Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📖

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the

affections and lusts. - PAUL.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.

- PAUL.

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine,

until the kingdom of God shall come. - JESUS.

Divine oneness

18:1 ATONEMENT is the exemplification of man’s unity

with God, whereby man reflects divine Truth, Life, 18:3 and Love. Jesus of Nazareth taught and demonstrated

man’s oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him

endless homage. His mission was both in-18:6 dividual and collective. He did life’s work

aright not only in justice to himself, but in mercy to

mortals,- to show them how to do theirs, but not to do 18:9 it for them nor to relieve them of a single responsibility.

Jesus acted boldly, against the accredited evidence of the

senses, against Pharisaical creeds and practices, and he 18:12 refuted all opponents with his healing power.

Human reconciliation

The atonement of Christ reconciles man to God, not

God to man; for the divine Principle of Christ is God, 18:15 and how can God propitiate Himself? Christ

is Truth, which reaches no higher than itself.

The fountain can rise no higher than its source. Christ, 18:18 Truth, could conciliate no nature above his own, derived 19:1 from the eternal Love. It was therefore Christ’s purpose

to reconcile man to God, not God to man. Love and 19:3 Truth are not at war with God’s image and likeness.

Man cannot exceed divine Love, and so atone for himself. Even Christ cannot reconcile Truth to error, for 19:6 Truth and error are irreconcilable. Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love,

the divine Principle of Jesus’ teachings, and this truer 19:9 sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter,

sin, and death by the law of Spirit,- the law of divine

Love.

19:12 The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, declaring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and

death, although his teaching set households at variance, 19:15 and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a

sword.

Efficacious repentance

Every pang of repentance and suffering, every effort 19:18 for reform, every good thought and deed, will help us to

understand Jesus’ atonement for sin and aid

its efficacy; but if the sinner continues to pray 19:21 and repent, sin and be sorry, he has little part in the atonement,- in the at-one-ment with God,- for he lacks the

practical repentance, which reforms the heart and enables 19:24 man to do the will of wisdom. Those who cannot demonstrate, at least in part, the divine Principle of the teachings and practice of our Master have no part in God. If 19:27 living in disobedience to Him, we ought to feel no secur—

ity, although God is good.

Jesus’ sinless career

Jesus urged the commandment, “Thou shalt have no 19:30 other gods before me,” which may be rendered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as

mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life,- 20:1 even God, good. He rendered “unto Caesar the things

which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are 20:3 God’s.” He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine

or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved,

not by spirits but by Spirit.

20:6 To the ritualistic priest and hypocritical Pharisee

Jesus said, “The publicans and the harlots go into the

kingdom of God before you.” Jesus’ history made a 20:9 new calendar, which we call the Christian era; but he

established no ritualistic worship. He knew that men

can be baptized, partake of the Eucharist, support the 20:12 clergy, observe the Sabbath, make long prayers, and yet

be sensual and sinful.

Perfect example

Jesus bore our infirmities; he knew the error of mortal 20:15 belief, and “with his stripes [the rejection of error] we are

healed.” “Despised and rejected of men,”

returning blessing for cursing, he taught mor-20:18 tals the opposite of themselves, even the nature of God;

and when error felt the power of Truth, the scourge and

the cross awaited the great Teacher. Yet he swerved not, 20:21 well knowing that to obey the divine order and trust God,

saves retracing and traversing anew the path from sin to

holiness.

Behest of the cross

20:24 Material belief is slow to acknowledge what the

spiritual fact implies. The truth is the centre of all

religion. It commands sure entrance into 20:27 the realm of Love. St. Paul wrote, “Let us

lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so

easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that 20:30 is set before us;” that is, let us put aside material self

and sense, and seek the divine Principle and Science of

all healing.

Moral victory

21:1 If Truth is overcoming error in your daily walk and

conversation, you can finally say, “I have fought a 21:3 good fight … I have kept the faith,” because you are a better man. This is having

our part in the at-one-ment with Truth and Love. 21:6 Christians do not continue to labor and pray, expecting

because of another’s goodness, suffering, and triumph,

that they shall reach his harmony and reward.

21:9 If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things 21:12 of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the

start, and gain a little each day in the right direction,

till at last he finishes his course with joy.

Inharmonious travellers

21:15 If my friends are going to Europe, while I am /en

route/ for California, we are not journeying together.

We have separate time-tables to consult, 21:18 different routes to pursue. Our paths have

diverged at the very outset, and we have little opportunity to help each other. On the contrary, if my 21:21 friends pursue my course, we have the same railroad

guides, and our mutual interests are identical; or, if I

take up their line of travel, they help me on, and our 21:24 companionship may continue.

Zigzag course

Being in sympathy with matter, the worldly man is at

the beck and call of error, and will be attracted thither-21:27 ward. He is like a traveller going westward

for a pleasure-trip. The company is alluring

and the pleasures exciting. After following the sun for 21:30 six days, he turns east on the seventh, satisfied if he can

only imagine himself drifting in the right direction. By—

and-by, ashamed of his zigzag course, he would borrow 22:1 the passport of some wiser pilgrim, thinking with the aid

of this to find and follow the right road.

Moral retrogression

22:3 Vibrating like a pendulum between sin and the hope

of forgiveness,- selfishness and sensuality causing constant retrogression,- our moral progress will 22:6 be slow. Waking to Christ’s demand, mortals

experience suffering. This causes them, even as drowning men, to make vigorous efforts to save themselves; and 22:9 through Christ’s precious love these efforts are crowned

with success.

Wait for reward

“Work out your own salvation,” is the demand of 22:12 Life and Love, for to this end God worketh with you.

“Occupy till I come!” Wait for