The First Soprano Part 10

"Are you still reading it?" said Winifred,

"Yes."

"I wish we might read it together," she said wistfully.

"We might," he said. "Shall we begin to-day?"

"By all means. But I can't read Greek," she added doubtfully. She had observed the Greek Testament with its fresh markings.

He laughed. "But fortunately I can read English," he said. And so it was arranged.

CHAPTER VIII

NOT OF THE WORLD

That afternoon found Hubert and Winifred with their books, looking about for the most suitable place to read. Somnolent sounds from the couch in the library warned them not to locate there. They decided on a cool window-seat in the drawing-room overlooking the garden. There they settled themselves and found their places. It was decided to begin at the point Hubert had reached, which was the seventeenth chapter. Before beginning to read Hubert shaded his eyes with his hand for a moment to ask, as had become his wont since he first sought to know G.o.d, for light upon the Word. Winifred understood the act and joined him silently.

He began reading reverently and slowly. The simple, stately words fell very sweetly upon their ears. They paused often, so as to understand more fully what they read. They read with the intent earnestness of those who explore new territory, and who have immense interests in things discovered. They lingered first over the second verse:

"As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given him."

"'As many as thou hast given him,'" repeated Winifred. "What do you think that means, Hubert?"

Hubert gazed into vacancy meditatively. "I don't know," he announced, very slowly; "there is a profound mystery here which I have seen in earlier chapters. I do not see the point of meeting between two laws that seem almost contradictory. But one point seems very clear, and it meets us very simply on our human side: that is, that the one who 'is willing to do His will' is the one whom the Father 'gives' to Jesus Christ."

"It is very sweet," said Winifred, "to think of being given by the Father to Him. It seems surer, somehow, than to just give oneself."

Hubert's deep eyes kindled and glowed with a liquid fire. "Yes," he said in a suppressed voice, "it is wonderful." He was standing on ground that had not by long habit grown coldly theological, but was instinct with life to him through a new and vital experience.

They read on:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true G.o.d, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."

They paused to meditate, and Winifred was the first to break the silence.

"Hubert," she said in a low voice, "it must be we have entered upon eternal life. We have begun to know Him."

Her voice sank upon the last word, and her lips trembled.

Instinctively she held out her hand to her brother, and he clasped it in his. Tears streamed down upon her book, and Hubert was not ashamed that his own eyes were moist. They were silent for some moments, while the young man beheld afresh that eternal, infinite realm out of which the Word had come forth, and he knew himself born into it. Earth seemed illusory--but the scene of a moment--in the glory of that vision.

They read on and Hubert explained to his sister what he saw in the request of the Lord Jesus to be given again the glory which He had with the Father "before the world was." Never in his reading of the Gospel had he lost sight of its beginning, and he read these words, as he had others, in its light. He turned back and read the opening verses of the first chapter to Winifred in explanation of the glory to be given back, and the very fact of its being asked for, as though having been surrendered for the time, shed a light upon pa.s.sages poorly understood before, which had shown clearly His humanity and His subjection to the Father.

Again they read on, pondering as they read, but paused over the ninth verse:

"I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine."

"Do you think that means, Hubert," said Winifred, "that He does not pray for the world? It seems very exclusive. But we know that G.o.d loves the world?"

"I think," said Hubert, "that the discrimination is not _against_ the world, but rather _for_ those given Him out of it. He must care specially for them. Perhaps if we read on we shall see the special character of this prayer for us."

The words "for us" slipped out very naturally, and he did not recall them, so sweet and sure was the confidence of having been given into the hands of Jesus Christ.

So they read on, and noted the pet.i.tions of the priestly prayer for His own. They did not sound the depths of meaning in them, for they were yet but babes; but they observed the strong line of enclosure which separated them from the world and the Lord's reiterated statement that they were not of it, even as He.

"It is very strange," remarked Winifred to Hubert, "that Doctor Schoolman has never told us about this." But she amended quickly, "Perhaps he has many times and I have not listened. But I have always thought we were all very much alike, only that some people were better than others; never that there was such a sharp line drawn between those who are given to Christ and the rest of the world."

"I do not think we have heard much about it," said Hubert. "I have not been much of a church-goer, but I think for the most part we have been talked to as though we were all on the same plane as regards relationship to G.o.d and Jesus Christ."

"But this line is so very exclusive," said Winifred almost regretfully.

"So very _inclusive_, you mean," said Hubert, smiling.

"An inclusive line must be exclusive also, must it not?" she persisted.

"I suppose it must," he admitted. "The same walls that shut us in this house shut everybody else out. But there is a way in," he added, intent upon the doctrine of G.o.d's free grace found true by his own experiment.

"Yes," said Winifred, "'Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.' That gave me great comfort when I read it, Hubert. But I was thinking now that if I had not come to know that I was outside, I should never have come inside."

They finished the chapter, dwelling upon the words:

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world."

Their hearts burned at the love that longed for them to be with Him and to see His glory. And they should see it! The distant scene glowed with reality and seemed near. There was One with them whom they did not see, One who still draws near when loved disciples commune concerning Him, and it was He who made the Scriptures an open, radiant page. Very pure and fragrant was the spiritual air they breathed then, and it prepared them to judge of baser atmosphere. "Sanctify them through Thy truth," the Lord Jesus had asked, and as they pondered the Word of Truth the answer to His prayer began.

When they finished their reading Winifred surprised Hubert by what seemed an irrelevant remark.

"I do not think I shall go to Mrs. b.u.t.terworth's party, Hubert," she said.

Her brother had no need to add, "Nor shall I," for he was not a society man. But he looked at her inquiringly.

"I don't know why," she replied to his look, "but it seems very different from this. Don't you think so?"

"I do indeed," he answered, understanding what she meant by "this."

Winifred had not arrived at a.n.a.lytical reasons, but had intuitively reached a conclusion. Just a mental picture of the coming brilliant event at Mrs. b.u.t.terworth's; the gay scene, the intoxicating music, the hollow courtesies, flattering words and glances, the dancing--just an instant vision of the scene that arose in sheer contrast against the pure holiness of the things they had been considering, and Winifred turned from it quickly. To have spoken her impression, and Hubert's evident approval, helped her to hold to it in later hours of temptation.

The j.a.panese gong sounded musically for Sunday evening tea before they were aware that time had flown. They a.s.sembled with their elders who looked not so much refreshed by their slumbers as our young friends by their study. The repast over, Hubert, who wished to do all things required of a Christian, but who felt a secret repugnance to listening again to Doctor Schoolman, sounded Winifred's mind on the matter.

"Are you going to hear Doctor Schoolman?" he asked.

"Why, I suppose so," said she. "What else should one do?"

"What is he going to preach about?" he asked evasively.

"I don't know. Let's look in the paper and see."