elped her--only the
difficulty would presently clasp her again, and she must deal with it
as she best could, until a new one made her forget it, and go to the
minister, or rather to his daughter, again. She was one of those who
feel the need of some help to live--some upholding that is not of
themselves, but who, through the stupidity of teachers unconsciously
false,--men so unfit that they do not know they are unfit, direct their
efforts, first towards having correct notions, then to work up the
feelings that belong to those notions. She was an honest girl so far
as she had been taught--perhaps not so far as she might have been
without having been taught. How was she to think aright with scarce a
glimmer of God's truth? How was she to please God, as she called it,
who thought of him in a way repulsive to every loving soul? How was
she to be accepted of God, who did not accept her own neighbour, but
looked down, without knowing it, upon so many of her fellow-creatures?
How should such a one either enjoy or recommend her religion? It would
have been the worse for her if she had enjoyed it--the worse for others
if she had recommended it! Religion is simply the way home to the
Father. There was little of the path in her religion except the
difficulty of it. The true way is difficult enough because of our
unchildlikeness--uphill, steep, and difficult, but there is fresh life
on every surmounted height, a purer air gained, ever more life for more
climbing. But the path that is not the true one is not therefore easy.
Up hill is hard walking, but through a bog is worse. Those who seek
God with their faces not even turned towards him, who, instead of
beholding the Father in the Son, take the stupidest opinions concerning
him and his ways from other men--what should they do but go wandering
on dark mountains, spending their strength in avoiding precipices and
getting out of bogs, mourning and sighing over their sins instead of
leaving them behind and fleeing to the Father, whom to know is eternal
life. Did they but set themselves to find out what Christ knew and
meant and commanded, and then to do it, they would soon forget their
false teachers. But alas! they go on bowing before long-faced,
big-worded authority--the more fatally when it is embodied in a good
man who, himself a victim to faith in men, sees the Son of God only
through the theories of others, and not with the sight of his own
spiritual eyes.

Donal ha