My dear friend, J.P.C., of Gosport, sends me the following incidents in one of his most interesting letters: ―
A Marvelous Escape
“My niece is very pleased with the parcel you sent, and I am to thank you for it. She gives encouraging news of her son, who ridiculed his mother before he went to war. He is only twenty, and was injured in the Dardanelles affair, when he had a marvelous escape. His machine gun was smashed to pieces, his wrist watch torn off, but he escaped with a few bullet wounds. One of his unit found the watch two days after minus the strap. I have seen that watch. The dear boy tells that before going into action several of them went, with their officer, and kneeled down and prayed, and those that escaped met again, with others not of the previous party, to thank God. The dear boy is still unfit for any but very light duty.”
The Man who was Called Dead
“She speaks of her brother, who always bore a character the reverse of Christian, that he speaks now of better things, unworldly things, and we are all so glad. He went through the Ber War, and many were his marvelous escapes, yet no sign of a change. But I think the battle of Mons aroused him to a sense of his condition before God. He was blown out of the trench and his rifle smashed to pieces. Descending on his head, he was thus rendered unconscious and put down amongst the dead. He partly recovered consciousness, but was unable to move, and heard his name called—dead. One of the others saw him move his foot, and told the officer, who said, ‘Take him to the rear; he won’t last long!’ But he recovered, and after a few months in a hospital at Marseilles he wrote in his jocose way: ‘They are putting me together to send me home.’ What a trophy of the mercy of God! I have not seen him, but I have seen his wife, and dear little son of six years, and he desires her to bring him up rightly.”
Three Incidents
1St “I don’t believe in God”
My friend continues in his letter:—
“While I am writing I must tell you of three little incidents. First, early in May I offered a Testament to a stalwart fellow in khaki. He scoffed at it, saying, I don’t believe it; ‘I don’t believe in God; neither do I believe in a hereafter.’ After a moment’s thought I said, I am not surprised to hear you say you don’t believe in God, or His Word, but I am very sorry for you. You must have read it, or you could not say that. Let me persuade you to read it again.’ He replied, ‘I do not wish to; religion is all a failure.’ ‘I can quite understand what you mean, but the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom this little Book speaks, is not a failure but a great success, as a Saviour of sinners like me, and may I add, you? Try Him.’ His manner changed from bitterness to interest. After a little persuasion he took the Testament, and I said, ‘I shall pray for you, and God will bless you.’ He went away cheerfully, saying, ‘I will read it again.’”
2nd— “I have been to Hell”
“As I was returning from Spring Vale to Ryde I met three men, two of them in uniform. To these I gave Testaments, to the other a ‘Message.’ He refused it. Not being in uniform, I thought he was a friend, and was surprised to hear him say, ‘I don’t want anything of that sort.’ Have you been to the Front?’ ‘Indeed I have,’ he said fiercely, ‘I have been to hell.’ ‘Then,’ said I, you would like to try what heaven is like.’ ‘Don’t talk about such things to me. You people are trying to do good, but I don’t want to hear about it.’ I said, I do not know a better name for that terrible conflict you have been in: it was hellish, but you will appreciate what heaven is like, and God has made the way easy to get there. Do try by taking Jesus as your Saviour, then I shall see you there.’ Love conquered. He took the ‘Message’ and a card for a Testament. His companions chaffed him. He replied, ‘The old gent is right.’”
3rd— “I’m all right now”
“Last evening I was watching two wounded men returning to quarters, when one of them with crutches said to the other, ‘That’s the old gent that used to visit us in the guard-room.’ I went to them and said, ‘I do not remember your faces.’ ‘We remember you, sir. You gave me a Testament.’ ‘Have you got it?’ ‘I left it at home as a souvenir of the war. I would like another.’ I gave them each a card for you. The one on crutches was in pain, so I did not detain them long. He said, ‘I’m all right now’― meaning with God.”
The Little Boy’s Faith
A little boy said to a Colonel: “My father, when he gets to the Front, won’t he give them ‘socks’?” “Yes,” said the Colonel, “I hope he will come back all right.” “Why, of course.” “How do you know?” “Because I pray for him every night.” “Oh, I see.” “Yes, and I’ll pray for you if you go.”―F.F.M.