She read some of the pa.s.sages she had learned before for Mrs.
Mordaunt: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isa. lv. 1). "May I, indeed, come without anything to offer, and will G.o.d give me all I want?"
Then: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that _whosoever_ believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John iii. 14, 15). "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life" (John v. 24).
"Can I not _now_ hear his words," she thought, "and _do I not_ believe?" She had read the words often before, but now a new light seemed to stream forth from them. She wanted forgiveness, and here was forgiveness offered; she wanted G.o.d to love her, and here in every page was some message of love from him. The Spirit of G.o.d opened the little child"s heart to the Word of G.o.d, and she read on as if she never could hear enough of this blessed news. "We have known and believed the love that G.o.d hath to us; we love him because he first loved us."
"I do believe!" she thought; and that evening, as she fell on her knees, she felt for the first time what it was to call G.o.d Our Father.
Her whole heart glowed with grat.i.tude and love to him who had so loved her. She laid her down to sleep with the eye of her heavenly Father upon her. She awoke in the morning and felt that he was near.
Everything made her happy, because G.o.d sent everything, and G.o.d loved her. The streams, the woods, the flowers--they had never looked half so bright, for she felt that G.o.d had made them, and G.o.d had so loved her. At school, at her tasks,--everywhere she was happy as a bird, for G.o.d was everywhere. She could not feel cross, for G.o.d was near, _and he loved her_. She could fight with her faults now, for the Almighty was by to help her.
Little children! thousands of little children have had their hearts changed and made happy, just as Amy"s was; and _so may yours_. Only believe the love that G.o.d has to you, and you must love him; and be his dear and happy child.