that
8:18 shall not be revealed." Professions and audible pray-
        ers are like charity in one respect,- they "cover the
        multitude of sins." Praying for humility with what-
8:21 ever fervency of expression does not always mean a
        desire for it. If we turn away from the poor, we are
        not ready to receive the reward of Him who blesses
8:24 the poor. We confess to having a very wicked heart
        and ask that it may be laid bare before us, but do
        we not already know more of this heart than we are
8:27 willing to have our neighbor see?

Searching the heart

        We should examine ourselves and learn what is the
        affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way
8:30 only can we learn what we honestly are. If a
        friend informs us of a fault, do we listen pa-
        tiently to the rebuke and credit what is said? Do we not
9:1 rather give thanks that we are "not as other men"?
        During many years the author has been most grateful
9:3 for merited rebuke. The wrong lies in unmerited cen-
        sure,- in the falsehood which does no one any good.

Summit of aspiration

        The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these
9:6 questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of
        this asking? Do we pursue the old selfish-
        ness, satisfied with having prayed for some-
9:9 thing better, though we give no evidence of the sin-
        cerity of our requests by living consistently with our
        prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness,
9:12 we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless
        them that curse us; but we shall never meet this great
        duty simply by asking that it may be done. There is
9:15 a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the fruition
        of our hope and faith.

Practical religion

        Dost thou "love the Lord thy God with all thy
9:18 heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"?
        This command includes much, even the sur-
        render of all merely material sensation, affec-
9:21 tion, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity.
        It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the
        divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master,
9:24 and material sense and human will have no place.

The chalice sacrificial

        Are you willing to leave all for Christ, for Truth, and
        so be counted among sinners? No! Do you really desire
9:27 to attain this point? No! Then why make long
        prayers about it and ask to be Christians,
        since you do not care to tread in the footsteps of our
9:30 dear Master? If unwilling to follow his example, why
        pray with the lips that you may be partakers of his
        nature? Consistent prayer is the desire to do right.
10:1 Prayer means that we desire to walk and will walk in
        the light so far as we receive it, even though with bleed-
10:3 ing footsteps, and that waiting patiently on the Lord,
        we will leave our real desires to be rewarded by Him.

        The world must grow to the spiritual understanding
10:6 of prayer. If good enough to profit by Jesus' cup of
        earthly sorrows, God will sustain us under these sor-
        rows. Until we are thus divinely qualified and are
10:9 willing to drink his cup, millions of vain repetitions
        will never pour into prayer the unction of Spirit in
        demonstration of power and "with signs following."
10:12 Christian Science reveals a necessity for overcoming the
        world, the flesh, and evil, and thus destroying all error.

        Seeking is not sufficient. It is striving that enables
10:15 us to enter. Spiritual attainments open the door to a
        higher understanding of the divine Life.

Perfunctory prayers

        One of the forms of worship in Thibet is to carry a
10:18 praying-machine through the streets, and stop at the
        doors to earn a penny by grinding out a
        prayer. But the advance guard of progress has
10:21 paid for the privilege of prayer the price of persecution.

Asking amiss

        Experience teaches us that we do not always receive
        the blessings we ask for in prayer. There is some mis-
10:24 apprehension of the source and means of
        all goodness and blessedness, or we should
        certainly receive that for which we ask. The Scrip-
10:27 tures say: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask
        amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." That
        which we desire and for which we ask, it is not always
10:30 best for us to receive. In this case infinite Love will
        not grant the request. Do you ask wisdom to be mer-
        ciful and not to punish sin? Then "ye ask amiss."
11:1 Without punishment, sin would multiply. Jesus' prayer,
        "Forgive us our debts," specified also the terms of
11:3 forgiveness. When forgiving the adulterous woman he
        said, "Go, and sin no more."

Remission of penalty

        A magistrate sometimes remits the penalty, but this
11:6 may be no moral benefit to the criminal, and at best, it
        only saves the criminal from one form of
        punishment. The moral law, which has the
11:9 right to acquit or condemn, always demands restitu-
        tion before mortals can "go up higher." Broken law
        brings penalty in order to compel this progress.

Truth annihilates error

11:12 Mere legal pardon (and there is no other, for divine
        Principle never pardons our sins or mistakes till they
        are corrected) leaves the offender free to re-
11:15 peat the offence, if indeed, he has not already
        suffered sufficiently from vice to make him turn from it
        with loathing. Truth bestows no pardon upon error, but
11:18 wipes it out in the most effectual manner. Jesus suffered
        for our sins, not to annul the divine sentence for an in-
        dividual's sin, but because sin brings inevitable suffering.

Desire for holiness

11:21 Petitions bring to mortals only the results of mor-
        tals' own faith. We know that a desire for holiness is
        requisite in order to gain holiness; but if we
11:24 desire holiness above all else, we shall sac-
        rifice everything for it. We must be willing to do this,
        that we