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CSEC ON-LINE REFERENCE LIBRARY |
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of Christian Science IRA O. KNAPP, CSD
This one God, who is Life, Truth, and Love, implies one Intelligence and the unity and scientific order of all that reflects God. The Scriptures declare there is a "first and last" in the order of Being; therefore, there must also be a "first and last" in the order of revelation of spiritual thoughts and things upon the earth. Spiritual thoughts and things are spiritually discerned. The prophet must have discerned the things of God when he said, "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them." No one can prophetically show the things to come without the spiritual guidance of immutable Truth, which reveals an invariable rule of rightness. No more can man reason rightly without the intelligent and scientific Principle, or Truth, revealing absolute rightness. In the order of revelation, this seems to be the day of scientific acknowledgment; but the true understanding of Science must reflect immutable Truth and Life, which reveal all things spiritual in the footsteps of scientific order. This is indicated in the order of creation, as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. God's work, though perfect, was not finished in one day or period of revelation, nor did the last appear first. If God is what the Scriptures declare and imply, — the spiritually intelligent "All-in-all," — then every thought or thing in the image of Truth and Life, must reflect the heavenly harmony and scientific unity which unite the "first and the last" in perfect oneness of Being. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one," and "who are my brethren?" but "whosoever shall do the will of my Father?" His day of revelation, however, did not appear before the promises and prophecies which foretold the coming period of his wonderful demonstrations. "In the faith of Abraham," as the Scriptures record it, dwelt the living "promises of God;" but Abraham saw their fulfilment afar off, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." In the spiritual light of this living "seed" of faith which was and is to people the whole earth in righteousness, — for its very beginning was accounted for righteousness, — may we not follow the footsteps of Truth, and the demonstrations thereof? This constantly revealing seed of faith is spiritually discernible through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and all the prophets, revealing in the divine order the greater Light, — the long-expected Messiah which they continually foretold. This Christ idea appeared, to human consciousness in the manner that history records. Jesus must have manifested the Christ idea of perfect manhood in the Christly enlightened human faith in one God and Father. He came in the divine order of revelation to fulfil all that was written of him in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms. This prophetic child — this seed of living faith in the one God — was humanized to appear as a child born of a virgin, and to suffer, for a season, the misconceptions of mortal man, in order to destroy forever the false belief that man, or manhood, is ever born of the flesh, or ever had a material father or mother. For he said to all generations of men: "Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Mortal material birth and death must, therefore, disappear in the order in which the revelation of his life destroyed sickness, sin, and death. For he said, "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life." This prophetic child of God was sent to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Lost, because they claimed Abraham as their father and the law of Moses as their guide, while they, in their blind beliefs of life and manhood in the flesh, knew not the faith of Abraham; neither did they keep the spiritual law of Moses. If they had truly and spiritually known Abraham, Moses, and Elias, they would necessarily have known this child of prophecy in the order of divine revelation. (See John, 5:46, 47 and 8:56.) "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." From his first appearance on earth, to the completion of his Christly demonstrations of healing and saving from the false claims of sin and death, Jesus was repeating the order of creation and divine revelation. In the beginning God said, "Let there be light: and there was light." Christ Jesus, the son of God, also said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." But the command of the inspired word is, that we must enter in at the strait gate, and follow the straight and narrow way of scientific rightness; because this does not deviate from, the Christian and scientific order in which Truth and Life unfold every idea of manhood. This is the birth of the true manhood in Christ Jesus, which dawns in the light of faith and unfolds in the footsteps and divine order of revelation; thereby eliminating in its order the unscientific and material darkness and disorder of the flesh, — sin, sickness, and death. "But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, , . . for he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." Paul also writes, "But now we see not yet all things put under him." At this time, the humanized fleshly Jesus had disappeared. Hence Paul's spiritual conception of Christ Jesus appears to be that he is "made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec, . . . without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life." Therefore, Paul saw that "unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin [the flesh] unto salvation," from the flesh and all it includes. Jesus indicated to his disciples that it was expedient for them that he go away, but that the Father (in the order of revelation) would send another "Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost" or "Spirit of Truth" that abideth forever. This "Spirit of Truth" characterized more completely their demonstrations of healing after his material disappearance. Let us follow by the light of this "Spirit of Truth," in the footsteps of these promises and prophecies, up to the wonderful revelation of Jesus Christ to his beloved disciple St. John. Here, the individual Jesus is not manifested in the flesh yet the revelation declares that, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches," closing with the declaration, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." The star of faith that led the wise men, in Wisdom's way, to the Bethlehem babe is now leading on to a greater revelation of spiritual unity and oneness; even to the New Jerusalem, or heavenly harmony, — that perfect and spiritual universe and man, whose father and mother is God. This book of Revelation, given to St. John while still in the flesh, confirms that spiritual and scientific relation between the perfect idea of Christ, unseen to the senses, and the spiritual teachings and demonstrations of the Christ idea, all the way from the faith of Abraham to the complete revelation of spiritual manhood, and the spiritual universe, which is typically represented to St. John as the "New Jerusalem." This book of Revelation was sealed with seven seals; and no man was found worthy to unloose the seven seals, but the "Lion of the tribe of Juda," the "Root of David." This root of David — this spiritual idea — is seen as "a Lamb as it had been slain;" that is, slain to human sense, all along the ages. This lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, typically represents "the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." The divine order is exemplified in this revelation, or opening of the seals, from the first to the last. In the opening of the seventh seal, there were seven angels which stood before God, and they were given seven trumpets which were to be sounded in their order. "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." The "little book" which was open in the hand of this angel, was given to St. John to eat; and this is typically described in a few unmistakable words to those who follow in the footsteps of this revelation. Here then we have a "little book" within this book of seven seals. But who should be found worthy to give this "little book" to a waiting world? A long night of materialism has darkened this world since this typical and prophetic revelation was given to St. John. Yet, in the divine order of fulfilment on earth, this "little book" would be opened to the world and known only as we "eat it," — understand it spiritually. We cannot successfully deny that this "little book" is found in the revelation and demonstration of Christian Science, and is therefore a sign of the times to mark the divine order of revelation, — indicating that ignorance of God's way of salvation is no longer an excuse for believing in the reality of sin, sickness, and death. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," is what it claims to be, — a key to unlock the rich treasures of this book of Revelation and all the other books of the Bible. As we understand the teachings of this book, Science and Health, and prove them by healing the sick and destroying sin, then and not till then is the great mystery of God revealed or "finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets." God does not forbid us to know Him in the Christian and Scientific way of healing, which Christian Science teaches and demonstrates. It was by these very revelations or signs of healing the sick and destroying the false claims of sin and death, that all the holy prophets and Jesus Christ and all his disciples knew Him, and loved Him; for "God is Love." This Christ ideal of Truth and Love, in Christian Science, is again, sent, apparently to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Lost, because all Christendom claim to be followers of the faith of Jesus Christ, but have not done the healing works of Christ. "The prayer of faith shall save the sick." In the footsteps of Christian progress, "faith without [healing] works is dead." We cannot cling to the dead past and obey the demands of the Christ idea, which is ever marching on to "greater works" in this divine order of revelation. This revelation, from the faith of Abraham to the "New Jerusalem" — the city that hath spiritual foundations, "whose builder and maker is God" — always acknowledges and reveals the one God or changeless Principle. This divine Principle, ever guiding the sons of men in the footsteps of the one and only way of salvation, exposes and destroys the opposing claims of sin, sickness, and death. But in the divine order, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Christian watchmen of this day, can tell us what the "signs of promise" are, and their fulfilment, as found in the understanding and demonstration of the advancing footsteps of the Christ idea in Christian Science. In fact, we find in Christian Science the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning the second coming of the Christ idea. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
The Christian Science Journal, December, 1902 |
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