The young Christian - 1832 Author:Jacob Abbott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The bruised reed. Prayer. is, that after this a backsliding Christian can ever hesitate to come back at once after he has wandered, with an assurance that God... more » will forgive. He will not break the bruised reed. How beautiful and striking an illustration of our Redeemer's kindness to those who have sinned. A planter walks out into his grounds, and among the reeds growing there, there is one—young, green and slender—which a rude blast has broken. Its verdant top is drenched in the waters which bathe its root; and perhaps he hesitates for a moment whether to tear it from the spot and throw it away. But no ; he raises it to its place, carefully adjusts its bruised stem, and sustains it by a support, till it once more acquire its former strength and beauty. Now Jesus Christ is this planter. Every backsliding humbled Christian is a bruised reed; and O how many are now thriving and vigorous, that in the hour of humiliation have been saved by his tenderness. Come then to this friend, all of you. Bring all your interests and hopes and fears to him ; he will sympathize in them all. And whenever you have wandered never hesitate a moment to return. CHAPTER III. PRAYER " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I will do it." As I have on this subject many separate points to discuss, I shall arrange what I have to say under several distinct heads, that the view presented may be the better understood and remembered. I. The power of prayer. This subject may be best illustrated by describing a case. The ubsent son. The father's promises. Its implied limitations. A kind and affectionate father, whose son had arrived at an age which rendered it necessary for him to prepare for the business of life, concluded to send him from home Their mutual attachment was strong, and thoug...« less