Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-10-26

IL IL stated In the nm chapter @
James that THE prayer OF faith shal
save the sick" There i no amhig
Iuity about that language. II is not IN
definite or uncertain in any partien
lar. II is. in fact as positive and di
rect a statement as can be made Will
human language. And yet. Il wou',
seem that one OF two things must nee
essurly be true. either that Statement
In the Scriptures is wholly false. ~
else people have not known how Z
make the prayer of faith Throughout
the centuries. Except In sporadic in
stances. the sick have not been save'
as the result of prayer. II, therefore
becomes a subject for Legitimate IN
Qulry IN order that 1t may be deter
mined. IL POSSIBLE. whether or mol
that statement In the Scriptures i
true. Many people ask II Christian
Scientists pray and how Christian Sci
cnce prayer differs from that OF othe'
churches. and Il will doubtless prove
both interesting and helpful If the DIFF.
ference is explained
Il can be said that almost ever,
pC.son Is taught To make the prayer
Of petition. the prayer Of pleading
They are taught To petition God for
whatever good thing they desire. and
also TO petition Him 10 withhold what
ever evil thing they seek to avoid
Running through the prayer OF petit
ton. and in fact. it's very foundation
and essence. Is the belief that the
mind of God can be changed by the
petition. There is the belief that. but
for the petition, God would not do the
thing He Is asked TO do. else why ask
Him? or that but for the petition,
lie would do the thing and would
send the evil. that lie IL asked not TO
do or not to send.
Yet. all the while that this form OF
prayer has gone up from unnumbered
millions OF agonizing hearts, the Bible
has declared that God ~ unchanging.
If God Is unchanging, as the Bible de-
clares Him TO be. then is II not plain
that so long as people go on in the
belief that II is the function OF prayer
TO change the mind OF God to meet
the human desire in reality the fur
Their they are getting away from the
true theory of prayer; and the more
sincerely they believe that sort OF
thing, the more their very sincerity
will confuse their understanding and
will prevent them from making the
prayer of faith which, the Bible says.
shall save the sick"
Christian Science. upon the other
hand, teaches its adherents to make
the prayer OF realization, the prayer
OF affirmation. Christian Science
teaches that God is infinite good, and
that it is wholly unnecessary to beg
or petition infinite good, to manifest
good to US, for infinite good cannot
do anything else except manifest good
to every creature. If one should let
fall an object ii would be absurd to
beg or petition the law OF grayitation
to operate. That law would operate
automatically, and would pull the OBJ
ject down To the first obstruction.
Christian Science teaches that God is
Mind. or Principle, and that Mind
governs through spiritual law. which
law is operating throughout the entire
and is law Of infinite good,
and is manifesting good and nothing
but good ceaselessly to every human
being
One person says IL that is true, why.
then, do people seem to have so little
good. and SO much that is not good ?
Let us look at that for a moment. II
one drops an object the law OF grav-
ltation will pull II down to the first
obstruction, but IL the obstruction be
removed, IL will pull il down further
and further as the distractions are
removed. until at last, If every OBJ
struction We're removed, the law of
gravitation would then have its per-
feet work. and would pull the object
10 the center of the, earth. That is
precisely what happens through the
operation of spiritual law. That law
Is operating in human consciousness,
lust as far as the distractions will
permit. which Instructions are men
al qualities-superstitiO false be-
iefs, human will and the like. AS
hey are removed, the spiritual law
Will operate further and further in
human consciousness. bringing good
leeper and deeper into human expe-
fence, until at last, when every such
obstruction shall have been removed,
When the human consciousness shall
nave been completely evangelical by
ruth, and every mortal thought shall
lave been brought into obedience to
'hrist. as the Scripture commands,
hen the spiritual law will have is
perfect work in human consciousness.
II that day men and women will walk
he earth free from every evil condi-
ion, no longer in bondage to sick
iess. sin, poverty. old age or death.
ut shah then be found in the con-
cious possession OF that dominion
which God said IN the beginning be-
ongs to man.
AS each enc shah work out this
uestion for himself, striving to arrive |
[ that conclusion which shall best !
atisfy him az to which is the true !
heory of prayer. one other thing can |
e mentioned to aid the inquirer in |
eaching that conclusion, and that is
hat through the Christian Science |
Method of prayer hundreds OF thou
lnds of sick people have been healed. !
) not this great array Of proof by |
emonstration at least sufficient to I!
ut every thinking person upon in
uiry, lest the Christian Science the
ry OF prayer may not, in fact. be the ,
rue theory.
Every person who prays desires to |
now how to make true prayer. All
eople desire good and not evil, and. /
, the main, all people are equally /