at-one-ment with God; though shedding human blood brought to
light the efficacy of divine Life and Love and its power over death. Jesus'
sacrifice stands preeminently amidst physical suffering and human woe. The
glory of human life is in overcoming sickness, sin, and death. Jesus
suffered for all mortals to bring in this glory; and his purpose was to
show them that the way out of the flesh, out of the delusion of all human
error, must be through the baptism of suffering, leading up to health,
harmony, and heaven.

We shall leave the ceremonial law when we gain the truer sense of following
Christ in spirit, and we shall no longer venture to materialize the
spiritual and infinite meaning and efficacy of Truth and Love, and the
sacrifice that Jesus made for us, by commemorating his death with a
material rite. Jesus said: "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." They drink
the cup of Christ and are baptized in the purification of persecution who
discern his true merit,--the unseen glory of suffering for others. Physical
torture affords but a slight illustration of the pangs which come to one
upon whom the world of sense falls with its leaden weight in the endeavor
to crush out of a career its divine destiny.

The blood of Christ speaketh better things than that of Abel. The real
atonement--so infinitely beyond the heathen conception that God requires
human blood to propitiate His justice and bring His mercy--needs to be
understood. The real blood or Life of Spirit is not yet discerned. Love
bruised and bleeding, yet mounting to the throne of glory in purity and
peace, over the steps of uplifted humanity,--this is the deep significance
of the blood of Christ. Nameless woe, everlasting victories, are the blood,
the vital currents of Christ Jesus' life, purchasing the freedom of mortals
from sin and death.

This blood of Jesus is everything to human hope and faith. Without it, how
poor the precedents of Christianity! What manner of Science were Christian
Science without the power to demonstrate the Principle of such Life; and
what hope have mortals but through deep humility and adoration to reach the
understanding of this Principle! When human struggles cease, and mortals
yield lovingly to the purpose of divine Love, there will be no more
sickness, sorrow, sin, and death. He who pointed the way of Life conquered
also the drear subtlety of death.

It was not to