"THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT"

ARTHUR E. JENNINGS.

Erroneous charges of inconsistency in the Bible narratives and sayings of our Lord, are fast melting away through Christian Science. As the errors of sense in mortal thought are uncovered and destroyed, and self-righteousness gives place to humility, the sublimity and completeness of the Word of God becomes understood. This is due in a very large measure to the study of the Bible with Science and Health, as set forth in the Lesson-Sermons of the Christian Science Quarterly. There is an understanding gained from this study which we are able to make our own, and yet we get this spiritual insight only as we apply the Christ-Science to our needs.

To the student, the link between Principle and these two books is a revelation, but it takes time to define and express it. The student, then, should not be discouraged because he finds many things "hard to be understood." This simply means that he has farther to go in his own demonstration. In Science and Health there is an answer to every question, and if he will only search he will find it out. The action of truth is "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword," but there are very few who at first understand that it is a help to see and experience more of the difference between Truth and error. True, the two never really meet because of their oppositeness, and yet when error is destroyed, that is, when wrong thinking and wrong actions are changed, we know that Christ, Truth, has made the correction.

In many parts of the Bible we learn much that is beautiful about the Saviour,—his appearing, his life and example, and much also that seems very like harsh treatment of those who opposed him. Isaiah cried, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." Jesus did this, and then declared, "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant." His life and teaching here reveal the most loving condition of thought. It is recorded that "he healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet." Now note the effect of the Truth-healing. We find Principle at work as follows: "When he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." For a while it is difficult to reconcile these seeming differences in the nature and offices of the Saviour, and it is only through experiences as well as an understanding of Christian Science that we are able to love the Principle which corrects our errors. This is indeed "the sword of the Spirit,"—the sword of love; not the "flaming sword" which we in infancy pictured as traveling round the garden of Eden, but the knowledge of Truth and its operations.

As we advance we rejoice to have our own faults and mistakes uncovered, and if necessary made known. This experience makes us loving, tender, and meek, and anxious to do our own work with the thought of love uppermost in our hearts. We cannot remain at a standstill in thought or activity. It is not sufficient simply to stop saying unkind things. We must then go on saying and doing kind things whenever the opportunity presents itself. Even a theoretical knowledge of love is better than ignorance on the subject, but to put love into practice is what helps humanity. Sometimes the student is apt to think that if only the older students would explain some delicate point it would be such a help, but he seldom thinks that all are working out their own problems. There are many questions affecting our existence which need to be answered definitely, but we get the answers only as we are ready for them. It is true that we must come out of material sense, but that does not mean the annihilation of the body or the belief that something is wrong with God's creation. While Jesus was on earth he showed what the perfect man may do, because he had overcome material sense.

The difference between the Christian Scientist and the non-Scientist on all questions is a mental difference. The struggle with sin, animality, and hate is caused simply by false belief, and it is the knowing of the truth about God, good, that solves all the problems. The recognition and demonstration of God as supreme in all that pertains to life will melt away false material sense. If we can see that all the changes to come are mental, we shall soon understand that the right concept of existence here is what we most need.

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