Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/178

178THE HALLIG.

no fall to insensible temptation ; soothe not your con-
science by a comparison of yourself with others. But
do not imagine that the love of God is, like man's
sickly affection, indulgent, nattering, forgetful ; it is a
love which goes hand in hand with the sternest justice,
and is illuminated by the lightning of his judgments,
which must prostrate in the dust, and sweep from us,
our virtue and our honor like chaff, that we may learn
to fear before him who will demand an account for
every idle word which has proceeded from our mouths ;
and our souls, little as we may now think it either
needful or possible, must tremble in repentance and
grief, before the light and the judgments of the Divine
law. Only through sorrow can we come to joy ! Only
through judgment, to mercy ! Only through conflict
to peace! Only through death to life ! Only the lowly
shall be lifted up, and the humble accepted ! As long
as we esteem ourselves something before God, we are
nothing, and can become and inherit nothing. But
such a saving penitence is not to be preached into us.
It must come from above, as the gift of love, the grace
of God. My words can only advise, can only assault
the opposing bulwark, only knock at the doors of your
heart, that you may open the more readily, when the
Lord himself shall come to judgment. Go, in some
solitary hour, and try this path of thorns."
  "And is it, then, through this thorny path that you,
too, have attained to the joy of believing ?" asked Man-
der, gently.
  "I tread this path daily," said Hold, "and yet am
happy, and blessed in the Lord."
  "That is wonderful."