This circumstance reminds me of a pious father and mother in our
country, whose eldest son had gone to Chicago to a situation. A
neighbour of theirs was in the city on some business, and he met the
young man reeling along the streets drunk. He thought, "How am I to
tell his parents?" When he returned to his village, he went and called
out the father, and told him. It was a terrible blow to that father,
but he said nothing to the mother till the little ones had all gone to
rest; the servants had retired, and all was quiet in that little farm
on the Western prairies. They drew up their chairs to the little
drawing-room table, and then he told her the sad news. "Our boy has
been seen drunk on the streets of Chicago--drunk." Ah, that mother was
sorely hurt; they did not sleep much that night, but spent the hours
in fervent prayers for their boy. About daybreak the mother felt an
inward conviction that all would be well. She told the father "she had
cast it on the Lord, had left her son with Jesus, and she felt He
would save him." One week from that time the young man left Chicago,
took a journey of three hundred miles into the country; and when he
reached his home, he walked in, and said, "Mother, I've come home to
ask you to pray for me." Ah, her prayer had reached heaven; she had
cast her burden on Jesus, and He had borne it for her. He took the
burden, presented her prayer sprinkled with the atoning blood, and got
it answered. In two days that young man returned to Chicago rejoicing
in the Saviour. What a wonderful thing it is to have Christ as our
burden-bearer! How easy, how light do our cares become when cast upon
Him!
Do you say Christ is nothing to you? If so, it is only because you
won't have Him. He is to all who will accept Him a Saviour from death,
a Redeemer from the power of sin, a Deliverer from our enemies, a
Leader through the wilderness; He is the way Himself, He is Light in
the darkness, He is a Teacher to His people, He is the Shepherd of His
flock, our Justification, Wisdom, Righteousness, Elder Brother,
Burden-bearer. He is in fact "Our all in all."
Then come to Christ; oh, come to-day,
The Father, Son, and Spirit say,
The Bride repeats the call,
For He will cleanse your guilty stains,
His love will soothe your weary pains,
For Christ is All in All.