THE student of Christian Science, while working out the problems that confront him, sometimes meets with experiences which are like severe storms, when thought is tempest-tossed; but by steadfastly applying the Principle and fixed rules of Science, the waters are calmed and the sunshine of Truth appears. With this appearing there is always found to be some measure of darkness destroyed, and some clearer glimpse of the eternal facts of being gained.
One such experience and its illuminating lesson left a deep impress and led to spiritual advancement. While doing some earnest work, a deep sense of hatred had been uncovered, and its disturbing influence was being met with steadfast declarations of the absoluteness of Love, its all-presence, all-power, and all-peace, until at last the cloud lifted and consciousness was flooded with the sweet sense of God's allness, and the words of the prophet were recalled, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." Resting in this sweet sense of peace and harmony, thought wandered among the Bible stories of mountain experiences in the Old and New Testaments, and at length centered upon the story of Jesus' transfiguration. Turning to the Bible and reading the complete accounts given in the four gospels, also the words of Peter in his second epistle, many helpful thoughts were gained and the lesson became a precious pearl.
Six days after Peter had made his wonderful declaration, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus took his three closest, most advanced students, and led them up "into an high mountain apart," to a high mental state separated from the environment of material sense. We are not told what spiritual ascensions had been made during the intervening six days, but we read, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples" what was to come. They had been taught to pray, had been given that prayer which our Leader tells us, in Science and Health, "covers all human needs." Mrs. Eddy says further, that Jesus' prayers "were deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love" (pp. 16, 12). The gospel narrative says, "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered," "and his face did shine as the sun."
