Very much of your daily life is carried on in faith.
Faith is the taking into the heart that the things told us are true.
A lady one day said to her little boy of about four years of age that his brother would come home from school on the morrow. The little boy was very pleased, and repeated to one and another that his brother would come the next day. At last someone asked him-
" How do you know that he will come home? "
"Because mamma said so," was the child's reply.
This was faith. The little boy believed his mother's words, and was perfectly sure that what she had said would take place.
Your father when he leaves you in the morning tells you that he will bring you back a book or a present, and you wait for his return, and when you see him coming to the door you run to meet him, expecting to see the book or the present, which he promised to bring you.
What made you look out for the fulfillment of the promise? Faith! Faith in your father's words.
Little children believe what is told them, and the greater part of their lives is of faith. Alas! grown people find that so many things which are said are not true that they often do not believe what they hear. But our chapter is about God, and faith in His word; and God never deceives, and never changes; all that God says is true, and God bids us believe what He says. May you believe God.
Suppose the kind father of whom we spoke, has, true to his promise, brought home a beautiful book and nice presents for his children, and that they begin to say, "Father will not keep his word. We do not believe him!" How sad it would make their father! How grieved his heart would be! And do you think that if those children began to do a great many things-one to fetch his slippers, another to take his stick-that, so long as they did not believe him, what they did would please him?
We have said that many, things which you do day by day are done in faith. The following story will explain this:-
ELLIE'S JUMP.
Ellie was trotting along in the middle of the street, holding fast a candle in her round little hand. She was about three and a half years old, yet seemed perfectly content to run alone down the London street.
" My little child," cried a lady who was passing by, "let me take your hand and lead you home, for you may be hurt all by yourself." And as Ellie ran by the lady's side she told the lady how old she was and where she lived, and that her mother had sent her out to buy a candle, and had given her a farthing, which Ellie had taken to the shop all by herself.
As the lady was thinking what a little mite of a child Ellie was to be all by herself in one of the streets of great London, Ellie suddenly cried out in a shrill voice, "Mother! Mother! "
" Is this your home, little child?" inquired the lady.
" Yes," she answered.
" But you cannot get down there-down that deep place; you will fall and be killed."
To which Ellie did not reply, but only cried "Mother!" louder still.
The lady, who saw the mother through the window, hard at work ironing, was anxious to see how Ellie could get to her home. And here I must explain that Ellie's mother lived in the bottom floor of a house, and the way to her door was from the area, but as there were no steps from the street to the area, it was necessary to jump down, and the area being, perhaps, four or five feet lower than the road, it was quite a puzzle to the lady how Ellie could reach the door of her home.
As Ellie did not succeed in making her mother hear, the lady also called, "Mother! Mother!" and the woman then left her ironing and came just under where Ellie stood.
"There's a good little child for running mother's errand," said she, and then opening her arms, cried, "and now jump!" and in a twinkling Ellie was safe at the bottom of the area. No steps were required for Ellie to clamber down, but a jump into her mother's arms, and she was safely home.
But suppose Ellie had cried, "I dare not jump," or "I fear mother won't catch me in her arms," would that have been faith? No, but Ellie believed it was a good word for her to jump, because her mother bade her do so. Faith is just taking God at His word and not asking or thinking about it.
When a boy or girl receives a letter, containing an invitation, there is not generally any questioning whether he or she is really asked to the friend's house. The note is very much prized and heartily believed, and when the time f or acting upon it arrives, the invited is waiting to go to the friend's house. And very often does the child joyfully repeat, " I am invited."
HOW JOHNNY ACCEPTED THE INVITATION.
A young girl came bounding into the room with a little note, saying, " Here, Johnny, is an invitation for you to Mrs. V.'s; " and in a second little Johnny's eyes sparkled at the thought of such a treat. "But is it for me?" he said to his sister, for though the little fellow had often heard of the wonders of the magic-lantern and of the cakes at Mrs. V.'s children's parties, he had never been invited before in all his life. And why do you think he had not been asked before?
His brothers and sisters had often been. Was he a very naughty boy? Was he a poor little sick child? These were not the reasons. Johnny was too little to be asked before, but this year the invitation, so neatly written upon the pretty pink paper, said, " all the children." So there could be no mistake; Johnny was one of the children-one of the all; he was therefore quite sure he was invited, and you may guess he was full of glee.
He counted the days, almost the hours, till the wonderful evening should come; he talked about it to his mother, his nurse, and to everybody he met when he was out for a walk; he even told some persons whom he had never seen before that he was going to Mrs. V.'s; he had only one fear, and that was, lest perhaps anything should happen to hinder him going. Indeed I feel sure that little Johnny enjoyed thinking about going to the party more than the party itself, and fancied it would be much more wonderful than it really was.
THE LETTER.
The Bible is God's letter to us; it is full of the story of His love; in it the way of salvation and of happiness is plainly and simply told. And all its blessings are ours the moment we stretch out the hand of faith and take God's word as His very word to us. But is this letter for you?
A little boy once ran up to a postman, saying, " Please give me a letter."
" I do not know you, little sir," replied the good-natured man, smiling. " Do you know that I am the Queen's servant, and may only give away my letters to the people they are meant for?" So the little boy ran back to his nurse, not very happy.
Our picture illustrates what faith is. The little girl is stretching out her hand to receive the letter which the postman is stooping down to give her. When she has received the letter it will be her very own, and all the kind things which her father has said to her in it will be stored up in her heart.
God's messengers carry about His letter of love, and at God's bidding ask sinners to receive His word, so that you need not ask, as did the little boy, "Is it for me? " for God's letter is addressed to you: " -Unto you is this word of salvation sent " is written on the envelope as it were, and " whosoever " will may be saved.
A very pleasing instance of a child's faith came under the notice of one of our friends not long since. It is as follows:-
BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO.
A few days ago I met a little girl to whom I said, "Do you know that Jesus loves you?" Her face lighted up with a simple smile of confidence, and the ready answer came forth-.
" Oh, yes, sir."
" How do you know that? "
" Because the Bible says so."
" But as you speak about the Bible, my little girl, I must tell you that that holy book says, that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that there is none righteous-no, not one."
" But Jesus said, 'Suffer little children to come unto Me,' " she replied.
" But you are a sinner. You have done many naughty things. What makes you think He would receive you? "
" The Bible says He died for sinners, and therefore He died for me.".
" But that is a very great thing for such a little girl as you to say. How can you be so sure about it? "
" Because the Bible says so."
" The Bible also says that Jesus will come again and take His people up from the earth in a moment some day. What will become of you then? How would you feel if He were to come now, while you and I are talking? "
" I should be very happy."
" Why would you be happy? "
" Because He would take me up to be with Him forever."
"And how long have you been able to say this, my child? '
" Some weeks, sir."
This was childlike faith, and I found that she showed by her ways that the confession of her lips was the real working of the Spirit of God in her soul.
We know that God is love, because the Bible says so, and when we believe God's word our hearts answer to its truth. Are you sure that Jesus came to this earth to save sinners? And are you sure that you are saved? You may be quite sure, because the Bible says so.
C. W. E.
BELIEVING ON JESUS.
If on Jesus we believe,
By the Spirit Him receive,
We shall see Him face to face,
Sweetly, sweetly singing,
Glory, glory, singing,
Sweetly, sweetly singing,
Near to Jesus, safe at home.
Thousand thousands will be there,
Each a robe of white shall wear,
And have a harp of gold,
Sweetly, sweetly singing,
Glory, glory, singing,
Sweetly, sweetly singing,
Near to Jesus, safe at home.