Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/182

182THE HALLIG.

"Of such a trial," said Hold, "faith has no need. It
requires no ladder. It is an eagle whose wings bear him
far above the clouds. It does not become ; it already
is. It does not grow by degrees, but stands forth at
once in all its glory. A weak, lukewarm faith is a non-
entity. It may indeed yield at times in the hour of
trial, or to the temptations of a corrupt heart, and of
worldly lusts ; but it knows no composition, no analy-
sis, no division. It is all, or nothing ; entire, or non-
existent. There may be compromise in knowledge, will,
and action, not in faith. It must either bless or con-
demn ; it can not comfort a little, elevate a little, ter-
rify a little, cause a little fear, a little trembling. It
does not contend ; it conquers. It takes possession of
the heart in its strength, and fills it with its fullness,
hurls it into the abyss, then brings it triumphantly out
of the deep and raises it to heavenly heights. From
these heights we may discover the path of faith, but
not from below ; with the plummet, not with the
glass."
  Mander was often disposed to charge the pastor with
one-sided and narrow views. On the other hand, in his
painful struggle after certainty, he was often as humble
and teachable as the youngest disciple. Then he com-
plained of obscurity in Hold's language, to which the
latter replied :
  "The word is seed, neither more nor less. But in
the seed, beneath the husk, lies the germ, and waits for
sun and dew from heaven to burst its shell and become
flower and fruit."
  Sometimes he complained of the obscurity of divine
revelation. Hold reminded him —