“Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister and mother,” read Mr. Dinsmore from his open Bible.
“Let us search out something more in regard to that will.”
“Please read the fourth and fifth verses of the first chapter of Ephesians,” said Mrs. Travilla.
He turned to it and read: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
“What a blessed will!” she commented—“to predestinate us to the adoption of children!—us! rebels against his authority, enemies by wicked works. And then it was his will to give his only begotten and well-beloved Son to die that we might live. He said, ‘Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.’”
“‘And this is the will of God, even your sanctification,’” quoted Mildred. “What Christian heart but must rejoice in that!”
Then Rose read: “‘And this is the father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ Oh!” she exclaimed, “shall we not rejoice in his will?”
Mr. Travilla’s Bible lay open before him. “Here,” he said, “in second Peter, third chapter and ninth verse, we read, ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’”
Then turning to Ezekiel, eighteenth chapter, “‘Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.’”