Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-05

Cnurch Of the Good Snepneru (Cn- versalisD on Sunday afternoon, for Jacob $. Shield, c. s. B., member of the board of Iectureship of The Mother Church in Boston.
 The speaker was introduced by Rev. J. F. Cobb, pastor of the Universalist church. Mir. Shields lecture was en- titled, The Religion of Divine Law, and he spoke as follows:
 The message which I bear you is one of love. The Bible says love IS the fulfilling of the law" and it is this fulf1llment. as undertsood and prac1 would spak to you.
 The civil law, under which we hold citizenship, changes from time to time. but every right minded man and Wo- man observes this law, if for no other reason than the protection it affords in the orderly conduct of theid lives and the peaceful possession of their property.
 The divine law, under which we claim sonship, is ''the same yesterday, and today, and forever" It declares that "a1l men are created equal, and endows them with certain inalienable fights" such as life. liberty, and the the pursuit of happiness" We have only to be law-abiding to enjoy this heritage. Strength, abundance, Joy are spiritual facts. Whosoever will may have them, whether he be Greek, Scythian or Jew, for they are of God. who is Himself all inclusive Life, Truth and Love.
 The Universe Governed Through Dl
 vine Law.
 The whole universe is goverenee through divine law. Every blade of grass which springs from the ground every flower that unfoldS, every tree that snreadS ifs hra DchpS every rav Ot sunshine, every movement Of nxlty stars, planets and consultations IS goverened through the same infinite divine law. So accurate and perfect is the operation of this law that an eclipse--100 years hence-between the sun, the earth and the moon may be calculated today. to the very second of its accuracy. According to astron- omical calculations some of the pla- nets travel many niles every second. Is it not, evident that only infinite wis dom and power could establish such marvellous order and perfection?
 The same divine wisdom and power which governs and maintains the un- iverse in it's orderly operation also governs and sustainS man.
 The Law of Moses and Christ Jesus
 the Same as Taught by Christian
 Science.
 The Mosaic law, revealed to all men for all time from Mount Sinai. was the first exposition of the divine law which should govern man in his re- lationship to God, as well as to his fellow man. From it spring all hu- man laws and moral codes. The First Commandment is supreme and all in elusive. in it's declaration of God, and it's warning against the recognition of any power or law as originating in anything that is physical or material. Thou shalt have no other gods be- fore me- is the origin and basis of all true religion. Upon it was founded the ancient confession of faith of the Jewish people: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,' and 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul. and with all thy might CDeut. VI, 45)
 Christ Jesus taught this same law saying, Think not that l am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; | am not come to destroy but to fulfil. (Matt v., ID It is written that a lawyer asked of him, Master, which is the great commandment in the law ~ Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great command ment. And the second is like unto 1t, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law anu lH0 pIOPASlS' (Matt.) XXII, 23-40).
 Christian science accepts the law in all its completeness, as expounded by both Moses anr Christ Jesus On page A67 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Christian Science textbook. we read-"The first demand no other gods before me- The sec ond is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self" And again, on page g, we find-"Dost thu Hove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind?" This command includes much, even the surrender of all mere ly material sensation, affection and worship. This is the Fl Dorado of Christianity
 Resting under divine promise. con- fident that God would provide for and sustain them the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-as well as the later prophets-manifested the power ot God through faith, attained unusual length of years, and through spiritual intuition imparted the Messiamc pro phecy. foreseeing the fulfillment of the promises in Christ Jesus. Jacob word of God. He it was who first discerned the masic rule of divine law that there must be 8 separation or division in consciousness, or eVll for good. He Teal1Ze0 that II1dlI Cdil- not serve two masters. Therefore he fought with the evil suggestions with in himself, not letting go the angel the thought of God-unti1 he had won the struggle Then it was that his name was changed from Jacob 10 ls- rael. or soldier of God"
 Thestate of consciousness which IS the/ /resuit of the overcoming of evil pddpensities was the promised seed to be blessed throughout the entire world Some time every man will wrestle with the error within himself, even to the point of overcoming every thought at variance with God. Then will he have earned the name '1sraef -''soldier of God'' and become one of the children of Israel" He will be of the chosen people" because he has chosen God. The promise of the Rev elation is he that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
 In the Old Testament narratives we can find a long list of works wrought by the power Of God through faith of those who confidently relied upon Him. Moses transforrration of the rod into a serpent: the 1epTous hand and its 1 healing: the passage through the Red Sea; the sUeetening of the waters of Marah: the falling of mama from the skies: the production of water from the rock: the healing of Giirian's lep- 1osy; Eliiah's increase Of the widow s meal and oil, the raising of the wi ldo1zy,r rain which