Now perhaps she had something that would answer some of her questions!
When Lutie came back, apologetic for being so long, Sherrill had a package all done up ready to take home.
“They are wonderful books!” said Lutie, casting wistful eyes at the book table. “I’ve got two or three for my own. We girls get different ones and lend them around among ourselves.”
When Sherrill got home, she went straight to her aunt’s room.
Aunt Pat had gone to bed but was lying bolstered up with pillows reading, and Sherrill noticed that her little Bible lay on the bed beside her.
“I’ve been buying some books,” said Sherrill, half shamefaced. “See what you think of them.”
She undid her package and displayed them.
Miss Catherwood took up the Scofield Bible first and examined it curiously.
“I’ve heard about this,” she said thoughtfully. “I’d like to look it over sometime. Maybe I’ll get one, too. They say it’s very enlightening.”
Then she went over the other books one by one.
“Yes, I know this one. It’s by a president of a theological college, a wonderful man, they say. I came across a notice of this book in a magazine. And this I know and love. I used to have a copy, but someone borrowed it and never brought it back. But these others I never heard of. You’ll have to read some of them aloud to me. I’d like to know what they are. The titles look wonderfully interesting. Well, how did you like the meeting? Was it a meeting?”
“Why, no,” said Sherrill thoughtfully. “It wasn’t exactly a meeting, nor exactly like a school. I don’t just know what to call it, but it was wonderfully interesting.”
“Begin at the beginning and tell me all about it,” said the old lady, studying the vivid face before her.
Sherrill hadn’t worn that look of interest since the wedding night. The desolate haunted expression was almost gone.
After that first night Sherrill began to be fascinated with the study of the Bible. She realized, of course, that she had only as yet touched the outer fringes of the great truths it contained, but she really longed to know more, and she found that this, more than anything else, was able to help her forget her changed estate.
It was the second Monday night that she lingered till most of the others were gone and asked a few questions that perplexed her about salvation. For she had come already to see her own need, and she finally in great simplicity said she would accept the Savior.
When at last the teacher was free and turned to her, she shyly asked, “Mr. Mackenzie, how can one tell—does anybody really know—that is”—she hesitated—“how would I know whether I am all right with God or not?”
She finished in a blaze of embarrassment. She had never spoken to anyone before about the thoughts of her own heart concerning God. She had a feeling it was almost immodest, for the people she knew never did it.
But with Spirit-taught gentleness and understanding, the man of God answered her, putting her instantly at her ease, and treating the question as most natural and supremely important.
“Indeed you can know, most positively, Miss Cameron. Let me ask you first, have you ever realized that you—that we all of us—are sinners in God’s sight, utterly unfit for His presence?”
“Yes, I have,” said Sherrill earnestly. “I never did before, but last week I saw that.”
“Then do you realize that you need to have the sin taken away that separates you from God?”
“Yes, oh yes!” The tears sprang to her eyes.
“Then ‘behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!’ Just look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who bore on the cross all the guilt penalty for your sins. God poured out on His own Son all His righteous wrath against us. ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ Do you believe that?”
“I do,” said Sherrill solemnly.
“Then read this aloud.”
Mr. Mackenzie opened his Bible and pointed to a verse. Sherrill read, “'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’”
“Read it again, very slowly, please.”
Sherrill read it again, very slowly, letting the truth sink deep. Suddenly a radiance broke through the puzzled earnestness of her face.
“I see it now,” she said. “It’s all right!”
“Then let’s thank Him for so great a salvation,” said Mr. Mackenzie.
The rest had all