pure in heart

[spencel]

“The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'” Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health p. 323

“Mrs. Eddy would stand for no nonsense when unhandled errors were lurking in the mental home of the student. She demanded that we tell the truth about the lie, but, when we did, to realize that it was a lie. At that point, wisdom uncovers the error in order that it may be destroyed. On April 17, 1890, she made the following statement: ‘When we understand the truth of a lie, then we shall understand God, and not until then.” She also said, “Calling or thinking error a lie, relieves it of any personality whatever.’
‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.’ This is a Biblical admonition that error must be unmasked before it can be destroyed. In Miscellaneous Writings we read, ‘Error found out is two-thirds destroyed, and the remaining third kills itself.’…so much of mortality is perpetuated through the deception whereby people hide their burdens and secret sorrows in their mental homes, and appear on the streets smiling and apparently happy, just as if human life were one grand sweet song. …When students endeavor to hide their undestroyed errors under the cloak of scientific statements, it creates an unfortunate deception which would tend to rob the honest inquirer of a right perspective.” From Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Footsteps by Gilbert Carpenter Chp. 67

[spencel]

I am grateful to be learning here how to make practical the teachings of Jesus such as, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Sermon on the Mount) Telling the truth about the lie requires honesty, getting out of our comfort zone, burning of pride, willingness to ask for help and taking correction. One of the gifts of doing this is a greater understanding of God and the peace that goes with it. This has been requiring me to face problems rather than glossing over them, avoiding them, or pushing them down. I am beginning to understand why evil, error, wrong, needs to be exposed and destroyed in order to purify the heart and “see God.”

[MaryBeth]

Thank you so much for this post! Dear Mr. Carpenter, – I am so deeply grateful for his wisdom and all he has given us. Many people complain about not making progress, and I admit I have done this as well. But here Mrs. Eddy says, “The purification of sense and self is proof of progress.”!! PROOF! It is only error’s deceptive voice that tells us we are not making progress! Would God ever say anything like that to His beloved child? Of course not! But if we only look to the physical manifestation as proof that we are making progress – then we are looking in the wrong direction. So what are you looking at? an unhealed marriage, lack of employment, a disease etc…? Look instead to the purification of sense and self.
The previous post explains some ways to make progress – being completely honest with oneself and uncovering error is certainly one way and then cleansing ourselves daily from faulty thinking and acting. So have you made some progress in that direction today, in this past hour or moment? We certainly can all purify our thoughts and deeds each and every day and this is what we need to focus on, the rest will take care of itself. Mrs. Eddy has said, “Right thought must manifest itself.” And so it is!

[parthens]

Excerpt from Mary Baker Eddy’s letter, dated Jan. 28, 1897, to James Neal, a very successful early Christian Science worker: “Pray daily, never miss praying, no matter how often: ‘Lead me not into temptation’ – scientifically rendered – Lead me not to lose sight of strict purity, clean, pure thoughts; let all my thoughts and aims be high, unselfish, charitable, meek – spiritually minded.”
[See Lyman P. Powell’s biography of Mrs. Eddy, p. 322.]

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