The world has seen many militant conquerors come and go; history is interwoven with their names. A few have sought and achieved what in their day was considered world conquest. Others have tasted the ephemeral so-called glory of conquering and humbling nations. And many have taken pleasure in dominating smaller groups of individuals. The lust for dominance is far from being an ennobling desire. Despotic rulers have seldom left enviable records, and selfish ambition has reacted detrimentally against those who have pursued it. The assumed strength of despotism and selfish ambition is weakness with God. Those who cherish these foes to human weal, through lack of true selfknowledge, must eventually master or be mastered by them. The lives of individuals who appear to master others, but fail to master themselves, become more or less profitless.
Self-knowledge, which includes self-mastery, is indispensable to true conquest, that conquest of error which demonstrates divine Principle. It is intent only on overcoming and destroying evil, and establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth. Great are the rewards which accrue to those who go forth to resist and overcome impersonal evil through an understanding of God as the all loving Father, who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil." Having subjugated, in some measure, the false material sense of self, they experience a sense of true dominion. It is indeed a glorious experience to demonstrate the scientific truth recorded in Proverbs, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."
Christ Jesus was the mightiest of all conquerors; and he was also the meekest and most selfless of men. He understood his true selfhood. Also, he knew what was in the thoughts of others. He "needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man," wrote the beloved disciple, John. That earnest disciple also enriches his record with many marvelous sayings of the great Master.
