There is truth in the saying that "a man's conscience is the plumb line by which he adjusts his actions." That moral sense, that sensitiveness to right and wrong called conscience, which if heeded and exercised in human affairs is an uplifting factor, is, however, certain to err if its judgments be based upon the beliefs of the so-called human mind. Thus conscience is too prone to be swayed by sentimentalism and emotionalism.
It is only since Mary Baker Eddy proved for herself, and later gave to the world, the truth that the law of God as revealed in the Scriptures is applicable and demonstrable in human affairs to-day, that thousands of grateful seekers have found "a firmament in the midst of the waters." This firmament is the understanding of God and His creation. It separates in consciousness the chaff from the wheat, and enables men to adjust their thoughts and activities to the unerring plumb line of divine Principle.
The definition of the word "firmament" given by Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 586) is this: "Spiritual understanding; the scientific line of demarcation between Truth and error, between Spirit and so-called matter." This firmament is the ideal upon which every student of Christian Science strives to base his decisions, his motives, and his acts. The very familiarity of words sometimes blinds us to their real significance, and consecrated study is necessary to reveal their fuller meaning and relationship to everyday experience.
