A Miracle of Perseverance and Success
THERE are very few people, comparatively, who know of the great work accomplished by the late Samuel I. J. Schereschewsky, missionary bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was born a Jew; but while he was in the University of Breslau, a Hebrew New Testament fell into his hands, and through reading it he became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. This led him to a break with his family, and he came to America, where his education was completed in a theological seminary of New York. He went as a missionary to China, and on a hot August day in 1881 he had a stroke, and was partially paralyzed in consequence. Most people, under such circumstances, would have thought their work at an end; but he began to translate the Scriptures into Wen-li, the classical dialect. He did his work at first by dictation, but afterward he used a typewriter, employing the Roman alphabet to spell out the Chinese sounds. Part of the time his middle finger, the only one of which he had the use, was too weak to press down the keys, and he used a stick for the purpose. He continued his task under these difficulties for nine years. His Wen-li version was found so good that the Bible Society undertook the expense of printing it. He also superintended the printing of a version of the Old Testament in Mandarin. Thus, under these seemingly impossible conditions, Bishop Schereschewsky gave to the world two of the best Chinese versions of the Bible, both of which were adopted by the Bible societies as the best translations then existing. When the Master was here upon earth, He made the prediction that His gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations. The great Chinese nation was in existence when He uttered that statement. Other nations of the Orient were in existence, though largely unknown to the human family. But the Lord715of glory knew what would be done after weary centuries would pass by, and so He made the announcement. When the time comes for the fulfilment of that great prophecy, we see men arising to do just such heroic deeds as this work of the great though comparatively unknown bishop. His labors were quiet, and in his retired position only a few, comparatively, came to know him or about him. Yet without doubt, when the Master uttered the prophecy concerning the gospel going to all nations, He had in mind this very bishop, and knew of the great work that he would do; and it has been one of the miracles of His grace to keep the man alive and to show what divine power could do through an instrument of such physical weakness. One of the greatest miracles that the Lord has ever performed is the miraculous work that was accomplished by Bishop Schereschewsky.