the threshold and threw her arms around
him, and breathed forgiveness. Ah, sinner, if you but ask God to be
merciful to you a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness, although your life
has been bad--ask Him for mercy, and He will not keep you long waiting
for an answer.

[Illustration: The Star In The East. GUSTAVE DORE. Matthew, ii, 1-12.]

[Illustration: Elijah's Ascent In A Chariot Of Fire. GUSTAVE DORE. II
Kings, ii.]

A Rich Father visits his Dying Prodigal Son in a Garret and Forgives him.

There is a story told of Mr. William Dawson, which I would like to
relate. While preaching in London, one night at the close of his sermon,
he said that there was not one in all London whom Christ could not save.
In the morning a young lady called upon him and said: "Mr. Dawson, in
your sermon last night you said that 'there was no man in all London
whom Christ could not save.' I find a young man in my district who says
he cannot be saved, and who will not listen to me. Won't you go and see
him? I am sure you can do more with him than I can." Mr. Dawson readily
assented, and went with the young lady to the East End--up one of those
narrow streets there, and at the top of a rickety staircase found a
garret, in which a man was stretched upon straw. He bent over him and
said, "Friend." "Friend!" said the young man, turning upon him, "you
must take me for some other person. I have no friends." "Ah," replied
the Christian, "you are mistaken. Christ is the sinner's friend." The
man thought this too good; "Why," said he, "my whole family have cast me
off; every friend I had has left me, and no one cares for me." Mr.
Dawson spoke to him kindly, and quoted promise after promise--told him
what Christ had suffered to give him eternal life. At first his efforts
were fruitless, but finally the light of the gospel began to break in on
the young man, and the first sign was his heart went out to those he had
injured. And, my friends, this is one of the first indications of the
acceptance of Christ with the sinner. He said: "I could die in peace now
if my father would but forgive me." "Well," replied the man of God, "I
will go and see your father and ask him for his forgiveness." "No, no,"
was the sad answer of the young man, "you cannot go near him. My father
has disinherited me; he has taken my name from the family records; he
has forbidden the mention of my name in his house by any of the family
or servants in his presence, and you n