KNOW thyself" is an aphorism that every Scientist should most religiously adopt as his own, and apply it to every day life. It is easy to see errors in others, but very hard to detect our own faults. Believing in Christian Science and learning its letter, does not suddenly wipe out all our error and personal mistakes, anymore than a sudden conversion of any man from a life of sin to a membership in some orthodox church at once changes him to a saint. One may belong to a church, and still possess considerable of old Adam. "Malicious animal magnetism is the sum total of all evil," and we are quite apt to be ful of it —often ignorantly. If we see it, we may at times feel like David when he cried out, "The sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me." This influence of evil constantly besets our way, and; we must "watch and pray lest we enter into temptation."
Many good Scientists seem to hold that this evil influence comes from without, and is the fault of others; that all the sickness in their families and all the evils that come upon them are due to the malicious thoughts of those about them. If they go among other Scientists who fail to agree with them, it is attributed solely to their malicious thought — they either cannot or will not see the Truth as we see it. If they lead in a meeting where matters do not run smoothly, it is, they think, the result of malicious thought in some person in the audience, which leads him to disagree and cause all the trouble.
Now is it not possible — nay, quite probable — that it is sometimes "I" who is at fault? May it not be my own malicious animal magnetism (it may be the kind that is ignorant of self) which is causing at least part of the trouble? Shall we take the position that we are always right, and that those who disagree with us are always wrong? May it not be somewhat our own ignorant and wilful self that renders the meetings, as also our friendly and business relations, inharmonious? Do we possess that spirit of meekness which Jesus called "blessed," and which he declared should "inherit the earth"?
