"Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might."

A True Story.
When Lord Kitchener’s Army was being billetted up and down the country, our city, like most others, threw open their doors to receive the men who defended our country from the invasion of the enemy. I was busily working away at the bench, repairing worn out soles and heels, when in came a strong, stiff, well-built Kitchener’s Army soldier bringing his boots to be re-heeled. Just at that moment my wife (glad at the consciousness of her acceptance with God, through Faith in the Saviour’s Most Precious Blood) struck up on the organ (quite unconscious of anyone listening) “Fight the good fight with all thy might,” etc., and commenced to sing the same with feeling. The soldier listened, and a tear came to his eye as he said: “I have not heard that since I left my father’s home many years ago. I wish I was like him. He is a servant of Grad and a Preacher of the Gospel, and I am his poor prodigal son.” Seeing at once the Holy Spirit was leading him and being on the lookout for souls, I suggested that he would leave his boots, go down town, do his shopping, call back in an hour, they would be ready. We would shut up shop a little earlier and talk about these things, to which he gladly responded. Back he came at promised time, but said “I don’t think I will come in.” Seeing that Satan was about to hinder a soul coming into the Light, as he always does (“While he was yet coming the devil threw him down,” it says in the Gospel — Luke 9:4242And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. (Luke 9:42)), I said, “Now come along. Be as good as your word. I have fulfilled mine, everything is ready for you. Don’t let Satan hinder you.” He came in. I pointed him to the Word of God by which assurance of salvation alone can come (Acts 16, from vs. 25), how the jailor at Philippi on the verge of eternity, trembling and quaking at the prospect ahead of him, found salvation and deliverance on the spot in a moment of time, without any delay. He could do the same straightaway. Christ is the same. The word “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” is the same that brought deliverance then, can do so NOW. He wept like a child. “I cannot understand this,” he said. “I left home and all my children, yet never cried like this. What a baby I am.” “I can understand,” I said, “The Holy Spirit is producing tears of repentance. Will you, here and NOW, allow Christ to save you? He won’t help to save you. He will do it all. He will save you; He is not a helper in this matter, but ‘A Saviour.’ Rest on Him entirely. Allow your sins to rest on His Sacrifice. ‘It is FINISHED,’ He said. Don’t insult Him by adding any merits of your own.” On this strain I spoke to him. He saw the way, entered it, and joy unspeakable lit up his countenance. “Now confess Him. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (Jesus as your Lord) and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead THOU SHALT BE SAVED.” He replied, “I really believe in the Lord Jesus as MY OWN Saviour and confess Him as My Lord.” “Let us get down and thank Him; the least we could do if a friend gave you a present, would be to say ‘Thank you.’ Now as God has given you Eternal life, THANK HIM.” He did so with overflowing joy. “Will you do me a favor?” he said. “Gladly,” I responded. “Write home to my old Dad and tell him his prayers are answered; his prodigal son has returned.” No scribe ever wrote more gladly such a message than I did that Friday night. The old Preacher received it just as he was going out to preach that Sunday morning, as Sunday post was then carried on. He replied: “I was just going to preach in a village, and, overjoyed by your letter, I read it to the congregation, and they all wept with joy along with me over my prodigal’s return. Thank God, He answers prayer, whatever the skeptic may say. I preached again in the evening at another place of worship, and read the letter to them, and they rejoiced with me that my son who was lost was found. The angels shared that joy to a greater degree, for ‘there is more joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth; MORE than over 99 who need no repentance.’” The old man could now say, “Lord, now letteth Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Pray on, ye faint-hearted. Anticipate your answers — they are on the way. GOD WILL FULFIL THE DESIRES OF THOSE THAT FEAR HIM. If the reader is not assured of his own salvation, no word of Priest, Vicar, Pope can ever set your soul FREE. LET God’s Voice, written in the Scriptures, set you Eternally Free, never to be in bondage again. “If the Son make YOU FREE, then are you Free indeed.”
W. T.