Part 36 (2/2)

he is ”born, not ... of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d,” we shall understand that man is the offspring of Spirit, and not of the flesh; recognize him through spiritual, and not material laws; and regard him as spiritual, and not material. His sons.h.i.+p, referred [20]

to in the text, is his spiritual relation to Deity: it is not, then, a personal gift, but is the order of divine Science.

The apostle urges upon our acceptance this great fact: ”But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of G.o.d.” Mortals will lose their sense [25]

of mortality-disease, sickness, sin, and death-in the proportion that they gain the sense of man's spirit- ual preexistence as G.o.d's child; as the offspring of good, and not of G.o.d's opposite,-evil, or a fallen man. [30]

John the Baptist had a clear discernment of divine Science: being born not of the human will or flesh, he

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antedated his own existence, began spiritually instead [1]

of materially to reckon himself logically; hence the im- possibility of putting him to death, only in belief, through violent means or material methods.

”As many as received him;” that is, as many as per- ceive man's actual existence in and of his divine Princi- [5]

ple, receive the Truth of existence; and these have no other G.o.d, no other Mind, no other origin; therefore, in time they lose their false sense of existence, and find their adoption with the Father; to wit, the redemption [10]

of the body. Through divine Science man gains the power to become the son of G.o.d, to recognize his perfect and eternal estate.

”Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh.” This pa.s.sage refers to man's primal, spirit- [15]

ual existence, created neither from dust nor carnal desire.

”Nor of the will of man.” Born of no doctrine, no human faith, but beholding the truth of being; even the understanding that man was never lost in Adam, since he is and ever was the image and likeness of G.o.d, [20]

good. But no mortal hath seen the spiritual man, more than he hath seen the Father. The apostle indicates no personal plan of a personal Jehovah, partial and finite; but the possibility of all finding their place in G.o.d's great love, the eternal heritage of the Elohim, His sons and [25]

daughters. The text is a metaphysical statement of existence as Principle and idea, wherein man and his Maker are inseparable and eternal.

When the Word is made flesh,-that is, rendered practical,-this eternal Truth will be understood; and [30]

sickness, sin, and death will yield to it, even as they did more than eighteen centuries ago. The l.u.s.ts of the flesh

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and the pride of life will then be quenched in the divine [1]

Science of being; in the ever-present good, omnipotent Love, and eternal Life, that know no death, In the great forever, the verities of being exist, and must be acknowl- edged and demonstrated. Man must love his neighbor [5]

as himself, and the power of Truth must be seen and felt in health, happiness, and holiness: then it will be found that Mind is All-in-all, and there is no matter to cope with.

Man is free born: he is neither the slave of sense, nor a [10]

silly ambler to the so-called pleasures and pains of self- conscious matter. Man is G.o.d's image and likeness; whatever is possible to G.o.d, is possible to man _as G.o.d's_ _reflection_. Through the transparency of Science we learn this, and receive it: learn that man can fulfil the Scrip- [15]

tures in every instance; that if he open his mouth it shall be filled-not by reason of the schools, or learning, but by the natural ability, that reflection already has bestowed on him, to give utterance to Truth.

”Who hath believed our report?” Who understands [20]

these sayings? He to whom the arm of the Lord is re- vealed; to whom divine Science unfolds omnipotence, that equips man with divine power while it shames human pride. a.s.serting a selfhood apart from G.o.d, is a denial of man's spiritual sons.h.i.+p; for it claims another father. [25]

As many as do receive a knowledge of G.o.d through Science, will have power to reflect His power, in proof of man's ”dominion over all the earth.” He is bravely brave who dares at this date refute the evidence of material sense with the facts of Science, and will arrive at the true [30]

status of man because of it. The material senses would make man, that the Scriptures declare reflects his Maker,

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