Article June 14, 1952 Issue

THE DIVINE AFFLUENCE

MARIA SOUBIER

The Bible includes many passages which present in metaphor and simile magnificent accounts of the affluence of God and of His abundant provision for His beloved children. One such passage occurs in the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah: "As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

To people living in the dry and dusty land that Isaiah knew, rain and snow seemed indeed a gift from heaven, a beneficent, vitalizing force that turned barren stubble into fruitful harvest. And thus did the prophet envision the culmination of the unfoldment of God's Word; it would not be sterile and fruitless, but would bring prosperity and plenty. Other prophets, too, caught glimpses of the glory that would attend a fuller understanding of Deity; but none knew how to demonstrate this affluence to the extent that Christ Jesus did.

In speaking of Christ Jesus' work Mary Baker Eddy says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 54): "Through the magnitude of his human life, he demonstrated the divine Life. Out of the amplitude of his pure affection, he defined Love. With the affluence of Truth, he vanquished error."

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