Article October 2, 1920 Issue

"Written in heaven"

EDITH MANN RAPELYE

The tenth chapter of Luke's gospel records that "the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." With quiet confidence in the eternal power of good, the Master confirmed the demonstrations which, naturally, they were so happy to report to him, when he replied, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Notwithstanding their successful conquest over "the spirits," the Master saw that the real reason for rejoicing is, not that a false sense of things has been overcome, but that the true man always does live in heaven, or spiritual harmony. He saw the immediate need of awakening them from any illusions whatever as to this fundamental truth.

"In all points tempted like as we are," the beloved Wayshower had met, first of all, and had conquered all phases of the mortal, or to use Paul's term, "the carnal mind." For that reason no one ever achieved greater ability than he did to discern the difference between good and its counterfeit, between reality and unreality. Christian Science makes it very plain that it was not a personal devil or even an evil spirit named Satan who, at one time, led Jesus up on a high mountain and there tempted him to use his spiritual power to material ends; rather does it teach that in the ascending scale of his reasoning, on the summit of clearer perception, various suggestions of ambition, power, and pride, products of the carnal mind, presented themselves to him, as witness the words of Lucifer in Longfellow's "Christus":—

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