Beloved Brother C. S.,
“We feel so thankful to our God and Father, through His infinite mercy to us. We have had such a blessed time this evening, I feel constrained to let you also partake of our joy. Three young men of the 50th Regiment, who have attended the Bible reading every Wednesday, called tonight (one of them was saved the first or second night we went to Ras-el-Tin palace, through the Lord using John 5:2121For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. (John 5:21)); the other two unsaved, and could not see the truth before; but it pleased God to reveal it to them tonight, I trust. We had a blessed meeting on the marriage-supper (Matt. 22.), and one of them made a bold confession, and is determined to kneel at his bed, and confess Him before his comrades..... I am sure the blessed Lord is never ashamed of a poor sinner that goes to Him, and we should not be ashamed to let all men know that we are on the Lord’s side.
August 5th, 10.15 p.m.—I know you will be glad to hear that one of the above mentioned converts has desired fellowship, after very prayerfully going into the matter, and, no doubt, he is a bold young servant for Christ, and he brings all he can to the meetings. Brother W. has been used specially of the Lord to the conversion of one of his comrades, an old soldier, who is really, like us all, a perfect miracle of saving grace; and the dear old brother is always poring over the word.
“We had a remarkable case of conversion. On Sunday, the 27th of July, C. and I were standing at his window when a sergeant of the Army Hospital Corps was passing, C. asked him why he would not come into the ark; and he said he should like to, and eventually came into the meeting, and, after the meeting, brother C. and I prayed for him. And the next Lord’s day we were surprised to see him come again, unasked. After that meeting, when we were seeing the sailor brethren off home, he went with us, and he told me that, ever since the last Sunday, he had had no peace, and did what he had never done, in all his soldiering, before, namely, read and prayed over the word of God. And yet he could not find peace as we spoke of it. We proposed to go to his quarters, and tell a loving God and Father about it all. He was pleased, for he was truly in earnest about his soul’s salvation. For to be seen with brother C. is quite enough to bring a laugh from the world. Well, we got into his room, and there was an old Bible, his dear father, I think, gave him, years ago. He took it up, and told us he was in this fix: ‘he could not understand how, after a long life of sin, that he could be saved at once, or suddenly, without showing some signs of getting better,’ &c, &c. The Lord at once guided to Eph. 2:4-104But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4‑10), and he was requested to read them. He did, and was pondering deeply, in earnest, and we were praying. At last he said, Well, I cannot get over that 5th verse; “Even when we were dead in sins; hath quickened us together with Christ; by grace ye are saved.” Praise and bless His holy, peerless name, dear M. saw it at once, and all three of us praised the Lord, while the presence of the “Almighty to save” was gladdened with the joy of a sinner being saved.
“I was struck with the order: first, confession as a sinner; then, asked forgiveness; then, thanked God for saving him; and then cried, with tears, to God for his darling wife and child. Then he prayed earnestly that he might be allowed by God to tell others what God had done for him.
“Nearly all the brethren from Cairo have gone to the front. The 50th Regiment is, I believe, to go up in a month’s time. We received a nice letter from the brother at Suakim; they break bread in the desert. Also from Port Said; they also break bread in the desert. I know I need not ask your continued prayers for us. Now, dear brother, I must draw to a close. All the saints here salute you, and I also salute you in the Lord, and knowing that now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. I humbly pray that we may shine the brighter in the darkening clouds of an evil world, thanking Him that we are brands plucked from the burning. J. Hines.”