The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-04-30


creating a. charming. useful
harmonious and adroit ides. some
thing even essential 70 the fun
expression Of divine intelligence
Life. Truth. and Love-and its
infinite qualities and character
Lstics This true understanding Of
the real serpent Of Gods creating
protected Moses from having 10
share the experiences Of the ig-
norant and fearful among his
people.
Moses did not organize groups
OF men 20 search out and exter-
inmate material serpents. to re-
move their fangs or even 10
regulate or tame them. But he
did make immune 10 poison those
who later might be bitten BY them.
Here Is the patience Of the saints.
He lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness" From the midst Of
fear and confusion. he brought his
people 10 the very vesubule Of
Spirit The record tells Va that
in this particular instance Of in
structing the minds OF mortals
from fear to confidence, from dis
cord 10 harmony. Moses, at the
command OF wisdom. caused a ser
pent 10 be made OF brass and
placed upon a standard. The rec
ord tells US. too. that those who
thereafter faithfully followed
Moses instruction for thought i'm
provement suffered no harm. even
though some Of them were bitten.
He doubtless changed, In a degree
at least, their concept OF the ser
pent No longer was II an object
Of loathing and dread 20 them.
Paul proved the viper to be
harmless when. after his ship
wreck on the isle Of Melita. he
shook off the serpent that had
fastened itself TO his hand and
felt no harm, although those about
him expected him TO fall dead
suddenly in their midst. Our text
book states Up. 5lQ, "All of Gods
creatures, moving in the harmony
of Science. are harmless, useful.
indestructible."
We can learn many lessons from
Moses experience in lifting up the
serpent in the wilderness, some OF
which ! shall try TO make clear
We can readily see that 1t Is
animality that causes serpents as
well as people to strike or TO
strike back at others. The mott
/ waiting cause for such action is a
false concept of self-preservation.
/ This DETECTION of mortal mind. az
expressed in a false sense of ma
ture. presupposes that life is in
matter, and that 10 preserve life,
individual life or. indeed, the life
Of a nation, mortals must strike
first or at least strike back in
defense. But God. Spirit, is the
preserver of man. who is made in
His image and likeness. God is the
protector of the righteous nation
and its government, too. az Is
shown many times in Bible his
tory.
IT is plain from this experience
Of Moses that no one can. with i'm
punity, worship. fear, hate. or con-
template with contempt or supe-
riority his brother man or any Of
the lesser ideas of God. Christian
Science teaches the brotherhood
Of man and bases this teaching
on the fact OF many's true nature
as Gods expression or representa-
tive. All Of Gods ideas, held to-
gether by the spiritual forces OF
adhesion, cohesion and attraction,
work together in perfect harmony.
each individual identity doing its
own work under Gods law OF
reflection and not interfering with
another. Adhesion, cohesion and
attraction, being spiritual. operate
only between right ideas. and be-
tween these ideas and the divine
Mind in which they exist. These
properties Of God are governed
by His laws There is no law
which can be invoked 10 hold a
false belief to right idea
Through application Of this truth
10 various problems Of human dis
cord, cancers have been healed
tumors have been dissolved, and
other unnatural growths have dis
appeared Families have been re-
united when IL was realized tina,
Spirit IL the only attraction and
that there Is no law whereby evil
can fasten itself TO one Of God
representatives.
We may infer from Moses expe-
rience that indulgence In error d
thought or judgment, In the form
Of fear, ignorance or Sin, poisons
b in belief. the human body by In.
terrupting or cisrupting its nor.
NAL fsInctioning and results In dis
ease and even death unless tbs
error Is seen and corrected.
BY the peoples freedom from
J death from serpent bites. after
they had seen the serpent lftee
. up in the wilderness. II IL showr
} that the correction Of any snc
finally Of all false concepts and
errors Of judgment in the rela.
tionship Of one creature 70 another
heals that particular relationship
producing harmony where disoorc
had been experienced. II does Il
, Just as certainly as the corYecfioy