The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-21

, every phase of living. Those who hava not felt its beneficence cannot under, tstand why Christian Scientists express so great appreciation of Mrs. Eddy be- cause they cannot conceive of the greatness of the gift, while those who know something of the richness of 1t wonder that so often we forget to be grateful.
 SPIRITUAL GROWTH
 It is the common experience of those who study Christian Science that there comes to them much larger, clearer
 understanding of God than they had | before. In her writings Mrs. Eddy quite propertly and with Biblical pres cedent uses a number of terms for the Supreme Being each one of which ex- presses some. particular quality of the
 divine Principle. It is interesting and lhelpful in studying what she has writ ten to stop and consider just why a
 particular term for God is used in any given sentence. It will invariably bs found that the word chosen not only lexplatns her meaning better than any
 other. but that by its use ones ,nder-
 standing of Life, or Spirit, or of what-
 ever synonym for God has been used. | is increased, and one is conscious oi spiritual growth
 i In discussing the nature of God let
 us begin with the fact that God Is
 Mind, because by recognizing this we
 are enabled to see more clearly the in. lseparable relationship which exists be- tween God and man, and to see that because of this relationship man man. lifests the qualities of God. of Mind, and
 nothing else. , | It is generally admitted that there 1 is Supreme Being and that he is aom- Inipotent and omniscent. To say that God is omniscent, alI-knowing, is stat- ing that God is infinite Mind. for Mind alone knows, understands. When Dan- iel said, Blessed be the name of God
 might are his.' and when Paul said. I 'To God only wise, be glory they both admitted infinite Mind which 1 alone possesses infinite wisdom and
 makes it manifest
 { DIVINE MIND AND DIVINE IDEA In order that we may better under stand the operation. the activity, of in- finite Mind let us illustrate the divine Mind by using the ordinary conception ! of a human mind as an example. You ! say your friend has fine mind. You 1 say you know this because he has many l fine ideas which he expresses. You have never seen his mind but you have l known the expression of 1t in ideas. If he never moved a muscle, never spoke a word, you would rightly conclude that there was no mind there. So a mind 1 to be called mind must be fillei with ideas, and an idea by virtue of being an idea must be expressed It is inn possible to conceive of a mind filled with ideas, yet unexpressed; for a mind with no expression Is not mind but a blank. How do you know that a rock has not mind and no ideas? Why simply because 1t has no expression, 1 for where there are ideas there is ex- pression. The infinite Mind, therefore | is filled with an infinite number of ideas of thoughts, which must be ex- lpressed. and the activity. the express sion, the manifestation of these ideas constitutes man and the universe
 Gods ideas express Him In countless 1. spiritual forms. As Gods ideas we ex- l list in Him and because we exist in Him l! the Scriptures so declare that .in him we live, and move. and have our being I There is further quality 9f an idea which it will be necessary for us to 1 consider An idea has no ability to do anything or to be anything except as 1 the idea of the mind in which 1t exists It-cannot change itself and so become
 more or less, or different. than mind l intended it should be. because 1t has no i volition of it's own and must of neces : sity express exactly what mind intends l it should express. For example: If you
 have a thought of love for your neigh bor. this idea cannot get away from you and change itself into thought of hate. The ideas in Mind must of ne- cessity express exactly what Mind in- tends they should express. Now the real man Is. as we have shown. the per feet idea of infinite Mind and has only divine volition. He has therefore nc l ability to choose to do evil or to be l sick, nor can he ever become separated l from the Mind which contains him.
 Man. then. Gods idea, Gods image and likeness. has all the qualities of God
 and not a single quality that is not of Him. He is therefore healthful and
 holy; perfect, spiritual, and immortal k What are these qualities which man as the idea of infinite Mind must man. fest? The various terms for God de-
 fine His nature, and every synonym is used because 1t expresses some quality of Deity which was not so readily ap- ! parent in any other term. Life, Truth, Love. Soul. Spirit Principle. Father
 Mother. are but other terms for Mind each expressing its. own peculiar char.
 acter yet readily Interchangeable with
 any others term, so thatit is just as cor rect to say that man is the idea of
 Life or Love as 70 say that he :s the
 idea of Mind.
 I Life. Truth and Love are the three
 terms that together express Mind most
 completely, and man who is Minds idea
 expresses Life in perfect. healthful. fms
 mortal existence, expresses Truth in his
 manifestation of spiritual being. which
 alone is real and true. and expresses
 Love in the infinite manifestation of the | goodness Of God.
 ; UNHEALTHY OF MATTER
 l Because it is true that man is the idea
 Of infinite Mind he cannot be material
 and this material body will have to he i accounted for in some other way. Mat ter seems very real to the human mind,