An infant school, made up chiefly of Jewish children, was once put in the charge of a Christian lady. Among the hymns that she taught her scholars was a sweet one beginning,
“Seeing I am Jesus’ lamb.” Most of the scholars learned it in a short time, and they were very fond of singing it.
One day in the middle of summer, one of the scholars met the teacher, and told her that on the day before, a little Jewish boy belonging to the school had fallen into the river, and came very near being drowned.
The next Sunday this little fellow was in school again. The teacher spoke to him kindly, and asked him how it happened that he fell into the water.
He said he was walking on a plank by the edge of the river, when he stumbled and fell into the water.
“Were you not very much frightened when you found yourself in the water?”
“No, ma’am.”
“But what did you think about when the water closed over your head?”
“Why,” said the little Israelite, and his eyes sparkled as he spoke, “I thought over the words of the beautiful hymn you taught us:
“Seeing I am Jesus’ lamb,
He, I know, will lose me never;
When I stray, He seeketh me—
Death is but new life forever;
Father, to Thy home on high
Take me, for Christ’s lamb Amos I.”
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.... and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”
ML 08/22/1965