age friends, instead of remaining with you, good Christian people,
who are so kind to me," he said at length to Mrs Ramsay, as she sat by
his bedside. "Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, indeed we can; and we are very thankful that you have been brought
back to us," she answered. "God himself shows that we ought to receive
those who have done wrong when they repent and desire to return to the
right way. He himself in His mercy is always thus ready to receive
repentant sinners who desire to be reconciled to Him. I'll read to you
the parable of the prodigal son, and you will then understand how God
the Father, as He in His goodness allows us to call Him, receives all
His children who come back to Him, acknowledging their sins and
transgressions. He not only does this, but He has pointed out a way by
which the sinner can be reconciled to Him, and have all his sins
completely blotted out, or put out of remembrance and done away with.
That way is by simple faith in the atoning blood of Jesus; in other
words, God desires us to believe that Jesus, His own well-beloved Son,
pure and holy and sinless, became man, and was punished by death on the
cross instead of us; and thus His justice, which can by no means
overlook or forgive sin, is perfectly satisfied with that punishment,
and He considers the debt we owe Him fully paid. Can you understand
this, Laurence?"

"I will try to do so," answered the boy. "But I do not understand it
yet."

"Then you must pray for the aid of God's Holy Spirit to enable you to
understand it; for He alone has the power of doing that. All that one
person can do for others is simply to explain the truth to them, and to
read God's Word to them, or urge them to read it if they can. You,
Laurence, must learn to read it without delay."

"Oh, yes, I will try now," he said, "if you and Jeanie will teach me. I
was very idle before."

"That we will gladly," answered Mrs Ramsay. "But, recollect, you must
not only try to read, but you must ask God's Holy Spirit to enable you
to understand it also. It is not sufficient to know that Christ died on
the cross to reconcile sinners to God; but you must believe that He died
for you, and to reconcile you to God; for without that, whatever you may
do or profess, you are still in your sins, an outcast from God, and
deserving, as you will assuredly receive, punishment for your sins."

"Tell me, Mrs Ramsay, how am I to believe that Christ died for me? I
feel tha