THE book of Revelation was given to us by John, the faithful disciple of Jesus. Its truths were revealed to him through his understanding of God and man, gained by his unswerving devotion to the Master and his accompanying love and implicit obedience. In this book John describes the "tree of life," whose leaves, he says, "were for the healing of the nations." Christian Science, the law of God, may perhaps be said to be this tree, the leaves of which bear fruit in the healing of all manner of sickness, sin, inharmony.
A dictionary defines "heal" as "to make hale, sound, or whole; restore to health." Prior to the discovery of Christian Science by Mrs. Eddy, healing of disease by prayer had not been practiced in the Christian church since about three hundred years after the ministry of Jesus. Until the leaven of Truth was again accepted by the human consciousness through the revelation and teachings of Christian Science, the healing of conditions of physical disorder was given over to means other than spiritual. To heal in Christian Science is to bring to light man's original and perfect state of wholeness, thus blotting out any condition of discord or inharmony. In order that this may be accomplished there must be a basic law, governed by intelligence, applicable to the condition; and strict adherence to this law of God will demonstrate its efficacy.
On page 406 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the textbook of Christian Science, its author, Mrs. Eddy, says: "The Bible contains the recipe for all healing. 'The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.' Sin and sickness are both healed by the same Principle. The tree is typical of man's divine Principle, which is equal to every emergency, offering full salvation from sin, sickness, and death. Sin will submit to Christian Science when, in place of modes and forms, the power of God is understood and demonstrated in the healing of mortals, both mind and body. 'Perfect Love casteth out fear.'" Healing is salvation. To be healed is to be saved —to know man's inseparability from God, good, as opposed to a belief in evil. The result of this spiritual understanding will be the expression of omniactive perfection, a restoration or visible manifestation of wholeness.
