THERE was once a poor African mother who was starving with her children. There were five children, and she and her husband resolved to sell one of them for a slave, and to buy food with the money they would get for it, and so to save the rest. So all the five were placed in a row, and father and mother looked at them.
“Well, we cannot sell Sam,” said the father; “he is so strong and active, we could not do without him.”
“Cassy certainly must not go,” said the mother; “she minds the children, and is my greatest comfort.”
“Well, poor Tom shall not be sold; he is so patient and gentle, and could not bear hard treatment,” said the father, “and I am sure I will never part with Chloe, who is the life of us all—she is so merry.”
“And would you have me give up my baby then?” said the mother.
“No we cannot spare one of them; we had better starve a little longer first.”
These poor African parents had five dear children, and they could not spare one; but God gave His only Son for our sakes. O, what love!
And then the love of Jesus! He came and died such a cruel, shameful death, to wash away our sins in His precious blood, that I am sure we should love Him all our lives for it.
We find out what a dreadful thing sin is, when we see that nothing but the blood of the Son of God can blot it out; and now if we believe in Him our sins are washed away in His precious blood, and God will remember them no more.
ML 03/24/1918