The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-01-30

j.. w. NdylOT.
In his address Judge Greene said {:
Christian Science is indeed the new
old story of Life and Truth and Love.
j is the simple, sweet story as it was
taught and proved and practiced by
Jesus of Nazareth nineteen hundred
years ago. 1t embraces just the same
thought, that through the understand
ing of the ever-present love and pow
er of God, humanity is healed not
only of sin but of all the results OF
sin-sickness, sorrow, unhappiness,
death.
God
Perhaps the term Principle as used
for God in Christian Science has more
than any other word aroused an un-
usual inquiry in the average orthodox
thought, for men have thought of God
generally as just a great superman,
a power to be feared rather than un-
derstood and loved, sitting upon a
throne, waiting to judge men, and
sending both good and evil. The world
needs to get away from this view of
God. 1t needs a larger concept Of
God, which is embraced in the use of
= the term Principle.
In an eastern city after a lecture
a woman came to me in seeming mem
tai distress and said: 81 want to
know how your God can be every
where at the same time" l was CRATE
full then for the thought of God being
Principle, as it afforded a ready an
swer to her inquiry. In considering
the principle of mathematics manifest
in addition, subtraction. multiplied
ton, it is easy to see that this prin-
ciple can be everywhere at the same
time. The millions of Eurone, Asia.
Africa. or America. can all have the
multiplication table at the same time
, with all of its power and facility,
without interfering in the slightest
particular with its use anywhere else
in the universe. always with one pro-
vison,-that they do understand the
multiplication table and apply it.
In a far larger sense God being di-
vine Principle, infinite, unfailing, is
everywhere present. able to solve
mans every problem provided man
understands Him and the availability
and application of His power.
Was not this the thought of the
Psalmist when he said: IF 1 as
cend up into heaven. thou art there:
If 1 make my bed in hell behold, thou
art there. If l take the winks of the
morning, and dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea; Even there shall thy
hand lead me, and thy right hand
shall hold me-" psalms 1897.
There is no problem, no condition,
that can come to us but Gods power
Is ever available for it's satisfactory
solution.
Continuing this same thought of
the multiplication table, ask a school
boy how long he thinks eight times
eight have been sixty-four and ten
times ten one hundred. Doubtless his
answer will be always How long
he thinks it will remain so? Answer
--"always.' And that is correct. AS
idea Of Principle does not change, 80
the multiplication table. as idea of the
principle of mathematics can never
change. Principle does not change
nor does its idea or image. Likewise
divine Principle is eternal, inviolable,
unchanging, always operating Prin-
ciple IL not moved by the breath OF
praise or flattery, or by entreaty or
threat. In the thought of God being
Principle, Christian Scientists have
gotten away from the old belief that
God interferes in the affairs of men
because they are asking Him to do
this, that, or some other thing, or
that God causes the unnatural or
supernatural to be happening in the
lives and affairs of men. 1t teaches
that Gods work is already perfect
and complete. Indeed the Bible says
that God saw everything that he had
made, and, behold, it was very good.
The mission of scientific Christian
ity is to reveal the perfectness and
completeness of Gods work, to enable
us to overcome in our own lives and
experiences everything and every
thought that is unlike God and His
creation. Does not this thought bring
us back to that rule of conduct which
Jesus gave. that we should do always
the thing that is in accord with the
Fathers will?
Healing
Someone asks: What has this to
dc with the healing of my sick body,
or sick business, or sick home, or sick
city? These are the practical pro-
blems that concern us today. Chris
tion Science does furnish the solution
for everyone of them. However Sc
rious your particular problem may
seem to you. however significant and
burdensome, or however long you may
have had 1t, it is not necessary that
God should do any specific or indi-
vIdual thing in your life to solve your
problem. Too long we have been
seeking God ina purely material way
much as we have sought a friend for
a favor or banker for loan, crying
out in our ignorance, our distress
with the hope that God would mani
fest himself in some supernatural oil
miraculous way. Then we begin to
think there is no power in prayer be-
cause we do not see this unusual OF
unnatural manifestation. Jesus con-
demned this style of prayer when he
said: 1.-THE heather think that they
shah be heard for their much speak.
ing. Be not We therefore like unto
them: for your Father knowcth what
thlngs We have need of before We ask
LYfe,n ~