Chapter IX - Creation
God's man discerned
259:1
generic term man. Man is not absorbed in Deity, and
generic term man. Man is not absorbed in Deity, and
man cannot lose his individuality, for he re-
flects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, soli-
tary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of all
substance.
259:6
In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The
In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The
divine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, who
threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted
their lives higher than their poor thought-models would
allow, – thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick,
sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of
scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Prin-
ciple and idea, – perfect God and perfect man, – as the
basis of thought and demonstration.
The divine image not lost
259:15
If man was once perfect but has now lost his perfection,
If man was once perfect but has now lost his perfection,
then mortals have never beheld in man the reflex image
of God. The lost image is no image. The
true likeness cannot be lost in divine reflection.
Understanding this, Jesus said: "Be ye there-
fore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect."
Immortal models
259:22
Mortal thought transmits its own images, and forms
Mortal thought transmits its own images, and forms
its offspring after human illusions. God, Spirit, works
spiritually, not materially. Brain or matter
never formed a human concept. Vibration is
not intelligence; hence it is not a creator. Immortal
ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by
the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects
error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine
concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious
results.
259:32
Deducing one's conclusions as to man from imperfec-
Deducing one's conclusions as to man from imperfec-
260:1
tion instead of perfection, one can no more arrive at the
tion instead of perfection, one can no more arrive at the
true conception or understanding of man, and make him-
self like it, than the sculptor can perfect his outlines from
an imperfect model, or the painter can depict the form
and face of Jesus, while holding in thought the character
of Judas.
Spiritual discovery
260:7
The conceptions of mortal, erring thought must give
The conceptions of mortal, erring thought must give
way to the ideal of all that is perfect and eternal. Through
many generations human beliefs will be attain-
ing diviner conceptions, and the immortal and
perfect model of God's creation will finally be seen as
the only true conception of being.
260:13
Science reveals the possibility of achieving all good,
Science reveals the possibility of achieving all good,
and sets mortals at work to discover what God has already
done; but distrust of one's ability to gain the goodness
desired and to bring out better and higher results, often
hampers the trial of one's wings and ensures failure at the
outset.
Requisite change of our ideals
260:19
Mortals must change their ideals in order to improve
Mortals must change their ideals in order to improve
their models. A sick body is evolved from
sick thoughts. Sickness, disease, and death
proceed from fear. Sensualism evolves bad
physical and moral conditions.
260:24
Selfishness and sensualism are educated in mortal
Selfishness and sensualism are educated in mortal
mind by the thoughts ever recurring to one's self, by
conversation about the body, and by the expectation of
perpetual pleasure or pain from it; and this education
is at the expense of spiritual growth. If we array
thought in mortal vestures, it must lose its immortal
nature.
Thoughts are things
260:31
If we look to the body for pleasure, we find pain; for
If we look to the body for pleasure, we find pain; for
Life, we find death; for Truth, we find error; for Spirit,