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I Can,” and “I’ll Try

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 10.

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“I Can,” and “I’ll Try.”

They can do a great deal, these four words. For overcoming difficulties there is nothing like them. Robert Morrison, a little English boy, had this spirit, as I will tell you. Robert was the youngest of a large family. The Morrisons were poor, and the children were early put to work, hard work too; and it took a great deal to earn a little bread. The parents were godly people, and brought up their family in the fear of God. Little Robert was often impressed by his pious father’s teaching, and his mother’s holy example, and by the time he was twelve years old he had given his whole heart to God.
About this time he went to Newcastle to learn a trade. While learning his trade, however, he did not forget all the good he had learned at home, nor did evil example draw him away from his Saviour. Often, while busy at work, he had his Bible open before him studying it; and often in the evening you might have found him kneeling in the workshop with a number of his little companions, praying to God—a little boys’ prayer-meeting. Sometimes, too, he could be seen with his Bible under his arm, going down the street; and if you watched him, you would have seen him turn into some poor cottage where an old man or woman was perhaps sick, to whom he had come to read God’s word. His little visits were like angels’ visits to these old people; and as he went away they said, “That little lad will be a good and great man yet.”
Certainly it was a good beginning, was it not? As he grew up he determined to devote his life to the work of God, and he chose the missionary service as the one best suited to his feelings; therefore, when the London Missionary Society wanted a missionary to go to China, they selected Robert Morrison.
But before going he must learn something of the language; and the Chinese language, you know, is one of the hardest in the world to learn. No one in England, at that time, was ever known to have learned it. Of course no one could be found to teach it; nor were there any books to help a scholar along. Was not this a difficulty? A great one, I should call it.
At last a Chinaman was found living in London, Yong-sam-tak. Yong-sam-tak said he would be Robert’s teacher. But where should they get Chinese books? A permit was gotten to search through the British Museum, and see if anything could be found there to suit his purpose. There is nothing like trying, you know. And what did Robert one day find but the best kind of Chinese book for his purpose? With this book, and the help of Yong-sam-tak, young Morrison sat down to his studies.
One day a gentleman came in, and, seeing its odd letters, asked what language that was. “Chinese,” answered Robert. “Chinese!” exclaimed the gentleman; “do you understand Chinese?” “Oh! no, sir,” replied the young man, “but I am trying to understand it.” “And what are you going to gain,” asked the gentleman, “by trying to learn so difficult a language that many think no European can ever master?” “All I can say is,” answered the young man modestly, “that I feel an earnest desire to learn it; and if zeal and patience can master it, I will.”
When he was thought fit to be sent out, he was allowed to go; and making his way round by America, he at last reached Canton, for this was fifty years ago, when a voyage around the world was attended with greater difficulties and dangers than it now is.
He found the people in Canton looked upon him with suspicion, and he was obliged to proceed cautiously. He put on the dress of a Chinaman, and took a low, cellar-like room, called a “godown,” where he lived in great secrecy. Here, day and night, he pored over his books, talking with the people, and preaching to them as best he could.
He was a hard student, and he made such progress, that in seven years he put the New Testament into the Chinese language. Then he was joined by another missionary, Dr. Milne, to whom he taught the language, and four years after, in 1818, they finished the translation of the whole Bible; that is, they gave to one half the heathen world the word of God in a language they could understand. Was not that a great and blessed work?
Twenty years after, the gentleman who saw young Morrison over his Chinese book in the Museum, sat on the platform of the London Missionary Society, and to his astonishment and delight saw him present the whole Bible translated into Chinese. Never fear, boys, mastering any great difficulty after that. “I’ll try,” and “I will,” can work wonders in the world. Industry and steadfastness, joined to a noble purpose, are the great powers of the world.