My recent experience with impersonal belief of evil, may help some brother or sister struggling to get rid of personal sense: — for, has not our Teacher said that whatever "purifies, sanctifies, and consecrates human life is not an enemy;" that, "the best lesson of their life is gained by crossing swords with temptation, with fear and besetments of evil—insomuch as they thereby have tried their strength and proven it"?
Less than a month ago, one Saturday morning, through the careless handling of another, some of the contents of a box of concentrated lye was spilled in my eye. Immediately, in thought, I went up "into the mountain to pray,"; and thus overcame the mortal mind images that came surging over me like a multitude; so that I continued with my household work until finished. Later on, as had been my custom on that day, I sat down to write out our Christian Science Bible lesson, having in mind a joyful realization of the blessings in store for me by so doing. I found, then, that "the enemy" had not been routed entirely as there was a belief of weakness, dimness, and pain. So, instead of writing the lesson, I yielded to the subtle temptation, and read it. Science and Health (p. 119) says: "Sin is thought before it is acted. You must master it in the first instance, or it will master you in the second." And so I found it to be. I could use my eyes in any other capacity without the least inconvenience; but just so soon as I began to write out the Bible lessons, the old thought returned, until I found that an unconscious thought of fear, without motive in the beginning, had grown terrible in strength. When this state was uncovered, instead of demonstrating over a belief of fear, I held to the thought of Light—when It appears, darkness, the absence of Light, of Understanding, hence fear, disappears, because it is nothing — and had instantaneous relief. From that time on, I have written many hours at a time, without experiencing any trouble; thus proving true, the lessons of Truth—
