Page:The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.djvu/190

162 God's mercy for mortal ignorance and need is assured; then who shall question our want of more faith in His “very present help in trouble”? Jesus said: “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Strength is in man, not in muscles; unity and power are not in atom or in dust. A small group of wise thinkers is better than a wilderness of dullards and stronger than the might of empires. Unity is spiritual cooperation, heart to heart, the bond of blessedness such as my beloved Christian Scientists all over the field, and the dear Sunday School children, have demonstrated in gifts to me of about eighty thousand dollars, to be applied to building, embellishing, and furnishing our church edifice in Concord, N. H.

We read in Holy Writ: “This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” This was spoken derisively. But the love that rebukes praises also, and methinks the same wisdom which spake thus in olden time would say to the builder of the Christian Scientists' church edifice in Concord: "Well done, good and faithful.” Our proper reason for church edifices is, that in them Christians may worship God, — not that Christians may worship church edifices!

May the loving Shepherd of this feeble flock lead it gently into “green pastures. . . beside the still waters.” May He increase its members, and may their faith never falter — their faith in and their understanding of divine Love. This church, born in my nativity, may it build upon the rock of ages against which the waves and winds beat in vain. May the towering top of its goodly temple — burdened with beauty, pointing to the heavens, bursting