Article February 16, 1907 Issue

"AND SATAN CAME ALSO"

CLARENCE W. CHADWICK

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present him self before the Lord.—JOB.

THE above Scripture outlines a mental process that is familiar to every one who has entered the straight and narrow way of overcoming evil with good. The advent of Truth in the human consciousness naturally arouses everything within that is unlike God, since God's law is supreme and demands implicit obedience in the affections of men. To these opposing elements—mortal thoughts and beliefs—Jesus said that he came not to bring peace but a sword. From this the student in Christian Science learns the lesson of separating the tares from the wheat; and until these tares have been bound into bundles and burned in the consuming fire of divine Love, he must needs protect himself against their inherent disposition to obstruct and prevent the natural and orderly unfolding of Truth by various subtle arguments which are calculated to deceive the very elect. Wherever the Word of God has been made manifest in demonstration, we know that some argument of error has been refuted, and the higher the demonstration of Truth the more deceptive must be the opposing argument in order to attract even momentary attention.

According to Jesus' parable of the sower, only those who fail to make practical application of the truth that is given them are liable to be misled by the subtleties of error. Those inspired with singleness of purpose to live a nobler and purer life, because dissatisfied with the world's standard of righteousness, are they who are not easily deceived by erroneous arguments. They are usually intelligently awake to what Truth requires of them, and this alertness to duty fortifies them to protect their mental dwellings from the inroads of the enemy. It is sometimes asked why this protection is necessary, if God is good and All in all. Simply because the argument of evil seems to indicate another actual power and presence opposed to God, until its mythical nature is uncovered and its suppositional masks of power and reality are proven to be erroneous; because error would be thought of as something worthy of our consideration and respect.

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