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Story of Progress The time has come when all
mankind is to be introduced to scientific facts pertaining to spiritual
development, just as he is learning more and more of the scientific
facts governing the everyday world in which he lives. In no phase of
life are new truths being created.
It is man, himself, who is unfolding in consciousness so that he is
becoming more aware of truths that have always existed, truths that he
may know and use. It is becoming evident that scientific facts of a
spiritual nature are changing the life of mankind as vitally as have
those of steam, electricity, automotive power, and even atomic power. A body of facts and truths
systematically arranged showing the operation of general laws
constitutes a science. When the body of knowledge is made up of
spiritual truths based upon the changeless truth of the omnipresence,
the omnipotence, and the omniscience
of God, then it and its laws constitute a science of the Divine. The
chapters which follow will present the principle and laws embraced by
such a science under the general title, Divine Science. Chapter 1 Revelation There is
nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall
not be made known. Luke 12:2
Questions
to direct your study (Be
alert – find the answers)
Truth is eternal and changeless,
but until every mystery of truth is made plain to the mind of man there
must be revelation. Though “eye hath not seen, nor ear hear,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared,” 1 Cor. 2:9 man also has the promise that,
“the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped.” Isa. 35:5 Revelation comes not at set
times and places but to the individual when he is able to receive and
make use of fuller knowledge. The Spirit of Truth will guide man into
all truth. It is an indwelling Spirit of Divine Intelligence which
never forsakes man but forever proclaims, “Behold, I stand at
the door and knock:” Rev. 3:20 and “Lo, I am with
you always.” Matt 28:20 When man is willing to hear the voice
and open his consciousness to it, it will guide him into divine
understanding and he will see all things in a new light. “Revelation is an
unveiling, but the veil is on the face of man and not on the face of
God.” The veil is a fitting symbol of our ignorance; with
every new revelation of truth the veil grows thinner. “Which
veil is done away in Christ.” 2 Cor. 3:14 In the full
understanding of truth all ignorance is done away. Revelation is not
the making of new truth, it is the uncovering of the ever-present Truth
as we are able to see and hear. We speak of the discovery of a
new star; we mean it is a new discovery of a star that belongs to the
ages. It is something new to our understanding, but not new
to truth. In the use of electricity today man has not made a
new truth; he has but discovered the use of an eternal truth. The light
of electricity that now brightens our homes might have illumined the
Garden of Eden if man had then known its presence and the laws of its
use. Jesus discovered some truth that
Moses had not seen “Clouds and darkness are around about
him,” Ps. 97:2 is the Psalmist’s conception of God.
With Jeremiah we have been willing to say, “Thou hast covered
thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass
through.” Lam. 3:44 In a better understanding of God, John
declares, “God is light and in him is no darkness at
all.” 1 John 1:5 That was the true “light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9
“Take heed that the light which is in thee be not
darkness.” Luke 11:35 Take care that thou are not in the dark
concerning the things of Truth. The Psalmist and Jeremiah saw
the darkness in their own conceptions and thought the
“cloud” was around God. “Thou thoughtest
that was altogether such an one as thyself.” Ps. 50:21 As
well might we say on a cloudy day, “The sun has wrapped
itself in clouds and darkness.” The clouds that hide the sun
from us are around our earth and arise from the
earth. Every sense of “cloud” – every
fear, doubt, sorrow or pain comes from self and not from God; is around
us and not near the Source of light and love.
These are new discoveries that come as we open our eyes to see and our
ears to hear that which forever was and is. We cannot see by the light that
lights another; yet we may get a spark that will set our lamp to
burning, but that is all. There is in each soul an illumination
– a radiance from the Inmost Soul, the Source –
that is infinite in love and wisdom. When the consciousness of an
individual is opened to this illumination and he hears, this is
revelation. Truth perceived destroys ignorance and frees our thoughts.
Truth never destroys any portion of truth, for the fuller knowledge
includes all the fragments that have been previously perceived. Jesus found men in this blind
condition. He told them of Truth’s presence
“within” and “at hand,” but
knowing that time might be needed for the light of these truths to come
he kindly said, “Seek and ye shall find.” Matt. 7:7
We search for a thing as long as we do not know where it is. Our search
for heaven has proved that we knew not where to find it. For centuries
we have prayed, “Thy kingdom come.” Since the
kingdom is “within us” and “at
hand,” from whence is it to come? We must come to a knowledge
of its presence with us and must learn that the presence of the kingdom
means the presence of peace and all good. As soon as we can understand
his words and say, “Thy kingdom is come,” we cease
our search and live in the joy of knowing that pure presence.
“Ye shall find” means that some day we shall know
and possess what we sought and then seeking shall end. The promise is not that we shall
be something we are not and so be freed, but that we shall learn the
truth of what we are, the truth that is changeless.
“As it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall
be.” It is a matter then of seeing and of knowing what we did
not know before. Let us not postpone the day of revelation, neither let
us relegate it to the past. Whatever our forefathers perceived, we may
see, and surely we should after these years of opportunities be able to
receive the deeper, broader, higher vision. A child in the process of
education passes from grade to grade in school. In the higher grades he
does not think or speak as he did in the lower grades. We say that a
child receives his education but the word educate,
comes from the Latin, e-ducere, which means to lead out,
to develop the faculties and powers by means of teaching, instruction
or schooling. This indicates that the faculties and powers are already
inherent within the child and are to be brought out and put into use.
Even as a child grows so does the race, and within each member is
implanted “a right seed,” for God’s
Spirit indwells man and God reveals to man by His Spirit the things He
hath prepared for him. All development is from the perfect seed
implanted in the beginning. Thought unfold from knowledge into fuller
and fuller understanding of its own possibilities and powers. As any seed contains the forms
and potentialities of the complete plant before growth begins, so
knowledge is the essence of man’s nature before his
development in knowledge is started. The process of revelation of
truths new to man comes from within rather than from without. The
essence of all that is to be gained is forever within man’s
consciousness. Divine Science reveals
everything as good in its rightful place, hence it has no prejudice
against past teachings and beliefs. But it also claims “now
is the accepted time;” now is the time of fulfillment because
man’s understanding has expanded into the “ripe
corn in the ear.” IT IS CONSCIOUSNESS NOT IN TIME, IN MIND
NOT IN PLACE, THAT PERFECTION IS REALIZED. When we understand that the
infinite goodness of life is here now, we in the midst of it and it in
the midst of us, we shall know how to let this great truth possess us,
bringing realization of harmony to ourselves and others. May the light
which was so clearly revealed to the founders of Divine Science be a
spark to awaken the consciousness of the earnest student as he studies
this logical presentation of a simple basic truth upon which the whole
teaching rests – GOD IS EVERYWHERE. Questions for Review and
Discussion
Divine
Science Its Principle and Practice
Copyright 1957 by Divine Science Church
and College Denver,
Colorado Made available
here by the ministry of Rev. Lawrence C.
Terry, M.Msc., D.Min. P. O. Box 68324 Indianapolis, IN
46268-0324 |
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