Well, so I said unto my Lady, "Madam, I pray you pardon me if I speak not well, but there is one place of Holy Writ that doth sore pose and trouble me. It is that of Saint _Paul_, which saith, that if they that were once enlightened shall fall away, there shall be no hope to renew them again. That doth alway seem to me so awful a word!--to think of one that had sinned longing for forgiveness, and yet must not have it--I cannot understand how it should be, when _Christ_ liveth to save to the uttermost!" "Nor any other," saith she. "Dear _Helen_, thou readest it wrong, as I believe many do. The Apostle saith not, there is no renewing to _pardon_: he saith, there is no renewing to _repentance_. With them that have sinned against light, the language of whose hearts is, `I have loved idols, and after them I will _go_,'--these have no desire of remission. They do not wish to be forgiven. But these, dear maid, are not they that long for pardon and are willing to turn from sin. That is repentance. So long as a sinner can repent, so long can he receive pardon. The sinner that doth long for forgiveness which God can not or will not give him, is a monster was never found yet in this world or that which is to come." Right comfortable did I think these words. I never should have dared (as _Milly_ saith touching the 139th Psalm) to have turned o'er the two leaves together that I might not see this sixth chapter of _Hebrews_: yet did I never see it without a diseaseful creeping feeling, belike, coming o'er me. And I am sore afeared lest I may have come nigh, at times, to wishing that Saint _Paul_ had not writ the same. "Yet mark thou, _Helen_," again saith my Lady, "there is a difference betwixt remission of sin and remission of penalty. Every sinner should be glad enough to part with his punishment: but no sinner was ever yet willing to part with his sin but under the promptings of God's Spirit. And that is but a sorry repentance which would fain keep the sin, if only it might without incurring penalty." "Madam, you do cause sin to look very awful," said I. "That is how God would have thee see it, _Helen_," saith she. "Remember, He hates sin not for His own sake only, but for thy sake. Ah, dear maid, when some sin, or some matter that perhaps scarce seems sin to thee, yet makes a cloud to rise up betwixt God and thee--when this shall creep into thy very bosom, and nestle himself there warm and close, and be unto thee as a precious jewel--remember, if so be, that `it is better _for thee_ to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than thou shouldst, having two hands, or two feet, be cast into everlasting fire.' He that said that, _Helen_, knew what Hell was."