MRS. EDDY writes, "We know no more of man as the true divine image and likeness, than we know of God" (Science and Health, p. 258). To find the origin of man, we must look to God; and to redeem mankind, we must be willing to put away the mortal concept of manhood and gain the true idea of man as revealed through divine Science.
It is a significant fact that the ninth letter of the Latin alphabet, "I," which is used in English to represent the first personal pronoun, was used by the Romans to express the numeral "I." It is also a coincidence that in order to avoid the excessive use of the pronoun "I," we frequently use the word "one" as a synonym. The Latin ego is often employed by Mrs. Eddy in connection with man, and capitalized to denote Deity. Lexicographers now generally regard ego as an English term, but invariably define it as "self" or "one's self," and egotism and egoism are derivatives. Mrs. Eddy has thrown the light of spiritual interpretation upon these words, showing that mortal mind is characterized by egotism, while God is conscious only of His own being, knowledge, and power.
The divine Ego and the personal self are evidently the two masters referred to by Jesus when he said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." The two may also be denominated Love and lust, the former being the Saviour and the latter the deceiver of mankind. God's promise to mankind was expressed by Christ Jesus when he said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Mammon temptingly suggests, "Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." James points out the fallacy of this when he writes, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
