Every student of Christian Science entertains a deep desire to obey the Ten Commandments. But in order to remain true to these directives given by God to Moses many centuries ago for the guidance of the children of Israel, it is necessary to guard our consciousness diligently against the encroachments of false beliefs. These mental suggestions of animal magnetism, or evil, are always ready to enter our thinking and take possession unless we "stand porter at the door of thought," Science and Health, p. 392; as we are urged to do by Mrs. Eddy.
This diligent watchfulness seems especially needed in order to abide by the ninth commandment in which we are admonished, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Ex. 20:16; To bear false witness means to testify to something which is not true. Our neighbor may be someone of our own household or someone we have met only casually; it may be the one for whom we work or an individual who works for or with us. What we are accepting as true of that person is the rule by which we can measure our fidelity to the ninth commandment. Are we judging righteous judgment or are we bearing false witness? Sometimes a Christian Scientist may pride himself on having always obeyed this commandment as well as all the others and awake with a shock to find that he has failed to do so.
Two students of Christian Science were living in Europe. The husband was engaged in a business which took him, and often his wife with him, to many different European countries. In one country the husband was doing business with a man who always seemed thoroughly unpleasant, expressing much arrogance, hostility, and envy of the husband's position. One day during a business conference in this man's office, the husband became quite ill. With difficulty he managed to finish the conference, and shortly afterward he and his wife started back to their home.
