"But how are we to know? Some say one thing, and some another. Father
Jerome says it is the last thing we should do--to read the Bible for
ourselves. And how are we to know?"
"But we do read it," said Frederica. "And there is no use in asking
what Mr Jerome St. Cyr would wish us to do."
"But for my part, I think he is quite as likely to be right as those
others," said Tessie. "There are many more who are of his opinion than
of ours. And it would be a shocking thing to say that all the crowds of
people who go to his church are all wrong."
"Hush, Tessie dear, and listen," said Selina. "Mama dear, are you very
tired? Would you like to hear more?"
If Selina could have seen her mother's face, she would not have asked.
"Tell us more!" said she.
"Begin at the beginning," said Fred, and she read, "Now the birth of
Jesus Christ was on this wise."
But the beginning was before that, he showed them. The beginning was
when, because of sin, man's need began--when the first promise was
given, and God said "that the woman's seed should bruise the head of the
serpent." He showed them how, the Divine law being broken, Divine
justice required satisfaction, and how One had said, "Lo! I come to do
Thy will, O God!" He went on from promise to promise, from prophecy to
prophecy, showing how all that went before was but a preparation for the
coming of Him who was promised, who was "to save His people from their
sins."
Much that had been mysterious, even meaningless, in the things which
they had read--the sacrifices, the ceremonies, the prophecies--became
significant and beautiful as types of Him who was both sacrifice and
priest, dying that His people might live. The old man did not use many
words, and almost all of them were words with which the reading of the
Bible had made them familiar, but they came to them with new meaning and
power from his lips.
He told them how the ages had been waiting for Him who was called
"Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace;" and how, "when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth His Son;" how "He bare our griefs, and carried our sorrows;
He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was on Him, and by His stripes we are
healed."
He spoke to them of Him as the son of Mary, as the babe in Bethlehem,
and yet the Leader and Commander of His people. He reminded them how He
lived and suffered; how He spake wonderful words, and did wonderful
works; how He pitied, and taught, and healed the people; how He loved
them, and how He died for them at last.
At last? No, that was not the last. He told them how the grave, that
had held in bonds all the generations that had passed away, had no power
to hold Him; how He had broken the chains of death, nay, had slain
death, and how He had ascended up to heaven, to be still the Priest of
His people, and their King. He told them that it was His delight to
pardon and receive sinners who came to Him; that He would not only
pardon and save from the punishment of sin, but take away the power of
sin over the heart; so that instead of loving it, and yielding to it,
sin would become hateful to the forgiven child of God, because God hated
it. He told them how God kept His people safe in the midst of a world
at enmity with Him, and how all things were theirs, because they were
Christ's; and how nothing, "neither life, nor death, nor things present,
nor things to come, can separate them from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
He told them that He was preparing a place for those who had loved Him,
and that Death--no longer an enemy--was to come as His messenger to take
them into His presence, there to dwell for evermore. And most
wonderful, all this was God's free gift. None were too sinful, or weak,
or wayward, to be saved by Him, who asked only to be trusted and loved
by those to whom He freely offered so much. Wonderful indeed, beyond
the power of words to utter.
"Mama," said Selina, touching her mother's hand, "I think I see it now."
The mother turned her eyes from the radiant face of the blind girl to
the face of the stranger again.
"Will you trust Him?" asked he gently. "He is able and willing to
save."
"May I?" said she eagerly; "I, who can do nothing? I, who have never in
all my life thought about these things? Ah! if it were possible!"
"Believe it. It is true."
"But is there nothing we must do?" said Frederica doubtfully.
"There is nothing you need do to win His love. There is much you can do
to prove your love to Him. `If ye love me, keep my commandments,' He
said. And `we love Him because He first loved us.'"
"And is there no good in all that Miss Agnace has told us?" said Tessie.
"Indeed, Fred, it is not that I wish to be disagreeable. But Miss
Agnace prays to the Virgin and to the saints, and she goes to
confession. She says that is the only right way, and you know Miss
Agnace is a good woman. And Mr Jerome--"
Mrs Vane's eyes and Frederica's were turned on the stranger; and Miss
Agnace, who had been listening unseen, came forward at the sound of her
name. The old man looked gravely from one to the other, and said,--
"`He that believeth on the Son hath life.' Of Him it is said, `Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name given under
heaven among men, whereby we can be saved.' Of Him it is said, that He
`hath redeemed us not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but
with His precious blood. Who His own self bore our sins in His own body
on the tree.' Of Him it is said, `In Whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins.' Truly He is able to save to the
uttermost them that come unto Him by faith. They who put their trust in
Him need no other saviour. `Other foundation can no man lay, than is
laid down, which is Jesus Christ.'
"This is God's truth, taught us in His Word. I do not desire to judge
those of whom you speak. It is through Christ, once offered for sins,
that they too can be saved."
Mrs Vane made a movement to enjoin silence when Miss Agnace would have
spoken; and then the stranger, kneeling down, said, "Let us pray;" and
Mrs Vane and Selina for the first time heard the pouring out of a good
man's heart to God. What he asked for them need hardly be told: that
Christ might reveal Himself to them as one mighty to save; that He might
dwell in them by His Spirit, to make them holy and happy, and ready for
an entrance into "the inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled,
and which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for those who love Him;"
that even _now_, believing in Him, they might have "joy unspeakable and
full of glory."
Every heart went up with his as he prayed. Even Miss Agnace listened
and joined in supplication, wondering and moved.
"And shall we never see you again?" said Frederica, as he took her
mother's hand to say farewell.
"I cannot tell. I am only passing through the town, and but for the
storm I should have been already on the way. I shall never forget you."
"I think God sent you to us," said Selina.
Once more the blind girl touched softly his hand, and his face, and his
silver hair. Praying, "God bless all beneath this roof," he went away.
But they never forgot him, nor the words he had spoken to them.
For Selina after that there was neither doubt nor fear. The way which
God has opened for the return of sinners to Himself was clearly revealed
to her. She had much to learn yet, with regard to His will and His
dealings in providence; but this she knew and declared, "I love Him
because He first loved me."
There were for her no anxious questionings, no groping in the dark,
after that. Day by day the light grew clearer and brighter to the eyes
of her soul, and she saw "wondrous things out of His law." She was at
peace, and with all the power of her loving and gentle nature she set
herself to help her mother toward the same peace. There was the daily
reading still, and daily also, kneeling by her mother's bed, Selina
asked for the blessing of peace to her mother's heart. And she did not
ask in vain. As the days went on the blessing came--God gave His own
answer of peace.
Peace with God! That which all those weary years of sickness and
solitude this poor soul had needed came to her at last, and all was
changed. Her waiting for the end, that was slowly, but surely drawing
near, was peaceful, at times it was joyful. Even Miss Agnace saw the
change, and thanked God for it. Sister Magdalen saw it, and doubted its
reality and its sufficiency. But she was suffered to utter no word of
doubt in Mrs Vane's hearing. Indeed, she hardly wished to do so.
"God may have ways of dealing with sinners of which we do not know,"
said she, in answer to Miss Agnace's anxious looks, not knowing what to
say.
"Yes, truly," said Miss Agnace to herself, with a sigh of relief and
comfort.
It had come to her many times of late, that the dying mother's peace
must be from God, even though it had not come to her through the Church
or its ministers; but she had hardly dared to believe it possible. She
needed Sister Magdalen's confirming word, and took more comfort from it
than Sister Magdalen had meant it to convey.