Chapter II - Imposition and Demonstration
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him. Another important feature was, that he sought
him. Another important feature was, that he sought
not the protection of law from their unjust wrath, but
chose in every instance to demonstrate the higher law
that governed being, that cast out error, healed the sick,
and was about to prove its triumph over death, over
the beliefs of personal sense and Life and substance in
matter. Jesus knew the body is but a reflex shadow
of immortal Soul, also that it is impossible to lose this,
for, as the Scripture saith, it is the image of God.
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Alone, the meek demonstrator of God and fittest
Alone, the meek demonstrator of God and fittest
teacher of man, met his fate; no eye to pity, no arm to
save; he who had saved others, a solemn, faithful senti-
nel at the threshold of the great Truth he would estab-
lish, unprotected by man, was ready to be transformed
by its renewing. He had taught what he was about to
prove, that Life was God, and superior to all conditions
of matter, above the wrath of man, and able to triumph
over the cross and grave. In the garden night-walk,
that hour of gloom and glory, the utter error of sup-
posed Life in matter, its pain, ignorance, superstition,
malice and hate, reached him in their fullest sense. His
students slept. "Can you not watch with me one
hour?" was the supplication of their great spiritual
Teacher, but receiving no response to this last human
yearning, he turned forever away from earth to heaven,
from sense to Soul, and from man to God. The tri-
umph of Soul over sense demanded by the great Princi-
ple of being must be proved, and Jesus availed himself
of Life and glory outside of matter, in this supreme
hour, and final demonstration of the science of being;
and yet viewing its utter magnitude, and feeling the
lack of all human sympathy, he momently exclaimed,
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"Hast thou forsaken me?" Had this appeal been made
"Hast thou forsaken me?" Had this appeal been made
to a person, we might have doubted the justice or affec-
tion of that father, who for an instant could withhold
the clear recognition of his presence to sustain and
bless so faithful a son. But it was not made to a per-
son, it was made to Truth, Life and Love, the Principle
he was to prove: and the momentary fear was, that his
understanding of these was not sufficient to meet that
hour of the world's hate. Jesus knew God is Love,
that He, not man, was Love, insomuch as Love is Soul,
and not personal sense; but suppose this recogni-
tion should falter under stress of circumstances, what
would his accusers say? Even what they did, that
Truth should be confounded, and there should be no
re-appearing of Jesus. The weight of mind bearing on
him at that hour from the throng of disbelievers in the
great Principle for which he was crucified, weighed
heavily; not the spear, nor the cross, but the ingrati-
tude of the world drew forth the half suppressed "ali-
sabacthani," that unpinioned for a moment the wings of
faith. The world's hatred of Truth caused that moment
of agony, harder to bear than the cross, up the hill of
grief. A Life that was Love, all the good he did, re-
warded with a cup of gall! Behold the sweat of blood
falling in holy benediction on the grass of Gethsemane,
and say, was Christianity then the privileged of earth,
and can the followers to-day of that Truth so perse-
cuted then, expect the world's approval? Principle
bestows few palms until we reach through demonstra-
tion, its fullness. Love must triumph over hate, and
Truth and Life over error and death, before the thorns
are laid off for the crown of glory, and "well done good