Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-21
CHRISTlAN SCIENCE EXPLAINED.

yourself as a spiritual being having within your consciousness the kingdom of heaven, you cannot from that stand point even talk of sin as other than ig- norance of the truth that God. or Good, is omnipresent; thus the only power-the only presence.
 We do not condemn ignorance, but make every allowance for it.
 You would not blame the sun because the clouds veil it from your sight; nelth-' CT would you condemn the clouds for hid ing the sun. You cannot say, Tt Is only an appearance which cannot last long, for the sun is shining behind the clouds this very moment" You are absolutely certain of this, aren't you? Cannot you be just as certain that when you are dls- turbed or angry at some one or some thing, your real self, your spiritual con sciousness is steadfastly shining on in it's God given power and glory, quite un- moved in it's serene peace by storms or clouds of the carnal mind.
 If you believe that the real you" is spiritual being and remember that as God is spirit so you are akin to God how can you say q sin daily" and tell the truth? Certainly you cannot say this of your divine self, and what else are you?
 It is time to ask yourself Who am l, what am I?" If you have read the pre- ceding articles on this subject you must have gained some insight into this, to you, most important question. Remem- Der Emerson's statement, viz: God Is inearnate in man." If this is true, and millions are believing it this day, who are you talking about when you say, T sin daily?" There is much said about sin in the Scriptures, but in every case it refers to external man. in the sleep of sense. Paul says: Now, it is high time to awake out of sleep"
 He goes on to say: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us. there fore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light
 Again he says: Awake thou that sleepest. and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light"
 Paul is addressing those in the dream or sleep of sense, or that man or woman who is so deluded as to believe them selves to be a thing of flesh and bones, and knows not that God dWelleth in them, and only waits to be recognized as their own individuality. It is indeed time to wake out of sleep It is the sleeper-the dreamer-who makes mis- takes, called sin and who suffers in consequence, and part of the dream is to condemn ones self as we'll as all man kind, for that which is done in a state oI ignorance concerning that which most concerns man, viz: 'Who am 1? What am I?'
 
 so to call them, are written expressly for those who are asking this question of their own hearts, not knowing that it can be answered. The answer is within your self for God is there. It was asked of the writer What does Jesus mean when he teaches us to say forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors?" There is a more profound significance to the Lords prayer" than the mere letter would in- dicate. I have promised to interpret 1t according to my understanding
 "Our Father means origin, or first Cause. This is to be found within all mankind, a personal Presence feeding all the avenues of life and intelligence with out teasing.
 "In Heaven" means Gin harmony" We are to address our Divine Center, which, to our consciousness is Heaven or har mony. "Hallowed be Thy name." adora- tion of this recognized Presence and Power
 "Thy kingdom come. thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" Let the kingdom within become visible by our constant recognition of it. "Thy will be done" means "the Father worketh in me-" Ion earth" or in my mental and bodily conditions. "As it is in Heaven," my spiritual understanding, which is Heaven or harmony.
 "Gve us this day our daily bread" The word 'bread in the scriptures means good" "Give us this day our daily good"
 If you go further as Jesus taught, and "when ye pray believe that ye have, and ye do have" your asking is only recog- milton of the Omnipresence of your Good, here and now.
 And forgive us our debts as we for give our debtors"
 Recall to mind the parable of the tal- knts in Matthew 25: And to one he gave five talents, to another two and to an- other one; to each according to his 'sev- eral ability
 Understanding is given us according to OUT several ability" to receive it. To him who neglects to use his "one ray" of divine understanding or as much as he has, whether it be much or little, it becomes obscured, and he is said to have been deprived of it. On the other hand the widows mite" was spoken of by Jesus as a mighty offering, because 1t contained her "all.''
 Forgive us as we forgive" is giving to each of us according to our several ability" for if we are able to forgive we are able to receive in like measure. If I were not able to condone the faults of others I could not appreciate the benevolence of another toward me.
 Lead us not into temptation" Swe- denborg teaches that temptations are the means by which we discover the weak ness of the carnal mind and it's utter
 
 was tempted in "all points" as we are, yet without sin or yielding. What was his safeguard? His perfect understand ing of the Divine within Him. He knew that He had by tradition" inherited the idea of physical transmission, and for the sake of them that stood by" and that the law might be fulfilled in his body also that forever mankind should know that the earth man" must be recociled to the God man, He .meekly "came over," or overcame all tempta- tions.
 Remember he prayed, Lead us not into temptation" We must not enter into temptation, but overcome it.
 It has so often been questioned by the earnest soul, "How could God lead His children into temptation?"
 Doubtless many of my readers will ap- preciate this.
 Jesus knew God to be the only real power in man. He understood that the ''real" man and God are identical. The internal or Divine allows the external or carnal, freedom of thought and action, simply because it is by freedom that re- generation is effected. But on the other hand the Inmost is forever pushing for recognition and glorification. This leads one either into" temptation or "over' it.
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