In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 181), Mrs. Eddy says: "Progress is spiritual. Progress is the maturing conception of divine Love; it demonstrates the scientific, sinless life of man and mortal's painless departure from matter to Spirit, not through death, but through the true idea of Life,—and Life not in matter but in Mind." Throughout the Scriptures, progress and the unfoldment of Truth to human consciousness are manifested. And each step typifies the growth and development in individual thinking—leading mankind out of false, material beliefs into a higher spiritual concept of God and man's relationship to Him.
Abraham, departing from the idolatrous beliefs of his native land, went forth seeking "a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Through faith he attained a large measure of man's heritage, overcame many of the claims of materiality, and acquired a clear comprehension of spiritual existence. However, he only "sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, . . . not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off."
Jacob, gaining a vision of spirituality, struggled with the false sense of life which claims to exist in matter, held fast to Truth, realized a measure of man's dominion, and prevailed with God. His name was changed to Israel, for he had attained a concept of man that had not before been acquired. Thus is the true idea conceived, and human thought awakened to man's real status as a child of God. As in all steps of progress, this concept revealed through Jacob had to be established, defended, demonstrated. There followed, in the experiences of the children of Israel, many struggles and trials, defeats and victories, including the experiences of Egypt, each aiding their progress, each bringing them nearer man's rightful heritage.
Moses, discerning spiritual reality still more fully, led the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, through the Red Sea and the wilderness. He discerned and gave to the world the moral law in the Ten Commandments, and revealed certain phases of Truth which up to his time had been but vaguely comprehended.
Joshua, attaining a still higher sense of God's law, put that law into practice. He proved its availability for the problems confronting his brethren. He demonstrated the fact that when men are '"strong and of a good courage," live "according to all the law," do not turn from it "to the right hand, or to the left," but meditate therein day and night, they then may realize the promises given to all the children of God: "Thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and . . . thou shalt have good success."
This advanced spiritual basis enabled the prophets to discern the truth more fully. They foresaw and prophesied the coming of that still higher fulfillment of spiritual progress which was later made manifest or demonstrated by Christ Jesus, who came fulfilling the law, and who annulled and overcame every false belief or so-called law of matter.
Through the spiritual teachings of Christian Science, it is discerned that these various steps of progress and unfoldment—giving a glimpse of the travail of the new birth—are portrayed in the lives and experience of the children of men in their progress Spiritward. The individual who has turned his back upon false material beliefs, and goes, as did Abraham at the command of God, "into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, . . . not knowing whither he went," has begun the proof of real being. He should not be fearful, disheartened, or afraid; for he and his work are to be governed, supported, and controlled by divine law. He, too, has the promise given to Joshua, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Under God's law of progress, when, because of reliance on God, divine Love, one meets each obstruction with assurance and without fear, then his progress and unfoldment will be sure and uninterrupted. With each need will come strength, wisdom, supply, or whatever may be required to meet it. When wrestling with material sense, the same idea which Jacob expressed will prevail, and "Israel" will be manifested. When passing through the trials of Egypt,—the idolatrous beliefs of evil, —the true idea will deliver him, and lead him out of bondage, through the Red Sea and the wilderness, up to the borders of the promised land. When confronted with the Jordan of human doubt and fear, apparently separating him from the next step of progress into the promised land of spiritual understanding, there will be at hand a deliverer—some spiritual idea of divine Love—to lead him through that which seems to obstruct.
Then will begin to unfold to him, as with the prophets of old, the realization of man's unity with God, and man as the spiritual idea of God. Man, made in the image and likeness of God, will proportionately appear, and he will come into his rightful heritage as an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. This rule of progress applies to all mankind, in every walk of human experience. By it men go forward step by step, and as Paul says, "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," they press "toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Mrs. Eddy has briefly summarized this progress out of matter into the realm of spirituality in the following statement in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 566): "As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear,—as they were led through the wilderness, walking wearily through the great desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised joy,—so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for them who love God."
O Nations! speed the cable
Through oceans, earth around,—
"No more shall war disable,
But earth be holy ground!"
Then age shall bless, each child have mirth,
And Good revivify the earth.
