Part 24 (1/2)

The last act of the tragedy on Calvary rent the veil of matter, and unveiled Love's great legacy to mortals: [25]

_Love forgiving its enemies_. This grand act crowned and still crowns Christianity: it manumits mortals; it translates love; it gives to suffering, inspiration; to patience, experience; to experience, hope; to hope, faith; to faith, understanding; and to understanding, Love tri- [30]

umphant!

In proportion to a man's spiritual progress, he will

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indeed drink of our Master's cup, and be baptized with [1]

his baptism! be purified as by fire,-the fires of suffering; then hath he part in Love's atonement, for ”whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.” Then shall he also reign with him: he shall rise to know that there is no sin, [5]

that there is no suffering; since all that is _real_ is _right_.

This knowledge enables him to overcome the world, the flesh, and all evil, to have dominion over his own sinful sense and self. Then shall he drink anew Christ's cup, in the kingdom of G.o.d-the reign of righteousness- [10]

within him; he shall sit down at the Father's right hand: _sit down_; not stand waiting and weary; but rest on the bosom of G.o.d; rest, in the understanding of divine Love that pa.s.seth all understanding; rest, in that which ”to know aright is Life eternal,” and whom, not having seen, [15]

we love.

Then shall he press on to Life's long lesson, the eternal lore of Love; and learn forever the infinite meanings of these short sentences: ”G.o.d is Love;” and, All that is real is divine, for G.o.d is All-in-all. [20]

Message To The Annual Meeting Of The Mother Church, Boston, 1896

_Beloved Brethren, Children, and Grandchildren_:- Apart from the common walks of mankind, revolving oft the hitherto untouched problems of being, and [25]

oftener, perhaps, the controversies which baffle it, Mother, thought-tired, turns to-day to you; turns to her dear church, to tell the towers thereof the remarkable achievements that have been ours within the past few years: the rapid transit from halls to churches, from un- [30]

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settled questions to permanence, from danger to escape, [1]

from fragmentary discourses to one eternal sermon; yea, from darkness to daylight, in physics and metaphysics.

Truly, I half wish for society again; for once, at least, to hear the soft music of our Sabbath chimes saluting the [5]

ear in tones that leap for joy, with love for G.o.d and man.

Who hath not learned that when alone he has his own thoughts to guard, and when struggling with man- kind his temper, and in society his tongue? We also [10]

have gained higher heights; have learned that trials lift us to that dignity of Soul which sustains us, and finally conquers them; and that the ordeal refines while it chastens.

Perhaps our church is not yet quite sensible of what [15]

we owe to the strength, meekness, honesty, and obedi- ence of the Christian Science Board of Directors; to the able editors of _The Christian Science Journal_, and to our efficient Publis.h.i.+ng Society.

No reproof is so potent as the silent lesson of a good [20]

example. Works, more than words, should characterize Christian Scientists. Most people condemn evil-doing, evil-speaking; yet nothing circulates so rapidly: even gold is less current. Christian Scientists have a strong race to run, and foes in ambush; but bear in mind that, in the [25]

long race, honesty always defeats dishonesty.

G.o.d hath indeed smiled on my church,-this daughter of Zion: she sitteth in high places; and to de- ride her is to incur the penalty of which the Hebrew bard spake after this manner: ”He that sitteth in the [30]

heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

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