that be called heresy which pleads for Spirit-the All of G.o.d, and His omnipresence?
The kingdom of heaven is the reign of divine Science: it is a mental state. Jesus said it is within you, and taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come;" but he did [25]
not teach us to pray for death whereby to gain heaven.
We do not look into darkness for light. Death can never usher in the dawn of Science that reveals the spiritual facts of man"s Life here and now.
The leaven which a woman took and hid in three [30]
measures of meal, is Divine Science; the Comforter; the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth; the "still,
[Page 175.]
small voice" that breathes His presence and power, cast- [1]
ing out error and healing the sick. And woman, the spiritual idea, takes of the things of G.o.d and showeth them unto the creature, until the whole sense of being is leavened with Spirit. The three measures of meal [5]
may well be likened to the false sense of life, substance, and intelligence, which says, I am sustained by bread, matter, instead of Mind. The spiritual leaven of divine Science changes this false sense, giving better views of Life; saying, Man"s Life is G.o.d; and when this shall [10]
appear, it shall be "the substance of things hoped for."
The measure of Life shall increase by every spiritual touch, even as the leaven expands the loaf. Man shall keep the feast of Life, not with the old leaven of the scribes and Pharisees, neither with "the leaven of malice [15]
and wickedness; but the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Thus it can be seen that the Science of mental healing must be understood. There are false Christs that would "deceive, if it were possible, the very elect," by inst.i.tut- [20]
ing matter and its methods in place of G.o.d, Mind. Their supposition is, that there are other minds than His; that one mind controls another; that one belief takes the place of another. But this ism of to-day has nothing to do with the Science of mental healing which acquaints [25]
us with G.o.d and reveals the one perfect Mind and His laws.
The attempt to mix matter and Mind, to work by means of both animal magnetism and divine power, is literally saying, Have we not in thy name cast out devils, [30]
and done many wonderful works?
But remember G.o.d in all thy ways, and thou shalt
[Page 176.]
find the truth that breaks the dream of sense, letting the [1]
harmony of Science that declares _Him_, come in with healing, and peace, and perfect love.
Sunday Services on July Fourth
EXTEMPORE REMARKS
The great theme so deeply and solemnly expounded by the preacher, has been exemplified in all ages, but chiefly in the great crises of nations or of the human race.
It is then that supreme devotion to Principle has espe- cially been called for and manifested. It is then that we [10]
learn a little more of the nothingness of evil, and more of the divine energies of good, and strive valiantly for the liberty of the sons of G.o.d.
The day we celebrate reminds us of the heroes and heroines who counted not their own lives dear to them, [15]
when they sought the New England sh.o.r.es, not as the flying nor as conquerors, but, steadfast in faith and love, to build upon the rock of Christ, the true idea of G.o.d- the supremacy of Spirit and the nothingness of matter.
When first the Pilgrims planted their feet on Plymouth [20]
Rock, frozen ritual and creed should forever have melted away in the fire of love which came down from heaven.
The Pilgrims came to establish a nation in true freedom, in the rights of conscience.
But what of ourselves, and our times and obligations? [25]
Are we duly aware of our own great opportunities and responsibilities? Are we prepared to meet and improve them, to act up to the acme of divine energy wherewith we are armored?
[Page 177.]
Never was there a more solemn and imperious call [1]
than G.o.d makes to us all, right here, for fervent de- votion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come. The great battle of Armageddon is upon us. The powers of evil [5]
are leagued together in secret conspiracy against the Lord and against His Christ, as expressed and opera- tive in Christian Science. Large numbers, in desperate malice, are engaged day and night in organizing action against us. Their feeling and purpose are deadly, and [10]
they have sworn enmity against the lives of our standard- bearers.
What will you do about it? Will you be equally in earnest for the truth? Will you doff your lavender-kid zeal, and become real and consecrated warriors? Will [15]
you give yourselves wholly and irrevocably to the great work of establishing the truth, the gospel, and the Science which are necessary to the salvation of the world from error, sin, disease, and death? Answer at once and practi- cally, and answer aright! [20]
Easter Services
The editor of _The Christian Science Journal_ said that at three o"clock, the hour for the church service proper, the pastor, Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy, accompanied by Rev. D. A. Easton, who was announced to preach [25]
the sermon, came on the platform. The pastor introduced Mr. Easton as follows:-
_Friends_:-The homesick traveller in foreign lands greets with joy a familiar face. I am constantly home- sick for heaven. In my long journeyings I have met [30]
[Page 178.]
one who comes from the place of my own sojourning [1]
for many years,-the Congregational Church. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and of Andover The- ological School. He has left his old church, as I did, from a yearning of the heart; because he was not sat- [5]
isfied with a manlike G.o.d, but wanted to become a G.o.d- like man. He found that the new wine could not be put into old bottles without bursting them, and he came to us.
Mr. Easton then delivered an interesting discourse [10]
from the text, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of G.o.d" (Col. iii. 1), which he prefaced by saying:-
"I think it was about a year ago that I strayed into [15]
this hall, a stranger, and wondered what sort of people you were, and of what you were worshippers. If any one had said to me that to-day I should stand before you to preach a sermon on Christian Science, I should have replied, "Much learning"-or something else- [20]
"hath made thee mad." If I had not found Christian Science a new gospel, I should not be standing before you: if I had not found it truth, I could not have stood up again _to_ preach, here or elsewhere."
At the conclusion of the sermon, the pastor again came [25]
forward, and added the following:-
My friends, I wished to be excused from speaking to-day, but will yield to circ.u.mstances. In the flesh, we are as a part.i.tion wall between the old and the new; between the old religion in which we have been educated, [30]
and the new, living, impersonal Christ-thought that has been given to the world to-day.
[Page 179.]
The old churches are saying, "He is not here;" and, [1]
"Who shall roll away the stone?"
The stone has been rolled away by human suffer- ing. The first rightful desire in the hour of loss, when believing we have lost sight of Truth, is to know where [5]