Some Christian sects teach that the second coming of Christ involves the reappearing on earth of the physical Jesus. The coming of the Christ is demonstrable and is in accord with the teachings of Christ Jesus. Anticipating the material return, however, of one already beyond the pale of mortality must entail ultimate disappointment. The Christianly scientific interpretation of Scripture clearly bears this out.

When the master Metaphysician said (John 14:3), "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," he evidently meant much more than a casual reading of the text might convey. Jesus' further statement (verses 16, 17), "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him," helps us to understand that what was to come was not a physical but a purely spiritual concept.

If we are to reassure human thought on this subject, the first great necessity is to explain that the physical Jesus was human, born of Mary. But Christ is the ever-present spiritual manifestation of the divinity which Jesus understood and interpreted through his healing words and works.

The second great necessity is to point out that Christ Jesus' words must be comprehended metaphysically. To the human sense of things, the spirit of divine Truth and Love may appear to be absent because of the Master's material disappearance. According to Christian Science, mankind is redeemed not by the material person but by the deathless, omnipresent Christ, the ideal of God, which Jesus demonstrated for the benefit of all.

The Christ is made manifest to each individual through his understanding of God. A worldly thought cannot perceive it. When one has made himself spiritually ready, "the Spirit of truth" will have prepared his place—his consciousness to receive Christ, Truth. It will come through one's transformation of thought and purpose. Indeed, it is made possible only through regeneration, that is, pure Christian enlightenment, inspiration, and love.

The invigorating spiritual capacity to comprehend Christ, Truth, which will "abide with you for ever," always comes as Christly revelation. This glorious advent will show one's real self to be "where I am," in the changeless realm of conscious Mind, or God, in the eternal light of the one infinite intelligence. The promise of the Saviour's coming will thus be fulfilled.

Having understood the Master's inspired words in this way, we must rejoice deeply that the hoped-for reappearance is made presently practical for us through Truth, as revealed in Christian Science. This Science is the Comforter, which has come in accord with Jesus' promise.

Our grateful apprehension, appreciation, and practice of the Christ-idea in Science truly evidences God's reflection of Himself on earth as in heaven. Let us open our hearts and our lives to its omniactive, cleansing modus operandi. Let us, by Love's reflection in thought, word, and deed, bring Christ's healing power into our churches, our homes, and our businesses. Emphatically, there is an unfilled universal need for this power.

How great the joy and confidence which attend inward conviction, the spiritual realization, that the Christ has always existed! It is unspiritual mortal thought alone that vacillates. The idea of God does not come and go. In establishing this fact, the Master referred to the Christ thus (Matt. 28: 20): "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Through Christian trustworthiness, we can gain the spontaneity vital to individual demonstration, heartfelt spiritual proof, of man's Christly perfection. Mrs. Eddy writes in her book "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 70): "The second appearing of Jesus is, unquestionably, the spiritual advent of the advancing idea of God, as in Christian Science.

"And the scientific ultimate of this God-idea must be, will be, forever individual, incorporeal, and infinite, even the reflection, 'image and likeness,' of the infinite God."

Spiritual understanding in Science reveals as wholly unreal and illusory the erroneous beliefs which support sensuous life, so called. The accompaniments of this false sense of life, material birth and growth, old age and death, are not of God. They lack the Christ, the power of Christian law and authority; whereas divine Love's plan and purpose for its immortal idea, man, provide spiritual proof of present goodness, which has neither beginning nor end.

The heavenly animus of Science shows us that all evil, or error, is the illusion of mortal thought. And the coming of the Christ, Truth, effectively destroys the illusion, for it is the lie of life and substance, as well as of pleasure and pain, in matter.

Christly understanding cannot include mortal ignorance, as Jesus proved. Omniscient, incorporeal Mind, or God, who is infinite good, and whom man reflects spiritually, can embrace no evil.

In the new tongue of Christian Science, the coming of the Christ-consciousness to men is often referred to as spiritual awakening. This is because its dawn arouses mortals from the dream of a false sense of self, perhaps expressed through envy, fear, and hatred or through willfulness, disobedience, and dishonesty.

This awakening is the revival of one's dormant Christly selfhood made possible by spiritual receptivity to divine Love. One's awareness of God and of spiritual fidelity to Him always enables one to manifest the Christ and thus annihilate sinful characteristics.

Our inspired Leader confirms these facts with this statement in Science and Health (p. 230): "This awakening is the forever coming of Christ, the advanced appearing of Truth, which casts out error and heals the sick. This is the salvation that comes through God, the divine Principle, Love, as demonstrated by Jesus."

When we spiritually hear and obey Love's voice because of our own advancing Christliness in Science, we know that we are emulating the spiritual demonstration and life of the Master.

Spiritual enlightenment demonstrates spiritual sense, fearlessness, and dominion, as well as heavenly peace and power. Christ Jesus understood this process, and, knowing mankind's need, he said (John 14:18), "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

In her "Miscellaneous Writings," Mrs. Eddy characterizes this coming and its comfort in the following words (p.165): "The day-star of this appearing is the light of Christian Science—the Science which rends the veil of the flesh from top to bottom. The light of this revelation leaves nothing that is material; neither darkness, doubt, disease, nor death. The material corporeality disappears; and individual spirituality, perfect and eternal, appears—never to disappear."

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.... For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart. O God, thou wilt not despise.—Psalm 51:10, 16, 17.