Volume I Part 30 (1/2)
”Died for us! ? And what end was that to serve, Elfie?” said he, partly willing to hear the full statement of the matter, and partly willing to see how far her intelligence could give it.
”Because we are sinners,” said Fleda, ”and G.o.d has said that sinners shall die.”
”Then how can he keep his word, and forgive at all?”
”Because Christ has died _for us_,” said Fleda, eagerly ?
”instead of us.”
”Do you understand the justice of letting one take the place of others?”
”He was willing, Mr. Carleton,” said Fleda, with a singular wistful expression, that touched him.
”Still, Elfie,” said he, after a minute's silence, ”how could the ends of justice be answered by the death of one man in the place of millions?”
”No, Mr. Carleton, but He was G.o.d as well as man,” Fleda said, with a sparkle in her eye which perhaps delayed her companion's rejoinder.
”What should induce him, Elfie,” he said, gently, ”to do such a thing for people who had displeased him?”
”Because he loved us, Mr. Carleton.”
She answered with so evident a strong and clear appreciation of what she was saying, that it half made its way into Mr.
Carleton's mind by the force of sheer sympathy. Her words came almost as something new.
Certainly Mr. Carleton had heard these things before; though perhaps never in a way that appealed so directly to his intelligence and his candour. He was again silent an instant, pondering, and so was Fleda.
”Do you know, Elfie,” said Mr. Carleton, ”there are some people who do not believe that the Saviour was anything more than a man?”
”Yes, I know it,” said Fleda; ? ”it is very strange!”
”Why is it strange?”
”Because the Bible says it so plainly.”
”But those people hold, I believe, that the Bible does not say it.”
”I don't see how they could have read the Bible,” said Fleda.
”Why, he said so himself.”
”Who said so?”
”Jesus Christ. Don't you believe it, Mr. Carleton?”
She saw he did not, and the shade that had come over her face was reflected in his before he said ”No.”
”But perhaps I shall believe it yet, Elfie,” he said, kindly.
”Can you show me the place in your Bible where Jesus says this of himself?”
Fleda looked in despair. She hastily turned over the leaves of her Bible to find the pa.s.sages he had asked for, and Mr.
Carleton was cut to the heart to see that she twice was obliged to turn her face from him, and brush her hand over her eyes, before she could find them. She turned to Matt. xxvi.