Preface

 

“Suffer the little children to come unto me.”

 

Religion has been considered too serious for children and they are not expected to become christians until they “grow up.” Why is this?

 

Certainly, if we had the right idea of what a christian is, we would not forbid the little ones to come!

 

We are learning that children are christians  from the first breath they draw in the world. They are all Christ children – children of God, and if they were so received, they would be known as christians always and would know themselves so.

 

“There is a light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” This “light” is the Divine in the sould of each and these words declare that every soul is born with this nature – hence, that our natural state is Divine.

 

The new born babe is God’s child. “Call no man on earth your Father; one is your Father, even God.” “That which is born of spirit is spirit.”

 

This Divinity, or light within, has been given little opportunity to shine. From the first, human belief and ignorance declare the child’s darkness and natural depravity. Knowing now, as never before, the power of thought, it is little wonder that there is so much depravity in the world.

 

The Truth comes to free us indeed. As soon as we know that our Source is in God – that the Divine Spirit gives us “life, breath and all things,” we know that our inheritance is perfection and our birthright is the good. “We know that we are of God”; that we must “call no man on earth” our life-giver, or source; then can we see that we are free from that old law that declared us to be conceived in sin and born in iniquity! Jesus showed us a more excellent truth, by which we see ourselves in a new light and know ourselves “Heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ.”

 

By very nature children are christians and we want to show them, in these first lessons, how beautiful and good true religion is: that it fills old and young with happiness, gladness and health. That to be good is to be well and happy.

 

Religion should not only help us in times of trouble, but should keep us out of trouble. (Read from Bible Selections, pages 56, 68) This kind of religion sent Jesus about doing good, saving men’s souls from sin and their bodies from disease. He said that all who followed his Truth and Way should do the same works that he did.

 

You may ask, Can we heal the sick and do the same wonderful things that Jesus did on earth? Yes, for he said so and we are proving it. But we must follow his Way. When he said, “I am the way,” he showed there is but one Way. And what was that? He said, “Of myself I can do nothing. The Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the works.” This is the Way! The Divine Life and Power that dwelt in Jesus dwells in each. No by any Power of his own did Jesus heal the sick, but by knowing himself nothing apart from God and by trusting fully that Power of Good within him was he able to do might works.

 

This is the only Way for any one to do such works. Jesus promised that all who believed and trusted this Way should find its Power always and everywhere ready to work through them, as it did through him. “Lo, I am with you always.”

 

Everywhere, now, followers of Christ are proving the Power that is within them as it was within Jesus. By letting the Power use us we become more and more able to do its will.

 

It is this Power that heals the sick and casts out evil, and it is “with you always.”

 

The Text-Book

Of

The Colorado College of Divine Science

Denver, Colorado

 

From: Third Edition

 

Made available here by the ministry of

Rev. Lawrence C. Terry, M.Msc., D.Min.

P. O. Box 68324

Indianapolis, IN 46268-0324

RevTerry@DivineScience.Net