. And
if a child is hungry or thirsty or defiled, what needs he to know more
than that there is enough and to spare for all his wants in the hands of
a loving Father? There would be no hope for us if this great change
were to be left to us to work. But the work being God's, all may hope.
I suppose I know what you mean," she added. "I have heard my father,
and Peter O'Neil, and others, speak about these things. Peter used to
say, `If God means to save me He will save me; and I need give myself no
trouble about it.' That is true in one sense, but not in the sense that
Peter meant. I wish I could mind what my father used to say to him, but
I cannot. Somehow, I never looked at it in that way. It seemed to me
such a wonderful and blessed thing that God should have provided a way
in which we could be saved, and then that He should save us freely,
that, it never came into my mind to vex myself with thoughts like these.
I was young, only a child, but I had a great many troubled unhappy
thoughts about myself; and to be able to put them all aside--to leave
them all behind, as it were, and just trust in Jesus, and let Him do all
for me--oh, I cannot tell you the blessed rest and peace it was to me!
But I did not mean to speak about myself."

"But I want you to tell me," said Gertrude, softly.

"I cannot tell you much," said Christie, gravely. "I am not wise about
such things. I know there are some who make this a stone to stumble
over--that we can do nothing, and we must just wait. But don't you
remember how it is said, `Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call
ye upon Him when He is near.' `They that seek Me early shall find Me.'
And in the New Testament, `Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall
find.' And Jesus Himself said, `If any man thirst, let him come unto Me
and drink.' And in another place it is said, `The Spirit and the bride
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is
athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely.'

"Surely all this means something. God would never bid us come unless He
was willing to receive us. Having given His Son to die for us, how can
we doubt His willingness to receive us? Surely no one who is weary and
heavy-laden need stay away, when He bids them come. He says, `I will
heal your backslidings; I will receive you graciously; I will love you
freely. A new heart will I give to you, and a right spirit will I put
wit