Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/179

179

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.

  "Not so wonderful as the union of divine pardoning
love and unbending justice. Not so wonderful as Christ's
shrinking before the cross, and yet voluntarily submit-
ting to it. But I can give you no explanation of it, till
you have reached a certain point — which I must require
of you, which God requires of you, since he has him-
self brought you so near the same — if indeed you should
then ask for an explanation."
  It was, however, by no means easy to bring Mander
into that path of thorns, where his self-satisfaction was
sure to be wounded. Many evenings were passed in ani-
mated conversation, in which the pastor especially com-
batted Mander's inclination to build up for himself a
sort of philosophical Christianity.
  "But are not all the materials for that purpose, fur-
nished by the Scriptures, as in all the other evidences
of Deity ?" said Mander, by way of defence.
  "Materials more than enough," replied Hold ; "but
the mortar is wanting. The heart's blood, which flows
from repentance, and the tears which gush forth through
longing for peace, such as the world, and the world's
wisdom can never know. You are likely to fail, because
you commence by trying to fit the materials together,
before the idea of the whole edifice, in its length and
breadth, exists clearly in your mind."
  "But, perhaps the way to faith is not the same for
all," thought Mander.
  "Without humility none can enter there ; and with-
out a deep, penetrating, self-abasing sense of sinfulness
before God ; without a clear and honest confession of the
same, wrung forth by sorrow and repentance, there is
no return for those who, like you, have wandered in the