s born, and lived, and
suffered, and arose, and ascended. Nay, but it is, I account of Him as
a true man; I trust Him, with body and soul, with friends and goods: I
hold Him worthy of all affiance, and I will hold back nothing, neither
myself nor my having, from His keeping and disposing. (Ah, my maid!
which of us can say so much as this, at all times, and of all matters?)
But above all, in the relation whereof we have spoken, it is to say, I
trust Christ with my soul. I lean it wholly upon Him. I have no hope
in myself; He is mine hope. I have no righteousness of myself; He is my
righteousness. I have no standing before God,--I demerit nought but
hell; but Christ standeth before God for me: His blood hath washed me
clean from all sin, and His pleading with God availeth to hold me up in
His ways. And unless or until you can from your heart thus speak I pray
you say not again that you believe in Jesus Christ."

"But, Master, every man cannot thus believe."

"No man can thus believe until God have taught him."

Blanche thought, but was not bold enough to say, that she did not see
why anybody should believe such disagreeable things about himself. She
did not feel this low opinion of her own merits. Hers was the natural
religion of professing Christians--that she must do the best she could,
and Christ would make up the remainder. Mr Tremayne knew what was
passing in her mind as well as if she had spoken it.

"You think that is hard?" said he.

"_I_ think it--Mr Tremayne, I could not thus account of myself."

"You could not, dear maid. I am assured of that."

"Then wherein lieth my fault?" demanded Blanche.

"In that you will not."

Blanche felt stung; and she spoke out now, with one of those bursts of
confidence which came from her now and then.

"That is sooth, Master. I will not. I have not committed such sins as
have many men and women. I ne'er stole, nor murdered, nor used profane
swearing, nor worshipped idols, nor did many another ill matter: and I
cannot believe but that God shall be more merciful to such than to the
evil fawtors [factors, doers] that be in the world. Where were His
justice, if no?"

"Mistress Blanche, you wit neither what is God, neither what is sin.
The pure and holy law of God is like to a golden ring. You account,
that because you have not broken it on this side, nor on that side, you
have not broken it at all. But if you break it on any side, it is
broken; and you i