The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-15
REFLECTIONS ALONG THE LINE
Of OLD AND NEW THOUGHT.
(From Chri stian Sciences Journal. }

We cannot read carefully the scrip
lures without observing that success and
prosperity land by this We mean the true
sense of success and prosperity are in
variably coupled with conditions. This
has been emphasized over ami over again
in our Bible lessons. The following
text will perhaps as broadly illustrate
this thought as any one we could cite:
III thou wilt diligently bearken to the
voice OF the Lord thy God, and wilt do
that which Is right In His sight and
wilt give ear TO His commandments. and
keep oil His statutes, i will put none OF
these diseases upon thee, which L have
brought upon the Egyptians for am the
Lord that healeth thea.
Ibe word "disease" here may be taken
I'm its broadcast Specification. Disease
means not alone sickness and pain In
tho physical sense, but any form OF dis
cord, disaster or inharmony. And
the word "healeth" may he taken In its
broadcast sense also. tho healing whicn
means wholeness, or harmony in oil
things or respects.
Obedience, then, TO all the statutes of
God is the conaition upon which the
divine benefits are conferred. IL consti-
tutes the recompense 50 to speak, mndo
by man to God for the divine blessings.
Fhrtlal ODouleUCe IL LOU tuouku A5oio
must DO full and CON- pleto obedience; {;
obedience In thought and act; obedience
In detail This Is the wage que nom us
to God.
Would 1t be in consonance with the
law of eternal right and justice that we
should receive from God without render
ing due ruturny Strictly speaking. OF
course, We cannot compensate the In
finite, but as matter OF right TO our
selves we can do so, and We measure tnat
compensation by our acts OF obedience.
We fall short In our wages In Sd far as We
disobey the statutes.
Now, in all this We can, IN we VIII, see
plainly the divine law OF compensation.
We can sse. as one OF our active workers
in the field recently said TO this writer.
that In the divine economy there Ia no
sucn thing as getting something Tor
nothing. II there Is no such thing IN di-
vine ecoI omy. surely there should be no
such thing In the human. Whatever IN
human action tends to subvert the divine
law will inevitably come TO naught.
That remarkable passage of Scripture
which has become so much favorite
with Christian Scientists, and which so
clearly enunciates the amplitude Of the
divine supply, Bring ye all the titbes
into the storenOuse that there may be
meat In mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord Of hosts, II
will not open YOU the windows OF heaven,
shall not be room enough 20 receive IL, -
is coupled with the Indispensable con
ditiop, bring We all the tithes;" that II,
pay all your dues obey all the statutes.
DO this and the mighty law OF cause ana
effect the only true economies, will un-
varyingly act anu the abundance will be
IN proportion to the obedience. But,
verify, there IL no law OF obtaining
something for nothing" here. Truly it
Is apart from tie divine economy.
What OF the application of It's divine
lawY We snail not De Christian Scien-
lists until we make the application In our
own experience. We have no right TO get
sometDInR for nothing. Then, have We
right to. give something foi nothing!
Mnst not tho rule. II ~ be worth any
thing, work both ways! Is not the law
Of compensation equal and exAoty One
sided law is not law aJ NIL. 10 Is caprIce.
III there Is even shdow OF truth IN
what we have said, what shall We say OF
the spirit which would, II IL could, get
the benefits CT divine Science for moth
ing; that is, without rendering any com
pensation wha,ever, even an expression
CT ordinary gratitudei Ihe compensation
need not always to monetary. whatever
Is n due wage. no matter what form IL
taxes, IL a compliance with the divine
law.
Sometimes we hear Of persons finding
fault with the prize oil the Ch istian
with Key tn the Scriptures. Let us look
at this complaint moment and see how
u thllies with the law OF which we
speak. In our illustration we shall not
draw an extreme case; bundreds-wo
may say-thousands, OF cases are in fact
as strong, ana many sre much stronger
chan our hypothetical one.
Mr. brown IS a railroad employe; not a
presidont or u railroad magnate, but a
clerk, receiving $40 per month salary. In
course OF time, having saved even from
this meagre salary, a little iund, he takes
Into himself a wife. she Ii young and
h,althy. and Mr.. brown has every reason TO
believe she will prove u hepmato 10 him.
She so believes. But alas the pains and
burdens Of maternity bring in,alidism
upon her. Medical aid IL summoned. A
course OF medical treatment Is lad, but
Will no permanent results. Months 20
10y, but the DOCTORS bills do not In tnis
case they are not exorbitant; they are as
moderate as Is consistent with the pre-.
vailing charges Of tho profession. Never
tneless they are SO constant IL drain upon
the light pure thnt they make sad In
roads upon the small salary. Mr.. Brown
wears his old clothes until they present u
shabby appearance. Mrs. Brown does not
wear out her clothes very rapiuiy for she
spends most VI ter timo In bed but tho
child's food, the nurse. tho increased
household expens es, aside from the ineNit-
cent OF the salary Is left at the end Of the
month The weary months 90 cn. Ire
Invalid languisbes growing daily weaker
aud weaker. The k'nd-bt artod man CT
medicine becomes discouraged. He
would gladly place his Invalid patient
on her feet through his drugs ana stimu-
lants IL he could. Buu such effect as they
at flrst seemed to have Il no longer APP
parent. Their efficacy has vaDisbed. ne
knows OF nothing but the dreaded snr-
Reon's Knife ~ a means of possible relief
or cure OF his patient The good husband
Is so Informed.
But how SHALL the operation 90 per
formedi'
"Mell, yonr wife will have to eo to the
hospital In tho city, Lvs hundred niles
away
and the expense, what will that br?'
well, including the travelling expenses
and all other incidental expenses, tugetner
with the surgeon Is targus probably not
less than $500, possibly "a little more.
but ] have not only NOT s5 o. DOCTOR
but not 81 lett Of ny salHry. ma sia re-
ceive nOtning until the tnd Of tho month.
Hntv rau 4 ulpef tina expansng. Nvi at -naII