Article January 4, 1908 Issue

"LET THERE BE LIGHT."

MARY WHEELER

While Christian Science was still new to the writer, there came to her for decision a moral question which she at first attempted to settle by the old method of mental debate and the balancing of reasons. Failing in this, she remembered that the solution of all problems is to be gained through Christian Science. Putting aside, therefore, all effort of her own, and realizing that in divine Mind there reposes all wisdom and truth, and that she as a child of God had access to it, she awaited in quiet confidence the influx into her consciousness of that guiding perception of which she stood in need. In due time the message came. The undoubting conviction took possession of her that a certain course of action was the right course to pursue, and following this course without fear or hesitancy, the event justified the decision.

This experience brought with it a sense of awe and marvel, which was augmented by the fact that after the conviction the answer to prayer came, unaided by any reasoning on her part; reasons presented themselves to the understanding, arguments in favor of this course which had not occurred to her while debating the matter. First came the spiritual illumination, then the human intellect was enlightened. When the word of God was known, then human reason was satisfied. It is to be seen that such a process is by no means marvelous, but supremely natural and scientific. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." All truth is in and of God, Spirit, and the activities of Spirit must be spiritual. Man, the image and likeness of God, is a spiritual being; hence, it must be through spiritual perception primarily that the truth is to be apprehended. God is also Mind, intelligence; therefore He is to be intellectually apprehended also. Truth is one. Truth cannot be both true and not true. If it be true to spiritual perception, it must also be true to the understanding, to reason.

Spiritual perception, or revelation, does not contravene law or science. In the last analysis it is their only basis, and for the reason that there can be no sure process of reasoning or demonstration which does not start from some self-evident (or revealed) fact or basic truth. God is Principle, the source of all truth and of its every manifestation; hence, there can be no process of revelation which is not in accordance with Principle and its law, and that does not satisfy every demand of man's nature for that which is scientific or demonstrable. Indeed, it is the final test of anything which claims to be truth, that it shall show itself true to revelation, to reason, and to demonstration.

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