Article July 10, 1909 Issue

ETERNAL LIFE

FRANK H. SPRAGUE.

The phrase "eternal life" has commonly been associated with a future state of existence, or a continuation beyond the grave of existence begun in the flesh. Theological belief has divided the career of man into two parts—a brief span before death, in which he is regarded as mortal; and an endless period after death, in which he is characterized as immortal. Death has in this way been made to appear as a factor in the divine economy of being. The artificiality of this view is apparent, however, when the conditions of the case are examined in the light of fundamental metaphysical certainties.

Philosophical idealism, although largely negative as to its practical outcome, has rendered valuable service in preparing the way for the spiritual revelations of Christian Science. Idealism affirms that the real world-order lies beyond the "show world" of sense phenomena; but it gives no satisfactory account of the things that pertain to that order, nor does it indicate any means by which human consciousness may come into immediate and vital relation with its verities. Christian Science takes up the question where speculative philosophy leaves it. It brings human consciousness into touch with the real world-order by giving a demonstrable understanding of spiritual law. In this way the real and fundamental are distinguishable from the unreal and incidental in human experience.

The progressive steps in spiritual demonstration prove that death is the culmination of the mistaken belief which asserts that man is an independent self or soul endowed with the capacity of self-determinate thought and action. The outcome of this belief evidences the self-destructive tendency of those elements of human consciousness which are not in accord with the divine idea. Instead, therefore, of being a legitimate factor of experience which divine wisdom has decreed as a means of conferring immortality on man, or of ushering him into a state of everlasting blessedness, death appears as the chief obstacle to a realization of immortality. This point is brought out with great distinctness on page 42 of Science and Health. Here death is seen to be, as Paul declares, an "enemy," to be "destroyed" through the understanding and demonstration of Life.

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