Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-07-15
Freedom

n seems to consist Of an endless
- - struggle for emancipation from
various forms of oppression, physical
or financial, moral or social. Is this
not because freedom is too often
sought only for the furtherance Of
worldly pursuits and the indulgence
Of feshly comforts? Not that physi-
cal well-being is reprehensible, for
"suficiency in all things" (II Corin-
thians 9:8) is desirable as result
of understanding Gods loving care
for His creation.
But dependence upon material
means and humanity evolved systems
for welfare and happiness, instead
of dependence upon the spiritual
completeness of man in Gods image,
constitutes bondage. On page PSI
Of Science and Health with Key to
the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy
writes, "Inharmonious beliefs, which
rob Mind, calling it matter, and defy
their own notions, imprison them
selves in what they create" The
question Is therefore one Of freedom
for something rather than merely
for what? Freedom for gain of the
highest order, by means Of an intel
ligent understanding of God, or di-
vine Principle.
Surely the following verse,
the import of which is reiterated
throughout the Scriptural narrative
of the children of Israel, furnishes
the secret of their deliverance: "An6
the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto
Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus
saith the Lord, Let my people go,
that they may serve me" EXODUS
S:1). The purpose of freedom is that
one may serve God.
What, then, is the significance of
the words, that they may serve me-?
To determine this Alright 1t is first
Of all necessary to understand the
nature of Deity and mans relation
ship to Him.
Freedom from whatever is false
and discordant is to be won by con-
tinual resort to the fact of mans
perfection as Gods image, and by
ordering ones daily life accordingly.
1.-THE admission to ones self that
man is Gods own likeness sets man
free to master the infinite idea"
(Science and Health, p. 90).
The nature of this ''indnite idea
Is best discerned in the character and
career Of Christ Jesus. His under
standing of God gave him dominion
over supply, so-called laws OF health
gravitation, and so on. His under-
standing freed him from every sug-
gestion of lack and from the mes
merism of death and the grave, and
also enabled him to free others. In
the wilderness he resisted the temp
tation to indulge personal desires
and material power; for he knew and
demonstrated that one is assured OF
freedom In proportion to his meek
obedience to the demands OF God,
revealed in Christian Science as di-
vine Principle.
Just as the planets are not free to
follow an erratic course through
space, but manifest beauty and har-
mony each in its own orbit, so man
reflects the harmony Of being
through fulfilling the purposes OF
divine Principle. Just az an attempt
to open a locked drawer with the
wrong key Is unsuccessful, 80 any
self-willed effort on the part OF o
human being to consummate some
thing not in line with Principle
necessarily induces failure and frus-
tration, since It constitutes disobe-
dience.
Nevertheless, divine Principle IL
still available in whatever circum-
stances one may fnd himself. wheth-
Or apparently Of his own or another's
procuring. Sang the Psalmist
(139:s), "If ascend up into heaven.
thou are there: If I make my bed n
hell, behold, thou art there" An
obedient, receptive mental attitude
brings ones thoughts and ones at
fairs under the beneficent control or
Gods harmonious and dynamic law
and thus opens the way to freedom.
However one is situated one can
at once begin to think intelligently'
truly, and lovingly by rejecting GOO,
perfect Mind, and there are few con-
ditions where one is not IN some
measure free to exercise the qualities
of gratitude, kindness, honesty, Wis
dom, and justice, which characterize
the true man. THE Christian
Science Monitor.