Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25

There are two rules which ChrlSrlan
teaching demands shall be obeyed. The
first is that we uphold strongly the old
fashioned maxim. Mind your own bus
mess" and second that we emphasize
tAe idea Of mans duty toward MS
brother, which involves the essential
community Of real interests. II we
consider the matter thoughtfully we
We will soon decide that the habit OF
interfering in the affairs of others,
which is the cause of so much discOrd,
Is due, not to a desire to be helpful,
but to the domineering. self-Willad in
stinct of the human mind which, with
its acCustomade arrogance, presumes
to dictate the thus ana so for every
one who comes under its notice. Jesus
rcbUked this mnddlesOmc thought in
his words TO Peter when this disciple
showed an undue curiosity as to john
future: what is that to thee? Fol
low thou me-" When we think how
very little real knowledge one person
can have Of another, Of the influences,
tendencies habits which have COM
bined to make up his human mental
ity, we should cease CTitiCising and
condemniug and should hesitate try
ing to make over our friends according
to our ideas. How mOnOtonOuS this
world would be if all the people in it
were exactly alike. All about US there
=
all beautiful. all harmonious, but all
different. Mrs Eddy tells on page 513
Of Science and Health with Key to
the Scriptures" ," the textbook of Chris
tian Science, that spirit diycrsfles,
classifles, and indivdualiZes all
thoughts. which are as eternal as the
Mind conceiving them" As we grow
in the knowledge Of this Mind which
made us, and the spiritual universe Of
thoughts begins to replace the material
universe of things. whatever is dis
agreeable, faulty, or imperfect in our
own or our brothers mentality will
drop off We win see him as God made
him and reverence the Mind which
forms such perfect creation.
Use DISCRIMINATION
We should not try to separate the
tares from the wheat in our brothers
character lest in our zeal to uproot his
faults we bruise some tender plant of
virtue, struggling toward the light.
We have the assurance that the tares
will be gathered up and burned, but it
is to angel harvesters and not to frail
mortals that the work has been en-
trusted. Our part is to know constant
ly that God never made evil, that 1t IS
unreal and powerless and then to trust
patiently to the silent potent forces
Of Truth to destroy all sense Of error
in Gods way.
What then do We owe our brother?
1t is to love him alwys. There are
times when our cup of happiness IS
full, and we feel kindly toward all the
world; there are other times when
some drop of bitterness gets in and
we think that we care for no one.
This shows that the human affections
are variable and do not depend on the
lovableness of the other person. The
- Tsx.1f JT,v~
must, like His love. be unChangtng and
impartial. This clear-eyed, far-seeing
love does not gloss over the faults Of
others, but separates them from the in
dividual thereby protecting him from
harsh criticism or condemnation. 1t
shows infinite tenderness and compass
sion. AS one Of the ancient writer's
has said There rs no measure or rule
in the dspensation of the gifts Of earth
The Spirit is poured out literally with
out limits or barriers. 1t flows with
out -op: it overflows without stint y
Thus it is with the love that springs
from the infinite divine source of love.
RECOMPENsE ASSURED
Be our brothers need financial, God
Is still "a very present help in trouble" p"
output and income are component
parts of one idea, and no divine idea
can be rendered fragmentary or un-
productive. All honest labor, because
it is honest, is absolutely assured Of
recompense And this thought faith
fully held to in spite of darkness and
seeming failure, has been proved true
many times by the students Of Chris
tlan Science. No student, however,
would presume to outline the ways, or
means. through which his recompense
shall come. He simply does his work,
and with chiIdlike trust leaves results
to God. Furthermore. when God Gre
ated man, He created everything neCes-
sary for the complete expression of
man. No smallest need of any child
could escape the tender, providing care
of an all-knowing Father. Each indi-
vidual holds within himself the God
given ability to achieve prosperity.
And there is ample field for the pros