Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures Part 53

Two different artists

A Christian Scientist and an opponent are like two 359:30 artists. One says: "I have spiritual ideals, indestructible and glorious. When others see them as I do, in their true light and loveliness, - and 360:1 know that these ideals are real and eternal because drawn from Truth, - they will find that nothing is lost, and all 360:3 is won, by a right estimate of what is real."

The other artist replies: "You wrong my experience.

I have no mind-ideals except those which are both mental 360:6 and material. It is true that materiality renders these ideals imperfect and destructible; yet I would not ex- change mine for thine, for mine give me such personal 360:9 pleasure, and they are not so shockingly transcendental.

They require less self-abnegation, and keep Soul well out of sight. Moreover, I have no notion of losing my old 360:12 doctrines or human opinions."

Choose ye to-day

Dear reader, which mind-picture or externalized thought shall be real to you, - the material or the spiritual?

360:15 Both you cannot have. You are bringing out your own ideal. This ideal is either temporal or eternal. Either Spirit or matter is your model. If you 360:18 try to have two models, then you practically have none.

Like a pendulum in a clock, you will be thrown back and forth, striking the ribs of matter and swinging between the 360:21 real and the unreal.

Hear the wisdom of Job, as given in the excellent trans- lation of the late Rev. George R. Noyes, D.D.: - 360:24 Shall mortal man be more just than G.o.d?

Shall man be more pure than his Maker?

Behold, He putteth no trust in His ministering spirits, 360:27 And His angels He chargeth with frailty.

Of old, the Jews put to death the Galilean Prophet, the best Christian on earth, for the truth he spoke and 360:30 demonstrated, while to-day, Jew and Christian can unite in doctrine and denomination on the very basis of Jesus'

words and works. The Jew believes that the Messiah or 361:1 Christ has not yet come; the Christian believes that Christ is G.o.d. Here Christian Science intervenes, ex- 361:3 plains these doctrinal points, cancels the disagreement, and settles the question. Christ, as the true spiritual idea, is the ideal of G.o.d now and forever, here and everywhere.

361:6 The Jew who believes in the First Commandment is a monotheist; he has one omnipresent G.o.d. Thus the Jew unites with the Christian's doctrine that G.o.d is come and is present now and forever. The Christian who believes in the First Commandment is a monotheist. Thus he virtually unites with the Jew's belief in one G.o.d, and 361:12 recognizes that Jesus Christ is not G.o.d, as Jesus himself declared, but is the Son of G.o.d. This declaration of Jesus, understood, conflicts not at all with another of his 361:15 sayings: "I and my Father are one," - that is, one in quality, not in quant.i.ty. As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so G.o.d 361:18 and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scrip- ture reads: "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being."

361:21 I have revised _Science and Health_ only to give a clearer and fuller expression of its original meaning. Spir- itual ideas unfold as we advance. A human perception of 361:24 divine Science, however limited, must be correct in order to be Science and subject to demonstration. A germ of in- finite Truth, though least in the kingdom of heaven is the 361:27 higher hope on earth, but it will be rejected and reviled until G.o.d prepares the soil for the seed. That which when sown bears immortal fruit, enriches mankind only 361:30 when it is understood, - hence the many readings given the Scriptures, and the requisite revisions of _Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures_.

CHAPTER XII - CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PRACTICE

Why art thou cast down, O my soul [sense]?

And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in G.o.d; for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance and my G.o.d. - PSALMS.

And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. - JESUS.

A gospel narrative

362:1 IT is related in the seventh chapter of Luke's Gospel that Jesus was once the honored guest of a certain 362:3 Pharisee, by name Simon, though he was quite unlike Simon the disciple. While they were at meat, an unusual incident occurred, as if to interrupt the scene 362:6 of Oriental festivity. A "strange woman"

came in. Heedless of the fact that she was debarred from such a place and such society, especially under the stern 362:9 rules of rabbinical law, as positively as if she were a Hin- doo pariah intruding upon the household of a high-caste Brahman, this woman (Mary Magdalene, as she has 362:12 since been called) approached Jesus. According to the custom of those days, he reclined on a couch with his head towards the table and his bare feet away from it.

362:15 It was therefore easy for the Magdalen to come behind 363:1 the couch and reach his feet. She bore an alabaster jar containing costly and fragrant oil, - sandal oil perhaps, 363:3 which is in such common use in the East. Breaking the sealed jar, she perfumed Jesus' feet with the oil, wiping them with her long hair, which hung loosely 363:6 about her shoulders, as was customary with women of her grade.

Parable of the creditor

Did Jesus spurn the woman? Did he repel her adora- 363:9 tion? No! He regarded her compa.s.sionately. Nor was this all. Knowing what those around him were saying in their hearts, especially his host, 363:12 - that they were wondering why, being a prophet, the exalted guest did not at once detect the woman's immoral status and bid her depart, - knowing this, Jesus rebuked 363:15 them with a short story or parable. He described two debtors, one for a large sum and one for a smaller, who were released from their obligations by their common 363:18 creditor. "Which of them will love him most?" was the Master's question to Simon the Pharisee; and Simon re- plied, "He to whom he forgave most." Jesus approved 363:21 the answer, and so brought home the lesson to all, follow- ing it with that remarkable declaration to the woman, "Thy sins are forgiven."

Divine insight

363:24 Why did he thus summarize her debt to divine Love?

Had she repented and reformed, and did his insight detect this unspoken moral uprising? She 363:27 bathed his feet with her tears before she anointed them with the oil. In the absence of other proofs, was her grief sufficient evidence to warrant the 363:30 expectation of her repentance, reformation, and growth in wisdom? Certainly there was encouragement in the mere fact that she was showing her affection for a man 364:1 of undoubted goodness and purity, who has since been rightfully regarded as the best man that ever trod this 364:3 planet. Her reverence was unfeigned, and it was mani- fested towards one who was soon, though they knew it not, to lay down his mortal existence in behalf of all 364:6 sinners, that through his word and works they might be redeemed from sensuality and sin.

Penitence or hospitality

Which was the higher tribute to such ineffable affec- 364:9 tion, the hospitality of the Pharisee or the contrition of the Magdalen? This query Jesus answered by rebuking self-righteousness and declaring 364:12 the absolution of the penitent. He even said that this poor woman had done what his rich entertainer had neg- lected to do, - wash and anoint his guest's feet, a special 364:15 sign of Oriental courtesy.

Here is suggested a solemn question, a question indi- cated by one of the needs of this age. Do Christian 364:18 Scientists seek Truth as Simon sought the Saviour, through material conservatism and for personal homage? Jesus told Simon that such seekers as he gave small reward 364:21 in return for the spiritual purgation which came through the Messiah. If Christian Scientists are like Simon, then it must be said of them also that they _love_ 364:24 little.

Genuine repentance

On the other hand, do they show their regard for Truth, or Christ, by their genuine repentance, by their 364:27 broken hearts, expressed by meekness and human affection, as did this woman? If so, then it may be said of them, as Jesus said of the 364:30 unwelcome visitor, that they indeed love much, because much is forgiven them.

Compa.s.sion requisite

Did the careless doctor, the nurse, the cook, and the 365:1 brusque business visitor sympathetically know the thorns they plant in the pillow of the sick and the heavenly 365:3 homesick looking away from earth, - Oh, did they know! - this knowledge would do much more towards healing the sick and preparing their helpers 365:6 for the "midnight call," than all cries of "Lord, Lord!"

The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as "Take no thought for your life," would heal 365:9 the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common 365:12 sense and common humanity are disregarded, what men- tal quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?

Speedy healing

365:15 If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native 365:18 nothingness like dew before the morning sun- s.h.i.+ne. If the Scientist has enough Christly affection to win his own pardon, and such commendation as the Mag- 365:21 dalen gained from Jesus, then he is Christian enough to practise scientifically and deal with his patients compas- sionately; and the result will correspond with the spiritual 365:24 intent.

Truth desecrated

If hypocrisy, stolidity, inhumanity, or vice finds its way into the chambers of disease through the would-be 365:27 healer, it would, if it were possible, convert into a den of thieves the temple of the Holy Ghost, - the patient's spiritual power to resuscitate him- 365:30 self. The unchristian pract.i.tioner is not giving to mind or body the joy and strength of Truth. The poor suf- fering heart needs its rightful nutriment, such as peace, 366:1 patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father's loving-kindness.

Moral evils to be cast out

366:3 In order to cure his patient, the metaphysician must first cast moral evils out of himself and thus attain the spiritual freedom which will en- 366:6 able him to cast physical evils out of his patient; but heal he cannot, while his own spiritual barrenness debars him from giving drink to the thirsty 366:9 and hinders him from reaching his patient's thought, - yea, while mental penury chills his faith and under- standing.

The true physician

366:12 The physician who lacks sympathy for his fellow- being is deficient in human affection, and we have the apostolic warrant for asking: "He that loveth 366:15 not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love G.o.d whom he hath not seen?" Not having this spiritual affection, the physician lacks faith in the divine 366:18 Mind and has not that recognition of infinite Love which alone confers the healing power. Such so-called Scien- tists will strain out gnats, while they swallow the camels 366:21 of bigoted pedantry.

Source of calmness

The physician must also watch, lest he be over- whelmed by a sense of the odiousness of sin and by the 366:24 unveiling of sin in his own thoughts. The sick are terrified by their sick beliefs, and sinners should be affrighted by their sinful beliefs; but 366:27 the Christian Scientist will be calm in the presence of both sin and disease, knowing, as he does, that Life is G.o.d and G.o.d is All.

Genuine healing

366:30 If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent 367:1 of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the _morale _of Christian Science in the grave-clothes 367:3 of its letter. The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than 367:6 hecatombs of gus.h.i.+ng theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame 367:9 with divine Love.

Grat.i.tude and humility

This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not "for the loaves and fishes," nor, like the Pharisee, with 367:12 the arrogance of rank and display of scholar- s.h.i.+p, but like Mary Magdalene, from the sum- mit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and 367:15 the perfume of _grat.i.tude_, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.

The salt of the earth

A Christian Scientist occupies the place at this period 367:18 of which Jesus spoke to his disciples, when he said: "Ye are the salt of the earth." "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill can- 367:21 not be hid." Let us watch, work, and pray that this salt lose not its saltness, and that this light be not hid, but radiate and glow into noontide glory.

367:24 The infinite Truth of the Christ-cure has come to this age through a "still, small voice," through silent utter- ances and divine anointing which quicken and increase 367:27 the beneficial effects of Christianity. I long to see the consummation of my hope, namely, the student's higher attainments in this line of light.