NEW YEAR'S DAY is a suitable time for one to consider progress. Many people are aware that the progress of humanity out of the limitations imposed by matter depends upon a correct understanding of matter. Today's great expansion of power, movement, and communication has come though the analysis of matter as congealed energy. Greater progress is foretold as matter is more accurately understood and its energies are brought under the control of intelligence.
If the lessons of the Bible were grasped, it would be more widely seen that matter can be properly subjugated only by the omnipotence of Spirit. Elijah, prefiguring Christian Science by his subjugation of matter, did not find power in the forces of nature—wind, earthquake, fire—but in a still small voice. Mary Baker Eddy says in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 310), "Matter is made up of supposititious mortal mind-force; but all might is divine Mind." The great Biblical characters progressed out of material limits because they knew that power belongs to Spirit, God, and not to Spirit's opposite, matter, which plainly embodies all limitation, evil, disease, and death.
Christian Science links true progress with a right analysis of matter. In fact, the entire demonstration of Science rests upon the understanding of these two leading factors: the allness of Spirit, Mind, and the nothingness of matter. Until one learns that matter can be reduced to "mortal mind-force," or human will, and that human will is the suppositional opposite of the divine will, he makes little progress out of traditional limitations of power. Through spiritual revelation Mrs. Eddy learned that the "mortal mind-force" which constitutes matter is mythical and can be dispelled by real intelligence. This knowledge led her to the use of spiritual power in the healing of sin and disease such as the world had not seen since the days when Christ Jesus demonstrated the Science of Christ and comforted mankind through his scientific knowledge of substance. Mrs. Eddy's discovery of the nature of matter has brought to the human consciousness progress which is not yet fathomed.
