The tears were falling from Mr Lennard’s eyes.
“You have been a dear good girl, and have enjoyed the blessing of baptism, and have been confirmed, and have received the sacrament; you shall receive it again if you wish, and I hope that God will take you to heaven.”
“Oh, dear, dear papa, don’t speak so,” answered Mary; “I know that I am a wretched sinner; I have done nothing to merit God’s love and mercy; but I know that Jesus Christ died for me, and that His blood cleanseth from all sin; and, trusting to Him, I am sure that He will receive me in the place He has gone before to prepare for those who love Him. I have faith in Christ; that is my happiness, hope, and confidence. I am not afraid to die, for I know that He will be with me through the shadow of the valley of death.”
Mr Lennard gazed at her, unable to speak. He could not ask her further questions, but was revolving in his own mind the meaning of what she had said. She had no confidence in any of the objects which he had been accustomed to present to the minds of the dying, if he believed them to be good Churchmen, and if not, he had always urged them to repent of their sins and to take the sacrament, in the hope that thus God might receive them into heaven. Mary’s remarks had brought new light to his soul; she trusted solely to the all-finished work of Christ, to whom she looked as her Saviour, with full assurance that He would welcome her to heaven. She thought not, she spoke not, of any of the rites and ceremonies in which he had trusted himself, and had taught others to trust, rather than to the blood of the Atonement. She did not ask even him, her father, and, as he had fancied himself, a priest, to offer a prayer on her behalf. No, she was resting joyfully on Christ as her all-sufficient Saviour.
“I see it all now,” he said, half aloud; “it is this of which the general has been speaking to me lately, but which I did not comprehend.”
“Yes, dear papa; Jesus did it all long ago; He saved me then, and I am trusting in Him; that makes me so happy, so very happy,” exclaimed Mary.
“I believe as you do,” answered Mr Lennard; “would that I had known and taught your poor brother the same truth! it would have prevented him from falling into the toils of Rome.”
“We can pray for him, that he may be rescued from them,” said Mary.
“I wished to make him a sound Churchman, and taught him that there is but one true Church, and that that is the Church of England; and miserable has been the result,” said Mr Lennard.
“Alfred may be brought back. God will hear our united prayers,” whispered Mary.