gth to strength
till everyone of them in Zion appears before God. That is, till they get
to heaven; and there they will be so like Jesus that they will never sin
any more."

"And what does that other part, 'by whose stripes ye are healed,' mean,
papa?" asked Elsie.

"That Jesus suffered for the sins of his people (there was no sin of his
own for him to suffer for), and that because he bore the punishment in
their stead they will not have to bear it, and will be delivered from the
love of it; that is the healing--the being made well of that disease--the
love of sinning, the vile nature that we are all born with, because our
first parents disobeyed God there in the garden of Eden."

"God teaches his people to hate sin and try bard--asking help of him--to
forsake it and be always good, doing just what is right; doesn't he,
papa? That's what grandma says."

"Yes, dear child, it is what God teaches us in his Word--the Holy Bible."

"And he will send his Holy Spirit to help us--if we ask him to?"

"Yes."

"But how can we know it, papa? we can't see him."

"No, daughter, but we may know it by the help he gives us, and others will
recognize the fact by the fruit of the Spirit seen in our lives. Lucilla,
can you tell me what is the fruit of the Spirit?"

"Yes, sir; the Bible says 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

"Yes; and 'against such there is no law.' Jesus has kept the law perfectly
in their stead, and his righteousness being imputed to them, they are
treated as if they had never broken the law--never sinned--but had been
always holy and obedient to all the commands of God, as he was."

Elsie was looking very thoughtful. "I think I understand it now, papa,"
she said. "Jesus has kept God's law in our stead, and borne the punishment
for our breaking it, and gives his goodness to us, so that we are treated
just as if we had been really good when we haven't at all, and that is
what it means where it says, 'by whose stripes ye were healed.'"

"Yes, dear child, that is just it; and oh, how can we help loving him, who
died and suffered so much for us! Oh, how we ought to love him!"

"I do love him, papa. I ask him every day to help me to love him more and
serve him better. I ask earnestly for a new heart; for he is the hearer
and answerer of prayer. The Bible tells us so."

"And it is so sweet to know it," said Grace, speaking low and sof