Friday, June 17, 2005
TRY HIM ONCE MORE
Eleonor Doan, Speakers Sourcebook
Some years ago in a manufacturing town of Scotland a young lady applied to the superintendent of a Sunday school for a class. At his suggestion she gathered a class of poor boys.The superintendent told them to come to his house during the week and he would give them each a new suit of clothes. They came, and each was nicely fitted out.
The worst and most unpromising boy in the class was a lad named Bob. After two or three Sundays he was missing and the teacher went out to hunt him up. She found that his new clothes were torn and dirty, but she invited him back to school, and he came. The superintendent gave him a second new suit, but after attending once or twice, Bob was again absent. Once again she sought him out, only to find that the second suit had gone the way of the first.
"I am utterly discouraged with Bob," she said, when she reported the case to the superintendent, "and I must give him up."
"Please don't do that," the superintendent replied. "I can't but hope there is something good in Bob. Try him once more. I'll give him a third suit if he'll promise to attend regularly."
Bod did promise, and received his third new suit. He attended regularly after that, and became interested in the school. He became an earnest and persevering seeker after Jesus, and found Him. He joined the church. He was made a teacher. He studied for the ministry. The end of the story is that this discouraging boy -- forlorn, rugged, runaway Bob -- became Robert Morrison, the great missionary to China who translated the Bible into the Chinese language, and by so doing, opened the kingdom of heaven to the teeming millions of that vast country.
Some years ago in a manufacturing town of Scotland a young lady applied to the superintendent of a Sunday school for a class. At his suggestion she gathered a class of poor boys.The superintendent told them to come to his house during the week and he would give them each a new suit of clothes. They came, and each was nicely fitted out.
The worst and most unpromising boy in the class was a lad named Bob. After two or three Sundays he was missing and the teacher went out to hunt him up. She found that his new clothes were torn and dirty, but she invited him back to school, and he came. The superintendent gave him a second new suit, but after attending once or twice, Bob was again absent. Once again she sought him out, only to find that the second suit had gone the way of the first.
"I am utterly discouraged with Bob," she said, when she reported the case to the superintendent, "and I must give him up."
"Please don't do that," the superintendent replied. "I can't but hope there is something good in Bob. Try him once more. I'll give him a third suit if he'll promise to attend regularly."
Bod did promise, and received his third new suit. He attended regularly after that, and became interested in the school. He became an earnest and persevering seeker after Jesus, and found Him. He joined the church. He was made a teacher. He studied for the ministry. The end of the story is that this discouraging boy -- forlorn, rugged, runaway Bob -- became Robert Morrison, the great missionary to China who translated the Bible into the Chinese language, and by so doing, opened the kingdom of heaven to the teeming millions of that vast country.
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 9:04 PM 
