"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Prov. 16:32). Though it was written centuries ago, this statement still strikes a lively echo in our hearts, for have we not all at one time or another given way to quick rage or resentment? And have we not, sometimes even when we were pouring forth the wrathful words, longed for the control and dignity which we so woefully lacked?

In the quiet of our own homes, with our beloved textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, open before us, we affirm readily and with utmost sincerity our understanding that God is Love, the Father and Mother of all. The test comes when we enter into the bustle and clamor of daily life with its beliefs of many minds, many personalities, many conflicting points of view. Then, indeed, we must hold fast to our understanding of Love's presence and power, and of man as the reflection of Love, if we would safeguard our serenity and preserve our ability to do good.

"The vital part." Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 113 of Science and Health, "the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love." From our contemplation of God as Love springs the realization of all the lovely qualities which are man's as the image and likeness of Love. Man the image and likeness of Love! Can we hate or quarrel with this man? Certainly not! This man is the true, spiritual selfhood of every one of us. He is unselfish, gentle, meek, and pure. He has no unhappy past, no dreaded future, for he dwells in the radiant now of God's presence, wherein every good thing is already established.

Man can neither gossip nor slander, for he reflects the one Mind, or God, who knows as reality only that which is "very good." He has no need to elbow or envy, because he is always in his rightful place receiving the riches of Spirit from his Father's outstretched hand. His is the sweet serenity which cannot be disturbed, for he dwells in the realm of Principle, where nothing petty, annoying, or disturbing can possibly enter.

Mortal mind, would argue that this man has an opposite who is often selfish, unjust, and sadly limited in his thinking, and with whom we come in contact every day. Sometimes we may believe our own selfhood to be that mortal who is the image not of Love, but of hate. Perhaps evil complicates itself further by arguing that in certain circumstances we are perfectly justified in using the weapon of anger against our fellow man. Anger is never justified; nor is it ever necessary. Stern words are sometimes necessary in dealing with evil, but we must be sure these words are motivated by love and do not spring from the impulse of revenge or self-justification. Mrs. Eddy says of Christ Jesus (ibid., p. 51), "He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in all that he said and did." If we earnestly seek this inspiration, we shall be in no danger of mistaking the times to speak and the times to keep silent.

Humility is of the utmost importance in overcoming anger or resentment, for these are born of pride and the sharp desire to defend with material weapons the mortal sense of self. By abandoning this false sense of self and trusting God to right the wrong and defend us from injury, we win a higher sense of our true, impregnable selfhood, that selfhood which is safe in Love and cannot be criticized, condemned, victimized, or reached by any manner of evil.

Sometimes mortal thinking prides itself on a quick, uncontrollable temper as an evidence of strength, the mark of a distinctive personality, the effect of a sensitive, artistic nature, or of a longstanding family characteristic. There are dozens of such subterfuges, but one is no more real than another. Anger is a quality of hate, and there is no possible legitimate excuse for anyone to ally himself with hate. Everything in Love's universe is under Love's control, and there is no other universe and no other man than that which Love has made. We need only realize this scientific fact about our selfhood, and know and claim that God gives man dominion, as we learn in the first chapter of Genesis, to find these truths operative in our experience.

Occasionally we hear it said, "I can forgive, but I can't forget." Or again we see someone who avows that he bears no grudge, but who rehearses the injury done him in detail, proving that he has not truly forgiven. We cannot forgive if we will not forget. One real or fancied slight, one unforgiven grudge, sealed into the thought may beget a legion of kindred wrongs and wounds which grow and spread, bringing suffering to him who harbors them.

We may, for instance, feel hurt at one isolated rudeness, and in brooding over this build up a case fortified by countless petty, almost forgotten grievances. Then we dig into our past for unrelated incidents which a lively hatred will seem to make analogous, until finally we exclaim, self-hypnotized into believing it so, "I never liked him" or, "All my life he's been picking on me," when neither is a statement of fact, even humanly speaking. Or again, we may magnify the defects of our so-called enemy until we evolve a monster of inconsideration, cruelty, and moral wickedness, which is no more exact a picture of the individual we believe we hate than the distorted image in an amusement park mirror is a true likeness of the original.

Christian Science teaches us how to rise above the false mechanism of the human mind, which would betray us into such action. It enables us to think so clearly, to reason so accurately, and to speak so lovingly that we shall not have occasion either to give or to take offense. It enables us to achieve a friendly exchange of opinions, thoughts, and desires, even when they seem quite foreign to our own. It inculcates loving consideration for the rights of our fellow men and the desire to be of service to them. The inspired teachings of Christian Science show us how to have dominion at all times over that turbulent false sense of spirit which, until destroyed by Christ, would oppose the government of Spirit, God.

Isaiah assuringly said (26:3), "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. ... And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.—Isaiah 65:17, 18, 24.