their faith, Lucilla?" asked the captain.

"By their works, papa. I think that if they had not believed that Jesus
could and would heal their friend they would hardly have taken the trouble
to break up the roof that they might let him down before the Lord. And the
paralytic too must have had faith in the power and willingness of Jesus to
heal him or surely he would have objected to being moved so much--carried
from this house along the street to the place where Jesus was, then up to
the roof, and let down from there in his bed."

"Yes, he, too, surely must have had faith in the power and willingness of
Christ to heal him, and is included in the number of those spoken of as
having faith. Let it never be forgotten that faith in Christ is necessary
to salvation; for without faith it is impossible to please him'; but, 'all
things are possible to him that believeth.' 'Ye believe in God, believe
also in me,' Jesus said to his disciples in his farewell talk with them
the night before his crucifixion. If we would be saved we must have 'the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all them that believe.' None can be justified by works, 'for all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God,' and if we are justified it
must be 'freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus.' Ah, let us all pray as did the disciples, 'Lord, increase our
faith.'"

"Why did Jesus say to the man 'Son, thy sins be forgiven thee,' papa?"
asked little Elsie. "I thought it was to be cured of his sickness the man
came."

"Yes, daughter, but sin is the cause of all sickness and disease; if man
had not sinned there would never have been any sickness or pain, and