St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1913-05-02


is what you look like in that i'm.
perfect reflector. Would one
ever gain a true idea of what
was being reflected so long as he
continually kept his gaze fixed
upon distorting reflector? No,
not until he turned his back up.
on the imperfect reflector could
he gain any idea as to what was
being reflected therein.
| We have had but one perfect
reflector or man on the face of
the earth, and that was Jesus of
Nazareth. 1t requires not only
the perfection that is to be re-
hected, but it requires the per-
fection of the reflector also in or
der that we may have a true
sense of that which is being re-
hected; and Jesus of Nazareth,
in his earthly mission, healing
the sick, cleansing the leper,
casting out evil and raising the
dead, disclosed the spiritual
Christ, indissolubly associated
with His Father in Heaven, the
man who is perfect even as is
his Father in heaven, the man
Christian Science is teaching the
whole world to strive to find,
that doubt and fear and unbelief
may be destroyed from off the
face of the earth so we may have
the realization of the kingdom of
God and His Righteousness which
the Bible teaches are within, t"
not meaning within the human
frame. but within the right COM
prehension of God, His Christ,
His man and His universe.
We now have arrived at a
point where, because of right
thinking about God, we are able
to separate the Real from the
unreal. and to realize that il is
from the unreal that man must
be saved. Perhaps no teaching
in Christian Science has seemed
so incomprehensible as that
wherein we learn that while
Life. Truth and Love are real.
sin, disease, pain and death are
unreal. In presenting for your
consideration what Christian Sci
ence means in teaching that
these things are unreal. | will
take the statement relative to
disease and pain for illustration.
Speaking now after the manner
of men. if one is suffering in
tensely from pain when he hears
the statement, Pain is unreal, "
he is liable TO turn TO the one
making il and say. IF you had
such a pain as | have, you would
not talk about its being unreal
but you would know. as do, that
il is the real thing" The Bible
teaches. LAS he thinketh in his
heart. so he Isl" and so long as
a man in his heart thinks that
pain is real. TO him IL will con-
tinue so TO appear, and under
such circumstances | know of
nothing that can be done other
than to let him go on and have
the pain as long as he wants il.
IL is exclusively his own busi-
ness. and no Christian Scientist
will interfere to destroy il until
asked 10 do so.
! can appreciate the position of
one making such a statement,
for ! have stood where he stands.
According 10 the medical profes-
sion, ! was born with an incura-
BILE organic disease, and not un-
ill my early manhood did | know
what il was 10 have a day that
was ever free from misery.
wretchedness, suffering and
pain, and | was thoroughly con-
vinced that my pain was the real
thing. | had so much of il that
| knew where il was going and
what would happen to me If il |
arrived. Then came the time |
when we could not stay together
any longer either the pain had |
to go or did. Our family phys
ician. recognizing this condition
of affairs, told my parents that |
all things that could be done had |
been done and for me dissolution
was imminent. We are all fa-
miliar with the ancient maxim.
Mans extremity is Gods OPP
portunity." and in my case as
well as that of countless others,
Il proved TO be, for Christian
Science was presented TO me at
that, my hour of direst extremity
and greatest need. and | turned
10 God for my help. even as il
teaches us TO do-and il is need
ess TO say ! did not turn i'm vain.
Tor after a period of treatment
comprising three months, our
'amily physician, upon his own
re-eXamined me and, as
he result of the examination,
said that | was as perfect a phys
cal specimen as he had ever ex-
lmined during his professional
'areer. The examination was !
lad and statement made in the {
month of March. 1885; and from I
hat day TO this, Christian Sci I
nee, as revealed TO the world I
through Mrs. Eddy, has met ev- /
ny diseased condition that has {
presented itself to me, has des- 9