“Poor dears!” said Susan; “and do you think such little trifles will keep you out of heaven?”
“All sin will do so,” said Connor; “a small penknife will destroy life, as well as a great sword; they knew it was wrong, yet they did it, and that was sin. Little as they are, they already feel the want of pardon for their sin, through the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Lacy felt somewhat alarmed. “If this be true,” thought he, “what a vile sinner am I!”
He leaned his head on his hand, for some time; then striking the table, he exclaimed, “I shall never understand all this.”
“Good neighbour, it cannot be learned without the grace of God to teach us.”
“How may a body get that grace?” said Lacy.
“By praying for it,” replied Mary; “we should often say, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ Our Saviour says, ‘Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.’ ‘Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full;’ ‘seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.’”
“And will praying teach me every thing,” said Lacy.
“The Holy Spirit will teach you,” replied Connor, “to understand what you read in the Bible, and hear on the Sabbath. When we read the Scriptures let our prayer be, ‘Lord, open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.’”
“Well, if I had time, I would read the Bible,” said Lacy.