Page:Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1898).djvu/248

228 XI. Jesus was the Virgin's son. In the flesh he was appointed to speak God's word to human flesh, and

appear to mortals in such a form of humanity as they could understand as well as perceive. Mary's conception of him was spiritual; for only purity could reflect Truth and Love, which were to be incarnate in the good and pure Christ Jesus. He expressed the highest type in that age which a fleshly form could express of manhood. Into the real and ideal man the sensual element cannot enter. Thus it was that Christ born of the Father illustrated the coincidence, or spiritual agreement, between God and man.

XII. The word Christ is not properly a synonym for Jesus, though it is commonly so used. Jesus was a

human name, which belonged to him in common with other Hebrew boys and men — for it is identical with the name of Joshua, the renowned Hebrew leader. On the other hand, Christ is not a name so much as a title, and belongs to our Master exclusively. Christ expresses God's spiritual, eternal idea. The name is synonymous with Messiah, and alludes to the spirituality which was taught, illustrated and demonstrated in the Life whereof Christ Jesus was the embodiment. The proper name of our Master, in the Greek, was Jesus the Christ; but Christ Jesus better signifies the God-like.

XIII. The advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked the first century of the Christian era, but the Christ was

without beginning of years or end of days. Throughout all generations, both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea, — as the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, — has