As the unreality of matter, or materialism, dawned with clearer and clearer vision upon the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, he was led to make this declaration: "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." This would, indeed, have been a most deplorable and hopeless state of mind had not his ability to make such a declaration enabled him also to perceive the underlying spiritual reality as expressed in his inspired summary: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
On page 319 of the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our Leader says, "The divine Science taught in the original language of the Bible came through inspiration, and needs inspiration to be understood." Many of the world's best writers have approached the word "inspiration," and with pen in hand have sat down only to become mute before its transcendent meaning. Others have become blinded, so to speak, by the brightness of its glory, and turning aside have become confused in the maze of human hypotheses and speculative theories. One authority speaks of "inspiration" as "the infusion or communication of ideas," and when we learn in Christian Science that man is the idea of God, Spirit, the word assumes a new and loftier meaning, becoming identical with spiritual power.
Furthermore, we learn in Christian Science that material sensation or emotion is not inspiration; and what will doubtless be even more incomprehensible to modern systematic theologians, is the fact that neither is it to be obtained by a literal perusal of the Scriptures from the standpoint of human belief in the reality of matter. The world has ever stumbled over the simplicity of the Christ; yet it was this same Mind of Christ, speaking through Jesus, which set forth forever true inspiration. He said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." How grateful we are to learn that true inspiration—and there is none other—is Love, spiritual attraction, the unlabored activity of Spirit, Mind, reflected in Mind's ideas.
