A once expelled boy became a changed man after shipwreck and repentance.
The Rev. T. T. Biddulph, of St. James's Church, Bristol, England, mentioned from the pulpit, about 1818, that a boy, some years before, behaved so ill in the St. James's Sunday school, that neither kindness nor severity appeared to have any effect on him. At length the teachers were very reluctantly obliged to expel him. For several years they heard nothing of him, and had almost forgotten the circumstance of his expulsion. Lately, however, as a clergyman, who had been a teacher in the school, was sitting in his study, in a distant country village, a sailor knocked at the door. On being admitted, he said to the clergyman, "I suppose that you have forgotten me, sir?" "Yes," said the Rev. Henry Poole, "I have, if I ever knew you." "Do you remember a wicked boy named James Saunders?" "Oh, yes," said he, "I have cause to remember him; he gave me much trouble and anxiety. What do you know of him?" "I am the lad!" "You are grown so, and so much altered, I could not have believed it. Well, James, what account can you give of yourself?" "A very sorry one, sir. When I was expelled from the school, I left the city, and wandered, I scarcely knew or cared where. At length I found myself at the sea-side. Weary of living by lying and stealing, I got on shipboard; and after sailing in various parts of the world, I was shipwrecked in a hurricane in the Bay of Honduras. After swimming till my strength failed me, I gave myself up for lost. In the middle of a dark night, I came to my senses, and found myself on a rock half covered with water. I looked around and called out for my shipmates, and found that two of them were circumstanced like myself, every moment expecting a watery grave.
For the first time since I left the school, you, sir, darted into my mind. I thought of your kindness, of my base ingratitude, and of some of the sacred truths you took so much pains to fix in my memory; particularly that passage in Numbers xxiii. 9, 'From the top of the rocks I see him.' In my extremity, I looked to the Savior, of whom I had heard so much, but whom I had so long slighted and despised. I knelt down, up to my waist in water, and cried mightily, that God would be the rock of my heart, and my portion for ever. I found your words true, that 'praying breath was never spent in vain.' On the day breaking, we discovered some pieces of the wreck, on which we ultimately succeeded in reaching the shore. Then many precious truths which you had taught me from the Bible came fresh into my memory; though I had almost forgotten during my career of iniquity, even that there was such a book. I thought, sir, you would be glad to find that all your care and anxiety on my behalf was not lost; I therefore walked from my ship to thank you, in the best manner I can, for your former kindness to me."
Knowing the cunning adroitness of the lad, Mr. Poole was half inclined to discredit him. He inquired the name of his captain, to whom he wrote, and ascertained that since this young man had sailed with him, his conduct had been so correct and exemplary, that whenever he knew James Saunders was on deck, he made himself perfectly easy, knowing that the duties of the ship would be faithfully attended to. Many months afterwards, Mr. Poole received a letter from the captain, saying that poor James Saunders, in a distant part of the world, was seized with a fever; that during its progress he sent for the sailors, read to them while he was able out of the Bible, exhorted them to cleave to the Rock of ages that never moves, to take example by him, though one of the vilest of sinners, who had found mercy and grace to help in every time of need; and commending them all to Jesus, he fell asleep in Him without a struggle.
The new school rooms at Bristol, accommodating from five to six hundred children, being in debt several hundred pounds, some gentlemen of the committee, and other friends to the institution, had lent the money wanted, upon loan, in sums to suit their convenience, and had received bills for their respective amounts bearing interest. The day after narrating the above incident, Mr. Biddulph received from a member of his congregation a letter, inclosing one of these bills for fifty pounds, requesting Mr. B. to burn it, as the above anecdote had amply repaid both the principal and interest on it. Another of the congregation, who held three similar fifty pound bills, sent them with a like request. Surely this is encouragement for every person connected with Sunday schools, to persevere amidst discouragements.
