The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-24

rose the QualltS altogether n rail-.
Laboring under such a false belief.
effective. and the consequent suffering
Is but the result of a false belief.
Those who glory in their belief of
goodness should heed the Scripture
about vessels of wrath fitted to de-
struction," for the right Of q mans
will as against that of God is as nom
existent as that Of an carthen vessel
against h potter who made it. The
one who comes to Christian Science
for healing. knowing that he does not
circumscribe any goodness of his own,
is more open to the benefcient teach
ing that these divine qualities eternally
link him to God. and is soonest healed
thereby. The action Of this attribute
on the human mind and body illus
trates the action of Gods healing pow.
err. The recognition of mans true re-
lation to God brings the strength of
healing with the certainty of "A birds
flight when it feels the strength Of Its
wings.
Jobs Revelation.
This may be illustrated by the ex-
periences Of Job. According to the
record. in the book of Job. the sons
of God came to present themselves
before God. and satan came also.
When asked where he came from
satan replied. from going to and fro
in the earth. and from walking up
and down in it." Surely that is not
SO much a locality as a h%uctuating
wave of error. Nevertheless. it is to
be noted that satan presumed upon
the notion that Jobs goodness was a
form of selfishness-that 1t was a per-
sonal desire expressed merely for the
nope of a reward In heaven-and that
II that hope of a reward were to be
withdrawn, Job would curse God to
His face. Satan declared. in other
words. that Jobs goodness was a mix
ture of good and evil. Permission
was then given to make a trial Of his
charge, to prove whether he was
good merely for the sake of a re-
ward.
The first trial or temptation was the
destruction of Jobs property. but that
had no disturbing effect on his good
ness. Next his children We're destroy
ed. but that did not change his divine
purpose to be good. Finally the trial
was made more personal. Job was
afflicted with grievous diseases which
tormented him so sorelv that his wife
broke down under the stress OF it.
Job. however. stood fast: he was good
just the same.
The trial had been made; the proof
was conclusive hat Jobs goodness
was not for the sake of a reward. 1t
was proved to be a divine attribute
from God that is reflected through all
alike. BY these successive trials and
experiences Job vas compelled to rise
stey by step. to the recognition Of his
goodness in its purity as a divine at
tribute. At first he grouped about
darkly in the mazes of a mere belief:
until compelled to rise above all OPP
position he rose from belief to UNDER
standing. This spiritual understand.
ing inspired him to declare. yet in
my flesh shall l see God" This is in
direct line with the words of Jesus in
His sermon on the mount. blessed are
the pure in heart. for they shall see
God" 1t was that purity Of goodness
thai endowed Job with the spiritual
understanding of goodness in Its di-
vine purity that communicated the
healing power Of God.
Job acquainted himself with God
not through his human intellect but
through the purity of his own good
ness, understood. Millions of people
have been inspired by right desires
without having the ability to heal dis
ease. But Mrs. Eddy explains in her
text book Science and Health with
Key to the Scriptures" (p. 297) that
until belief becomes faith. and faith
becomes spiritual understanding. HUI
man thought has little relation to the
actual or divine" 1t is the UNDER
standing of goodness in it's purity that
bestows the spiritual power to heal
and to save. Again. Mrs. Eddy de.
clares. in line with this. that "a pure
affection takes form in goodness. but
Science alone reveals the divine Prin-
ciple of goodness and demonstrates its
rules" dbid. p. 1870 1t is this
spiritual understanding that consti-
tutes the Science revealing the divine
Principle and demonstrating its rules
in healing n reformation. Christian
Science presents this Science with
such comprehensive simplicity that all
may gain the same understanding that
demonstrates Christian healing.
One Honesty.
Continuing this illustration, 1t may
he said that honesty is not a personal
possession. but a law or attribute of
God. for there are o two kinds Of
honesty, but only one. Honor among
thieves is far from being the same
thing as honor among honest men.
The one has its basis in evil, while the
other is a manifestation of Principle.
SO the truly honest man is honest
from Principle. and that honesty from
Principle gives one the spiritual power
to resist evil.
Health an Attribute of God.
1t is r that orthodox Christians
generally accept this teaching as it re.
lates to temptations Of sin: but Chris
N'Sbt 'SAS1SC uSNtptS lIlS same ledCQs
ing as it relates to temptations Of
sickness. That is to say. we recognize
n a health is Just as much a charac-
t~eristic or attribute Of God as are hon
estS and goodness. and therefore the
individual makes the same mistake
who believes that his health is a per-
sonal possession. as he does who be-
lleFcs that his goodness honesty
are personal possessions. We save our
health trough the recognition of its
divtnity-that it is the gift Of God
ana that God has no purpose to
withdraw 1t than He would honesty
and goodness. Therefore. ones health
can no more be destroyed or impaired
than can God Himself. II we seem TO
lose U health. it is not lost but mere
~ MD: or. as explained in II. Cor. 4:
8. 4. ut is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god Of this world hath
blinded the minds Of them which be-
iieve not'-that is. blinded in pre-
ciseIy the same way that satan UNDER
took to blind Job. II satan had sue
ceeded in beguiline Job into the be-
net that his goodness was a mixture
OF goo and evil. hat belief would
have blinded his mind to the divine
nature OF goodness. and led him away
from the spiritual vision that was ever
ready to heal him. We must. like Job.
hold to Gods idea Of His mani
festatlons Of JOY and health, If We
would succeed in overcoming the
temptations Of sorrow and suffering;
no one a save his sense Of life
until he first knows what life is; and
to succeed In hat he must first know
the nature Of God. who is the divine
Principle of our life and Joy and
health.
Completeness Of Divine Mind.
When Abraham began to experience
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