The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-03-01

ship OF The MoCner church, 1ne cRst
Church of Christ Scientist, in Boston,
Massachusetts.
In the book of Isaiah the prophet
has written, "The Spirit of the Lord
God is upon me; because the Lord
hath appointed me to preach good
tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me
to bind up the brokenhearted, to pro-
claim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are
bound; i. to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called trees of Righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might
be glorifed." This beautiful and COM
forting statement declares the promise
and Office of Christian Science. 1t ex-
presses the love which prompts these
lectures. It explains why l am here,
and it voices the joy we take in speak
ing of our religion to those who do not
know it or who have not yet expert
enced its blessings.
We are living in an era of scientific
thinking, an age when the emphasis
is being laid on science-material
science of all kinds. We recognize that
discoveries in the realm of the physical
sciences are important. Progressive
inventions are all helpful and encour-
aging, but, viewed from the standpoint
| of comparative values, have all the dis
coveries of the ages in the realm of
matter brought to light any informa-
ton, fact, or law that will bring COM
fort and real healing to the sick and
suffering; that will make the crooked
straight and the rough places plain;
that will heal sick hearts? What dis
covery or scientific law can lift the
sinner out of bondage to false appe-
titles and destructive habits? Have all
or any of the philosophers, thinkers,
and scholars of centuries, sincere
though their efforts may have been,
contributed to the race scientific law
that will make sure and certain the one
fundamental essential to human ex-
istence, namely, happiness, an under
standing of heaven? Reviewing the
situation for a moment, we see that
practically all the research and the
study of centuries has conferred wholly
in matter and in material thinking.
| t., 81 on1.to ilaIx in vii M
of the results,-that the race still has
far to go morally, that disease has by
no means been eradicated, and that
poverty and financial distress are still
much in evidence,--one may naturally
inquire, if all these centuries of study
in the realm of matter have failed to
bring humanity health, happiness, and
heaven, why not make right about
face and direct all our thought, effort,
and investigation toward the realm of
Spirit, toward the understanding of
spiritual law?
Divine Principle AS God
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer
and Founder of Christian Science, did
turn from matter, and with that COM
passionate impulse expressed in the
verse which have just quoted from
Isaiah, earnestly sought the remedy
for human ills in the realm of Spirit.
Her search resulted in the discovery
of what she termed Christian Science,
the Science of Truth,-the demon
strable understanding Of God and His
Christ. She proclaimed that h g
divine Principle of the universe is
Love; that God, the cause and creator
of all being is Love-universal, all
inclusive, and omnipotent. 1t is of
this law, the law of Love, the under
standing of which she grasped and
then made practically applicable in
human affairs, that I shall speak to-
J night.
There are those who, at this point,
may reasonably be questioning: How
do we know that God is Love? What
do we mean by love and can we con-
ceive of a principle as love? When
John declared that God is Love he was
certainly not expressing mere meta
| physical abstraction, nor was he en-
deavoring to formulate a concept of
Deity based on sentiment or emotion.
J He was stating a spiritual fact. Even
from a human standpoint, as we view
| the universe, the wonders of earth and
sky, we are obliged to concede a GER
tain evidence of law and order, and it
is encouraging that in the last few
months two eminent physical scien-
lists, Sir James Jeans of Cambridge
University, England, and Professor
Arthur Compton of the University of
Chicago, have declared that their in
vestigations are leading inevitably to
the conclusion that the universe is the
result and expression of orderly
thought. Pope said many years ago
that "Order is heavens first law" and
there is plenty of evidence, if we look
for it today, that divine Principle or
law governs the entire universe in un-
interrupted harmony The presence
of an evil force in creation, or the
premise that Principle, or God, is both
good and evil would inevitably ulti-
mate in the self-destruction of the uni
verse. If that Principle is anything
less than intelligent Love are we not
doomed to chaos and oblivion?
The Anglo-Saxon term for God is
good, and if the sublime cause or law
of creation be good, then must it not
be exact, right, perfect, orderly, all