Our Master asked: “How can one enter into a strong 30Confirmation in a parableman’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man?” In other words: How can I heal the body, without beginning with so-called 400 400:1mortal mind, which directly controls the body? When disease is once destroyed in this so-called mind, the fear 3of disease is gone, and therefore the disease is thor-oughly cured. Mortal mind is “the strong man,” which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health 6and morals can be removed. This error conquered, we can despoil “the strong man” of his goods, — namely, of sin and disease.

    The material body, which you call me, is mortal mind, and this mind is material in sensation, even as the body, 18The so-called physical egowhich has originated from this material sense and been developed according to it, is mate-rial.

    Note how thought makes the face pallid. It either re-18tards the circulation or quickens it, causing a pale or Truth calms the thoughtflushed cheek. In the same way thought in-creases or diminishes the secretions, the action 21of the lungs, of the bowels, and of the heart. The mus-cles, moving quickly or slowly and impelled or palsied by thought, represent the action of all the organs of the hu-24man system, including brain and viscera. To remove the error producing disorder, you must calm and instruct mortal mind with immortal Truth.

One says: “I take good care of my body.” 6To do this, the pure and exalting influence of the divine Mind on the body is requisite, and the Christian Scientist takes the best care of his body when he leaves 9it most out of his thought, and, like the Apostle Paul, is “willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be pres-ent with the Lord.”

Disease is an image of thought externalized. 24The mental state is called a material state. Whatever is cherished in mortal mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body.

If man seems to incur the penalty through matter, this is but a belief of mortal mind, not an enactment of wisdom, and man has only to enter his 12protest against this belief in order to annul it. Through this action of thought and its results upon the body, the student will prove to himself, by small beginnings, the 15grand verities of Christian Science.

Mentally insist that harmony is the fact, and 24that sickness is a temporal dream. Realize the presence of health and the fact of harmonious being, until the body corresponds with the normal conditions of health 27and harmony.

The fact that Truth overcomes both disease 18and sin reassures depressed hope. It imparts a healthy stimulus to the body, and regulates the system. It in-creases or diminishes the action, as the case may require, 21better than any drug, alterative, or tonic.

    Mentally contradict every complaint from the body, 30Sin to be overcomeand rise to the true consciousness of Life as Love, — as all that is pure, and bearing the fruits of Spirit. Fear is the fountain of sickness, 392 392:1and you master fear and sin through divine Mind; hence it is through divine Mind that you overcome disease.

The only course is to 9take antagonistic grounds against all that is opposed to the health, holiness, and harmony of man, God’s image.

    The physical affirmation of disease should always be 12met with the mental negation. Whatever benefit is pro-Illusions about nervesduced on the body, must be expressed men-tally, and thought should be held fast to this 15ideal. Your decisions will mas-ter you, whichever direction they take.

Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in Guarding the doorbodily results, you will control yourself har-27moniously. ... Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them. The issues of pain or 393 393:1pleasure must come through mind, and like a watchman forsaking his post, we admit the intruding belief, forget-3ting that through divine help we can forbid this entrance.

Mind is the 9master of the corporeal senses, and can conquer sickness, sin, and death. Exercise this God-given authority. Take possession of your body, and govern its feeling and action. 12Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good. God has made man capable of this, and nothing can vitiate the ability and power divinely bestowed on 15man.

    Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God’s govern-18No pain in matterment.

Consciousness constructs a better body when 24faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew. You will never fear again except to offend 27God, and you will never believe that heart or any por-tion of the body can destroy you.