Mary Baker Eddy has given great spiritual light on the subject of the Holy Ghost, dispelling mystery and clarifying spiritual facts, which are fundamental in demonstrating scientific metaphysics. In"Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she says (p. 332), "Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ is the divine idea of God—the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth." Throughout her writings Mrs. Eddy uses many terms in establishing a comprehensive meaning of Holy Ghost or divine Comforter—such as divine Science, spirit of Truth, divine Spirit, spirit of God, and others.

In her teaching, our Leader plainly distinguishes between Jesus and the Christ, between the human concept and the divine idea of God. This is in accord with the Master's own teaching, expressed in answer to his questioners (John 8:42), "I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." God is the Father; Christ is the Son of God, the spiritual selfhood to which Jesus alluded. Christ is not God, but is the spirit of God, eternally expressing God in oneness with Him.

Since these truths are known only to spiritual sense, we seek to spiritualize and purify consciousness that we may understand more of the Science of God and man. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Unity of Good" (p. 52): "This Science of God and man is the Holy Ghost, which reveals and sustains the unbroken and eternal harmony of both God and the universe. It is the kingdom of heaven, the ever-present reign of harmony, already with us. Hence the need that human consciousness should become divine, in the coincidence of God and man, in contradistinction to the false consciousness of both good and evil, God and devil,—of man separated from his Maker."

One may say: "This is a beautiful theory, but how may I attain it? How can I spiritualize and purify consciousness?" We do this through understanding the goodness of God and the unreality of evil. The human need of demonstrating the divine consciousness is indeed great; the goal is indeed high. With perseverance in loving good and rejecting evil and materiality, we spiritualize consciousness and gain the assurance that God is eternal, ever-present good. Thereby we find the comfort which God bestows through Christ, meeting the needs of men. Christ is in truth the Comforter sent of God, the Holy Ghost or divine Science.

A major step in demonstrating the divine consciousness is humbly to analyze our own state of thought, not with any sense of self-condemnation, but with the sincere desire to detect mortal mind characteristics, which would obstruct the operation of the Holy Spirit. These we destroy with constructive, healing truths, known to spiritual sense alone. The law of Christ, Truth, makes all things possible, even that comfort by which we prove our real life in God.

Our Leader admonishes us thus in Science and Health (p. 496): "Hold perpetually this thought,— that it is the spiritual idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, based upon its divine Principle, Love, underlying, overlying, and encompassing all true being." Christ Jesus not only gave us the following rule, but prefaced it with a conditional clause of incessant effort (John 8: 31, 32): "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

After his conversion Saul of Tarsus vigorously lived the spirit of the command to continue in the truth. It is recorded in the ninth chapter of Acts that when Saul, intent upon persecuting the disciples of the Lord, was nearing Damascus, he beheld a light from heaven. As he fell to the earth he heard the Holy Comforter, the spirit of the Lord, speak to him, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Instantly his thought was changed from that of vengeance to obedience to the demands of Christ.

When he was sent to Saul, Ananias put his hands upon him saying, "The Lord, even Jesus,... hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." Saul straightway "preached Christ in the synagogues," speaking boldly in the name of Jesus. It is not surprising that the churches throughout the area in which he preached were greatly blessed, "and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."

As Christian Scientists, we too have a mission, that of expressing health, holiness, joy, and of helping others to express the same qualities of thought. The Holy Comforter, or Holy Ghost, sent of the Father, is here, explained in Christian Science, ready to teach us all things. It is ever at hand to remind us of all that the Way-shower came to tell us, ready to heal, to comfort, to bless humanity. Divine Science, God's great gift to mankind, is the means by which belief in mental and physical illnesses will be reduced and the world will find the answer to its needs.

It is related in Luke's Gospel that Christ Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures, and he urged "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (24:47), adding, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you." Thus his disciples received the Holy Ghost. They gained a higher understanding of divine Science and the power of Christian healing. They were continually in the temple praising God.

We too may find comfort and share in the same promise. Through sincere desire for spiritual growth we shall become increasingly receptive to the precious gift of the Father. If we continue in His Word, we shall receive that higher perception in divine Science which enables us to exercise the power of Christian healing. Not by intellectual processes do we understand divine Science. As we express more of the spirit of Christ, as we sincerely love Truth, we shall gain the grace by which to receive God's gift, the Holy Ghost, or Comforter.