Articles

During the early years of her study, an earnest student of Christian Science was chagrined to find that her distaste for the Lesson-Sermon now entitled "Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced," was not to be readily overcome. All other Lesson-Sermons were pondered with increasing pleasure, but her earnest effort to enjoy the one mentioned seemed unavailing.

The instantaneous demonstration of divine Principle was the great characteristic of the Master's ministry. Whenever and wherever the human need legitimately presented itself, there and then did Jesus prove the availability of spiritual law.

It has been truly said that there is no evil situation or condition in which a mortal may find himself, where the law of God is not available to help him,—no disease that cannot be healed; no sin that cannot be overcome; no danger, no threatened disaster or calamity, from which one cannot be saved by the understanding and application of the divine law. This is necessarily so in the very nature of things, for God is omnipotent and God is good, and what we speak of as the law of God could be nothing more or less than the expression of God's will or purpose.

The Bible, which holds an important place in all Christian Science services, is often referred to as "the Book of books," and it is indeed true that one's outlook upon life is determined by his attitude toward the Bible. In it are to be found the great truths which enabled Moses and others to find and to understand God.

One of the perplexing problems to an eager young student in Christian Science is the refusal of mortal mind to see anything except matter and its modes, and its refusal to reason from any other premise. When Jesus said, "They seeing see not; and hearing they hear not," he was confronted with the same phase of human blindness that to-day his followers encounter.

Very early in human history, as recorded in Genesis, we are told of a people who, with clay for bricks and slime for mortar, proceeded to build a tower, the top of which, as they said, might "reach unto heaven. " We may have smiled a little as we read this account, and thought to ourselves what an inconsistent, impossible, and interminable undertaking; yet we may no doubt still find to-day a much greater number of people attempting practically the same thing,—striving to attain harmony, contentment, and happiness by assuming that matter is a perfectly safe and satisfactory foundation upon which to build, and by rearing thereon an entirely material structure.

At a lecture on Christian Science given in our city some time ago, the lecturer concluded with the simple yet profound advice which Jesus gave to his disciples, "Have faith in God. " After listening to his words of assurance as to the nature of God, His omnipotence, ever presence, and infinite goodness, it seemed indeed to be the only reasonable thing to do,— not only to have faith, but more faith than we had ever experienced before.

" We tread on forces. Withdraw them, and creation must collapse.

After the Jew has accepted Christian Science, there arises in him a persistent, albeit unconscious, effort to identify its teachings with those of Judaism. He will educe for proof of this identification the fact that there have been and still are rabbis possessing the healing power.

" Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe" (Science and Health, p. 313 ), is the grateful and loving tribute of the most scientific woman who has graced this world's history.