“Gien a man hearsna a word spoken til his ain sel’, he has na the word to lippen til! The Scriptur is to him but a sealed buik; he walks i’ the dark. The licht is neither pairtit nor gethered. Gien a man has licht, he has nane the less that there’s twa or three o’ them thegither present.—Gien there be twa or three prayin thegither, ilk ane o’ the three has jist what he’s able to receive, and he kens ’t in himsel as licht; and the fourth may hae nane. Gien it comena to ilk ane o’ them, it comesna to a’. Ilk ane maun hae the revelation intil his ain sel’, as gien there wasna ane mair. And gien it be sae, hoo are we to win at ony trouth no yet revealed, ’cep we gang oot intil the dark to meet it? Ye maun caw canny, I admit, i’ the mirk; but ye maun caw gien ye wad win at onything!” “But suppose you know enough to keep going, and do not care to venture into the dark?” “Gien a man hauds on practeesin what he kens, the hunger ’ill wauk in him efter something mair. I’m thinkin the angels had lang to desire afore they could luik intil certain things they sair wantit; but ye may be sure they warna left withoot as muckle licht as would lead honest fowk safe on!” “But suppose they couldn’t tell whether what they seemed to see was true light or not?” “Syne they would hae to fa’ back upo the wull o’ the great Licht: we ken weel he wants us a’ to see as he himsel sees! Gien we seek that Licht, we’ll get it; gien we carena for’t, we’re jist naething and naegait, and are in sore need o’ some sharp discipleen.” “I’m afraid I can’t follow you quite. The fact is, I have been so long occupied with the Bible history, and the new discoveries that bear testimony to it, that I have had but little time for metaphysics.” “And what’s the guid o’ history, or sic metapheesics as is the vera sowl o’ history, but to help ye to see Christ? and what’s the guid o’ seein Christ but sae to see God wi’ hert and un’erstan’in baith as to ken that yer seein him? Ye min’ hoo the Lord said nane could ken the Father but the man to whom the Son revealt him? Sir, it’s fell time ye had a glimp o’ that! Ye ken naething till ye ken God—the only ane a man can truly and railly ken!” “Well, you’re a long way ahead of me, and for the present I’m afraid there’s nothing left but to say good-night to you!” And therewith the minister departed. “Lord,” said the soutar, as he sat guiding his awl through sole and welt and upper of the shoe on his last, “there’s surely something at work i’ the yoong man! Surely he canna be that far frae waukin up to see and ken that he sees and kens naething! Lord, pu’ doon the dyke o’ learnin and self-richteousness that he canna see ower the tap o’, and lat him see thee upo’ the ither side o’ ’t. Lord, sen’ him the grace o’ oppen e’en to see whaur and what he is, that he may cry oot wi’ the lave o’ ’s, puir blin’ bodies, to them that winna see. ’Wauk, thoo that sleepest, and come oot o’ thy grave, and see the licht o’ the Father i’ the face o’ the Son.’”