Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures

by Mary Baker Eddy

558:9 This angel or message which comes from God, clothed
with a cloud, prefigures divine Science. To mortal sense
Science seems at first obscure, abstract, and
558:12 dark; but a bright promise crowns its brow.
When understood, it is Truth's prism and praise. When
you look it fairly in the face, you can heal by its means,
558:15 and it has for you a light above the sun, for God "is the
light thereof." Its feet are pillars of fire, foundations
of Truth and Love. It brings the baptism of the Holy
558:18 Ghost, whose flames of Truth were prophetically de-
scribed by John the Baptist as consuming error.

Truth's volume

559:1 This angel had in his hand "a little book," open for
all to read and understand. Did this same book contain
559:3 the revelation of divine Science, the "right
foot" or dominant power of which was upon
the sea, - upon elementary, latent error, the source of
559:6 all error's visible forms? The angel's left foot was upon
the earth; that is, a secondary power was exercised upon
visible error and audible sin. The "still, small voice"
559:9 of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean
to the globe's remotest bound. The inaudible voice of
Truth is, to the human mind, "as when a lion roareth."
559:12 It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. It
arouses the "seven thunders" of evil, and stirs their latent
forces to utter the full diapason of secret tones. Then is
559:15 the power of Truth demonstrated, - made manifest in
the destruction of error. Then will a voice from harmony
cry: "Go and take the little book. . . . Take it, and eat
559:18 it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in
thy mouth sweet as honey." Mortals, obey the heavenly
evangel. Take divine Science. Read this book from
559:21 beginning to end. Study it, ponder it. It will be indeed
sweet at its first taste, when it heals you; but murmur not
over Truth, if you find its digestion bitter. When you
559:24 approach nearer and nearer to this divine Principle, when
you eat the divine body of this Principle, - thus partak-
ing of the nature, or primal elements, of Truth and Love,
559:27 - do not be surprised nor discontented because you must
share the hemlock cup and eat the bitter herbs; for the
Israelites of old at the Paschal meal thus prefigured this
559:30 perilous passage out of bondage into the El Dorado of faith
and hope.

To-day's lesson

The twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, or Revela-
560:1 tion of St. John, has a special suggestiveness in connec-
tion with the nineteenth century. In the opening of the
560:3 sixth seal, typical of six thousand years since
Adam, the distinctive feature has reference
to the present age.

560:6 /Revelation/ xii. 1. And there appeared a great wonder in
heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
560:9 stars.

True estimate of God's messenger

Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science inter-
prets the Principle of heavenly harmony. The great
560:12 miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and
the grand necessity of existence is to gain the
true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of
560:15 heaven in man. This goal is never reached while we
hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of any-
one whom God has appointed to voice His Word. Again,
560:18 without a correct sense of its highest visible idea, we can
never understand the divine Principle. The botanist must
know the genus and species of a plant in order to classify
560:21 it correctly. As it is with things, so is it with persons.

Persecution harmful

Abuse of the motives and religion of St. Paul hid from
view the apostle's character, which made him equal to
560:24 his great mission. Persecution of all who have
spoken something new and better of God has
not only obscured the light of the ages, but has been fatal
560:27 to the persecutors. Why? Because it has hid from
them the true idea which has been presented. To mis-
understand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he
560:30 taught. Ignorance of the divine idea betrays at once a
greater ignorance of the divine Principle of the idea - igno-
561:1 rance of Truth and Love. The understanding of Truth
and Love, the Principle which works out the ends of eternal
561:3 good and destroys both faith in evil and the practice of
evil, leads to the discernment of the divine idea.