Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-11-04
A LECTURE
ON
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
BLISS KNAPP, c. S. b.
Member of the Board of Lectureship
of The Mother Church. The First
Church of Christ, Scientist,
i'm Boston, Mass.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: THE RENE-
LATION OF DIVINE POWER
THE COMFORTER

Before Jesus went away ne promis-
ed us another Comforter. That no
misconception might arise, he took
the precaution to explain the nature
Of this promised Comforter. 1t should
lot be a man, nor a person, but rather
the impersonal spirit of Truth He
explained further that the Spirit of
truth" would lead mankind into all
truth, even to the very source of truth
which is God, and it would testify Of
him. Now the spirit of Truth is its
law,-the law which communicates
Gods healing power to humanity.
That law, moreover, requires science
which can interpret it and be reason
ably understood Since the law is
divine. its Science must be a divine or
Christian Science. That is what Chris
tan Science is,--the spiritual under
standing of divine law as applied to
the needs of humanity. 1t is not an
invention 1t is the discovery of what
has always been true. and what al
ways must be the real Comforter to
suffering humanity.
Sometimes it occurs that one is so
completely overwhelmed by sorrow
and grief that all the comfort and
consolation of human affection seems
helpless to brighten the thought. Then
we need to remember that there is
sorrow that purifes, and another
sorrow that works evil 1t will sweet
en- or sour the disposition according to
the direction it takes. But in the APP
parent helplessness of insurmountable
grief, there is the consolation that the
power of ones right desire can steer
its course unerringly into repentance
and publication. In the momentum
of that directed experience no Harm
can overtake US. Only good can come
out of it. Such an assurance removes
the fear and heals the grief. This is
the real Comforter at work in the
human consciousness, purifying ones
thoughts and motives. There is there
fore a grief that is Statutory; for it
sweetens the disposition, chastens the
affections and enables one to be char
liable toward the faults of others.
MRS. EDDY'S DISCOVERY
The preparation for Mrs. Eddy's
great discovery seemed to include
much of the sorrow and suffering that
purifes ones thoughts and purpose.
Mrs. Eddy was gentle woman of
deep religious experience, trained from
her youth to seek in divine guidance
actual relief from sickness and dis
tress. Added to that was an unusual
ability which received
careful training and development, so
that she had great personal charm by
reason of her refined manners and
well balanced mind. Then, in the
flower of her youth, she was over
whelmed with grief at the loss Of all I
that seemed near and dear to her.
There followed a long period of in
validism and the search for a remedy, |
which eliminated in the conviction I
hat disease responds most readily to
a mental remedy. Still abiding in
hat conviction, she met with an ac-
,ident which was so serious that 1t
vas expected to result fatally. Know
ng that only spiritual things could ,
save her, she turned to her Bible for
lelp. and as she read those spiritual
truths. she was wonderfully healed.
That was in 1866. There was her +
proof Of mental healing, and that the
livine Mind is the healer TO comfort
n sorrow and in sickness. The next
.tep was. to learn the Science of that
,ealing and, as she states in Science
md Health, page 109, 81 won my way
o absolute conclusions through di-
line revelation, reason, and demon
tration." Again she writes, "Rea-
on and revelation were reconciled,
nd afterwards the truth Of Christian .
;s.s-cc WIS -Scmons rated" page 10.
n s.atei that sc.snce ia III Chris-