Page:Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.djvu/478

466 it might be rid of troublesome Truth. Material beliefs would slay the idea of Spirit, whenever and wherever it appears. Though error hides behind a lie, and excuses guilt, it cannot forever be concealed. Truth, through her eternal laws, unveils error. It causes sin to betray itself, and sets upon error the mark of the beast. The disposition to excuse guilt, or conceal it, is punished. The avoidance of justice and denial of Truth tends to perpetuate sin, invoke crime, jeopardize self-control, and mock divine mercy.

“He that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword.” Let Truth reveal and destroy error in its own way, and let human justice wait on the divine. Sin shall receive its full penalty, both for what it is and what it does. Justice marks the sinner, and teaches mortals not to remove the waymarks of God. Justice consigns, to enmity's own hell of hatred, the lie that would kill others in order to satisfy itself.

The sinful misconception of Life, as something less than God, falls back upon itself, having no Truth to support it. This error, after reaching the climax of suffering, yields to Truth and returns to dust. But man is not lost; the image and likeness of Spirit cannot be effaced, since it is the ideal of Truth, and becomes more beautifully apparent at error's demise.