Article September 23, 1933 Issue

The New Publishing House

ANNA FRIENDLICH

What Christian Scientist visiting Boston is not thrilled as his eyes rest upon the new Publishing House, bearing aloft the stirring inscription, "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it," like a crier to the world, challenging adversity, proclaiming the triumph of good and the downfall of evil!

Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." In Numbers we have it that "the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." We recall that this was after the children of Israel were compelled by Edom to travel a roundabout way through the desert. In their fear, irritation, and resentment against God and against Moses, they became afflicted with a pest of serpents. On page 594 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy "serpent" is defined in part as follows: "The belief in more than one God; animal magnetism; the first lie of limitation." It is further defined thus: "The first claim that sin, sickness, and death are the realities of life. The first audible claim that God was not omnipotent and that there was another power, named evil, which was as real and eternal as God, good." This recalls the argument of the serpent of corporeal sense in the garden of Eden. It was these material beliefs that were biting the wayward wanderers in the wilderness. It was at this point that Moses lifted up the serpent of brass, and those who beheld it lived. Their wounds were self-inflicted, but Moses prayed for the people and acknowledged the power and presence of God.

It came to pass in a subsequent epoch of human history that Christ Jesus recalled the serpent of brass, and lifted up the Son of man. He revealed the spiritual idea of man which healed the sick—the truth which makes free. And today in Christian Science mortals are being healed by denials of error and affirmations of the truth.

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