A LITTLE girl was one day distributing tracts, when, meeting with a sailor, she handed him a little book in his own language called “Bob, the Cabin-Boy,” saying kindly, “Will you please take this tract?” The pleasant tones of her voice led him to accept the gift at once, and the sight of his mother-tongue upon the title page constrained him to read it. Through God’s grace, it was used to his conversion; he was led to see his need, as a lost sinner, of a great Saviour, and was enabled to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. On being asked by a friend some time afterwards what he should do when he again went abroad across the seas, he answered with a tear of joy in his eyes, “I will try to preach Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners, wherever I go.”
Now, dear little reader, this sailor was able to speak eight different languages. In his voyages from one part of the world to another, he would, of course, meet with an immense number of people, some speaking one language and some another. To all these he could tell of Jesus Christ; to all these he could say in their own tongue, “Behold the Lamb of God. which taketh away the sin of the world.” “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin,” “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” If sustained by God’s grace, and enabled both to carry out his purpose and to walk as becometh a child of God, setting a holy and consistent example before all around him, what a valuable missionary of the cross such a man may prove! How many hundreds of poor sinners may hear of Christ through him, and telling others become themselves the instruments of bringing sinners to Jesus! Who shall say where the happy fruits of that one little tract, given by a little girl may stop? Are you a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? Would you not wish to be honored as that little girl was honored of the Lord? Well then, seek grace to “go and do likewise,” and with every tract you give and every word you speak for Christ, ask the blessing of “the Lord of the harvest,” without which all is but labor spent in vain. Then, “in that day” you shall have your reward, and in the meanwhile the joy of doing the will of the Lord will bring its own blessing to your heart and be a present recompense.
“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Eccl. 11:16).
ML 01/14/1917