We are reminded of the promise that God will “blot out” our
transgressions by the following incident:
John Maynard was in an old-time country schoolhouse. Most of
the year he had drifted carelessly along, but in midwinter some
kind words from his teacher roused him to take a new start,
and he became distinctly a different boy, and made up for the
earlier faults. At the closing examination he passed well, to
the great joy of his father and mother, who were present. But
the copy-books used through the year were all laid on a table
for the visitors to look at; and John remembered that his
copy-book, fair enough in its latter pages, had been a dreary
mass of blots and bad work before. He watched his mother looking
over those books, and his heart was sick. But she seemed, to
his surprize, quite pleased with what she saw, and called his
father to look with her; and afterward John found that his kind
teacher had thoughtfully torn out all those bad, blotted leaves,
and made his copy-book begin where he started to do better.
(Text.)--FRANKLIN NOBLE, “Sermons in Illustration.”
(882)
=Effects from Other’s Deeds=--See VICARIOUSNESS.
=Effort, Progress by=--See WANT BRINGS PROGRESS.
=Effort Renewed=--See EXTREMITY NOT FINAL.