Chapter V - Prayer and Atonement
290:1
unalterable Truth, or give us the understanding of it;
unalterable Truth, or give us the understanding of it;
but a desire to know and do the will of God is neces-
sary, and also a symptom that we are growing wiser;
but this desire needs no expression from the lips; our
lives express it.
290:6
Asking God to heal the sick has no effect to gain the
Asking God to heal the sick has no effect to gain the
ear of Love, beyond its ever-presence. The only ben-
eficial effect it has, is mind acting on the body through
a stronger faith, to heal it; but this is one belief cast-
ing out another; a belief in God casting out a belief of
Sickness, and not the understanding of the Principle
that heals being. Jesus said, a kingdom divided against
itself cannot stand; a belief is not the science of being
that heals the sick, and casts out sickness on the
ground that sensation and Intelligence are not in mat-
ter; the Truth of being is what destroys error. Ex-
changes of the same commodity are the mere merchan-
dise of mind, and not science. Deity interposes not in
behalf of one, and not another, who adopts the same
measures in prayer. If the sick recover on the plat-
form of prayer, it is the result of individual belief.
All may avail themselves of God in science as a pres-
ent help in trouble. Love is impartial, and universal
in its adaptation and bestowments; the open fount,
that saith, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye,
and drink."
290:27
Prayer to a person, affects the sick as a drug that has
Prayer to a person, affects the sick as a drug that has
no efficacy of its own, but borrows its power from faith
and belief in matter. The drug does nothing in the
case, insomuch as it has no Intelligence. The Principle
of man, and not a person, produces all good.
290:32
Seeking the Science of Life, and not content with a
Seeking the Science of Life, and not content with a
291:1
material sense of things, gives hungerings and thirst-
material sense of things, gives hungerings and thirst-
ings after righteousness, because it reveals the perfect
Principle on which Life and immortality are won. A
wordy prayer may afford a sense of quiet and self-jus-
tification, but this makes the sinner a hypocrite. We
never despair of an honest heart, but those spasmodic-
ally face to face with their wickedness, and always
seeking to hide it, are the indexes that correspond not
with contents, the counterfeits of true manhood, that
hold secret fellowship with their own sins. Such are
spoken of in the scripture as whited sepulchres full of
uncleanness, "making long prayers," etc.
291:13
If the author of much apparent fervor and many
If the author of much apparent fervor and many
prayers is sensual and insincere, what is the mental
comment of those understanding the science of being?
That if he had reached the standpoint of his prayer,
this would not be the case. If our silent thoughts
support the conclusion that we feel all the aspiration,
humility, gratitude and love they pour forth, this is
enough to know of our Christian estate, and it is greatly
wise not to deceive ourselves or others; nothing is hid-
den that shall not be revealed. Professions and prayers,
we regret to say, cover a multitude of sins. Chris-
tians rejoice that the secret beauty and bounty of their
being, though hidden from the world, is known to God;
self-abnegation, purity and Love, are a constant prayer.
It is the practice and understanding of our God-being
that gains the ear and right hand of Omnipotence, and
calls down blessings infinite. Trustworthiness is the
only foundation of faith; without a fitness for holiness
we shall not receive it, nor yield faithful adherence to it.
291:32
"God is Love;" more than this we cannot ask; higher
"God is Love;" more than this we cannot ask; higher