Editorial December 9, 1911 Issue

TO THE LINE AND TO THE PLUMMET

Annie M. Knott

In the prophecy of Isaiah we read: "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies." Again, we find the demands of Principle presented in a similar way in the prophecy of Zechariah: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Then we are told of the plummet in the hand of the prophet, and also of "the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth." These passages recall very forcibly the words of Christ Jesus to the religionists of his day, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." The strange thing is that any students of the Bible should ever have come to believe that aught less than perfect obedience to divine law could meet the requirements of the all-perfect One.

In scathing terms Isaiah describes, in the passage already quoted, the condition of those who have made falsehood their refuge, and who have made a covenant with death to pay their debt to divine justice. Respecting this sort of belief Mrs. Eddy says: "The suppositions that sin is pardoned while unforsaken, that happiness can be genuine in the midst of sin, that the so-called death of the body frees from sin, and that God's pardon is aught but the destruction of sin,—these are grave mistakes" (Science and Health, p. 291). This brings us face to face with the demand for right thinking and right doing, both measured by the line and plummet of the Mind which knows all good and can never be satisfied with anything less than good. The belief that anything less than this can satisfy either God or the real man, is the "refuge of lies" which the floods of Truth are fast sweeping away; and this is well, for thus will humanity be divinely impelled to find shelter in the Christ-consciousness which ever delights to do God's will in God's perfect way.

No one would deny that the demand for a perfect standard in all things is both just and merciful. It would not, therefore, be kindness but cruelty to permit men to go on in sin under the impression that it would be just as well for them in the end as if they had striven after perfection at each step of the way. The highest is ever the best for each and all, and the effort to demonstrate righteousness to the line and to the plummet in all our relations with our fellow men,—in business, in the church, or in the home,—must bring to those who are striving to reach perfection wonderful strength and clearness of vision, also mental and physical health. Besides this, it tends to bring back to us the justice and truth which we give out, for the law of God is, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

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