Man

Section 1

The Bible

1Deuteronomy 32:3 I will, 4 (to 1^st :)

3I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

4He is the Rock, his work is perfect:

2Genesis 1:27 God, 31 (to 1^st .)

27God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

31And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

3Ecclesiastes 3:14 (to 2^nd :)

14I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it:

Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy

1470:21–24

Indestructible
relationship

God is the creator of man, and, the divine Principle of man remaining perfect, the divine idea or reflection, man, remains perfect. Man is the expression of God’s being.

2516:9 (only), 21

God fashions all things, after His own likeness.

Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God.

3521:5–6, 12 We

All that is made is the work of God, and all is good.

We should look away from the opposite supposition that man is created materially, and turn our gaze to the spiritual record of creation, to that which should be engraved on the understanding and heart “with the point of a diamond” and the pen of an angel.

468:4

Sometime we shall learn how Spirit, the great architect, has created men and women in Science. We ought to weary of the fleeting and false and to cherish nothing which hinders our highest selfhood.

Section 2

The Bible

4Isaiah 57:15, 19 Peace

15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

19Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

5II Kings 20:1 (to 1^st .), 2, 3, 5 Thus (to 2^nd :)

1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.

2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,

3I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

5Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee:

6Psalms 138:8 (to 2^nd :)

8The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:

Science and Health

5322:26–30

Uses of
suffering

The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless woes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love. Then we begin to learn Life in divine Science.

6304:9

This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death. The perfect man — governed by God, his perfect Principle — is sinless and eternal.

791:5

Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth.

8495:14

Steadfast and
calm trust

When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious — as Life eternally is — can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not. Let Christian Science, instead of corporeal sense, support your understanding of being, and this understanding will supplant error with Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence discord with harmony.

9336:27–28

God the
parent Mind

The Science of being furnishes the rule of perfection, and brings immortality to light.

Section 3

The Bible

7Job 3:2, 3

2And Job spake, and said,

3Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

8Job 30:15 (to 1^st :), 26

15Terrors are turned upon me:

26When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

9Job 38:1, 4–7, 16, 18, 33

1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

10Job 42:1, 2, 5

1Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

11Psalms 119:89, 105

89For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Science and Health

10262:9–23

We cannot fathom the nature and quality of God’s creation by diving into the shallows of mortal belief. We must reverse our feeble flutterings — our efforts to find life and truth in matter — and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the Godlike man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being.

The true
sense

Job said: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.” Mortals will echo Job’s thought, when the supposed pain and pleasure of matter cease to predominate. They will then drop the false estimate of life and happiness, of joy and sorrow, and attain the bliss of loving unselfishly, working patiently, and conquering all that is unlike God.

11200:16

The great truth in the Science of being, that the real man was, is, and ever shall be perfect, is incontrovertible; for if man is the image, reflection, of God, he is neither inverted nor subverted, but upright and Godlike.

1294:3–4

Scientific
man

Man reflects infinite Truth, Life, and Love.

13325:13–15

Indestructible
being

When spiritual being is understood in all its perfection, continuity, and might, then shall man be found in God’s image.

Section 4

The Bible

12Genesis 17:1 I am

1I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

13Hebrews 12:12 lift, 13

12lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14John 5:1–9 Jesus (to :), 15–17, 20

1Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:

15The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Science and Health

14259:6–21

In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The divine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, who threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted their lives higher than their poor thought-models would allow, — thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick, sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea, — perfect God and perfect man, — as the basis of thought and demonstration.

The divine
image not
lost

If man was once perfect but has now lost his perfection, then mortals have never beheld in man the reflex image of God. The lost image is no image. The true likeness cannot be lost in divine reflection. Understanding this, Jesus said: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

15316:20

Christ presents the indestructible man, whom Spirit creates, constitutes, and governs. Christ illustrates that blending with God, his divine Principle, which gives man dominion over all the earth.

16476:32–4

Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.

17219:15–20

We shall not call the body weak, if we would have it strong; for the belief in feebleness must obtain in the human mind before it can be made manifest on the body, and the destruction of the belief will be the removal of its effects.

18390:32

Rise in the conscious strength of the spirit of Truth to overthrow the plea of mortal mind, alias matter, arrayed against the supremacy of Spirit. Blot out the images of mortal thought and its beliefs in sickness and sin. Then, when thou art delivered to the judgment of Truth, Christ, the judge will say, “Thou art whole!”

Section 5

The Bible

15Nehemiah 9:5 Stand (to :)

5Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever:

16I Peter 5:10 the

10the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

17I Corinthians 13:9, 10, 12

9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

18Psalms 37:37

37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

19Colossians 1:3, 5, 9–12

3We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

5For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Science and Health

19192:27–29

We walk in the footsteps of Truth and Love by following the example of our Master in the understanding of divine metaphysics.

20253:9–14, 32–8

Heaven-
bestowed
prerogative

I hope, dear reader, I am leading you into the understanding of your divine rights, your heaven-bestowed harmony, — that, as you read, you see there is no cause (outside of erring, mortal, material sense which is not power) able to make you sick or sinful; and I hope that you are conquering this false sense.

Patience
and final
perfection

The divine demand, “Be ye therefore perfect,” is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can “run, and not be weary; . . . walk, and not faint,” who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement. God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won.

2166:6–7, 10–11, 14

Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff, — a broken reed, which pierces the heart.

Trials are proofs of God’s care.

Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.

22260:7

Spiritual
discovery

The conceptions of mortal, erring thought must give way to the ideal of all that is perfect and eternal. Through many generations human beliefs will be attaining diviner conceptions, and the immortal and perfect model of God’s creation will finally be seen as the only true conception of being.

23264:10

We must look where we would walk, and we must act as possessing all power from Him in whom we have our being.

24428:22–23

The great spiritual fact must be brought out that man is, not shall be, perfect and immortal.

Section 6

The Bible

20I John 2:1 we, 5 whoso (to :)

1we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

5whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:

21Ephesians 4:7 unto, 11–15

7unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

22II Corinthians 13:11

11Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Science and Health

25467:13

Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.

26475:11

Man is spiritual and perfect; and because he is spiritual and perfect, he must be so understood in Christian Science. Man is idea, the image, of Love; he is not physique. He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; the generic term for all that reflects God’s image and likeness; the conscious identity of being as found in Science, in which man is the reflection of God, or Mind, and therefore is eternal; that which has no separate mind from God; that which has not a single quality underived from Deity; that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker.

27249:1

Let us accept Science, relinquish all theories based on sense-testimony, give up imperfect models and illusive ideals; and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence.