"'Every branch that beareth fruit is purged'--that is, if you are a mixture of good and evil beliefs, you will have to be cleansed of the evil, before you can do much with the good. This cleansing process is quite properly named purging. This is what we undergo in suffering.

"'He whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,' means the good in us chastens us, cleanses us for the further working of the Good. Punishment, then, there must be, just as long as we believe in, and fellowship with error.

"Mrs. McClaren, a staunch Presbyterian, did not seem satisfied with this explanation, but Mrs. Pearl told her not to let the question trouble her, for if she would do the best she could with what she knew, in due time the solution would come to her.

"In the night it came. After she retired, the question kept pressing upon her so that she could not sleep.

"About two o'clock it seemed as though a great flood of light came, and with it the clearance of the whole problem. The texts on that theme became illumined as it were, and she could see how impossible it is for the spirit to suffer or be punished when it is like G.o.d who can not 'behold evil.' She came over this morning and told me about it. I will give you her explanation of Matt. xxv: 31, 32. 'When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.'

"The Son of man, consciousness of Truth, shall come (be developed) with all glorious thoughts (angels) and judge us in all our ways (nations) and shall discriminate between the false and the true, the evil and the good, then the good motives or good thoughts (sheep) shall coalesce or be set on the right hand with Truth, and the evil or erroneous beliefs (goats) shall be relegated to the left, the negative or no-side, and swallowed up in their native darkness which is nothingness.

"This is the key to the rest of the chapter, and it is in the same line with Mrs. Pearl's explanation, but Mrs. McClaren is delighted that it came to _her_. Now she feels as though a mountain had been lifted from her heart, so great has been her fear that Christian Healing would make her disbelieve in eternal punishment, which she had learned was an incontrovertible doctrine. Now she realizes that nothing but Truth itself is being revealed to her, and it seems that her heart will burst for joy. This may seem extravagant, but it is just what she said, and after all, you are used to enthusiasm since your wife is an enthusiast.

"Is it not wonderful? I ask myself over and over, and echo answers 'wonderful'! But oh, how ignorant we ever will be, unless we stop and wait for the spirit to tell us what is true! It is ignorance and foolishness that we have to contend with as much as anything else, for it is one of the thickest clouds that hide knowledge. Until we have learned to turn to the hidden fountain of wisdom, we are helplessly bound to error's ways.

"Even after we go forth from a cla.s.s, and feel that we have been baptized with the spirit, we are afraid we will not be wise enough to answer the world's questionings of our faith, are afraid we may not know just how to proceed with a certain problem, afraid we will be too weak to do the things that come to us to be done.

"'Oh ye of little faith,' says the rebuking Christ within us--'why doubt your knowledge, when G.o.d is your wisdom? Why doubt your intelligence, when G.o.d is your intelligence? Why doubt your strength, when G.o.d is your strength?'

"As we realize there is but one Mind, and that it is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, the influence of all other thoughts will fade quite away. It is because we recognize the carnal mind whose thoughts are frivolous, vain, wretched or miserable, that we are unsettled and dissatisfied. There can be no foundation, no sense of security, to the one who is continually listening to other than the Good.

"Know all wisdom through the universal Mind, and whoever draws his knowledge by inspiration from this source shall become as one with you, and we all shall be as one with the supreme Mind.

"There is an indelible but invisible stamp of truth marking the utterance of those through whom this Mind is expressed, and the invisible something within us, sometimes called the 'Spirit itself,'

sometimes the 'light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world,' will recognize and appropriate its own. If we keep this judgment faculty unbiased, it will lead us to choose the books we read and teach us how to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is best to read the thoughts of one writer until we understand the root, branch and growth of his inspiration. It is not well to go from one author to another while we are young in the thought, any more than it would be well to take a music lesson from a different teacher every week.

"We must remember that 'he that doeth the will shall know of the doctrine,' and to start out with the Divine will as our guide, as we do when we say, 'G.o.d works through me to will and to do,' is to grow in knowledge of all that pertains to the doctrine of the blessed truth that sets us free.

"Never talk of failures, or be discouraged by them, because many times the discouraging outlook is but the prelude to a bounteous harvest. Work with an undaunted faith in the mighty Invisible, knowing that you serve the only Power, are governed by the one Principle, Infinite Justice, that ever rewards according to service. Doing your best, the Best rewards you.

"Under all circ.u.mstances we declare our unfailing wisdom because we ask of the Good. We can not foolishly be led away because judgment to do is always with us.

"This is the fifth stage in the patient's progress, and we treat him for ignorance and foolishness as possibly reflected from the five different sources. Deny that he can be ignorant of the truth, or foolish in believing error. Affirm all strength and courage and steadfastness. He comes to-day with an uncertain ring in his voice. He is undecided as to what to do; is weak and nerveless; can not tell whether he is better or worse. The treatment for strength and courage will bring him back to Truth, and he will brighten and revive under the warm influence of your sunny faith.

"One more lesson! I shall be glad, yet sorry, when it is over. Oh, what an experience this has been! Surely, I shall never be such a weak, impatient woman again. Thank G.o.d! Now I know what there is for me in this beautiful world.

"Good bye,

"MARION."

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

"Build on resolve, and not upon regret, The structure of thy future. Do not grope Among the shadows of old sins, but let Thine own soul's light shine on the path of hope, And dissipate the darkness. Waste no tears Upon the blotted record of lost years, But turn the leaf, and smile, oh smile to see The fair, white pages that remain for thee."

--_Ella Wheeler Wilc.o.x._

"MARLOW, October ----.

"I suppose this is the last letter I will write on the lessons in Christian Healing, but I will be faithful as ever, even though I tell it all over again when I see you.

"Everybody looked regretful enough when they went into the cla.s.s room to-day, but a hundred fold more so when we went out and the good-byes were said. It means so much to us all. We have pa.s.sed through twelve lessons which may symbolize twelve epochs or stages through which we proceed from ignorance to understanding, and understanding to complete demonstration.

"We have been together scarcely three weeks, and yet so much has been uncovered that we stand face to face with our real selves. All that was conventional has been laid aside in our intercourse, and the best and sweetest and most sacred phases of our lives laid bare, so that we have had a clear glimpse of G.o.d's children as they are, not as they usually appear; and indeed it gives us better courage and stronger faith to go forth into the world again, knowing that the possibilities of one are the possibilities of all, for 'G.o.d is no respecter of persons.'

"I know, perhaps better than some of the rest, that we shall be walking in the valleys many times when our eyes are on the sun-crowned heights, but if we can be patient and earnest, our feet shall reach the fertile slopes and sunny gra.s.s lands of well attained effort. My experience of the past shall be only a stronger incentive to perseverance in the future, and while it seems human to fall, it is divine to rise, and knowing the divine privilege of proving divinity, I trust G.o.d to work through me in my daily effort. So said we all when we left the cla.s.s room to-day, and with a holy consecration to our new-born faith, we trust we shall ever grow in grace and wisdom as G.o.d's children, according to the promise.

"Mrs. Pearl spoke of our method as the science of silence, and told us not to be zealous without judgment, not to speak when silence would be golden, not to act so as to bring reproach upon our cause or ourselves, but remember to 'avoid even the appearance of evil.' She said many in their first joyous enthusiasm and overwhelming conviction would indiscreetly tell people 'there is no matter,' for instance, so eager were they to bring everybody into the sweet liberty of the spirit; but the world not being ready to properly consider the subject, would of course ridicule and argue hotly against such a statement, so that false opinions would spring up and most absurd practices and claims be attributed to Christian Healing.

"Our system should have a dignified place in the world's opinion, and if we want to help give it that place, we should aim to be living representatives of the principles, maintain a dignified att.i.tude regarding it, and if we can answer any questions pertaining to it, let our answer and manners be enn.o.bling and Christ-like.

"We never argue audibly with unbelievers. Argument kills the spirit of any religion, and the person who desires to prove his position by argument is not ready to be convinced by the spirit. If you are obliged to carry on a conversation with an argumentative person, silently deny all his statements of error, and with calm positiveness affirm for him intelligence, wisdom, and a desire to know truth. In other words, recognize his spiritual self, which is in perfect peace and harmony, and the outward disturbance or inharmony, which is simply nothingness expressed by him, is annulled. Possibly you may seem obliged to submit and listen to him. Never mind. Carry on your silent thoughts scientifically, and constantly think truth. Thus you will plant a seed that shall bring forth beauteous blossoms, excellent fruit.

"Whenever you hear error talked, deny it. This is 'shutting your ears from hearing of blood, and your eyes from seeing evil.' _Any_ error must be denied in order to see the proof of its opposite truth.

"If everybody would learn to deny all the slander or gossip they hear, we should soon have a new social world. Cruel tongues would cease their wagging, timid hearts could breathe again, and fair names bloom in every home.

"This would be the beginning of a much needed reform in the daily press.

Poor editors, they are obliged to fill orders, like the cooks and waiters serving the gentlemen and ladies in the elegant dining-room, ladies' _ordinary_ and ground-floor _cafe_. Alas! that the discovery should not be made by everybody, so they could send in different orders.

How gladly would the bill of fare be changed!

"But there is nothing more certain to change it, than the little leaven of truth dropped in the highways and byways of daily life. We must 'be diligent in season and out of season,' silently as a rule, but at times audibly, perchance forcibly, for some minds seem so dull and sluggish as to need a startling thunder-clap to awaken them from their slumber of ignorance. Thus some patients that come to be healed must be told sharply and definitely how to think or what to say, for sometimes it is necessary to make them say their own word of healing, they are so completely absorbed in material beliefs.

"We grow more in wisdom and spiritual judgment as we proceed faithfully along our way of scientific thought and living, and thus have an unerring insight into what we shall do and say in order to give to each the healing gospel.

"When we go to church we ought to acknowledge and emphasize every true statement made by the clergyman with our silent affirmation, and as emphatically deny every erroneous statement, that we may turn the tide of Truth into a broad stream of spiritual uplifting for the whole congregation.

"Should the minister be inclined to speak about the awfulness and power of G.o.d's wrath and punishment, we can silently a.s.sure him that G.o.d is a G.o.d of love, not wrath, and tell him he desires to present only the _true_ side of religion. Some people might say this would be wrong, to dictate to any one how they should talk, but you will notice that it is not dictation of action, but rather recognition of motive--the true motive of the true self. We have a right to recognize the highest and best of every person. Indeed, we are going directly opposite G.o.d's commands if we acknowledge any but the good creation, which is the spiritual.

"What can the spirit, which is perfect, made in G.o.d's image and likeness, have to say of G.o.d's anger or punishment, when it knows neither, inasmuch as it is pure as the Father in heaven? 'Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?'

"Not only in the social circle and in the church, but in all kinds of work, in all affairs of business, and above all, in the home, must we thus live up to our principles which soon prove our sublimest theory by our sublimest practice. And, blessed privilege, we do not need to understand all, before we can begin to demonstrate our precious religion.

"We need not worry about the burden of to-morrow and thus drop that of to-day, but only carry that of to-day with the strength that is given for the day. 'Consider the lilies of the field, _how they grow_;' daily appropriating their portion of sunshine and air and dew, they unfold and blossom, exhale their fragrance, display their matchless beauty, thus fulfilling their appointed mission; so we may unfold and blossom into rare excellence and strength of character. Refreshed by the dew of a pure purpose, nourished by the sunlight of true thoughts, fed by the all-abounding manna--the living word, we soon grow strong enough to withstand driving tempest or boisterous gale.

"Mentally we are quickened, learning to discern the opposing force in ourselves, and meeting it with the sharp sword of truth, lay it low at once. But it requires practice to wield this spiritual weapon; it takes judgment faculty to discover whence comes selfishness that exhausts and weakens; whence comes the material or sensual thought that sickens and wearies, or the jealousy that poisons and embitters the life-forces.

"Faithfully and diligently do we use the word of denial, that sets us and our patients free from these subtle enemies; faithfully and earnestly we affirm all truth and purity and goodness as our portion, as our strength, our refuge, and our defense.

"By the blessed law, when we have thus cleansed ourselves, we become at one with the one Life. We intuitively draw to ourselves the best quality of friendship and give forth the best; we seek the most uplifting and spiritual literature, because it gives us a fresh baptism of spiritual light, which in turn we give to others, so there is a continual receiving and giving, a continual blessing and being blessed.

"'Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends,' said the Master before his departure. Now 'the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the son abideth forever.' We came as servants to be taught. While in our ignorance, we were the servants or inferiors; knowing the Truth we became free, and henceforth are brothers, sisters, 'heirs of G.o.d and joint heirs with Christ.' We now claim our inheritance, the privilege to enter into the kingdom and possess the land, our royal birthright. In this kingdom are 'hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'

"The patient who comes to us must on this day be told of the royal gift of health, and we may say: 'Now are ye clean through the word I have spoken unto you.' He, too, must now become the friend, and need no longer be the servant. When he first came to us he was like a little child that had lost his way. We could not show him the way to the velvet slopes of health without taking hold of his hand and leading him through the thickets and underbrush in which he was lost. So we graciously reached down to him, by talking of things with which he was familiar, of animal pa.s.sions, of selfishness, of sin. We gently and kindly showed him they were not the true, proved to him that his belief in them had led him off the right path, and talked to him of brighter, better, truer thoughts that led to smiling skies of hope, to balmy airs of peace.

"Each day we a.s.sured him of his true inheritance, and now we confidently a.s.sert that he is in full possession of it. Now he is ready to believe the affirmation without the denial, because he is convinced that the affirmations are true, and he comes to us this day with clear, clean eyes, and a child-like joy in his recovered health. We give him the final word, the benediction, the binding a.s.surance of his birthright.