“Faith is simply believing,” replied Mrs. Temple. “To look to Christ is to believe that He is able and willing to save us, and that none can save us but He.”
Dora, who had chosen, as we know, to sit a little drawn back from the circle, and with a screen in her hand, now dropped the screen on her lap, and leant forward, so that the red flickering gleam of the fire-light shone on her face as she anxiously asked, “Then are we quite, quite safe, sure never to be punished for anything evil that we have done, if only we have faith that the Lord will save us?”
“Yes, if the faith be real, living faith,” replied Mrs. Temple.
“Are there then two kinds of faith?” inquired Lucius.
“Yes,” answered his mother; “we read in the Bible of two kinds of faith or belief—one dead and one living.”
“I cannot understand that at all,” said Amy.
“I will try to explain,” said the lady “and I ask you, my children, to give me your full attention, for this is a matter of the greatest importance. You all believe, do you not, that there is an Emperor of Germany?”
“Yes, yes,” replied the children: and Elsie added with a little nod, “I believe there is such a man, though I never have seen him.”
“Now does your belief in the existence of the Emperor—that is, your faith in it—does it make the smallest difference in your actions, or words, or feelings?” inquired Mrs. Temple.
“No, why should it?” cried Lucius.