Article January 2, 1909 Issue

A CHANGE OF RAIMENT

CLARENCE W. CHADWICK.

When Jacob was called to "go up to Bethel" he realized that a change of raiment was necessary both for himself and his household, and he said to all that were with him, "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments." He knew that they must "arise" in thought if they would serve God "in sincerity and in truth." The journey to Bethel was really a mental one, whereby they were to forsake idolatry and to learn to obey one master, Spirit and not matter. They heeded the call, and the journey was safely made and an altar was erected unto God.

The mission of Christian Science among men to-day is to show them how to put away the strange gods that are in their midst. They, too, must forsake matter for Spirit, if they would journey heavenward and learn that "there is none else" beside the God who is Spirit. Many will contend, however, that they do not need Christian Science to show them the way to heaven. They may believe such to be the case, but the fact remains that Christian Science is here to fill a need, to explain the true mental journey to the kingdom of heaven on earth. Because Christian Science has been given to the world, one must admit that there was something in the human race that needed correcting, and Science tells us plainly what it is.

Humanity have been worshiping and relying upon something besides God. Spirit has not been discerned to be All-in-all, Mind has not been understood to be omnipotent; and because of this lack of understanding Christian healing has been looked upon as something fanciful and impracticable rather than practically operative and available in daily living. Had any one in the eighteenth century established the Christ-healing through actual demonstration, and explained its Science or modus operandi to the world, Christian Science would not have come to the world when it did. It would have been here already. Because it is here now, it is here for a purpose and that purpose is divine, not human. It is here to be spiritually understood and demonstrated, not simply believed. There is no other teaching in the world to-day that practically analyzes and explains humanity's unchristian reliance upon matter, and that shows mortals how to overcome such belief.

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