(the masculine embodiment of the spiritual idea) might never hold sway, and so leave Herod uncrowned. The spiritual idea had a brief history in the earthly life of our blessed Master; but “of his kingdom there shall be no end,” for God's ideal shall eventually rule all nations and peoples — imperatively, absolutely, finally — with Divine Science. This immaculate offspring of the Woman shall baptize with fire; and the fiery baptism shall burn up the chaff of error with the fervent heat of Truth and Love, melting and purifying even the gold of human character. Ever since the stars sang together, the Dragon has made war upon the spiritual ideal; but this has compelled this ideal to rise higher, to the very zenith of demonstration, until caught up unto God, — whence it came, that it might destroy sin, sickness, and death.
Revelation xii. 6. And the Woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God.
As the Children of Israel passed triumphantly through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear, — as they journeyed through the wilderness, walking wearily through the great desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised joy, — so shall the spiritual idea guide all Christians, in their mortal passage from sense to Soul, — from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, — up to the glory prepared for them that love God. Stately Science pauses not, but moves before them, a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, leading up to divine heights.
If we remember the beautiful description which Sir Walter Scott puts into the mouth of Rebecca the Jewess, in Ivanhoe, —
