The Washington herald., 1917-01-28
JOY and SORROW
/. THEME OF WRITER
Article IN Christian Science Sentinel
Discusses Religious Aspect.

Discusses Religious Aspect.
In recent issue OF the Christian
Science Sentinel, writing under the cap
tion Joy Overcomes Sorrow" Florence
z. B. Donaldson says: -
In one Of those striking passages
which SO often bring instant conviction
OF their truth to the readers of the text
book Of Christian Science, Science and
Health with Key to the Scriptures Mrs
Eddy gives utterance to the following
statements %. 300: This is the doc
trine of Christian Science: that divine
love cannot be deprived of Its manifes-
tation, or object; that joy cannot be
turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not
The master Of Joy; that good can never
produce evil; that matter can never pro-
duce mind nor life result in death This
dennite reversal of things generally be-
lieved is we'll calculated to startle the
human mind out of some at least Of its
dreams OF false belief and erroneous
teaching. The passage quoted is SO wide
In its application that il will be sufi-
cient to take the single phrase which
puts JOY and sorrow into their correct
reiatlVe positions, and implies that sor-
row is merely the denial of the fuIness
ana lmmutability of mans heritage Of
JOY Joy is positive and real, white sor-
row is negative, temporal. and unreal
In strange reversal OF the truth, the
human mind has continually placed sor-
row on a pedestal, as something TO be
ADMIRED. looked up to. and IL not actu-
ally sought after. at least a counting for
much more than joy. So curiousIy per-
yerted has the worlds judgment of
Christianity proved itself in this respect.
mat II has recognized Christ Jesus, its
ioeai, as mainly a man of sorrows'
rather than as the anointed OF God; vet
ne himself gave an exact opposite Of this
picture when he said. These things have
spoken unto you. that my JOY might re-
main In you. and that your joy might be
full
The Spiritual Is Eternal.
Christian Science teaches that that
which is spiritual is eternal St Paul
declares Joy TO be one of the fruits Of
spirit. 1t is the understanding of reality
which brings joy to the heart, for II is
based on a knowledge of God. There
could be no possible conception OF sor-
row In divine mind. Omnipotent, omnisci-
ent, and omnipresent good could not
know thought of loss or separat ton 1t
is spiritual sense alone which enables
mankind to rise above the seeming sense
of void. When David mourned and went
u.
anointed himself. and resumed his nor
NAL mode Of living as soon as he was told
the child had died. his servants failed
to understand his action. but the man
after Gods owp heart, who had realized
the need Of true PeHitence for sin. could
not be mastered by sorrow TOR one he
knew to have only passed to another
plane of consciousness. Sorrow cannot
stand before an abiding sense Of good.
1T is not contended that sorrow will
not claim to assatl mankind but Christian
Science shows that it is a false claim
and that as such, sorrow must be fought
and overcome just as earnestly and as
unremittingly as sin or sickness. for IL
is equally unlike God. The commonly ac-
cepted belief under theological tea aching
that trouble OF all kinds comes from the
heavenly Father. who thus governs and
chastens His children for their ultimate
good. has led to many phases OF unbelief.
To bow in unqueStioning submission even
to what seemed a most unjust decree, has
been considered to be the only possible
attitude for a Christian. Mrs Eddy's re-
versal of this false teaching has changed
many a rebellious heart into one Of loving
gratitude, and has placed many a COVER
ing victim OF despair upright upon his
feet. strong in the strength of the joy of
the Lord.
SeIhshness of sorrow
There is another condition OF the hu-
man mind which hugs SORROW persistently
and refuses to be comforted When any
natural reaction tries to assert itself, the
sufferer tightens his hold on the sense of
'"Ss, and Clings 20 his mental picture of
~"~ething he believes TO have swept away
b'- very hope of happiness Such a one
woull be greatly surprised to be told that
his condition was one OF se'f-centered
thought, and that even a small amount
of real love for others would do much TO
eliminate it from mis- consciousness.
Sorrow being in belief a manifesto
tion of conscious mortal mind. il is
consequently more difficult to over
come than physical ills. II is evident
however. that obedience to the first
commandment makes it no less im-
perative for the sorrowinC TO turn and
repent-that is. to change their
thought-than il is for the devotee OF
any other belief in that which is op-
posed to God. or good. II any think
they can of themselves heal their own
sorrows, or imagine that they are call
ed upon to do so, they will fall into
the error of setting up personality
and are bound to fail in their efforts
Truth alone heals: and the under
cause it is not OF God, begins at once
to destroy the false claim and iIlu-
mines the thought with the light OF
spiritual understanding. Emotional joy
is merely the human counterfeit. True
joy Is spiritual and is founded on the
knowledge of spiritual reality. 1t is
this joy alone that is able to dispos-
sess sorrow.
There is a frequently expressed belief
that joy belongs to youth, but Christian
Science shows that tins fruit of the
Spirit is necessarily continuous in a
grateful heart, and no less progressive
In unfoldment than other fruits of Spirit.
Another belief claims that the co-opera-
tiion of time is always required to allie
Viate the sense of sorrow; but in the
understanding of a full salvation. the
apostle Paul declared that now is the
accepted time and Christian Science re-
ftcrates and indorses the statement. Joy
should be sedulously cultivated as one OF
the first among Christian virtues. Fear
and the dread of possible evil. and brood