"'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'
"He bids you come to him, and says, 'Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.'"
"But how shall I come?" she asked. "Tell me just how."
"How do you come to me, love, when you feel that you have displeased me, and want to be reconciled?"
"Oh! you know I just come and acknowledge that I've been hateful and cross, and say how sorry I am, and that I don't mean to behave so any more, and ask you to forgive and love me; and, dear Ned, you are always so willing and ready to do that, you hardly wait till I've said my say, before you put your arms round me, and hug and kiss me, and it's all right between us."
"Yes, dearest; and God, our heavenly Father, is far more ready to receive and forgive us when we turn to him with sorrow for our sins, confessing them and pleading for pardon in the name, and for the sake, of his dear Son, our Saviour," "I'm afraid I don't feel half so sorry as I ought."
"Who of us does? but we are not to wait for that. We must come to him, to be shown the evil of our natures, the sinfulness of our lives.
"'Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.'"
"But how am I to make myself believe?" she asked.
"'By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' So you see, we have to go to Jesus for it all,—for repentance, for faith, for salvation from the guilt and love of sin, and from eternal death.