The Right Knock Part 20

"We might not doubt the principle where we would often doubt ourselves,"

suggested Mr. Hayden.

"Yes," said Grace, "I believe that doubts will come as long as we consider it a personal power."

"Which it is not, of course," interrupted Kate.

"Certainly not, but we must grow into a realization of Truth, we can not change our old natures in a day, and it is only natural at first to feel that it is a personal power because we are given so much personal responsibility."

"I see what you mean," said Mr. Hayden, quietly, leaning back as if thinking deeply. "You mean it is hard to forget self, and I agree with you. This mind of the flesh claims so much wisdom and power of its own that it is hard to attribute everything to a higher power, and let that power work through you; but when we can do that, we have the kernel of the whole system."

"It is a wonderful thought to me, that we reflect _all_ things spiritual, as we divest ourselves of our false beliefs," remarked Grace, earnestly.

"In other words, when we know ourselves as we are, and not as we appear, we shall recognize that all things we desire are already ours," added Mr. Hayden.

"How could it be otherwise? The sun is always s.h.i.+ning behind the darkest clouds. All I ask is that the ignorance may be removed," replied Grace.

"Well, I want to understand and believe truth, but it seems strange, after we have declared our willingness to believe and acknowledge G.o.d to be all, that we should be tempted. Why couldn't our acknowledgement be sufficient?" queried Kate, in perplexity again.

"Why isn't the simple act of joining the church sufficient to make Christians? Although some seem to think it all sufficient, it is not. It is the daily life of overcoming, and denial of self that const.i.tutes true acknowledgement," said Grace, laying her hand upon that of her friend.

"Not denial of self in the old way, either," said Mr. Hayden, "but denial of the mortal thought, or as Paul would say, the 'carnal mind.'"

"Yes, and in the temptation of Jesus, we read our own temptations,"

interrupted Grace, "and it is all important that we should deal with them as he did. Over and over he met the opposing thought, represented by the tempter or opposer--error always opposing truth--and gave it either a plain denial or an emphatic command to get out."

"That is very plain and very true," said Kate, with a little sigh, "but still I can not see why G.o.d should allow us to be tempted after we have fought the battle once as Jesus did."

"But he fought it more than once," explained Mr. Hayden, earnestly. "He was continually overcoming, and at times found it necessary to withdraw into the mountains where he fasted and prayed."

"That is a good thought to carry home," suggested Grace, rising, "for we need to follow his example."

"I need it more than anyone else," said Kate, feeling a lack of spiritual understanding, and wis.h.i.+ng she could get on faster.

"You are doing grandly Miss Kate, just think how you opposed it all at first," said Mr. Hayden encouragingly.

"Yes, I know I did," flus.h.i.+ng a little, "but even thus far I have seen enough, or rather experienced enough to make me anxious to understand it, and I only ask so many questions because I am determined to get every speck of light I can."

"If everybody would lay aside prejudice as you have, Miss Kate, they would have no difficulty in seeing the truth as you do," he replied.

The tears came into her eyes. Neither Mr. Hayden nor Grace knew how much it had cost her to 'lay aside prejudice,' but she could thank G.o.d that she had done so, and indeed believed it was Providence that had led her into this study in spite of herself.

"I want the truth," she said simply, and turned away to join Grace, who stood at the open door waiting for her.

CHAPTER XXI.

"People imagine that the place which the Bible holds in the world it owes to miracles. It owes it simply to the fact that it came out of a profounder depth of thought than any other book."--_Emerson._

"MARLOW, September ----.

"Dear husband: The first thing I heard when I went into the cla.s.s to-day was Mrs. Dawn telling how she had treated a severe belief of headache last evening and how marvelously soon the terrible pain ceased. She was quite rejoiced because it was the first time she had tried to demonstrate the principles.

"They all have plenty to tell now, and are growing more and more interested. Every day somebody has some new experience. Little Mrs.

Dexter, who has been so long treated by the old method, says she fully believes she will be cured, is feeling much better, and has such an a.s.surance all the time that she has found the true healing. She has had several quite remarkable demonstrations with others.

"The whole line of argument is unfolding so naturally and beautifully that it seems like a piece of fine mosaic, with every form and color interwoven with the most exquisite exactness. Mrs. Pearl gave us a lecture on inspiration and the Bible, which I consider one of the most useful and interesting of any she has yet given:

"In studying the very fountain springs of Truth, and basing our ideas upon a G.o.d who is the unexpressed and inexpressible essence of Truth itself, with whom is 'no respect of persons,' and to whom we owe _all_ knowledge, it becomes us to inquire a little into the manner and means of gaining that knowledge.

"That all peoples in all climes and ages have developed similar ideas and expressed them in like terms, as philology shows, is an indisputable fact, strengthened and corroborated by our broader conception and higher understanding of G.o.d, the omnipresent Good.

"But how have these ideas come to them? Have they come through what is known as inspiration or revelation? As the one fountain of Intelligence is open to all alike, this must be the case, because Truth comes only in this way. Inspiration means an 'inbreathing,' a breathing in of true knowledge, and because the omnipresent Good comes into every consciousness prepared to receive it, there is an inbreathing in accordance with the readiness to receive. Intelligence is like the air, to be breathed by every living being. Thus far, humanity has expanded its lungs of consciousness only enough to have inhaled fundamental truth, or what is recognized as such, but we are constantly receiving more, and in proportion as we receive, do we know what we receive.

"All truth is inspired or revealed, because whatever is true is of the great Truth. This must be so, yet many people consider inspiration as confined to the authors of the Bible and that with them, inspiration ceased. The immortal Job said, 'There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding.' The inbreathing of the Almighty, All-powerful Truth, giveth understanding. No truer words were ever uttered.

"As inspiration is inhaling or breathing in Truth, we can readily understand that 'G.o.d, Truth, Principle, is no respecter of persons.'

That it is a 'miraculous influence which qualifies man to receive and communicate divine truth,' is in a sense true, for the works of G.o.d are always 'wonderful,' but there can be no setting aside of divine law, as some erroneously suppose, for the performance of these things that seem unaccountable to human reason. It is a lack of understanding as to _how_ Truth works, that has caused a belief in supernatural or miraculous ways. Could a fish judge according to appearances, he would regard the creatures that walk on land as gifted with supernatural power, because it would be utterly beyond his conception to know _how_ they could do so.

"Revelation and inspiration are frequently used interchangeably, but that which is revealed, is the manifested result of inspiration rather than inspiration itself. Whenever we are ready to breathe or absorb Truth into our consciousness, we get a revealment--'inspiration giveth understanding.' This breathing-in process lifts us above ordinary knowledge and gives refres.h.i.+ng glimpses of heavenly Truth, it is like breathing in fresh air, after having been in a close suffocating room.

We say this or that scene, person or object inspires us; we mean that some beautiful thought or conception of Truth is revealed to us, through or by our seeing these objects, because they hint of something better and higher, and the moment we get the higher thought, we are conscious of knowing higher Truth. This is revelation.

"Revelation and inspiration are the usual terms for expressing spiritual processes but are necessarily inadequate to express accurate spiritual meanings. How ideas are born is a question of questions. Whether they come from without or within, they must establish the oneness of G.o.d and man in mind and idea. The only 'without' there can be is that which is without the consciousness, the only 'within' is that which is within the consciousness. Development, growth, unfoldment, better express spiritual consciousness. What is consciousness but a recognition of itself? Then would not 'recognition' more fully describe the birth of ideas? As we grow able to recognize harmony and love, harmony and love are revealed to us.

"The more spiritual our thoughts and desires, the more spiritual our revelations. To think and talk of G.o.d, to desire knowledge of Him, creates a receptivity which sooner or later brings the revealment of more truth, and that of the highest quality. But it is not always by what we see that we are lifted into this consciousness of new knowledge.

In various ways is the Truth expressed to us, and whether we know how or why it should be thus and so, matters not if we receive the message.

"The wisdom of our Father has provided that none of His children should be without a knowledge of Him, without a power to recognize and appreciate Truth, and in the way or language best suited to the capacity of each to understand, are the revelations made. Sometimes this knowledge comes into our consciousness like a direct message from G.o.d, and so vividly are we impressed, that no other words could express the nearness and clearness of it, than the expression 'walking and talking with G.o.d.' Sometimes wonderful pictures appear before our mind's eye, and reading their symbolic meaning, we catch hints of higher wisdom that would otherwise have been hidden.

"By persistently ignoring the spiritual and cultivating the intellectual faculties, mankind has well nigh lost the highest means of inspiration, but now that we again, like the prophets and apostles of old, seek for signs of the Infinite, we are gradually recovering the key by which they unlocked its mysteries.

"As to the infallibility of what is thus revealed, we must remember that while truth is always infallible, there is a possibility of its recognition or conception being tinged to a greater or less degree, with our erroneous judgements, and as the light, pure in itself, is colored by the gla.s.s through which it pa.s.ses, so is the divinest truth colored with the quality of mind through which it comes to the world. As Heber Newton says, 'Inspiration can not do away with the limitations of the human individuality.' Thus, in our discrimination of so-called inspired literature, language or thoughts, we must learn that whatever is opposite G.o.d, the universal idea of goodness, is the chaff that must be blown away. In other words it is the a.s.sumption of mortal thought instead of absolute knowledge of divine mind.

"It would be an utter impossibility to describe infinite truth in finite language. Words are inadequate to express the grandeur of sacred revelation.

"With this view of inspiration, we can readily see how far short we have come in our conceptions of the Bible, and now that we are to use and understand this wonderful book as never before, it is well that we consider it a little more closely.

"There are three general views held in regard to the Bible as an inspired book. 1. That it is verbally inspired; _i. e._, that every word is direct from G.o.d. 2. That it is partially inspired; and, 3. That it is no more inspired than any other good book. The first two of these views have been and are accompanied with the idea that everything going under the name of inspiration, is infallible, hence the idea that every statement made throughout the entire book is absolute truth.

"The Bible itself makes no claim to infallibility, though there are frequent references to inspiration and the influence of the Holy Ghost in moving men to speak, but the princ.i.p.al text on which is based this claim of infallibility is II. Tim. iii: 16. At the time this was written, there was only the Old Testament, including the Apocrypha, that could be referred to as Scripture, so when we read Paul's a.s.sertion that, 'all scripture is given by inspiration of G.o.d, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,' if we take it to be infallible, we have a reasonable ground for regarding the Old Testament and the Apocrypha as infallible.

But a more literal rendering of the Greek text would be, 'all scripture divinely inspired is indeed profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction,' etc., and by simply changing the position of the little word _is_, we have a vastly different sentence.

"Regarding the interpretation of scripture, Peter says: 'All prophecy of scripture is not of its own solution.' The literal Greek is, 'all prophecy of a writing, of its own loosing not it is,' meaning, of course, that sacred writings can not always be interpreted literally, but must be understood according to their spiritual meaning. Great writings are not confined to any private or local meaning, but refer more especially to great principles, to universal truth.

"If we consider the origin of the Bible, we shall learn what comparatively few of us know, viz., how the Bible grew into a book. In a necessarily brief outline it is impossible to give anything but a bird's-eye view of this very interesting and important subject.

"As we look back to earlier times, through the various channels, we find that much of what is considered history is merely legendary; that long before the art of writing was known, these legends and myths were handed down from generation to generation, and from age to age. Familiar as we are with human nature, we may well imagine the additions and subtractions and divergencies introduced by each succeeding narrator, copyist or editor in every age. This is a very important feature to be considered in interpreting ancient scriptures, but there are also others. History reveals the fact that the books of the Old Testament were not written nor arranged in the order in which they now appear in the Bible. For instance, while it has been generally considered that the first five books were written by Moses fifteen hundred years before Christ, the best authorities have found at least a portion of them to have been written, or compiled rather, in their present form 600 to 700 B. C.