 
Subject: Obedience [10] My Beloved Students:—This question, ever nearest to my heart, is to-day uppermost: Are we filling the measures of life's music aright, emphasizing its grand strains, swelling the harmony of being with tones whence come glad echoes? As crescendo and diminuendo accent [15] music, so the varied strains of human chords express life's loss or gain,—loss of the pleasures and pains and pride of life: gain of its sweet concord, the courage of honest convictions, and final obedience to spiritual law. The ultimate of scientific research and attainment in [20] divine Science is not an argument: it is not merely say- ing, but doing, the Word—demonstrating Truth—even as the fruits of watchfulness, prayer, struggles, tears, and triumph. Obeying the divine Principle which you profess to un- [25] derstand and love, demonstrates Truth. Never absent from your post, never off guard, never ill-humored, never unready to work for God,—is obedience; being “faith- ful over a few things.” If in one instance obedience be lacking, you lose the scientific rule and its reward: namely, [30] to be made “ruler over many things.” A progressive [1] life is the reality of Life that unfolds its immortal Prin- ciple. The student of Christian Science must first separate the tares from the wheat; discern between the thought, [5] motive, and act superinduced by the wrong motive or the true—the God-given intent and volition—arrest the former, and obey the latter. This will place him on the safe side of practice. We always know where to look for the real Scientist, and always find him there. I agree [10] with Rev. Dr. Talmage, that “there are wit, humor, and enduring vivacity among God's people.” Obedience is the offspring of Love; and Love is the Principle of unity, the basis of all right thinking and acting; it fulfils the law. We see eye to eye and know as we [15] are known, reciprocate kindness and work wisely, in proportion as we love. It is difficult for me to carry out a divine commission while participating in the movements, or modus operandi, of other folks. To point out every step to a student and [20] then watch that each step be taken, consumes time,— and experiments ofttimes are costly. According to my calendar, God's time and mortals' differ. The neo- phyte is inclined to be too fast or too slow: he works somewhat in the dark; and, sometimes out of season, [25] he would replenish his lamp at the midnight hour and borrow oil of the more provident watcher. God is the fountain of light, and He illumines one's way when one is obedient. The disobedient make their moves before God makes His, or make them too late to follow Him. [30] Be sure that God directs your way; then, hasten to follow under every circumstance. Human will must be subjugated. We cannot obey [1] both God, good, and evil,—in other words, the ma- terial senses, false suggestions, self-will, selfish motives, and human policy. We shall have no faith in evil when faith finds a resting-place and scientific under- [5] standing guides man. Honesty in every condition, under every circumstance, is the indispensable rule of obedience. To obey the principle of mathematics ninety- nine times in one hundred and then allow one numeral to make incorrect your entire problem, is neither Science [10] nor obedience. However keenly the human affections yearn to for- give a mistake, and pass a friend over it smoothly, one's sympathy can neit
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