"Mrs. Hayden refers to the liberty brought by the spirit. Suppose you look up a reference to liberty," suggested Grace.
"Yes," said Kate, a moment later, "here in verses 17 and 18 of II. Cor., third chapter, it reads, 'Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.... But we all, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'"
"Why, Grace," exclaimed Kate, shutting the book in her eagerness, "I see it all now. By denial we take away falsities that bar us from looking into the face of God (Good), and by the affirmation we acknowledge Him, which is turning an open face to Him and reflecting His glory. Isn't that the way you understand it?"
Kate's face was all aglow with enthusiasm. A new light had come to her, and she was lifted to a higher plane, both in conception and feeling.
"That is a beautiful interpretation, but I don't want to stop to think about it now," said Grace, with a yawn, betraying fatigue for the first time.
"Why, Grace, a little while ago you said you were 'so interested.' What has come over you?" was Kate's rather discomfited answer.
"Oh, nothing, nothing!" rejoined Grace hastily, "only you know one can be surfeited with good things, but never mind. I shall not stop till we get through with this looking up, and then I must have a good long think." She playfully chucked Kate under her chin, and asked her "to go on," but the searching was not so spontaneous as before, and in the spontaneity of study lies the acquisition of knowledge.
Grace, it must be confessed, was compelling herself to a thorough intellectual investigation which, till now, had been a novel pleasure, but was getting a little monotonous, although she was deeply interested and more pleased with the Bible readings than she would have thought possible, because, as she had said herself, the Bible had been a sealed book to her before. She was very careful to conceal this new feeling from Kate, for at least, she would not lay one obstacle in her path, and after a few moments' desultory conversation, they went on as before.
"The next affirmation is about the will, what can you find for that?" asked Grace, as they had resumed their study again.
"I have found it already," replied Kate, with her finger on the passage. "In Phil. ii: 13: 'For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' That subordination to the will of God runs all through the New Testament."