Article February 28, 1920 Issue

"His name shall be called Wonderful"

THEOPHILUS ALLEN

When the student of Christian Science first awakens to the realization that its Discoverer and Founder, Mary Baker Eddy, has furnished "the key" wherewith to unlock the treasures of the Bible, then comes with its amplification the dawn of the spiritual idea indicated in the words, "unto us a child is born . . . and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful." Mankind, reasoning from a wrong premise, have been believing in material existence, consenting to the lie of life and mind in matter presented as the fact of being, and this has kept them wandering in a wilderness of chaotic beliefs, thus reaping the results of a fear which has held them in bondage to the physical senses. In this extremity, however, "God's opportunity" is presented for activity in the teachings of Christian Science, and turning to divine Principle, thought becomes receptive to the spiritual idea, the Christ. This awakening to the Christ brings the first glimpse of "the way, the truth, and the life," enabling mankind by the acceptance of this fact to see and comprehend what Mrs. Eddy states in Science and Health (p. 332), "Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness."

It is right here, then, that the purification of thought begins, and the student in Christian Science begins to analyze and dissect his thoughts to ascertain the motive and purpose of his thinking. The dawn of the Christ-idea has brought the revelation of Truth to the human consciousness, and the process of abandoning the husks of material sense for spiritual understanding has commenced. The purpose of God has begun to unfold, and, as Paul indicates in his letter to the Ephesians, the work of putting off "the old man" and putting on "the new man" can proceed.

The prophecy of Isaiah, "The government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful," was amply fulfilled in the preaching and practice of Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ-idea had been demonstrated by him, as our Leader points out in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 166), where she says, "This spiritual idea, or Christ, entered into the minutiæ of the life of the personal Jesus;" and because of this he could state freely: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Surely, then, the truth which will free humanity from its material beliefs, points to the fact proclaimed by Isaiah and later practically demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth, that the Christ-idea is the sign of Emmanuel, "God with us," "and his name shall be called Wonderful."

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