Willis F. Gross, C.S.B., of Boston, Massachusetts
Member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother
Church,
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts
Willis F. Gross, C.S.B., of Boston, member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., delivered a lecture on Christian Science Thursday evening, April 21st, under the auspices of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Wilmette, Ill., in the church edifice, Central Avenue and Tenth Street.
The lecturer was introduced by Mr. Arthur B. Haven, who said:
Friends: —
In extending you a welcome from the members of this church, to share with us the benefits of a lecture on Christian Science, I desire to call your attention to the purpose of such a lecture, as evidenced by our leader in a short paragraph from her book, "First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany", (Page 338-339).
"The Board of Lectureship is absolutely inclined to be, and is instructed to be, charitable towards all, and hating none. The purpose of its members is to subserve the interest of mankind, and to cement the bonds of Christian brotherhood, whose every link leads upward in the chain of being. The cardinal points of Christian Science cannot be lost sight of, namely one God, supreme, infinite, and one Christ Jesus."
Mary Baker Eddy.
It is a privilege to have with us this evening an earnest and loyal student of Christian Science, who comes authorized as a member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Mass., of which this church is a branch.
I have the pleasure of presenting to you Mr. Willis F. Gross, C.S.B., of Boston, Mass., who will now address you.
Mr. Gross spoke as follows:
No teaching of modern times has inspired greater activity in the things which really benefit humanity than has Christian Science. Nothing has contributed more to the universal good than has that Christianly scientific method of healing, which furnishes conclusive evidence that religion and medicine are from the same source and cannot be separated, either in theory or practice. Christian Science has encountered opposition because for centuries it has been held that religion and medicine have little in common. This is true of medicine and religion as generally defined and practiced, but no human theory or belief can change the eternal fact that the most effectual healing system ever brought to human recognition and Christianity as taught and demonstrated by its Founder, Jesus of Nazareth, are one and identical.
The healing of sickness by spiritual means alone continued throughout the first three centuries of the Christian era. So long as it was considered an essential part of religious teaching and practice and not merely incidental thereto, and intended only for a short period of time or a limited number of persons, the Christ-method of healing was the only one recognized in the Christian church.
In this age Christian Science is demonstrating that spiritual understanding improves the health as well as the morals of men. When the teachings of Jesus are correctly interpreted and rightly applied, it is understood that the remedy for sin is the only effectual remedy for sickness.
The basis of Christianity is a right apprehension of God and man's relation to his creator and his fellow men. According to the teachings of Jesus and the relations of Science man is absolutely dependent on God and inseparable from Him. The erroneous belief that man can be separated from God, that he can think and act independently of his creator, is responsible for all the discord of human existence, sin and disease included. When the utter falsity of the belief that man "has a mind of his own" becomes apparent, it is possible to correct the fundamental errors of human thought and escape the bondage of sin and suffering; but so as mortals cling to the delusion of mind in matter, which at no time manifests the slightest evidence of intelligence, they will reap the results of this erroneous belief.
Man becomes not less but more of a man when he learns that existence apart from God is a scientific impossibility. He can lose nothing by learning the truth about his existence as an individual entity. He manifests not less but more intelligence when he learns that God is infinite intelligence and man reflects God. The days of his earthly pilgrimage are not shortened but increased when he learns that God is Life and man lives because he reflects God. When he learns that Spirit is the substance of his being, he is lifted above the fears and discords resulting from the belief that matter is substance and the basis of life and intelligence.
The Scriptural teaching that man was created in the image and likeness of God seemed to have no definite place in human thought and activity until the advent of Christian Science. It is the generally accepted belief that man is material and therefore subject to sin, disease, and death. John caught a glimpse of man's real being and he wrote, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." How few have realized that this truth could be applied in working out the various problems of to-day.
The statement that man is the son of God has been accepted as a matter of faith by Christian believers, but there has been little understanding of what constitutes the divine likeness. In Christian Science it is learned that these words of the apostle declare what is even now the truth about man. He is the child of God, infinite Spirit, notwithstanding the testimony of the material senses to the contrary. As the likeness of Spirit, man can express nothing unlike the divine nature. The apprehension of this great truth brings hope, courage, and assurance to those struggling with disease and sin. The heavy burden is lifted and man rejoices in the proof of God's presence and love.
It is a truism accepted by all men that a tree can be judged by its fruits. The great Teacher said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." In reply to the question, What are the fruits of Christian Science? we would answer, The sick are being healed, the sorrowing are comforted, and sinners are reformed. But this is not all that is being accomplished. Christian Science has a rightful place in every field of honest endeavor. Everything that in any way contributes to the welfare of humanity becomes more productive of good when it is understood how the fundamental teachings of this Science touch at some point every problem of man's experience.
Because one is neither an invalid nor a hardened sinner, it does not follow that he has no need of Christian Science. If he desires to become more successful in his chosen vocation, hoping thereby to render a more effectual service to others; if there are any evils to be overcome, any good works to be done; if he feels the need of greater freedom, a larger sense of God's love, or a more enduring consciousness of peace and harmony, Christian Science can help him to attain the realization of his hopes. He will comprehend more fully the deep significance of the Master's loving benediction, "Lo, I am with you alway," and he will be inspired with a greater desire to understand and acknowledge God in all his ways.
Christian Science demonstrates the unity of religion and medicine. In so doing it has enlarged Christian activity and restored the teaching and practice of primitive Christianity, which included the healing of sickness as well as the overcoming of sin.
Because of the great good already accomplished, men and women of all classes are devoting themselves to the study of this Science and earnestly striving to put its teachings into practice. There is a rapidly increasing number of intelligent persons who rejoice to be known as Christian Scientists, and it is impossible to say how many thousands are convinced of the truth of this teaching who, for various reasons, have not as yet openly declared themselves.
When seeking a reason for the remarkable growth of this movement, it is well to remember that we as a nation are a Christian people, and any suggestion to the contrary would immediately call forth the most earnest protestations from every section of the country. We are convinced that Christianity is practical, and we believe that if it were more manifest in human affairs greater good would come to all, and no man would suffer loss.
As a Christian people we believe in one God, the maker of heaven and earth. In John's gospel we read, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." We believe in one power, omnipotence. Paul declared, "There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." We believe in one Christ, the Saviour of men. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," is the teaching of Holy Writ.
We accept the Scriptures as containing the revealed word of God; we believe in the power and efficiency of prayer; we believe in the triumph of good over evil, right over wrong, and truth over error. Furthermore, we believe that the highest type of manhood is attained through living in obedience to the unchanging law of God as revealed in the teachings and works of Christ Jesus, the Founder of the Christian religion. We believe that when this law becomes more generally understood, and men are willingly obedient to its requirements, the immediate result will be the working out of many problems which in the past have seemed to be of such magnitude as to discourage any attempt at their solution.
That Christian Science is in advance of and departs from the trend of other religious doctrines, is apparent to every one who has given the matter any serious consideration. The question naturally arises, Where, or how, did Christian Science originate? What was its starting point? What was it that gave to Christianity this new impetus, demonstrating the divine energies of good?
Every revealed truth, every important discovery, every successful invention, every glorious achievement, every unfolding of good, bears faithful testimony to the fact that at some time there was one who walked in advance of others and caught a glimpse of that which was invisible to the multitudes. At first he may have seen as it were "through a glass darkly," but as the vision grew clearer he was able to tell the people something of what he had perceived. Then the eyes of others were opened and they saw what they might never have seen had it not been for the clear vision of some one else.
In the same manner as other great truths were discovered and rendered practical, Christian Science was brought to human recognition. There was one who stood on higher ground: one whose spiritual perception was able to penetrate the mists which obscured the vision of others, who reasoned more correctly, and was more faithful in making a practical application of what had already been revealed. In this instance the world's benefactor was a woman, and future generations will regard her as among the foremost thinkers of her day. This woman, Mary Baker Eddy, will be known throughout the centuries as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, for such she was. No religious teacher of modern times reasoned along the same lines as she did, neither has there been anyone who arrived at the same definite conclusions she has so clearly set forth in her writings.
Mrs. Eddy was possessed of a keen, analytical mind. When but a child she refused to accept certain teachings promulgated by her religious instructors, because they did not accord with her belief in God as an all-wise, loving Father who was "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Descended from a noble ancestry, of a deeply religious nature, carefully instructed by her pious mother in the things pertaining to sound religious doctrine, reared amid surroundings well calculated to bring out the best in human nature, Mrs. Eddy passed the years of a happy childhood. The added responsibilities of a broader experience when she was called to leave her father's house and take her place in the world's activities, afforded her abundant opportunities to test the practical worth of her early training.
She was ever faithful to what she believed, and she always expressed a kindly sympathy for the honest convictions of those who held to contrary opinions. She left others free to follow the leadings of truth as they understood truth, according to them the same sacred rights and privileges she desired for herself. Faithful as she knew how to be faithful, consistent in the endeavor to make her life a blessing to humanity, a loving friend to all who knew her, Mrs. Eddy was being prepared for her mission, and when the call came, she was ready.
She learned many lessons in the school of bitter experience, but these only caused her to cling even more steadfastly to the teachings of Holy Writ and to realize more fully that it is possible for men to trust God at all times and rely on Him to direct their ways. Without this preparation and an earnest desire to understand spiritual things, she might have passed over the wonderful experience of her restoration to health without seeking to know how this good work had been accomplished.
Mrs. Eddy's healing was the beginning of a new era in religious teaching and practice. Prior to this time many good men and women had been healed through a pure, unfaltering faith in God's goodness and love, but they accepted the blessing as something not to be understood, — too deep for human comprehension. Mrs. Eddy pondered her experience, studied her Bible even more faithfully than before, and earnestly prayed that she might so understand what had healed her as to be the means of bringing the priceless blessing of good health to others even more unfortunate than herself. Her prayer was answered, and the Science of Christian healing was revealed to a waiting world.
In Science and Health, the Christian Science textbook, Mrs. Eddy writes as follows concerning her discovery: "The term Christian Science was introduced by the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.
"The revelation consists of two parts:
"1. The discovery of this divine Science of Mind-healing, through a spiritual sense of the Scriptures and through the teachings of the Comforter, as promised by the Master.
"2. The proof, by present demonstration, that the so-called miracles of Jesus did not specially belong to a dispensation now ended, but that they illustrated an ever-operative divine Principle. The operation of this Principle indicates the eternality of the scientific order and continuity of being.
"Christian Science differs from material science, but not on that account is it less scientific. On the contrary, Christian Science is pre-eminently scientific, being based on Truth, the Principle of all science." (p. 123).
Mrs. Eddy's success as a writer, teacher, and leader is proof of her fitness for the great work to which she was called. She was well prepared to go out into the unknown country of a broader religious experience, where the sick are healed in the same manner as sinners are reformed. She met the Goliath of materialism face to face and demonstrated the might and majesty of the ever-living God, proving that both religion and medicine are more effectual because Science has demonstrated their oneness. For many years she stood with staff in hand, ready to move onward when God pointed the way. In loving obedience to the divine command she took the steps which have brought us to this hour. It is to her untiring efforts that the world is indebted for the unprecedented prosperity of our cause.
The work of greatest importance accomplished by Mrs. Eddy was the writing of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the first and only textbook of Christian Science. This book contains a complete statement of Christian Science and gives the rules for demonstrating this purely spiritual method of healing sickness and destroying sin. From time to time Mrs. Eddy wrote various other works further elucidating this all-important subject.
Christian Science is based on the eternal reality and supremacy of good. It is effectual in healing sickness and destroying sin. It demonstrates the nothingness of evil and by so doing establishes harmony on an enduring basis. Throughout the centuries the problem of evil has been a perplexing one, and few persons have reached a satisfactory conclusion. Having accepted evil as a reality, men have labored in vain to account for its origin.
The belief that evil is real implies one of two things: either it is self-existent, or God made it. To accept the first proposition is to declare there is more than the creator; and this is an emphatic denial of the fundamental teaching of Christianity; while to affirm that God created evil, or made it possible, is to say that evil is good, for the Scriptures are very definite on this point, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good."
Christian Science offers the only practical solution of this problem when it declares that evil is neither person, place, nor thing. It possesses neither intelligence, power, nor reality. On this basis it is possible to demonstrate the nothingness of evil and thereby prove the somethingness and eternal reality of good.
There is on the part of many a manifest inclination to contend for evil rather than to deny its claims, even though it is a fact so evident it can hardly be questioned that no good has ever resulted from this practice. All that has been accomplished in the way of moral and spiritual attainment has resulted from contending against the so-called forces of evil. The consistent endeavor of all those who "loved righteousness, and hated iniquity," has been to counteract the influence of evil and prevent its culmination in word or deed. For centuries mortals have been warned of the suffering which must inevitably follow the indulgence of evil, but this practice has not accomplished the destruction of evil; at best it has only served to prevent the indulgence of sin through fear of consequences.
It has been established with scientific certainty that an intelligent denial of evil gives one dominion over evil not to be gained in any other way. So long as the statement of evil concerning itself is accepted as true, evil will seem to be all that is claimed for it. The only evidence of the reality of evil is the evil's own contention for place and power.
It has been said that to deny the reality of evil is virtually to declare there is and never was any necessity for a personal Saviour. The life and works of Jesus mean more to us as Christian Scientists than ever before. We are beginning to understand his atonement for sin and to realize how much we are indebted to him for giving the proof of God's love and willingness to help in every time of need.
To deny the reality of evil is not contrary to the spirit and purpose of Christianity. It gives one a truer concept of the Master's works and a better understanding of his teachings. The mission of Jesus was to teach and demonstrate the truth of being. The understanding of what he taught delivers men from all evil, — the evil of sickness as well as the evil of sin.
Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He proved that the way to the Father is not through the belief in the reality of evil, but through the understanding of God, good, as the only power, cause, and creator. He taught men to think and do good. To the extent that one does good he makes nothing of evil, the opposite of good.
The reality of good was the key-note of the Master's teachings. He required implicit obedience to the law of good at all times. His teachings leave no room or opportunity for the indulgence of evil. He taught men to love even their enemies. One cannot both love and hate at the same time. If he truly loves, it is to him as though there were no such thing as hatred, and he will experience none of the ill effects resulting from this erroneous belief.
Jesus taught his disciples that even though they were hated by others and bitterly persecuted, the only way of escape is through love. This is contrary to mortal man's belief that it is possible to overcome evil with evil. If another has wronged him, he fancies that the remedy is to cause that one to suffer even more than he has suffered. The teachings of the Master are very definite on this point. Evil is to be overcome with good; it is impossible to gain the victory over it in any other way.
The illusion of evil always seems real to a false sense, but sense testimony regarding evil should never be accepted. Is not all sin a deception? Is it true that there is pleasure in wrongdoing, as material sense would have man believe? Did a mortal ever gain anything really worth while by resorting to the methods of evil? If nothing that evil can say of itself is true, wherein is it to be accepted as a reality?
Let us go back to the first appearance of evil as recorded in the third chapter of Genesis. What was at the bottom of it? Was it not a lie, even the belief that man would gain something by accepting evil as a reality? Jesus called evil a lie and the father of the lie. Where is there to be found a better definition of evil? Knowing that all evil is a lie, the Master said to his followers, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
If one gains the victory over sin by making good real, and this is proven in the daily experience of anyone, he can overcome sickness in the same manner. In the beginning, sin is an error of thought, and so it is with sickness. Even from a medical point of view, based wholly on material hypotheses, thinking and talking about disease and suffering is never helpful. No good can possibly result from this practice and it is to be condemned.
Most persons admit that thought affects the body somewhat, but they are unable to see how the belief in sickness and the fear of it could produce a sick body. If the effect of thought on the body is accepted as an established fact, where can one draw the line and say, "Thus far and no farther"? Just how much is it possible to think and talk about sickness and experience no bad results? Since there is no satisfactory answer to the question, would it not be well to be on the safe side and eliminate all thought of disease and inharmony?
Even though one may not be prepared to accept the teaching of Christian Science that sickness is not a reality in the absolute sense of the word, because it is no part of God's creation, he can at least understand that the less he thinks and talks about sickness the better.
The vital connection between thought and action is worthy of careful consideration. If one does not think right, he will not do right; conversely, if he does not do right, he will not long be able to think right, for action has a retroactive effect on thought.
Some persons may wonder why they are not able to gain that clearer sense of the ever-presence of good and the might of omnipotence which others enjoy. Perhaps if they examine themselves they will see that they are not doing as well as they know; and here is the answer to their query. One cannot hope to succeed in any endeavor without doing as well as thinking. He must be consistent in the application of what he understands. The varied and perplexing problems of daily living require right thinking and right doing.
The wise man wrote, "As he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he." Thinking makes the man what he is. His present mental condition is largely the result of the thoughts he has entertained in the past. His morals too are the outgrowth of his thinking. Some day he will realize that his thoughts have had a greater affect on physical condition than he supposed, and then he will understand why he should give more attention to the trend of his thoughts and less consideration to what he has been taught to believe are the laws of health. The persistent effort to eradicate the thought of sickness will do for him far more than has been accomplished by material methods of healing.
The question is asked, How is one to apply the teachings of Christian Science in overcoming physical and moral evils? In the first place it should be understood that man is unable to save himself, either from sin or disease. He is as helpless in the one instance as in the other. Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: . . . the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Whatever of good any man has accomplished was due to the activity of divine Mind, and not to any effort he was able to make in his own strength.
In his epistle to the Ephesians Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." It is through faith that man is brought into harmony with the law of God and receives according to his deserving.
Faith is that quality of thought which elevates human existence above the falsities of mortal belief. It is evil, the supposed opposite of good, which seems to make man a sinner and an invalid. When the evil sense, or sense of evil, is destroyed, the effects of evil disappear, for there is nothing to prolong the illusion. Evil is overcome when thought is brought into harmony with God, the divine Principle of man's being. If one does not possess sufficient spiritual understanding to free himself from the fetters of sin and disease, it is possible for another to give the needed help.
The apostle James gave this word of instruction to the faithful wherever found: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
No distinction is made between types or forms of disease. The method of practice here outlined will suffice in one case as well as another. Jesus did not discriminate between physical and moral infirmities, but he healed them all and taught his followers to do likewise.
James instructed the sick to "call for the elders of the church." It is evident he did not mean that the sick should appeal only to those who had been elected or appointed to some official position in the church organization, for in the same epistle he tells them to pray one for another that they might be healed. By the elders of the church the apostle must have meant those who were advanced in spiritual understanding, those who had gained such a grasp of the teaching of Jesus as would enable them to do the works which the Master declared would be done by all who understood him.
"Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." These words are not to be interpreted as indorsing the use of material remedies. The oil had nothing to do with the healing. It was but the symbol of that spiritual anointing which cleanses and purifies.
Jesus once anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay and sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Whatever the lesson the Master sought to teach on this occasion, surely no one believes it was the clay which opened the eyes of one who had been born blind, or that Jesus here showed his approval of the use of material means for healing. If such had been his intention, there would have been some reference to it in his teachings, and his followers would have been carefully instructed on a matter of such vital importance.
This is the only instance in the life of Jesus where anything was done that could in any manner possibly suggest a material remedy for fleshly ills, and yet we have no record that any school of medicine, or even one recognized practitioner, has ever attempted, by means of an application of clay, to restore sight to one who was born blind.
The apostle tells us that "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." There is no question as to who, or what, is the healer. The prayer of faith is the means by which man is brought into harmony with the law of supreme good, yet it is God, and not man, who heals the sick. Of himself man is helpless to accomplish any good work; even the faith which makes possible his obedience to divine law is the gift of God.
The Christian is here reminded that the healing of sickness and sin are one. Having told them what to do in case of sickness, the apostle then adds, "And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." To the extent that divine Love finds entrance into the human heart it casts out evil, — sin, fear, anxiety, discouragement, — all inharmony, as surely as light dispels darkness. The realization of the divine ever-presence leaves no room for the thought of sin or disease, and they are no longer manifest.
In Christian Science it is learned that the purpose of prayer is to bring man into harmony with God and the operation of His law. True prayer does not seek to influence the heavenly Father to do something He has not done and otherwise might not do. God's work is finished: divine Love is fully expressed, and it is not possible for man to direct the activities of divine Mind.
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," says the apostle. What makes prayer effectual? It is not blind belief, ignorance, superstition, will power, or intellectual attainment. It is faith, and faith is more than mental activity: it is more than moral development. Faith is spiritual in nature and origin; it is more than quantity or quality of the human mind. True prayer availeth much because it is the sincere desire for good above all else.
In his epistle to the Romans, Paul writes, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." This transformation is the unfolding of good in human consciousness. What is it that prevents this unfolding? Is it not ignorance, — ignorance of God and man made in the divine likeness, created to live in obedience to spiritual law? There is great need that men be rightly instructed in spiritual things. The work of Christian Science is educational, and as such it is both Christian and scientific. It imparts a higher and more spiritual thought of God and man, and furnishes the rule whereby to demonstrate the allness of good and the nothingness of evil.
As one gains a higher thought of God he gains also a truer concept of man. Then he begins to understand that the evils which seem to be a constituent part of human existence are no part of God's creation and have nothing to do with man made in the likeness of Spirit, therefore he need not fear them nor be in subjection to them. It is man's divine right to be free, — to know from experience "the glorious liberty of the children of God."
Unless human rights are more fully recognized, mortals will continue to submit to the evils of sin and disease because they believe there is no way of escape. Christian Science demonstrates man's right to health and freedom. Much has been accomplished, but as yet the possibilities of this Science have scarcely been tested. One proof of God's love and power in the experience of an individual helps that one to see how it is possible to gain still greater good. Progress is assured so long as one is faithful to what he understands. The unfolding of good brings greater blessings and added responsibilities, and these in turn lead to higher joys.
There may be those who regard Christian Science as a beautiful religious teaching, but consider it too ideal to be practical. The ideal of today becomes the intensely practical of to-morrow. In all the wide world there is to be found nothing more practical than an ideal in which men believe to such an extent that they are ready to labor and sacrifice for its attainment.
At one time the thought of "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people," was too Utopian to be taken seriously, but there were those who believed in this ideal and they made it a reality. To-day it is impossible to say how many millions of people believe that a democracy is the only logical form of government, conferring the greatest freedom on the individual and working out the greatest good to the greatest number.
It was the opportunity for progress afforded by such a government which made possible the discovery of Christian Science and the establishment of the various activities which in the short space of half a century have encircled the globe, bringing healing and joy to the multitudes.
Realizing in part how great are the blessings they are permitted to enjoy, Christian Scientists are good citizens: loyal to all the institutions and activities of the government which make for peace and righteousness; faithful to the lofty ideals of those who loved liberty more than life and were willing to lay down their lives, if need be, that others might enjoy the greater freedom. The Christian Scientist understands that nothing less than obedience to divine Principle will make man free indeed, and to this end he is content to labor and wait; looking not at the temporal things of mortal existence, but to the eternal realities of spiritual being.
A careful study of Bible history shows that in all ages the healing of sickness by spiritual means has been accepted as proof of divine presence and power. Isaiah foresaw that the Messiah would heal the broken-hearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised. It is recorded that Jesus "went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." In grateful acknowledgment of these healing works, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus saying, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."
Christian believers in all ages have said that Jesus' works established the truth of his doctrine. Here is suggested an important question, Do his followers realize the vital connection between his teachings and his works? If so, why are not the works being done to-day as in the early centuries of the Christian era? Why do men seem to have so little faith in God's willingness to heal? Is it not because they have been taught to believe there is one remedy for sin and another remedy for sickness?
Jesus of Nazareth was the world's greatest religious teacher, and he was also the most successful healer of disease. He healed sickness as he healed sin, proving that both evils require the same spiritual remedy. To-day it is being demonstrated that the remedy for sin is the effectual remedy for sickness, and this is the evidence that Christian Science has given the correct interpretation of the Master's teachings.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is the message of Christian Science: There is rest for the weary, comfort for the sorrowing, healing for the sick, hope for those in despair, and joy and freedom for those in bondage to sin. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
[Delivered April 21, 1921, at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Central Avenue and Tenth Street, Wilmette, Illinois, and printed in The Lake Shore News, April 22, 1921.]