The “Still, Small Voice”

In an age when noise and bustle seem the rule, and quiet, restful thought the exception, it is well to pause and consider the import of this silent utterance which came to the prophet above the tumult of the “strong wind,” the “earthquake,” and the “fire.” (1 Kings 19:11, 12.) These material elements seemed in their force and fury to be omnipotent, and yet they failed utterly to meet the heart’s great need of Elijah, weary, dejected and alone, in the cave at Mount Horeb, whither he had fled for refuge from those who sought his life. He had been standing fearless and alone, as he thought, in a time when the greatest forms of idolatry had usurped the place of the simple worship of God as established by Moses.

In his zeal he had slain four hundred prophets of Baal, hoping thereby to annihilate the error of idolatry. This action in Truth called out a corresponding claim in evil, which Science explains as the revenge of mortal mind upon the destroyer of sin.

When error’s louder scream through queen Jezebel—the introducer of Baal-worship in Israel—rose defiantly against him, he quailed for a moment before its seeming power. As Moses, called by God to his great mission as deliverer and lawgiver for Israel, shrank from the responsible work, and fled before the serpent of his own fear, so Elijah fled before this more malicious manifestation of evil. It seemed to threaten not merely his personal sense of life, but far more, the reign of the spiritual idea in Israel, which he had so zealously sought to restore. Hear his “intercession” . . . “against Israel.” “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19: 10.

To the thought of the prophet, his work for the destruction of error may have seemed a failure, because his personal connection with it was temporarily interrupted. But his retirement to the quiet cave, out of reach of his enemies, gave opportunity for learning new and important lessons as to the manner of Truth’s working, as also in humility and self-abnegation. Roused by the call of God— “What does thou here-, Elijah?”—he was enabled to rise to the Mount of Vision, where he could discern the powerlessness of evil to destroy a purpose of Good.

Man’s part is to obey the demands of Truth, and let God work through His own means, using such avenues as best subserve the ends of Wisdom.

When the silent influence of the “still, small voice” fell on Elijah’s quickened spiritual understanding, he rose from his false sense of humiliation and defeat, and went forth at Truth’s bidding, to anoint others with the holy oil of his own consecrated purpose; viz., to destroy the claims of evil and establish the supremacy of Good.

Idolatry is mental. It is not confined to any age or clime, but is inherent in mortal mind. It is the acknowledgment of any power but Good, whether by so-called Christians or heathen; and it cannot be rooted out of a nation or an individual simply by the death of persons, but by the action of Truth upon the human mind, whereby natures are gradually and radically changed, hearts are chastened, and sin is rebuked. Only so do mortals learn that there is but One Mind, One Power to whom alone allegiance is due.

The “still, small voice” came also to the prophet Zechariah, in the vision of the golden candlestick with seven lamps, whose oil was supplied from two living olive trees by their sides. The times were troublous, and the work of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem, after the Babylonian captivity, was hindered by the violent opposition of adversaries. Great responsibility was felt for its completion by those to whom it was entrusted. When asked if he understood the vision, the prophet answered, “No, my Lord.” Then followed its interpretation, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Zech. 4: 6.

From Genesis to Revelation the Scriptures present continuous illustrations of the presence and power of this Word coming in times of need like a voice from out the unseen,—to rebuke, to awaken, to comfort and encourage, to enlighten darkened thought, and point the Way. It called to Adam, “Where art thou?”—to Abraham, “Get thee out from thy country . . . unto a land that I will show thee”; to Moses with the assurance, “Certainly I will be with thee”; to Joshua, “Be strong, and of good courage”; through Samuel, rebuking the profanity of the priests, the sons of Eli. To Job this voice came “out of the whirlwind” of his own false conceptions of God and conflicting human opinions, humbling pride, and revealing a truer sense of God as the Source of Good, but not of evil.

The Psalmist sang, “The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness.” “He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” The prophet Isaiah heard the “Voice” heralding the “glory of the Lord,” and the “good tidings of good” to all peoples under the spiritual reign of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, foretelling the mortality of error and the immortality of Truth. Isa. 40: 3—8.

To the ever-unfolding thought of Jesus of Nazareth, always in sweet accord with the Divine will, came the same “voice” from Harmony—”Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”—uttered, not alone for his sake, but through him, to the whole world, separated in belief from the Father’s Love. This gospel of the Kingdom, this message of “peace on earth and good will to men,” was taught and demonstrated with unparalleled results throughout the earthly life of Jesus. It echoed through the early centuries of the Christian era, waking slumbering thought, and quickening into vitality, many who were waiting for its coming.

The revelation of this Christ-Truth of man’s sonship with God came irresistibly to the prostrate sense of Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus. He heard the “still, small voice,” and yielding to its guidance, the man was changed. Henceforth the bitterest persecutor of early Christianity became its great Apostle.

To Saint John, on the isle of Patmos, came “voices” of wondrous import, beyond the power of human sense to grasp, unveiling the mysteries of evil and revealing the Allness of Divine Love. As the prophets of old caught the glad notes of promised deliverance through the coming Messiah, so the Revelator heard, with prophetic inspiration, the heavenly message of the “little book.” which was to come with healing and salvation to this age.

The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, speaks of “voices not our own” (Ret. and Int.), which came to her awakening child-thought, gently preparing her for those deep experiences through which she was to learn life’s great lesson, and become the bearer of a message of Love to suffering humanity. Like Samuel of old, she responded to these calls,—”Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth,”—and God has spoken through her to this age, and to all mankind, in a voice not to be mistaken. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, is this voice. In response to the demand for a more scientific and practical Christianity, and, as a fulfillment of prophecy, this “little book,” has appeared as the “still, small voice of scientific thought,” quieting the restlessness of the human mind by fixing it on immutable Truth. Its keynote is the supremacy of Mind. It speaks of “an influence ever present in human consciousness,” to heal and save, and calls the world to demonstrate it. Its mission is to restore the lost art of Christian healing which was the foundation of primitive Christianity. The voice of this herald of Christian Science reaches over land and sea. The one hundred and fifth edition, recently issued, is both a triumph and a prophecy of the influence of this silent messenger in the coming centuries.