IN seeking to impart spiritual truth, Christ Jesus and his disciples, as well as the prophets of earlier times, drew frequent inspiration from their observations of nature. Seedtime, growth, fruitage, harvest—these and many others of like character are repeatedly employed as object lessons throughout the Scriptures, because of the simple analogy they present to the processes of spiritual growth and development. Deeply imbued, as were all these spiritual teachers, with an immanent sense of the presence and power of God, they could not fail to perceive in the phenomena of nature hints of that divine law and order which their spiritual insight had revealed to them as governing the entire universe. The fundamental processes of nature generally appear unvarying; and in this aspect, also, they awaken thought to the changeless, eternal laws of God. Blossom follows bud and ripens into fruit for us today, just as when these gladdened the eyes of the prophets of Bible times and spoke to them of spiritual law. Might not we who are so earnestly desiring spiritual growth also find some helpful lessons in this world of nature about us, where we may trace so plainly the symbolical record of a law of growth?
First, we see that growth is orderly; that its process consists of a sequence of unfoldments; that each consecutive stage of this process is necessary, and cannot be omitted or deferred without detriment to wholesome growth. Here, also, we see no violent transitions, no insubordination, but in silent obedience is growth unfolded, and, as Mrs. Eddy expresses it in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 118), "the natural order of heaven comes down to earth." In plant life, an early step of growth is the pushing of the tiny leaflets above the ground, and root development. A fundamental requirement of sturdy growth is that the proper balance shall always be preserved between these two, namely, growth of leaf and branch and growth of roots; for the ability of the plant to accomplish its life-purpose —flower and fruitage—depends largely upon the preservation of this balance. By a process of metaphysical reasoning it may be seen, from the foregoing simple and obvious phenomena of nature, how close is the analogy between the growth of the plant and the growth of human thought Spiritward.
In the first chapter of II Peter the requisite states of spiritual growth are indicated for us in the following verses: "And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." While studying these verses, there came to the writer a desire to know why Peter had named these requirements of spiritual growth in just this order; for the apostolic writers were Christian metaphysicians, and did not set forth any teaching, except it had a definite and inspired purpose. Further study brought the realization that the qualities here named follow an orderly sequence, and correspond remarkably with the stages of plant growth.
