“Thank God for the hundreds of thousands of copies of the Scriptures which have been distributed amongst our brave soldiers and sailors during this frightful War, and God’s Word for it, ‘They shall not return void,’ even the tract, or the letter setting forth the Glory of the Person, and the infinite value of the work of Christ, God can make to accomplish His gracious purposes.”
“Many of the Christians in the Army—not content with distributing the Scriptures amongst, their comrades, at times send part of their pay to provide copies of God’s Word for those in their midst. Ah! there are many of our brave soldiers who left this country indifferent, godless and skeptical, who, having been given a Testament, have been led by the Spirit of God to discover their sinnership, confess Christ on the battlefield, and have found Him to be precious to their souls.”
“I am a cripple for life,’ wrote, one, ‘but I thank God over and over again, that I ever went to France. It was there that I came into contact with dear W—, who showed me the way of salvation. How happy I am in the knowledge and keeping power of Christ’”!
“Another I know said: ‘Worse than a bad sinner, I have served twenty years in the Army without Christ, but the great War has brought sweetness to me, viz., “The love of God, and the joy of His salvation.’””
“A Seaforth Highlander wrote me some time ago: ‘Praise God, was in His goodness that I was hit at―, and now His blessed promise, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:55Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)) makes me desire to know more of His love.’”
“A Corporal, before leaving this country for France, asked a friend of mine if he could tell him a verse in the Bible upon which he could put his finger if he were wounded. Some time ago he wrote me thus: I was wounded in the big battle of―. I have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and my confidence and trust is in Him. Please send me a Testament, as I want to read some of the glorious Words of Christ.’
“The only way to be blessed and saved is by repentance towards God, and faith in a once crucified, but now glory-crowned Christ. The loving Saviour can charm the hearts of sinners as fully now as at any time during the last nineteen centuries. No heart is too hard for His love to penetrate, for He willeth not the death of a sinner.’”
“The blessed truth that Christ is the only Saviour of Sinners, needs to be pressed upon the souls of men, as much now as ever, especially in view of the vile teaching and awful blasphemy of those who seek to open wide the gates of heaven to those who die in their sins, whilst fighting for their country, or the many who seek to get over the difficulty by holding on to the vain hope of another chance.”
“Let me pass on to you the last words of five Christian soldiers who were mortally wounded on the battlefield. The first four referred to, lived a few moments only after being hit. The last one suffered the most intense agony for eight hours before his happy spirit departed to be with Christ: ―
1. ‘Good-bye―, I am going to be with Jesus.’
2. ‘I rejoice in God’s salvation, and His blood cleanseth from all sin.’
3. ‘Dear―, (his Christian comrade), don’t be sorry for me, I am only going Home first.’
4. ‘Death to me means life.’
5. ‘Tell my unsaved comrades there is a Saviour waiting ready to pardon. Tell every Christian they should live each moment looking unto Jesus.’”
“Comrades in arms, and brothers in Christ on earth, they went straight to be with the Saviour in Heaven.”
“How blessed to be hiding in Christ— ‘The Rock of Ages’ —and to be able to sing
‘Oh! Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.’”
J. J. P.
These extracts are taken from a booklet called “Rank and File Episodes,” by J. J. P., Worthing.