Page:Science and Health.djvu/216

212 leaves in mystery the science of God that Jesus not only explained but demonstrated. There is no Life or Principle in man that proves him immortal, hence we have no resource but to annihilate the belief of Life and Intelligence in matter, and understand God, the Principle of man and his immortality.

Beauty is eternal; but the beauty of matter passes away, fading at length into decay and ugliness. Custom, habit, opinions and belief form the transient standard of material beauty; but beauty is a thing of Life, exempt from age or decay, and to be this it must be a thing of Spirit. Immortal man and woman (and there are none other), are unfading perfection, models of beauty that reflect all loveliness insomuch as they are “the image and likeness of God,” of Soul and not sense. But in order to reflect beauty the body must represent only the perfect and immortal. To become less sense and more Soul, is the recipe for beauty; but to reach its standard we must put all sin, sickness and sorrow under the feet of our God-being, and rise superior to them; retreat from the belief of pain or pleasure in the body, to the unchanging quiet and glorious freedom of impersonal bliss. The embellishments of person are a poor substitute for the beauty of Spirit shining resplendant and eternal, over age and decay. Measuring Life by solar years robs youth, and hourly gives uncomeliness to age. The rising sun of virtue and Truth is the morning of being, and its manhood eternal noon, unmarked by a setting sun. When beauty fades to personal sense, it is not lost to Soul, and affection marvels our friend could seem aught but beautiful. It is the belief of sickness, sorrow, and of