Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-07
BLISS KNAPP OF
BOSTON SPEAKS
AT CITY HALL
Delivers Interesting Lecture on
Friday Evening on Chris
tan Science

member of the board of lectureship of
the Mother Church, the First Church
of Christ, Scientist, of Boston, and
goodly number of people assembled to
hear him. Mr. Knapp proved force
full and interesting speaker, holding
the attention of his audience through
out mis- discourse. The complete text of
his lecture follows:
If an individual is made to believe
that he has no faculty for apprehend-
ing spiritual law, he is cheered IN
Christian Science by the sweet assur-
ance that men are natively and inner
emily spiritual. But where does the
| desire to be good come from? 1t must
have its origin in the infinity of good,
and that to us means God-eVen as
Jesus declared, None is good save
one, that is God" Infinite good is the
source and activity of all right de-
sires that inspire the individual con-
seriousness such as honesty, tender
ness, loving kindness and so no. AS
one experiences those right desires.
Yields his obedience to them, and
looks in their direction, he is looking
towards God.
If. on the other hand. the individual
believes himself TO be the originator
of his goodness-that it is mere
personal possession humanity eircum-
scribed-it could not be of God. and
would not therefore he good but evil.
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 befote
God. and Satan came also. There
TRINF
was a form of selfishness-that it was
a personal desire expressed merely FOR
the hope of a reward in heaven-and
that if that hope of a reward We're 20
be withdrawn. Job would curse God TO
His face. The permission was then
granted to make a trial of his charge
to prove whether he was good merely
for the sake of a reward.
The first trial or temptation was the
destruction of Jobs property. but
that had no disturbing effect on his
goodness. Next his children We're
destroyed 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 sorely 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 con-
elusive that Jobs goodness was not en-
tertained for the sake of reward. 1t
was proved to be as unchanging AS
God himself-a divine attribute that
is reflected through all alike.
The activity of that right desire N
the consciousness of Job enabled him
to look up through the law to its di-
vine source and declare that wonder
| full vision. Yet in my flesh shall l see.
| God" Those words are entirely in
agreement with what Jesus himself
| later declared in the Sermon on the
Mount. Blessed are the pure in hear:
for they shall see God" Job there
fore acquainted himself with the d.
vine nature, not so much by the hui
man intellect, as by the understanding
of his goodness in it's simple purit2,
as an attribute of God. Not only dill
it enable him to see God but it en-
dowed him with the power of God to
heal and save himself. The healing
power of God was actually communi-
Gated to his human consciousness
through the law of goodness, scientif
ically understood.
One Honesty.
Continuing this illustration, it MAJ
be said that honesty is not a personal
possession, but a law or attribute of
God, for there are not as many kinds
of honesty as there are people. There
| is one honesty, which is a law or at
tribute of God reflected through all
alike. Honor among thieves is far
from being honor among honest men.
| Honor among thieves is but a subter-
fuge that has it's basis in evil. Honor
among honest men is honesty from
Principle. Indeed, it is commonly said
that truly honest man must be hon
est from Principle. One who falls
short of being honest from Principle
has no power to resist temptation.
Honesty from Principle communicates
the divine power to overcome dishon
esty, even as goodness from Principle
| communicates the divine power to
overcome evil.
Health an Attribute of God
1t is true that orthodox Christians
generally accept this teaching as it
relates to temptations of sin; but
Christian Science accepts the same
teaching as II relates TO temptations OF
sickness. That is to say, we recognize
that health is just as much charac-
teristic or attribute of God as are hon
esty 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-
lieves that his goodness and honesty
are personal possessions. We save our
health through the recognition OF It's
divinity-that ii is the gift of Cod
and that God has no more purpose to
withdraw it than He would honesty
and goodness. God never died nor is
He ever sick. Indeed, it is unthink-
able to conceive of sick God In
fact. the characteristics or attributes
Of God must be and are life and
health. as truly as they are goodness
| and honesty. Consequently, we must
gave our health as lob saved his good
ness. The method is so naturally SIM
plo that the children and common peo-
pie as readily grasp it's meaning and
consequent healing today as when
taught by the gentle Nazarine.