The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-18

2 and incomplete
 Because it really has an origin and obeys the divine law it may be inter- esting to learn by what manner the early prophets learned of it's presence. It is said that Abraham's father was pagan, and that he manufactured idols for profit. Ii was only by degrees, therefore, that Abraham came to rec ognize idolatry as but clay in the hand of the potter Instead of becoming a slave to the tools of his own making, he began to look higher than either man or idol and discovered one om- nipotent law governing the universe and man. This governor of the uni verse and man, manifesting supreme power was to him the Almighty, and from that time God has been known to us as the Almighty.
 There came a time when the bless ing of Abraham was bestowed upon Moses and then the voice of God said, T appeared unto Abraham. unto Isaac and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty. but by my name Jehovah was l not known to them This would indicate that there was more to learn about the divine nature. Indeed God revealed unto Moses the human application of that supreme power in the ten Commandments. Here was a direct application of that power, through the law, which would indicate that Moses had a deeper perception of it's meaning. Nevertheless. when these people had the law, and lived by the law, and were governed by the jaw, they learned even then that one thing needful they lacked The divine law was not yet completed or fulfilled by them.
 The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" Although the Scripture presents the Mosaic definition that God is Truth. and the psalmist declares that thy law is the truth" it was left for a New Testament writer to declare the great fact that Love is the fulfilling of the law" For the reason that the law of Truth is fulfilled in Love, the beloved disciple declared that God is Love" To have a science we must have classi- fled understanding; and Christian Sci ence presents the divine law in the uni ty, order and system which character izes all true science, and 1t is Chris tlan because this law is not physical but divine. Moreover its science is veri- fled by Christian healing.
 Jesus Teaching.
 It is interesting to observe the meth cd which Jesus adopted in teaching this healing power to his disciples. Not gifted in learning, these disciples were nevertheless familiar with the Mosaic law. Inded they were as famil- jar with the Old Testament writings as is the average man of to-day, but their spiritual sense of it must have been closed, for we may read in Luke's Gospel, how that Jesus opened their understanding that they might under stand the Scriptures" It is possible, then, for a materalist to he familiar with the Scriptures and yet not under stand them. It was their spiritual un- derstanding, therefore, that needed to be opened. When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, all that he said was, Stretch forth thine hand" And it was restored whole like as the other. We are all familiar with those words, but suppose some one to- day repeated these same words to one suffering with withered hand. Could the mere repetition of these words heal him? It must be evident to you that it was Jesus spiritual understanding and not the words which healed the sick One might in time commit to memory the whole Bible, from Genesis to Reve- lation, and not be able to heal single case, because it is the spirit of the Word which heals The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life' For the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
 To present this spiritual understand ing, it was necessary for Jesus to be- gin on their plane of thought where they could grasp the meaning of his teachings He began with parables. and without a parable spake he not unto them. A little later he said. 'I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father" In this he did exactly what the mother does when she teaches her child that two and two are four. This mental problem is a pure abstraction &T l.t l.n |. lx come familiar with mental processes: he has not reached beyond the tangi- ble forms. Therefore the mother be- gins with something as tangible as four red apples. They mean something di- rectly, and he can understand that two red apples in the other, make four red apples. We cant proceed too rapidly, however, for next there must be an in- termediary step. The child must learn by thinking red apples that two and two are four. Then he Is ready to grasp the mental problem without the physical forms. h. like manner Jesus taught his disciples in parahles, using the things of common experience which they could understand. Grad ually in this way he lifted their thought to more spiritual attitudes, un til he sent them out two by two to heal in his name, and behold they returned saying. Even devils are subject unto us through they name" The great mental Principle which underles all being and action was unfolding to them. and they grasped the spirit of it all, so that Jesus could say to them. "I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs. but I shall show you plainly of the Father" On the walk from Emmaus the disciples said, Did not our heart burn within us while he opened to us the Scriptures
 There are many to-day who, believe that the healing works of Jesus are not teachable. averring that the disci- pies gained their understanding through the personal inspiration of the