t of beauty
dominates The Mother Church, from its mosaic flooring to the soft shimmer
of its starlit dome.

Nevertheless, there is a thought higher and deeper than the edifice.
Material light and shade are temporal, not eternal. Turning the attention
from sublunary views, however enchanting, think for a moment with me of the
house wherewith "they shall be abundantly satisfied,"--even the "house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens." With the mind's eye glance at the
direful scenes of the war between China and Japan. Imagine yourselves in a
poorly barricaded fort, fiercely besieged by the enemy. Would you rush
forth single-handed to combat the foe? Nay, would you not rather strengthen
your citadel by every means in your power, and remain within the walls for
its defense? Likewise should we do as metaphysicians and Christian
Scientists. The real house in which "we live, and move, and have our being"
is Spirit, God, the eternal harmony of infinite Soul. The enemy we confront
would overthrow this sublime fortress, and it behooves us to defend our
heritage.

How can we do this Christianly scientific work? By intrenching ourselves in
the knowledge that our true temple is no human fabrication, but the
superstructure of Truth, reared on the foundation of Love, and pinnacled
in Life. Such being its nature, how can our godly temple possibly be
demolished, or even disturbed? Can eternity end? Can Life die? Can Truth be
uncertain? Can Love be less than boundless? Referring to this temple, our
Master said: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
He also said: "The kingdom of God is within you." Know, then, that you
possess sovereign power to think and act rightly, and that nothing can
dispossess you of this heritage and trespass on Love. If you maintain this
position, who or what can cause you to sin or suffer? Our surety is in our
confidence that we are indeed dwellers in Truth and Love, man's eternal
mansion. Such a heavenly assurance ends all warfare, and bids tumult cease,
for the good fight we have waged is over, and divine Love gives us the true
sense of victory. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of
Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures."
No longer are we of the church militant, but of the church triumphant; and
with Job of old we exclaim, "Yet in my flesh shall I see God." The river of
His pleasures is a tributary of divine Love, whose living wat