Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-11-21

deed, the metaphysical or Spiritua
teaching of the Bible constitutes it.
great value to humanity The ancient
prophets as well as Christ Jesus him
self carefully considered thoughts anC
weighed them well. There is an ex-
emplification of this in the book Of
Genesis. 1t reiates to Abraham's dis
cernment of the impending destruction
OF certain wicked city. Now, in the
old way of reading the Bible, this
whole matter was personal Indeed
generally speaking, people were led tc
believe that they must read the Bible
IN different way than they would
read any other book They must read
1t literally The supposition often was
that when one opened the Bible it was
reverent to cease thinking, and con-
sequently they carefully shut off their
intelligence whenever they began to
read it. Now. as matter of fact, there
is no book that requires so much in
telligence in the proper reading of it
as does the Bible. In the old way
OF reading it, story like that men
toned would convey fantastic i'm
preston. 1t would involve the i'm
agination rather than the understand
ing of the reader. 1t would signify
that God, personality a long way off
and presumably in an inaccessible
place called heaven, and capable of
all the passions associated with the
human mind, was holding a converse
zion with man upon earth far dis
tant and separated from both God and
heaven. Now, what really was taking
place is quite easy to be seen, for it
is clear when one reads the Bible in
telligently, that upon the occasion
mentioned Abraham was doing lust
what we are doing; he was thinking
and drawing conclusions. In the
realm of his thought or intelligence
he began to perceive that any measure
OF good, being like God, tends to pre-
serve man, and does preserve him if
it be faithfully adhered to, while evil
is self-destructive.
Progressive Experience
We are thinking in some way all of
the time, and yet while we recognize
that fact, it is well for us to remember
also that much of our thinking is
hardly worthy of the name. 1t is too
often without foundation, without in
tention, often almost without intelli-
gence To paraphrase one of the most
beautiful sayings of the Bible, our
thinking is often like the wind that
"bloweth where it listeth but thou
canst not tell whence it cometh and
whittier it goeth."
Now the wonderful thing to be rec
ogniZed is that Christian Science not
only admonishes to think correctly.
but shows how to do it, and furnishes
and abundant proof of the
value of such thinking. A certain
great philosopher once said that,
generally speaking, people do not
think. They merely think about
thinking. Now thinking about think
ing is better than not thinking at all.
II one is able to understand the
divine Mind through thoughts which
reveal that Mind his thoughts are
highly educational and measurably
redemptive. They necessarily associ-
ate themselves with that divine Prin-
ciple which st. John so briefly and
beautifully defines in the words God
is Love-" That healing should result
from such improved mentality is in
evitable. Christian Scientists, howev-
er, look for still greater results
through increased understanding, and
they see more and more clearly that
thought must not merely define Mind,
but reflect Mind in order that the
perfect prayer which heals any and
all diseases may be realized.
True Philosophy
Thus we see that all that could mean
happiness for the human race can and
will be brought to pass through Chris
tian Science. The true philosophy of
living is not one which enables us
stoically to bear our burdens and
troubles. The gospel of Jesus is not
to reconcile us to present Affections,
with mere hope of future happiness.
The real philosophy of true Christian
ity is to be found in that Science which
Mrs. Eddy has given to the world, and
which provides not merely the ability
to endure trouble, but that much
greater and more essential ability to
prevent and overcome it.
The way involves prayer, but it is
not mere asking something. In it's
highest sense prayer is knowing the
exact truth so clearly that the error,
whether it be disease or sin, is not &C
cepted even though it have the ap-
pearance of reality, and finding no
support in ones belief, disappears.
This kind of prayer is available only
to those who think, and in order that
the thinking may be more and more
improved day by day and become
more truly logical and more perma-
nently satisfying it is essential that
one should exercise the true thinking
capacity in all that he may be called
upon to do. This method, though it
implies willingness, is not an effort of
the human will. On the contrary, it
is much more spontaneous than any
such effort can ever be.
Prayer
Jesus said: whatsoever will come
after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross and follow me-" an
admonition which few have needed,
and yet one which is essential in the
demonstration of the science which he
practiced. Real self-denial is a won
derful thing-so wonderful indeed that
it is little understood.
That self-denial which does not even
think of self or stop to consider self
long enough to be concerned with it,
always accomplishes the greatest
measure of intelligent thought and
action. Great geniuses have expressed
it without being conscious of it. While
engaged upon some work of supreme
importance to them, their own mater
ial existence was forgotten. Thought
alone was in evidence; thought alone
had presence and dominion; thought
alone constituted the measure of their
revelation, the power of their discovery
or glory of their artistic conception
This self-denial is characteristic of
pure religion also, and of demonstra-
BILE science always. In the exclusive
realm of thought or mind occurs that
communion with God which heals the
sick in Christian Science. There the
ideas which reveal God connect man
with eternality, enable him to put off
mortality and put on Immortality and
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