Is Man A Person?

Page 25

9      Man is more than physical personality, or what we cog-
         nize through the material senses. Mind is more than mat-
         ter, even as the infinite idea of Truth is beyond a finite
12    belief. Man outlives finite mortal definitions of himself,
         according to a law of “the survival of the fittest. ” Man is
         the eternal idea of his divine Principle, or Father. He is
15    neither matter nor a mode of mortal mind, for he is spir-
         itual and eternal, an immortal mode of the divine Mind.
         Man is the image and likeness of God, coexistent and
18    coeternal with Him.

         Man is not absorbed in Deity; for he is forever individ-
         ual; but what this everlasting individuality is, remains to
21    be learned. Mortals have not seen it. That which is born
         of the flesh is not man’s eternal identity. Spiritual and
         immortal man alone is God’s likeness, and that which is
24    mortal is not man in a spiritually scientific sense. A
         material, sinful mortal is but the counterfeit of immortal
         man.

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1      The mind-quacks believe that mortal man is identical
         with immortal man, and that the immortal is inside the
3      mortal; that good and evil blend; that matter and Spirit
         are one; and that Soul, or Spirit, is subdivided into spirits,
         or souls, — alias gods. This infantile talk about Mind-
6      healing is no more identical with Christian Science than
         the babe is identical with the adult, or the human belief
         resembles the divine idea. Hence it is impossible for those
9      holding such material and mortal views to demonstrate
         my metaphysics. Theirs is the sensuous thought, which
         brings forth its own sensuous conception. Mine is the
12    spiritual idea which transfigures thought.

         All real being represents God, and is in Him. In this
         Science of being, man can no more relapse or collapse
15    from perfection, than his divine Principle, or Father, can
         fall out of Himself into something below infinitude. Man’s
         real ego, or selfhood, is goodness. If man’s individuality
18    were evil, he would be annihilated, for evil is self-destroying.

         Man’s individual being must reflect the supreme indi-
         vidual Being, to be His image and likeness; and this
21    individuality never originated in molecule, corpuscle, ma-
         teriality, or mortality. God holds man in the eternal
         bonds of Science, — in the immutable harmony of divine
24    law. Man is a celestial; and in the spiritual universe
         he is forever individual and forever harmonious. “If
         God so clothe the grass of the field, . . . shall He not
27    much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

         Sin must be obsolete,—dust returning to dust, noth-

Page 27

1      ingness to nothingness. Sin is not Mind; it is but the sup-
         position that there is more than one Mind. It issues
3      a false claim; and the claim, being worthless, is in reality
         no claim whatever. Matter is not Mind, to claim aught;
         but Mind is God, and evil finds no place in good. When
6      we get near enough to God to see this, the springtide
         of Truth in Christian Science will burst upon us in the
         similitude of the Apocalyptic pictures. No night will be
9      there, and there will be no more sea. There will be no
         need of the sun, for Spirit will be the light of the city, and
         matter will be proved a myth. Until centuries pass, and
12    this vision of Truth is fully interpreted by divine Science,
         this prophecy will be scoffed at; but it is just as veritable
         now as it can be then. Science, divine Science, presents
15    the grand and eternal verities of God and man as the
         divine Mind and that Mind’s idea.

         Mortal man is the antipode of immortal man, and the
18    two should not be confounded. Bishop Foster said, in a
         lecture in Boston, “No man living hath yet seen man.”
         This material sinful personality, which we misname man,
21    is what St. Paul terms “the old man and his deeds,” to
         be “put off.”

         Who can say what the absolute personality of God or
24    man is? Who living hath seen God or a perfect man?
         In presence of such thoughts take off thy shoes and
         tread lightly, for this is holy ground. Surely the probation
27    of mortals must go on after the change called death, that
         they may learn the definition of immortal being; or else

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1      their present mistakes would extinguish human existence.
         How long this false sense remains after the transition called
3      death, no mortal knoweth; but this is sure, that the mists
         of error, sooner or later, will melt in the fervent heat of
         suffering, mortality will burst the barriers of sense, and
6      man be found perfect and eternal. Of his intermediate
         conditions — the purifying processes and terrible revolu-
         tions necessary to effect this end — I am ignorant.

9      Inasmuch as these momentous facts in the Science of
         being must be learned some time, now is the most accept-
         able time for beginning the lesson. If Science is pointing
12    the way, and is found to bring with it health, holiness, and
         immortality, then to-day is none too soon for entering this
         path. The proof that Christian Science is the way of sal-
15    vation given by Christ, I consider well established. The
         present, as well as the future, reveals the fact that Truth
         is never understood too soon.

18    Has Truth, as demonstrated by Jesus, reappeared?
         Study Christian Science and practise it, and you will
         know that Truth has reappeared. What is demonstrably
21    true cannot be gainsaid; but getting the letter and omitting
         the spirit of this Science is neither the comprehension of
         its Principle nor the practice of its Life.