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CHRISTMAS MORN
Picture Number 5
Yet wherefore signalize the birth
Of
him ne'er born?
What can rehearse the glorious
worth
Of his high morn?
Scriptural basis:
Before Abraham
was I am. - Christ Jesus
ALICE ORGAIN:
The fifth picture shows Mrs. Eddy's thought as two
angels rising above institutional church. The manhood phase of the angels,
representing Christianity, is still worshiping, and the womanhood phase,
representing Science, is looking for a higher thought.
These figures of angels represent the mission of woman
as typing Science, and the mission of man as typing Christianity. The woman as
a type of "spiritual discernment" (sight, S&H 586:3) is looking beyond the
ken of manhood in her own consciousness of Womanhood; while the man as a type
of "spiritual understanding," or "spiritual perception" (hearing, S&H
585:2), is worshiping his spiritual perception of her mission, as embracing the
full end of his own discernment.
Mrs. Eddy interprets only two senses in the "Glossary"
of Science and Health those of sight ("spiritual discernment") and hearing
("spiritual understanding"). She makes these two one in her definition of
generic "Bride" "a sense of Soul, which has spiritual bliss and enjoys
but cannot suffer" (S&H 582:14). She interprets "bridegroom" only as
"spiritual understanding" (S&H 582:17), synonymous with "ears," or hearing
(S&H 585:1). Thus "Bride" (Word) prophesies the encompassment of hearing by
sight, or of man by woman, in fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, "A woman
shall compass a man" (Jer 31:22).
"Spiritual Understanding and Spiritual Discernment are
the two highest faculties of Spirit, corresponding to hearing and
sight...Spiritual Understanding came to the Apostles in Tongues of Fire"
(Christian Science Journal, June 1886, p. 61) A tongue of fire
(light) rests upon the head of each angel in this picture, showing each has his
separate impartation of revelation.
The two angels are conjoined in a unified mission as
characterized by their blending forms, although their consciousnesses are
entirely distinct, expressed as the sight of woman and the hearing of man. Mrs.
Eddy, in her article on "Christ and Christmas" in Miscellaneous Writings
on page 374, speaks of the composite angel in this fifth picture as "a woman,"
which shows that one phase of this angel types the manhood of Woman
(Christianity) and the other phase types the womanhood of Woman (Science) both
being phases of the same composite Woman.
Christ and Christmas Reveals
the Divine Mission of Our Leader
[Mrs. Orgain explains that] Judge Hanna in an article
on Christ and Christmas (approved by Mrs. Eddy) stated that Christ
and Christmas reveals "the God anointed mission of our Leader" and
that therefor a corresponding identity to Mrs. Eddy's mission
must be found in each picture. Here the female figure types Mrs.
Eddy's consciousness as prophesying Womanhood as Bride or Word, symbolized by
the book under her arm [not easily seen]. She looks beyond the embraced Word
the revelation of the manhood of her own consciousness in the first and second
editions of Science and Health into the revelation of Womanhood in the
unreleased third edition of Science and Health as her own consciousness. The
male figure types the manhood of her own consciousness. Worshiping Womanhood's
past revelation of true manhood (in the first and second editions) he
identifies the limit of manhood consciousness.
The womanhood of Woman is watchfully looking into a
higher position than the book under her arm her past revelation of manhood has
yet demanded. The "Glossary" to Science and Health (defining "Abel") links
"Watchfulness" with "self-offering; surrendering to the creator the early
fruits of experience." Mrs. Eddy is offering her past revelation, the closed
book under her arm, to her higher revelation of Womanhood, which she was about
to release in the third edition of Science and Health, still at the press,
wherein "the female idea" embraces "the male idea" as the wedded consciousness
of "two individual natures in one" (S&H 577:6).
The manhood of Woman, as illustrated in this picture,
having reached the limit of his mission, offers "worship," which Mrs. Eddy
associates with Cain's offering of the "fruits of the ground" (S&H 541:10),
or earth's demonstration as the exclusive mission of manhood
[Christianity].
The "two witnesses" ascend in response to the voice of
heaven to a unified consciousness of woman's higher vision than the "fatherhood
of God" could reveal through the manhood of Woman. "As Elias presented the idea
of the fatherhood of God, which Jesus afterwards manifested, so the Revelator
completed this figure with woman, typifying the spiritual idea of God's
motherhood" (S&H 562:3). These angels' partly divided and partly blended
forms are approaching Mrs. Eddy's definition of Bride as, "The Lamb's wife
[which] presents the unity of male and female as no longer two wedded
individuals, but as two individual natures in one" (S&H 577:4)
The stanza of the poem corresponding to picture five
is: "Yet wherefore signalize the birth of him ne'er born?"
The Scriptural basis given by Mrs. Eddy for this
stanza is: "Before Abraham was, I am." Christ Jesus.
The Glossary verse given for this picture replaces
Jesus with the Christ. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am." The "I" in this
statement of Jesus indicates that this picture illustrates the "birth" of the
Christ idea of Jesus' second coming as Truth to the human consciousness, coming
as the "Comforter," promised by Jesus, meaning the Second Coming of the Christ.
The "I am" of each of us is forever. [This "I AM" is "the kingdom of God within
our consciousness, and is our true Mind.]
Only the ascending angels in this picture can even
measurably understand the meaning of this deep saying of Jesus, "Before Abraham
was, I am." Certainly it is not given to the grave (beneath the angels), typing
Christianity's entombment of Jesus, to know it; for Christianity follows Jesus
only to the point of crucifixion. His resurrection and ascension are regarded
as beyond Christianity's demonstration.
Nevertheless, the grave of Christianity's entombment
of the Christ-idea, below the angels in this fifth picture, cracks at this
renewed voice of the Christ through Christian Science, which antedates the
birth of Jesus. Mrs. Eddy says "Christian Science is as old as God" (S&H
146). Neither "womb" (beginning), nor "tomb" (ending) claims power over the
Christ. [See S&H 117:19]
Jesus, being born of "womb," was forced to triumph
over the "tomb." Thus Christianity lies between these two points of
conception.
Christian Science, on the other hand, starts in the
human consciousness with resurrection and ascension (S&H 35:10-18), as
typed by the angels in this picture. Therefore it knows nothing of either
"womb" or "tomb."
The long and toilsome Christian "highway" (Isaiah
35:8) in this fifth picture, starting with the grave, knows nothing of this
Scriptural text, "Before Abraham was, I am." It is equally certain that the
institutional church to the left of the highway, with its toilsome processes to
attain an ever and always-present goal (the perfection of man) knows little of
the meaning of the statement, "Before Abraham was, I am."
HANNA?:
Early on the morn of July 16, 1904, the cornerstone of
the extension to The Mother Church was laid at 8 o'clock. The corner stone for
the original Mother Church had been laid in the evening. The extension was a
fitting crown to the cross of the original Mother Church.
Mrs. Eddy writes, "The modest edifice of The Mother
Church of Christ, Scientist, began with the cross; its excelsior extension is
the crown.... Its crowning ultimate rises to a mental monument
[of which the extension building is a symbol. But this mental
monument rises to] a superstructure high above the work of men's
hands, even the outcome of their hearts, giving to the material a
spiritual significance the speed, beauty, and achievements of goodness.
Methinks this church is the one edifice on earth which most prefigures
self-abnegation, hope, faith; love catching a glimpse of glory" (My.
6).
As the sun dawns, the darkness disappears with great
speed. To the artist of a picture of The Mother Church called Dawn, that
Mrs. Eddy had in her library, she wrote, "Your picture of the Mother Church of
Christ, Scientist, distinguishes the artist, points a history, and illuminates
it." This was her reply to the artist's letter of July 27, 1907, in which he
said; "I represent the Christ Science Church rising unharmed out of the smoke
of contending factions, the struggle of creeds and all sort of 'isms' for
supremacy." (See Christian Science Sentinel, Vol. X, p. 732.)
Mrs. Eddy never came closer to the extension than to
drive one day in her carriage to a spot where she could see its great dome
looming high against the blue sky, just as she depicted it in this picture of
Christ and Christmas.
[Mr. Carpenter tells us that as Mrs. Eddy viewed the
extension from her carriage it suddenly dawned on her what was in store for her
Movement, as outlined in Revelation 13-20, and she became ill.]
Perhaps our Leader had seen the vision of the
Extension many years prior to its building, and she was willing to see only
what God revealed to her in vision the crowning dome, [each one's awareness of
"the omnipresence of present perfection"]. She had [evidently] seen it as early
as 1893 when picture number five was drawn, [whereas the extension wasn't built
until 1904.]
Our Leader was content to abide with the substance
rather than the symbol. At the opening ceremonies, she was not present. She sat
in her study many miles away in Concord, watching, working, and praying for
humanity, [as we see her doing in picture 8].
She saw the dome [in Mind] and on April 8, 1906 she
wrote, "I have faith in the givers and in the builders of this church edifice,
admiration for and faith in the grandeur and sublimity of this superb
superstructure, wherein all vanity of victory disappears and the glory of
divinity appears in all its promise" (Miscellany 25).
On June 2, 1906, precisely eight days before the
dedication, sufficient funds were on hand for its completion. It seated 5,012.
This symbolized her crowning achievement in feeding humanity
through spiritual means alone, just as Jesus fed the five thousand and the
twelve disciples a tender, mothering Shepherd feeding her children.
Years before, Mrs. Eddy wrote to a student, "Jesus no
doubt supplied the literal loaf and fish to their sense so as to impress upon
them at that period, the Christian era, the fact of his two-fold power, as the
Wayshower, or mediator between the things of the flesh and those of Spirit.
This was his mission on earth, declaratively and demonstrably from the
beginning to the end.
"Not so is the Christ's appearing at this age. Rather
is it now to show through Science and not the senses the power of Spirit and of
Good, and to spiritualize all the meaning of the Christ, to name Christ the
idea and not the person of God, and to impress, at this period, the Science
of Spirit on the mind, through Truth, and the phenomena of Mind, and not
matter: to voice God less in parable, and more in the facts of Being. This must
be the true interpretation of the parable of the loaves and fishes, because
Jesus could in no other way have made the way for the second appearing of
Christ in Science."
The morning beams were beginning to dawn in the
Movement. All that was portrayed in "Christmas Eve" was beginning to be
overcome, and the light was shining forth with greater intensity and with a
more brilliant magnitude than had been seen before.
We are asked two questions in this portion of the
poem. Why should we mark the birth of the Christ idea as remarkable, as
something eminent or notable? Secondly, what can repeat the glorious worth and
value of the risen Christ or the First Advent?
Considering the first question, we see that it must be
answered in a positive manner. A recognition of the new old birth of the Christ
in our experience must come. We must acknowledge the channel through which it
comes, else it has little relevance to our experience. The birth of the Christ
must be recognized, even though we know that the Christ, as the spiritual idea
of God, is never born in the flesh. The birth we speak of, is its appearance to
humanity through the enlightened consciousness of a clear transparency.
Next, we ask ourselves what can possibly repeat, for
the second time, the glorious worth or value of the risen Christ? We answer
that only Christian Science can give utterance to this Christ idea, eclipsing
the cross, the symbol of Christianity, with the crown, the symbol of Science.
This is the Second Advent, the second witnessing, rehearsing, repeating, the
first witnessing of the Christ.
Thus the two questions asked in this portion of the
poem are answered through a recognition of the two witnesses. The birth must be
recognized, and it can only be recognized, spiritually, through Christian
Science. Christian Science reveals the two witnesses.
This "Christmas Morn" is the healing to "Christmas
Eve." Mrs. Eddy wrote a letter in 1903 to some students, in which she said;
May this dear Christmas season be to you a Christ
risen, a morn, the break of day. There is nothing jubilant attached to the
birth of a mortal that suffers and pays the penalty of his parents'
misconception of man and of God's creation. But there is a joy unutterable in
knowing that Christ had no birth, no death, and that we may find in Christ, in
the true sense of being, life apart from birth, sorrow, sin; and death. O may
your eyes not be holden, but may you discern spiritually what is our
Redeemer."
The manhood and womanhood of God's appearing are
clearly illustrated in this fifth picture. You will notice that [the angels']
seamless garment is one garment, but clothes both witnesses. It is the healing
Christ, the babe of Christian Science healing. The path can be traveled only
when we recognize the two witnesses. When this recognition comes, a new era
will dawn. It will truly be a "blest Christmas Morn." These two angels
represent Truth as revealed by His two witnesses.
In Revelation, we read: "And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [old theology]; and the dragon
fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any
more in heaven."
Explaining this, Mrs. Eddy says, "The Old Testament
assigns to the angels, God's divine messages, different offices. Michael's
characteristic is spiritual strength. He leads the host of heaven against the
power of sin, Satan, and fights the Holy wars.
"Gabriel has the more quiet task of imparting a sense
of the ever-presence of ministering Love.... The Gabriel of His presence has no
contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is Love, and there is no error,
no sin, sickness, nor death. Against Love, the dragon [old theology] warreth
not long, for he is killed by the divine Principle. Truth and Love prevail
against the dragon because the dragon cannot war with them. Thus endeth the
conflict between the flesh and Spirit" (S&H 566-7). That is why this
picture is oval, and nears the stage of complete perfection realized in
"Christian Unity." Gabriel symbolizes the feminine idea of Love. Michael
symbolizes the masculine idea of Truth. Thus, together these angels represent
the risen Christ, as revealed through His two witnesses.
"My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door
of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes.
With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher
ideals of life and its joys. Angels are God's [your true Mind's]
representatives. These upward-soaring beings never lead towards self, sin, or
materiality, but guide to the divine Principle of all good, whither every real
individuality, image, or likeness of God [your true Mind], gathers" (S&H,
299). Who are His representatives who guide? His two witnesses.
As Mrs. Eddy's accomplishments begin to burst forth
and her place is recognized, then will mankind receive the angelic message. She
says, "The objects of time and sense disappear in the illumination of spiritual
understanding, and Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolded.
This unfolding is God's day [Mind's day, the day of "the kingdom of God within
you"], and 'there shall be no night there'" (S&H 584).
The day of the seed of the Woman [woman means Christ]
approaching its complete fulfillment, is glimpsed in this picture. This is why
it is oval. It is nearing the completion or full recognition of the two
witnesses given in "Christian Unity." The two angels and the dome are in the
"FIRMAMENT: Spiritual understanding; the scientific line of demarcation between
Truth and error, between Spirit and so-called matter" (ibid 586).
The followers of the masculine and feminine appearing
of the Christ, Truth, are the remnant, who recognize these two
witnesses, and who appear in this picture in the wake of their robes [where you
can see the many faces in the original pictures.] They are partially in the
human and partially in the divine.
The two witnesses guide this remnant
towards the light and away from the attraction of animality, animal
magnetism, represented by the very dark tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
just below their train [no longer discernible].
Immediately following her explanation of angels on
page 299 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy says, "Knowledge gained
from material sense is figuratively represented in Scripture as a tree, bearing
the fruits of sin, sickness, and death.
Ought we not then to judge the knowledge thus obtained
to be untrue and dangerous, since 'the tree is known by its fruit'?"
There is an effort on the part of the "remnant" to
escape sensuality in its many gravitational forms. When we gather ourselves
into this garment of the Christ, we are lifted above materiality. However, the
serpent [old theology] would attempt to seduce us earthward.
In Revelation, chapter 11, we read, "And I will give
power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and
three score days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the
two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. . . [notice the candles
on the heads of these figures in picture 5] And when they shall have finished
their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make
war against them and shall overcome them [the two witnesses], and kill them. .
. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry,
and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them
that dwelt on the earth. [This merrymaking and gift giving is portrayed in the
previous picture "Christmas Eve."] And after three days and an half the spirit
of life from God entered into them [into the two witnesses], and they stood
upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. . . And they
ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
In this 5th picture, the witnesses have risen up.
Notice that they have risen out of a sepulcher where the sensuous world
[belief] thought it had buried them in other words, kept them misunderstood,
obscure, and unknown. They are risen up out of that sepulcher, and the rock of
coldness and stubbornness to Truth's advanced appearing has been rolled away.
They are raised up by their followers, a small remnant, who understand their
place and mission. [You, the reader, now understand their place and
mission.]
In Miscellany, Mrs. Eddy writes: "Are we still
searching diligently to find where the young child lies, and are we satisfied
to know that our sense of Truth is not demoralized, finitized, cribbed, or
cradled, but has risen to grasp the spiritual idea unenvironed by materiality?
Can we say with the angels today: 'He is risen; he is not here; behold the
place where they laid him'?" (ibid. p 122).
Science and Health states, "Christian Science
is dawning upon a material age. The great spiritual facts of being, like rays
of light, shine in the darkness, though the darkness, comprehending them not,
may deny their reality" (p. 546). These rays, spiritual facts of being, are
clearly shown in this picture, and are being witnessed by the two witnesses.
Notice the rays coming from the dome of The Mother Church extension, which, at
the time this illustration came out, was about thirteen years in [the
future].
The river in this picture, Judge Hanna tells us, is
Euphrates. On this side of the bridge, we have "A state of mortal thought, the
only error of which is limitation: finity; the opposite of
infinity" (S&H 585) The false concept of Euphrates is running along side
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is death and all the
serpentine forms of error. One of the definitions of serpent serves to
illustrate the point that the false sense of Euphrates is animal magnetism.
"SERPENT: ...the first lie of limitation, finity." (S&H 594)
[As we know, our Leader often uses a dual definition
for many of the terms in the Glossary, whether applied from the standpoint of
the human, or that of the divine. The definition for "Euphrates" contains one
of these "dual" definitions. In this "Explanation" the erroneous concept
is brought forth first. How does this relate to Mary Baker Eddy's life? When
she is seen simply as a good mortal from the standpoint of "limitation; finity;
the opposite of infinity" our understanding is darkened. Yet, when Mrs. Eddy is
seen correctly in relation to her discovery and "Church" as His infinite idea;
how God sees her then we will see "Divine Science encompassing the universe and
man; the true idea of God; a type of the glory which is to come; metaphysics
taking the place of physics; the reign of righteousness."]
On the other side of the bridge, by the water, are the
twelve sheep, eleven white and one black. The tree of life is in the midst of
the garden. These twelve sheep symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel (See
"Glossary" in Science and Health for definitions of various tribes.). Mrs. Eddy
speaking of these twelve tribes in Science and Health says, "The twelve tribes
of Israel with all mortals, separated by belief from man's divine origin
and the true idea, will through much tribulation yield to the activities of the
divine Principle of man in the harmony of Science" (p. 562).
The tree of life in the midst of the garden, in the
midst of pleasure in matter, is in the firmament, understanding. However, its
fruit is too high for mortals. Mortals cannot receive the Truth unless they
recognize the two witnesses, get into their train, and become their
followers.
The one black sheep is "animal magnetism; so-called
mortal mind controlling mortal mind; error, working out the designs of error;
one belief preying upon another" (S&H 583). This is the evil we must
destroy before the witnesses can be recognized and healing come to
humanity.
Notice that the two witnesses are watching and praying
that mankind might awake from its dream of pleasure in matter, and follow them
faithfully as these in their train have already done through vigorous
strugglings with the serpent [old theology]. SHEEP is defined as: "Innocence;
inoffensiveness; those who follow their leader" (S&H 594). There is one
Shepherd and one fold. Mrs. Eddy, speaking of Christian Scientists, says, "Let
them seek the lost sheep who having strayed from the true fold, have lost their
great Shepherd and yearn to find living pastures and rest beside still
waters."
In the definition of [the river] Euphrates, we read,
"Divine Science encompassing the universe and man; the true idea of God; a type
of the glory which is to come; metaphysics taking the place of physics; the
reign of righteousness. The atmosphere of human belief before it accepts sin,
sickness or death." Once we cross the bridge over Euphrates into metaphysics,
we immediately see the luxuriant growth to the right of the bridge, but then we
have to prove it all. Ahead are the difficulties and obstructions that would
destroy our vision of the dawn of the Day. The path becomes narrower as it
flows on. At its start, it is sin, depravity, birth, age, false education,
death, etc., but upon crossing the bridge [into metaphysics] it immediately
becomes narrow.
The crossing into metaphysics is at first a sweet
taste in our mouth, but the bitterness to digest it is to come. In Mrs. Eddy's
definition of "Year" as a space of time, we have the wrong definition of
Euphrates (limitation and finity). We also have this statement: "One moment of
divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a
foretaste of eternity. This exalted view, obtained and retained when the
Science of being is understood, would bridge over with life discerned
spiritually the interval of death [the sepulcher] and man would be in the full
consciousness of his immortality and eternal harmony, where sin, sickness, and
death are unknown." That is the bridge we cross over. The path in this picture
shows the destination, and what is to be overcome before the destination is
reached.
Notice that there are the letters C.S. in the middle
of the picture. The path is Christian and the river is Science.
Mrs. Eddy says, "Christian Science is dawning upon a
material age. The great spiritual facts of being, like rays of light, shine in
the darkness, though the darkness, comprehending them not, may deny their
reality" (S&H 546).
If we do not recognize Mrs. Eddy as the second witness
and as the Woman God-crowned, we are being handled by [ecclesiastical
despotism], which is attempting to separate the revelator from the revelation.
Alert Christian Scientists must handle this unseen mental argument. Our Cause
will not prosper until this specific hatred against our Leader is handled.
Handle those tempting arguments to turn away from your
precious Leader, the silent enticing arguments of [old theology]. The "murky
clouds" that pursue the Christ idea are thus broken up; and the rays of light,
the great spiritual facts of being, shine forth to illumine the world on the
Day of divine Science, the Day of the Woman [Science].
We are not interested in the high mass, but in the
"high morn."
JOHN PAWLIK:
This fifth illustration foretells the time when
Christian Science shall cover the earth. In contrast with "Christmas Eve,"
picture number four, this picture, number 5, "Christmas Morning," has no babes,
no cribs, no aged, or invalids, no crippled, no false states of consciousness.
[The Christ is incorporeal, spiritual, yea, the divine image and likeness,
dispelling the illusions of the senses; the Way, the Truth, and the Life.] The
angels (the two witnesses, Christ Jesus and Christian Science) behold the earth
mantled with Christian Science. The roadway "The Christ [which] is...the Way,
the Truth, and the Life" forms the letter "C", while the river "Divine Science"
(S&H 585:16), "the course of Truth" (S&H 593:15-16) shines forth the
letter "S". The dome in the light is prophetic of the Mother Church extension,
signifying the extension of Mary Baker Eddy's teaching into all the world [when
she is seen correctly, thus the first part of the definition of "Euphrates" is
realized].
|
The eighth-graders will be
presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7
p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. |
Star of Boston book sections
Introduction | Part 1a |
Part 1b | Part 2 |
Part 3
Christ & Christmas
Pictures
1 |
2 | 3 |
4 | 5 |
6 | 7 |
8 | 9 |
10 | 11
Summary |
Conclusion |
