Article January 24, 1920 Issue

It is recorded in The Acts of the Apostles that Jesus, on...

The Christian Science Monitor

It is recorded in The Acts of the Apostles that Jesus, on one occasion, after he had risen above all belief in the power of death, said to those assembled with him: "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." And so, when "they were all with one accord in one place," on the day of Pentecost, "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Thereafter the disciples dispersed on their great mission, inspired as never before to heal the sick, rescue the sinning, and raise the dead. "The day of Pentecost" has ever since been associated with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which in the early days of the Christian church brought such spiritual illumination to the followers of Christ Jesus.

Right down through history, from that day, earnest men and women who have caught something of the meaning of the teachings of Jesus, have longed and prayed for the coming, in their own experience, of the Holy Ghost. Some of them have received a greater measure of spiritual understanding, but others have seemed to hope and pray in vain. And why? Possibly because, in the first place, they have had erroneous views about the Holy Ghost, and in the second, because of these wrong views they have mistaken the manner of its operation. Even to-day the subject to many is clothed in mystery. The very term, Holy Ghost, has to them something supernatural and mysterious about it. The majority are quite ignorant of its operation, and may even believe that it "descends" in almost fortuitous and material fashion, although they will predicate that "the gift" can only be bestowed on those who love good.

Now there is nothing at all mysterious about the descent of the Holy Ghost. Writing on page 55 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy says: "In the words of St. John: 'He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.' This Comforter I understand to be Divine Science." And again, in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 174), Mrs. Eddy writes: "The leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, is Divine Science; the Comforter; the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth; the 'still, small voice' that breathes His presence and power, casting out error and healing the sick." Thus, divine Science is the Comforter or Holy Ghost. From this it is apparent that in order to experience the spiritually uplifting power associated with the Comforter, a knowledge of Christian Science must be gained; and this knowledge can be obtained from a study of Mrs. Eddy's works.

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