Chapter XV - Genesis
Better basis than embryology
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existence in the various forms of embryology, and ac-
existence in the various forms of embryology, and ac-
company their descriptions with important observations,
which should awaken thought to a higher and
purer contemplation of man's origin. This
clearer consciousness must precede an under-
standing of the harmony of being. Mortal thought must
obtain a better basis, get nearer the truth of being, or
health will never be universal, and harmony will never
become the standard of man.
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One of our ablest naturalists has said: "We have no
One of our ablest naturalists has said: "We have no
right to assume that individuals have grown or been
formed under circumstances which made material con-
ditions essential to their maintenance and reproduction,
or important to their origin and first introduction."
Why, then, is the naturalist's basis so materialistic,
and why are his deductions generally material?
All nativity in thought
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Adam was created before Eve. In this instance, it is
Adam was created before Eve. In this instance, it is
seen that the maternal egg never brought forth Adam.
Eve was formed from Adam's rib, not from a
foetal ovum. Whatever theory may be adopted
by general mortal thought to account for human origin,
that theory is sure to become the signal for the appear-
ance of its method in finite forms and operations. If con-
sentaneous human belief agrees upon an ovum as the
point of emergence for the human race, this potent belief
will immediately supersede the more ancient supersti-
tion about the creation from dust or from the rib of our
primeval father.
Being is immortal
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You may say that mortals are formed before they
You may say that mortals are formed before they
think or know aught of their origin, and you
may also ask how belief can affect a result
which precedes the development of that belief. It can
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only be replied, that Christian Science reveals what "eye
only be replied, that Christian Science reveals what "eye
hath not seen," – even the cause of all that exists, – for
the universe, inclusive of man, is as eternal as God, who
is its divine immortal Principle. There is no such thing
as mortality, nor are there properly any mortal beings,
because being is immortal, like Deity, – or, rather, being
and Deity are inseparable.
Our conscious development
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Error is always error. It is no thing. Any statement
Error is always error. It is no thing. Any statement
of life, following from a misconception of life, is errone-
ous, because it is destitute of any knowledge
of the so-called selfhood of life, destitute of
any knowledge of its origin or existence. The mortal
is unconscious of his foetal and infantile existence; but
as he grows up into another false claim, that of self-con-
scious matter, he learns to say, "I am somebody; but
who made me?" Error replies, "God made you." The
first effort of error has been and is to impute to God the
creation of whatever is sinful and mortal; but infinite
Mind sets at naught such a mistaken belief.
Mendacity of error
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Jesus defined this opposite of God and His creation
Jesus defined this opposite of God and His creation
better than we can, when he said, "He is a liar, and the
father of it." Jesus also said, "Have not I
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
This he said of Judas, one of Adam's race. Jesus never
intimated that God made a devil, but he did say, "Ye
are of your father, the devil." All these sayings were to
show that mind in matter is the author of itself, and is
simply a falsity and illusion.
Ailments of animals
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It is the general belief that the lower animals are less
It is the general belief that the lower animals are less
sickly than those possessing higher organiza-
tions, especially those of the human form.
This would indicate that there is less disease in propor-
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tion as the force of mortal mind is less pungent or sensi-
tion as the force of mortal mind is less pungent or sensi-
tive, and that health attends the absence of mortal mind.
A fair conclusion from this might be, that it is the human
belief, and not the divine arbitrament, which brings the
physical organism under the yoke of disease.
Ignorance the sign of error
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An inquirer once said to the discoverer of Christian
An inquirer once said to the discoverer of Christian
Science: "I like your explanations of truth, but I do
not comprehend what you say about error."
This is the nature of error. The mark of igno-
rance is on its forehead, for it neither understands nor
can be understood. Error would have itself received as
mind, as if it were as real and God-created as truth; but
Christian Science attributes to error neither entity nor
power, because error is neither mind nor the outcome of
Mind.
The origin of divinity
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Searching for the origin of man, who is the reflection
Searching for the origin of man, who is the reflection
of God, is like inquiring into the origin of God, the self‑
existent and eternal. Only impotent error
would seek to unite Spirit with matter, good
with evil, immortality with mortality, and call this
sham unity man, as if man were the offspring of both
Mind and matter, of both Deity and humanity. Crea-
tion rests on a spiritual basis. We lose our standard of
perfection and set aside the proper conception of Deity,
when we admit that the perfect is the author of aught
that can become imperfect, that God bestows the power
to sin, or that Truth confers the ability to err. Our
great example, Jesus, could restore the individualized
manifestation of existence, which seemed to vanish in
death. Knowing that God was the Life of man, Jesus
was able to present himself unchanged after the cruci-
fixion. Truth fosters the idea of Truth, and not the be-
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lief in illusion or error. That which is real, is sustained
lief in illusion or error. That which is real, is sustained
by Spirit.
Genera classified
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Vertebrata, articulata, mollusca, and radiata are mor-
Vertebrata, articulata, mollusca, and radiata are mor-
tal and material concepts classified, and are supposed to
possess life and mind. These false beliefs
will disappear, when the radiation of Spirit
destroys forever all belief in intelligent matter. Then
will the new heaven and new earth appear, for the for-
mer things will have passed away.
The Christian's privilege
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Mortal belief infolds the conditions of sin. Mortal
Mortal belief infolds the conditions of sin. Mortal
belief dies to live again in renewed forms, only to go out
at last forever; for life everlasting is not to be
gained by dying. Christian Science may ab-
sorb the attention of sage and philosopher, but
the Christian alone can fathom it. It is made known
most fully to him who understands best the divine Life.
Did the origin and the enlightenment of the race come
from the deep sleep which fell upon Adam? Sleep is
darkness, but God's creative mandate was, "Let there be
light." In sleep, cause and effect are mere illusions.
They seem to be something, but are not. Oblivion and
dreams, not realities, come with sleep. Even so goes on
the Adam-belief, of which mortal and material life is the
dream.
Ontology versus physiology
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Ontology receives less attention than physiology. Why?
Ontology receives less attention than physiology. Why?
Because mortal mind must waken to spiritual
life before it cares to solve the problem of
being, hence the author's experience; but when
that awakening comes, existence will be on a new stand-
point.
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It is related that a father plunged his infant babe, only
It is related that a father plunged his infant babe, only
a few hours old, into the water for several minutes, and
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repeated this operation daily, until the child could remain
repeated this operation daily, until the child could remain
under water twenty minutes, moving and playing with-
out harm, like a fish. Parents should remember this
and learn how to develop their children properly on dry
land.
The curse removed
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Mind controls the birth-throes in the lower realms of
Mind controls the birth-throes in the lower realms of
nature, where parturition is without suffering. Vege-
tables, minerals, and many animals suffer no
pain in multiplying; but human propagation
has its suffering because it is a false belief. Christian Sci-
ence reveals harmony as proportionately increasing as the
line of creation rises towards spiritual man, – towards
enlarged understanding and intelligence; but in the line
of the corporeal senses, the less a mortal knows of sin,
disease, and mortality, the better for him, – the less pain
and sorrow are his. When the mist of mortal mind evap-
orates, the curse will be removed which says to woman,
"In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children." Divine
Science rolls back the clouds of error with the light of
Truth, and lifts the curtain on man as never born and as
never dying, but as coexistent with his creator.
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Popular theology takes up the history of man as if he
Popular theology takes up the history of man as if he
began materially right, but immediately fell into mental
sin; whereas revealed religion proclaims the Science of
Mind and its formations as being in accordance with
the first chapter of the Old Testament, when God, Mind,
spake and it was done.
Chapter XVI
The Apocalypse
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this proph-
ecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at
hand. – REVELATION.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God,
in the mountain of His holiness. – PSALMS.
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ST. JOHN writes, in the tenth chapter of his book of
ST. JOHN writes, in the tenth chapter of his book of
Revelation: –
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And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and
his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of
fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he
set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the
earth.
The new Evangel
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This angel or message which comes from God, clothed
This angel or message which comes from God, clothed
with a cloud, prefigures divine Science. To mortal sense
Science seems at first obscure, abstract, and
dark; but a bright promise crowns its brow.
When understood, it is Truth's prism and praise. When
you look it fairly in the face, you can heal by its means,
and it has for you a light above the sun, for God "is the
light thereof." Its feet are pillars of fire, foundations
of Truth and Love. It brings the baptism of the Holy
Ghost, whose flames of Truth were prophetically de-
scribed by John the Baptist as consuming error.
Truth's volume
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This angel had in his hand "a little book," open for
This angel had in his hand "a little book," open for
all to read and understand. Did this same book contain
the revelation of divine Science, the "right
foot" or dominant power of which was upon
the sea, – upon elementary, latent error, the source of
all error's visible forms? The angel's left foot was upon
the earth; that is, a secondary power was exercised upon
visible error and audible sin. The "still, small voice"
of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean
to the globe's remotest bound. The inaudible voice of
Truth is, to the human mind, "as when a lion roareth."
It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. It
arouses the "seven thunders" of evil, and stirs their latent
forces to utter the full diapason of secret tones. Then is
the power of Truth demonstrated, – made manifest in
the destruction of error. Then will a voice from harmony
cry: "Go and take the little book. . . . Take it, and eat
it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in
thy mouth sweet as honey." Mortals, obey the heavenly
evangel. Take divine Science. Read this book from
beginning to end. Study it, ponder it. It will be indeed
sweet at its first taste, when it heals you; but murmur not
over Truth, if you find its digestion bitter. When you
approach nearer and nearer to this divine Principle, when
you eat the divine body of this Principle, – thus partak-
ing of the nature, or primal elements, of Truth and Love,
– do not be surprised nor discontented because you must
share the hemlock cup and eat the bitter herbs; for the
Israelites of old at the Paschal meal thus prefigured this
perilous passage out of bondage into the El Dorado of faith
and hope.
To-day's lesson
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The twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, or Revela-
The twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, or Revela-
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tion of St. John, has a special suggestiveness in connec-
tion of St. John, has a special suggestiveness in connec-
tion with the nineteenth century. In the opening of the
sixth seal, typical of six thousand years since
Adam, the distinctive feature has reference
to the present age.
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Revelation xii. 1. And there appeared a great wonder in
Revelation xii. 1. And there appeared a great wonder in
heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars.
True estimate of God's messenger
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Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science inter-
Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science inter-
prets the Principle of heavenly harmony. The great
miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and
the grand necessity of existence is to gain the
true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of
heaven in man. This goal is never reached while we
hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of any-
one whom God has appointed to voice His Word. Again,
without a correct sense of its highest visible idea, we can
never understand the divine Principle. The botanist must
know the genus and species of a plant in order to classify
it correctly. As it is with things, so is it with persons.
Persecution harmful
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Abuse of the motives and religion of St. Paul hid from
Abuse of the motives and religion of St. Paul hid from
view the apostle's character, which made him equal to
his great mission. Persecution of all who have
spoken something new and better of God has
not only obscured the light of the ages, but has been fatal
to the persecutors. Why? Because it has hid from
them the true idea which has been presented. To mis-
understand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he
taught. Ignorance of the divine idea betrays at once a
greater ignorance of the divine Principle of the idea – igno-
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rance of Truth and Love. The understanding of Truth
rance of Truth and Love. The understanding of Truth
and Love, the Principle which works out the ends of eternal
good and destroys both faith in evil and the practice of
evil, leads to the discernment of the divine idea.
Espousals supernal
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Agassiz, through his microscope, saw the sun in an
Agassiz, through his microscope, saw the sun in an
egg at a point of so-called embryonic life. Because of
his more spiritual vision, St. John saw an
"angel standing in the sun." The Revelator
beheld the spiritual idea from the mount of vision.
Purity was the symbol of Life and Love. The Revelator
saw also the spiritual ideal as a woman clothed in light, a
bride coming down from heaven, wedded to the Lamb
of Love. To John, "the bride" and "the Lamb" repre-
sented the correlation of divine Principle and spiritual idea,
God and His Christ, bringing harmony to earth.
Divinity and humanity
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John saw the human and divine coincidence, shown in
John saw the human and divine coincidence, shown in
the man Jesus, as divinity embracing humanity in Life
and its demonstration, – reducing to human
perception and understanding the Life which
is God. In divine revelation, material and corporeal self‑
hood disappear, and the spiritual idea is understood.
Spiritual sunlight
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The woman in the Apocalypse symbolizes generic man,
The woman in the Apocalypse symbolizes generic man,
the spiritual idea of God; she illustrates the coincidence
of God and man as the divine Principle and
divine idea. The Revelator symbolizes Spirit
by the sun. The spiritual idea is clad with the radiance
of spiritual Truth, and matter is put under her feet. The
light portrayed is really neither solar nor lunar, but spirit-
ual Life, which is "the light of men." In the first chapter
of the Fourth Gospel it is written, "There was a man sent
from God . . . to bear witness of that Light."
Spiritual idea revealed
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John the Baptist prophesied the coming of the im-
John the Baptist prophesied the coming of the im-
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maculate Jesus, and John saw in those days the spiritual
maculate Jesus, and John saw in those days the spiritual
idea as the Messiah, who would baptize with the Holy
Ghost, – divine Science. As Elias presented
the idea of the fatherhood of God, which Jesus
afterwards manifested, so the Revelator completed this
figure with woman, typifying the spiritual idea of God's
motherhood. The moon is under her feet. This idea
reveals the universe as secondary and tributary to Spirit,
from which the universe borrows its reflected light, sub-
stance, life, and intelligence.
Spiritual idea crowned
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The spiritual idea is crowned with twelve stars. The
The spiritual idea is crowned with twelve stars. The
twelve tribes of Israel with all mortals, – separated by
belief from man's divine origin and the true
idea, – will through much tribulation yield to
the activities of the divine Principle of man in the har-
mony of Science. These are the stars in the crown of
rejoicing. They are the lamps in the spiritual heavens
of the age, which show the workings of the spiritual idea
by healing the sick and the sinning, and by manifesting
the light which shines "unto the perfect day" as the night
of materialism wanes.
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Revelation xii. 2. And she being with child cried, travail-
Revelation xii. 2. And she being with child cried, travail-
ing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Travail and joy
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Also the spiritual idea is typified by a woman in tra-
Also the spiritual idea is typified by a woman in tra-
vail, waiting to be delivered of her sweet promise, but re-
membering no more her sorrow for joy that
the birth goes on; for great is the idea, and the
travail portentous.
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Revelation xii. 3. And there appeared another wonder in
Revelation xii. 3. And there appeared another wonder in
heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The dragon as a type
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Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a
Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a
diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal.
We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, and
death. We may well be perplexed at human
fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts
its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions
of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?
The great red dragon symbolizes a lie, – the belief
that substance, life, and intelligence can be material.
This dragon stands for the sum total of human error.
The ten horns of the dragon typify the belief that mat-
ter has power of its own, and that by means of an
evil mind in matter the Ten Commandments can be
broken.
The sting of the serpent
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The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of
The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of
all evil, and beholds its awful character; but he also
sees the nothingness of evil and the allness of
God. The Revelator sees that old serpent,
whose name is devil or evil, holding untiring watch, that
he may bite the heel of truth and seemingly impede the
offspring of the spiritual idea, which is prolific in health,
holiness, and immortality.
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Revelation xii. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the
Revelation xii. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the
stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Animal tendency
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The serpentine form stands for subtlety, winding its
The serpentine form stands for subtlety, winding its
way amidst all evil, but doing this in the name of good.
Its sting is spoken of by Paul, when he refers
to "spiritual wickedness in high places." It
is the animal instinct in mortals, which would impel
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them to devour each other and cast out devils through
them to devour each other and cast out devils through
Beelzebub.
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As of old, evil still charges the spiritual idea with error's
As of old, evil still charges the spiritual idea with error's
own nature and methods. This malicious animal in-
stinct, of which the dragon is the type, incites mortals to
kill morally and physically even their fellow-mortals, and
worse still, to charge the innocent with the crime. This
last infirmity of sin will sink its perpetrator into a night
without a star.
Malicious barbarity
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The author is convinced that the accusations against
The author is convinced that the accusations against
Jesus of Nazareth and even his crucifixion were instigated
by the criminal instinct here described. The
Revelator speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God
and of the dragon as warring against innocence. Since Jesus
must have been tempted in all points, he, the immaculate,
met and conquered sin in every form. The brutal bar-
barity of his foes could emanate from no source except the
highest degree of human depravity. Jesus "opened not
his mouth." Until the majesty of Truth should be demon-
strated in divine Science, the spiritual idea was arraigned
before the tribunal of so-called mortal mind, which was
unloosed in order that the false claim of mind in matter
might uncover its own crime of defying immortal Mind.
Doom of the dragon
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From Genesis to the Apocalypse, sin, sickness, and
From Genesis to the Apocalypse, sin, sickness, and
death, envy, hatred, and revenge, – all evil, – are typi-
fied by a serpent, or animal subtlety. Jesus
said, quoting a line from the Psalms, "They
hated me without a cause." The serpent is perpetually
close upon the heel of harmony. From the beginning
to the end, the serpent pursues with hatred the spiritual
idea. In Genesis, this allegorical, talking serpent typi-
fies mortal mind, "more subtle than any beast of the
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field." In the Apocalypse, when nearing its doom, this
field." In the Apocalypse, when nearing its doom, this
evil increases and becomes the great red dragon, swollen
with sin, inflamed with war against spirituality, and ripe
for destruction. It is full of lust and hate, loathing the
brightness of divine glory.
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Revelation xii. 5. And she brought forth a man child,
Revelation xii. 5. And she brought forth a man child,
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her
child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.
The conflict with purity
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Led on by the grossest element of mortal mind, Herod
Led on by the grossest element of mortal mind, Herod
decreed the death of every male child in order that the
man Jesus, the masculine representative of the
spiritual idea might never hold sway and de-
prive Herod of his crown. The impersonation of the
spiritual idea had a brief history in the earthly life of our
Master; but "of his kingdom there shall be no end,"
for Christ, God's idea, will eventually rule all nations
and peoples – imperatively, absolutely, finally – with di-
vine Science. This immaculate idea, represented first
by man and, according to the Revelator, last by woman,
will baptize with fire; and the fiery baptism will burn up
the chaff of error with the fervent heat of Truth and Love,
melting and purifying even the gold of human character.
After the stars sang together and all was primeval har-
mony, the material lie made war upon the spiritual idea;
but this only impelled the idea to rise to the zenith of
demonstration, destroying sin, sickness, and death, and
to be caught up unto God, – to be found in its divine
Principle.
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Revelation xii. 6. And the woman fled into the wilder-
Revelation xii. 6. And the woman fled into the wilder-
ness, where she hath a place prepared of God.
Spiritual guidance
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As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly
As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly
through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides
of human fear, – as they were led through the
wilderness, walking wearily through the great
desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised
joy, – so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires
in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense
of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for
them who love God. Stately Science pauses not, but
moves before them, a pillar of cloud by day and of fire
by night, leading to divine heights.
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If we remember the beautiful description which Sir
If we remember the beautiful description which Sir
Walter Scott puts into the mouth of Rebecca the Jewess
in the story of Ivanhoe, –
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When Israel, of the Lord beloved,
When Israel, of the Lord beloved,
Out of the land of bondage came,
Her fathers' God before her moved,
An awful guide, in smoke and flame, –
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we may also offer the prayer which concludes the same
we may also offer the prayer which concludes the same
hymn, –
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And oh, when stoops on Judah's path
And oh, when stoops on Judah's path
In shade and storm the frequent night,
Be Thou, longsuffering, slow to wrath,
A burning and a shining light!
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Revelation xii. 7, 8. And there was war in heaven:
Revelation xii. 7, 8. And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; neither
was their place found any more in heaven.
Angelic offices
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The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine
The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine
messages, different offices. Michael's charac-
teristic is spiritual strength. He leads the
hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and
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fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task
fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task
of imparting a sense of the ever-presence of ministering
Love. These angels deliver us from the depths. Truth
and Love come nearer in the hour of woe, when strong
faith or spiritual strength wrestles and prevails through
the understanding of God. The Gabriel of His presence
has no contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is
Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death.
Against Love, the dragon warreth not long, for he is
killed by the divine Principle. Truth and Love prevail
against the dragon because the dragon cannot war with
them. Thus endeth the conflict between the flesh and
Spirit.
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Revelation xii. 9. And the great dragon was cast out,
Revelation xii. 9. And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiv-
eth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
Dragon cast down to earth
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That false claim – that ancient belief, that old serpent
That false claim – that ancient belief, that old serpent
whose name is devil (evil), claiming that there is intelli-
gence in matter either to benefit or to injure
men – is pure delusion, the red dragon; and
it is cast out by Christ, Truth, the spiritual
idea, and so proved to be powerless. The words "cast
unto the earth" show the dragon to be nothingness, dust
to dust; and therefore, in his pretence of being a talker,
he must be a lie from the beginning. His angels, or mes-
sages, are cast out with their author. The beast and the
false prophets are lust and hypocrisy. These wolves in
sheep's clothing are detected and killed by innocence, the
Lamb of Love.
Warfare with error
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Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf.
Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf.
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Innocence and Truth overcome guilt and error. Ever
Innocence and Truth overcome guilt and error. Ever
since the foundation of the world, ever since error would
establish material belief, evil has tried to slay
the Lamb; but Science is able to destroy this
lie, called evil. The twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse
typifies the divine method of warfare in Science, and the
glorious results of this warfare. The following chapters
depict the fatal effects of trying to meet error with error.
The narrative follows the order used in Genesis. In
Genesis, first the true method of creation is set forth and
then the false. Here, also, the Revelator first exhibits
the true warfare and then the false.
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Revelation xii. 10 – 12. And I heard a loud voice saying
Revelation xii. 10 – 12. And I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them
before our God day and night. And they overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore
rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is
come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Paean of jubilee
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For victory over a single sin, we give thanks and mag-
For victory over a single sin, we give thanks and mag-
nify the Lord of Hosts. What shall we say of the mighty
conquest over all sin? A louder song, sweeter
than has ever before reached high heaven,
now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ;
for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her
primal and everlasting strain. Self-abnegation, by which
we lay down all for Truth, or Christ, in our warfare against
error, is a rule in Christian Science. This rule clearly
569:1
interprets God as divine Principle, – as Life, represented
interprets God as divine Principle, – as Life, represented
by the Father; as Truth, represented by the Son; as Love,
represented by the Mother. Every mortal at some period,
here or hereafter, must grapple with and overcome the
mortal belief in a power opposed to God.
The robe of Science
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The Scripture, "Thou hast been faithful over a few
The Scripture, "Thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many," is literally ful-
filled, when we are conscious of the supremacy
of Truth, by which the nothingness of error
is seen; and we know that the nothingness of error is in
proportion to its wickedness. He that touches the hem
of Christ's robe and masters his mortal beliefs, animality,
and hate, rejoices in the proof of healing, – in a sweet
and certain sense that God is Love. Alas for those who
break faith with divine Science and fail to strangle the
serpent of sin as well as of sickness! They are dwellers
still in the deep darkness of belief. They are in the surg-
ing sea of error, not struggling to lift their heads above the
drowning wave.
Expiation by suffering
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What must the end be? They must eventually expi-
What must the end be? They must eventually expi-
ate their sin through suffering. The sin, which one has
made his bosom companion, comes back to him
at last with accelerated force, for the devil
knoweth his time is short. Here the Scriptures declare
that evil is temporal, not eternal. The dragon is at last
stung to death by his own malice; but how many periods
of torture it may take to remove all sin, must depend upon
sin's obduracy.
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Revelation xii. 13. And when the dragon saw that he
Revelation xii. 13. And when the dragon saw that he
was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which
brought forth the man child.