WE have no record that Jesus did any healing works until after his baptism by the Holy Ghost. It is therefore of vital importance for all who desire to follow in his steps, to ascertain what this baptism is, how he obtained it, and how it can be attained to-day. There has always been much mystery woven around the question of what constitutes baptism by the Holy Ghost, and it has thereby been removed from the realm of the practical and the attainable, even as has also so called miracle-working. Those who maintain that the command of Jesus to heal the sick is inoperative now, have in so doing either denied that baptism by the Holy Ghost has now any power to heal, or have admitted that orthodox Christianity is really without such baptism. If the latter is true, the Christianity of today stands convicted of being confined to its letter only. The first cannot be true, for the power of God, of "His Christ," and of the Holy Ghost changeth not.

In the Bible we find that the Holy Ghost is also called the "Spirit of truth" and the Comforter. It is part of the mission of Christian Science to restore this broader significance of the "Holy Ghost," and bring into every one's experience the consciousness of this comforting and healing ever-presence as a loving and indispensable companion. This consciousness is the Divine Science which Jesus lived and demonstrated, and which unfolded in him the Christ, his divine nature. Our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has gathered together the lost sheep, driven out on the hills by creed and doctrine, and through her understanding of the "Spirit of truth" is bringing them back into the one fold, even man's uplifted consciousness. This spiritual understanding, the Science of Christianity, or Christian Science, has come as the Master foretold. He said that after his departure the Father would send another Comforter, to abide forever, "even the Spirit of truth."

In Christian Science there is no mystery about the baptism or purification by the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught that it was our privilege and duty to know Divine truth, and that "the Spirit of truth" would guide us into all truth. Surely there can be no mystery in that truth which is to guide us to God. Christ Jesus is admitted to be the ideal of Christianity, and if we wish to be like him, and do the works that he did, it behooves us to ascertain how he became filled with the Holy Ghost, the "Spirit of truth."

It is apparent that this gift of God was not thrust upon him suddenly, nor without co-operation on his part. It must have come to him as the result of prayer and of studious, obedient endeavor always to do good, to do the will of the Father. The truth as to man's divine origin, whispered into the consciousness of his mother before he was born, accounts for his intense desire for spiritual understanding. Mary, his mother, was a student of the sacred writings, and one who thought deeply about spiritual things, ‹ "pondered them in her heart." Her spiritual purity and her receptive mental attitude, together with her prayerful desire (common in a less degree to many Jewish maidens at that time) that the prophecy concerning the motherhood of the coming Messiah might be fulfilled through her, made possible her spiritual conception of God's spiritual idea. The Holy Ghost came to her with this message of man's sonship with God, the truth which will ultimately enable all men to demonstrate the Christ-power even as did Jesus.

We can readily see that Jesus' spiritual baptism began when, as a little child, he was taught to pray and to memorize the sacred writings. Luke says, "The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." His growth is thus defined as a gradual spiritual unfolding, resulting in spiritual strength and wisdom, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the grace hallowed and sanctified by divine Love. At the age of twelve his spiritual understanding and growth was such as to astonish all who heard him during his visit to the temple. He continuously endeavored to ascertain and obey God's law, and how to make it operative in human consciousness. There was nothing mysterious in this gradual emergence into Spirit. When about thirty years old he had reached that spiritual altitude where he recognized continually the scientific fact of the divine fatherhood and man's unity with God. His knowledge of the truth then warranted him in beginning his ministry. At each step of the way he sought in silent communion with the Father for the divine approval. This came when out of the heaven of his consciousness of God's ever-presence, the Comforter ‹ the Holy Ghost ‹ whispered God's loving benediction to him, of which the world has caught only the echo through the Gospel record: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This was so emphatic that it foreshadowed and foretold the mighty works which Jesus accomplished through the Holy Spirit. It was also a declaration of man's sonship with God, powerful enough to enable us all to do the works that Jesus did, if we would accept it as completely and act upon it as authoritatively as did he. Jesus said that we should call no man father; and the fatherhood of God, as a fact and not as a theory, was the foundation of all his teachings, and its acceptance is necessary if we desire to do his works.

St. John, speaking of this baptism and of John the Baptist's understanding of it, says, "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." John said, "I knew him not;"and this was in keeping with his acknowledged inability to understand and give to others the real spiritual baptism of which his baptism by water was a material symbol, and may account for his inability and that of his followers to do any of the healing works done by Christ Jesus and now being repeated in Christian Science. He caught a glimpse of the light, but could not demonstrate its power. His is an example of an incomplete sense of God. In the spiritual baptism of Jesus, the spirit or revelation of Life, Truth, and Love came from God to abide with him. The dove is a beautiful symbol of purity and peace, but any symbol is inadequate to convey an understanding of the supreme purity of him who has shown us how to be truly pure and how to obtain that peace which comes only as we acquaint ourselves with God. The prophet Isaiah foresaw and foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit which Jesus was to demonstrate; for he said, "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

We see, therefore, that Jesus' spiritual baptism was perfected through a life of prayer and the constant pursuit and demonstration of the truth. He strove to give his disciples the benefit of his experience. He taught them how to pray, taught them constantly of spiritual things, and how to do the healing works of the Holy Spirit. His task was a difficult one and seemed only partially successful, because of their selfish, material thought and helpless dependence upon his personality. That part of his spiritual development called his transfiguration was also an endeavor to lift up their thought to that spiritual height where they could see or understand that the Christ is wholly spiritual and entirely independent of any corporeality. His resurrection and ascension, besides perfecting his individual demonstration of Life, Truth, and Love, was also his final effort to prove for the benefit of his followers the power of Spirit over matter, and to impel them and all men to transfer their worship from his human personality to God. Separated from his personality, his disciples had to begin to depend upon spiritual power alone. They, with Mary his mother and many others, were "with one accord in one place."They were of one accord, waiting and praying for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Some understanding of the one Mind was absolutely necessary for further progress. Jesus had promised that this spiritual illumination should come to them, and told them that in no other way was it possible for them to continue his healing works. The demonstration Jesus had helped them to make, through his loving and patient teaching, by the power of God, was now made manifest to them,, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."The language of the Holy Spirit is silent in its utterances, and is heard by spiritual sense alone. It speaks the new tongue, and by it the command to preach the gospel to every nation is being fulfilled. The new tongue is spiritually understood by all who listen for it and have been found worthy, whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female, and for their use it seems to be translated into their own familiar thought language. Neither time, distance, nor diversity of language can prevent the message of Truth being whispered into the waiting consciousness of all mankind.

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is again unfolding human consciousness to the apprehension of God. Divine Love now, as always, broods over this unfoldment, and blesses the healing Christ found to abide therein, saying in loving approval of works well done, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, . . . ye shall see heaven open."Heaven has been opened in human consciousness through Christian Science. Christian Scientists are demonstrating that the kingdom of heaven is externalized in the love and truth they are manifesting through their spiritual understanding. It is the Holy Spirit, in its healing, comforting works for them, and through them for others, that makes them joyous, healthy, and loving. Infinite Love sheds its holy influence upon them in such measure that its healing presence becomes an atmosphere of helpfulness. The method of obtaining spiritual baptism, the gradual apprehension of the Divine Science Jesus lived and taught, is to follow his example in all ways. The prayer of faith and understanding, the study of the Bible illumined by the pure white light of truth found in Christian Science, will unfold in us the Holy Spirit, the power from God that heals and saves. It is the Comforter, which is making the universal demonstration through Christian Science to-day, that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and the command, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,"is being obeyed through Christian Science. Christian Scientists are distinguished for the intensity and purity of their love for Christ. They join with Isaiah in an endeavor to express a little of this love in the song of praise, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth."

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