Mary Baker Eddy has made this thought-rousing statement in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 571): "Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil." "Know thyself." How fundamental this is for every student of Christian Science! Truly, one knows himself aright only as he gains that sense of spiritual selfhood which is the individual and perfect expression of God's knowing. A wealth of inspiring unfoldment comes inevitably to one as he endeavors earnestly to base his thinking on the spiritual understanding of God as man's creator, source, and origin, therefore the cause of his identity and reason for his being.
Like must produce like, even as Jesus said (Matt. 7:17), "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit." So it is most encouraging to know that man, as the expression of God, must be Godlike, coeternal with his Maker, and forever free in his completeness and spiritual identity. Mrs. Eddy declares (Science and Health, p. 470): "God is the creator of man, and, the divine Principle of man remaining perfect, the divine idea or reflection, man, remains perfect. Man is the expression of God's being."
Surely, to know the truth of man brings the wisdom to detect what error is claiming to do or would like to do to disprove man's perfection. It is wisdom born of God; so it is never separate from Him, and man has it perpetually by reflection. Therefore, because spiritual consciousness is always present, the occasion for overcoming evil is always at hand, whether error presents itself as disease, some phase of moral idiocy, greed, lack, or fear.
