which thou canst entertain of good. [15]

Whom we call friends seem to sweeten life's cup and to fill it with the nectar of the G.o.ds. We lift this cup to our lips; but it slips from our grasp, to fall in frag- ments before our eyes. Perchance, having tasted its tempting wine, we become intoxicated; become lethar- [20]

gic, dreamy objects of self-satisfaction; else, the con- tents of this cup of selfish human enjoyment having lost its flavor, we voluntarily set it aside as tasteless and unworthy of human aims.

And wherefore our failure longer to relish this fleet- [25]

ing sense, with its delicious forms of friends.h.i.+p, wherewith mortals become educated to gratification in personal pleasure and trained in treacherous peace?

Because it is the great and only danger in the path that winds upward. A false sense of what consti- [30]

tutes happiness is more disastrous to human progress than all that an enemy or enmity can obtrude upon

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the mind or engraft upon its purposes and achievements [1]

wherewith to obstruct life's joys and enhance its sor- rows.

We have no enemies. Whatever envy, hatred, revenge -the most remorseless motives that govern mortal mind [5]

-whatever these try to do, shall ”work together for good to them that love G.o.d.”

Why?

Because He has called His own, armed them, equipped them, and furnished them defenses impregnable. Their [10]

G.o.d will not let them be lost; and if they fall they shall rise again, stronger than before the stumble. The good cannot lose their G.o.d, their help in times of trouble.

If they mistake the divine command, they will recover it, countermand their order, retrace their steps, and [15]

reinstate His orders, more a.s.sured to press on safely.

The best lesson of their lives is gained by crossing swords with temptation, with fear and the besetments of evil; insomuch as they thereby have tried their strength and proven it; insomuch as they have found [20]

their strength made perfect in weakness, and their fear is self-immolated.

This destruction is a moral chemicalization, wherein old things pa.s.s away and all things become new. The worldly or material tendencies of human affections and [25]

pursuits are thus annihilated; and this is the advent of spiritualization. Heaven comes down to earth, and mortals learn at last the lesson, ”I have no enemies.”

Even in belief you have but one (that, not in reality), and this one enemy is yourself-your erroneous belief [30]

that you have enemies; that evil is real; that aught but good exists in Science. Soon or late, your enemy will

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