AT the age of fifteen I had a great desire to become a soldier.; but on trying to enlist in the 4th/60th Rifles at Dublin was told that being under age special permission from the Horse Guards was necessary, and that before it could be applied for I must first obtain my parents’ consent in writing, produce a good character, and pass the doctor.
Having satisfied the regimental authorities on these points the necessary permission was at once applied for; but as it had not arrived within a week’s time, and the regiment was under orders to proceed to Fermoy, it was decided at the last moment to smuggle me there in soldier’s clothes. So I borrowed a bugler boy’s suit, and in a few minutes was dressed in it, looking “every inch a soldier.” But I was not a soldier—wearing soldier’s clothes did not make a soldier of me.
As we marched from Ship Street Barracks to King’s Bridge Station that morning, I did my best to look and feel like a soldier. But trying to look and feel like a soldier did not make a soldier of me. In fact the more I looked like a soldier the more I deceived others, and the more I felt like a soldier the more I deceived myself; and the amount of confidence I had in my looks and feelings can be judged by the fact that at the station I trembled lest the railway officials should count the men and find me out. However, to my great relief, the train soon moved off, and in a few hours we reached Fermoy, where the Sergeant-Major at once told me to take off my “borrowed feathers,” so that I was no longer able to deceive myself or others.
Several days passed at Fermoy without the arrival of the longed-for permission, and I began to fear that it would not be granted; but at last one morning the Sergeant-Major met me on the barrack square and said, “Well, lad, we have permission to enlist you at last. Are you still willing to enlist?”
On assuring him that I was, he took a shilling out of his pocket, and held it towards me; but I was so bewildered by the suddenness of the event that I stood looking at the shilling for a few moments, but was soon brought to my senses by hearing him shout, “Take it lad; if you want it.”
Immediately I stretched forth my hand and took the shilling, and the next moment he said, “Now, lad, you are as much a soldier as I am.”
Never shall I forget the joy with which I walked across the barrack square that morning. I was a soldier and knew it. How did I become a soldier? Not by obtaining my parents’ consent, producing a good character, passing the doctor, or even by obtaining special permission, but by “TAKING THE SHILLING.” That was how I became a soldier. And how did I know that I was a soldier? I had the testimony of the Sergeant-Major (the best authority in the regiment) that I was as much a soldier as he. TAKING the shilling made me a soldier. BELIEVING the Sergeant-Major made me know that I was a soldier.
A few years later I had a desire to join another army. I longed to become a soldier of JESUS CHRIST. This time I was not asked to obtain my parents’ consent, or it would have been willingly given. Nor was I asked to produce a good character, or it could not have been produced (read Rom. 3:1010As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)). Nor was I required to pass the doctor; for if, like the dying thief, I had come to Jesus with the fag-end of a misspent life, I should still have been welcome (read Luke 23:39-4339And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39‑43)). Nor yet was special permission necessary, for God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)). And as to keeping a poor anxious sinner waiting, I have learned that God is more eager to save the poor sinner than the sinner is to be saved. God says, “Come Now” (Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)).
But, like many others, while believing that the sinner was saved by grace, yet I had a lurking thought that the sinner had to supplement that grace by his own works in order to obtain that salvation. In other words, I thought that the sinner had to assist in making a Christian of himself, therefore just as I put off my civilian clothes and put on soldier’s uniform before I was a soldier, so I divested myself of my worldly attire and invested myself with Christian garments before I was a Christian. First of all I renounced everything I thought to be inconsistent with Christianity, and adopted everything I thought had any semblance of Christianity about it. I joined various temperance and purity associations; I attended church regularly, and partook of Holy Communion on every possible occasion, and never missed a Bible reading or prayer meeting if I could help it. My voice was no longer heard in the canteen or on the stage, singing songs, but in the church choir singing praises to God. And last, but by no means least, for this was the severest test of all, I joined the little band of Christians in the regiment, and from thenceforth became known as a despised “Blue-light.”
And all this time I was not a Christian, I was trying to be one, and at times I really felt and believed that I was one. But all this did not make a Christian of me. In fact, the more I looked like a Christian the more I deceived others, and the more I felt that I was one the more I deceived myself. Not that I was a hypocrite—God knew that. No hypocrite could stand for long what the Christian was called to stand in the British Army in those days. But at times I felt hopelessly lost, and these feelings of depression became more frequent and more pronounced as time went on.
But the darkest hour is the one before the dawn. God, in His great mercy, was only leading me to value that “great salvation” which He was about to show me, by leading me “out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)) in a very simple but remarkable way.
In 1885 I was on detachment duty at Chirat, a small hill station in the north of India. One evening a number of Christians met in the Church tent for prayer. That day I had been terribly tried, and had almost decided not to go to the meetings anymore; but as I thought of the effect my “giving up” would probably have on the weaker (?) ones, who looked up to me as a kind of leader (?), I determined to make one more try for their sakes, for I was really much attached to them.
Two or three Christians had already prayed when I suddenly burst out into an agony of prayer, in which I pleaded with God to save me, and give me the assurance of salvation, of which I had heard others speak with such joy. Suddenly I found myself repeating those beautiful lines,
“Then take with rejoicing from Jesus at once,
The life everlasting He gives;
And know with assurance, thou never canst die,
Since JESUS thy righteousness lives.”
In a moment I could see where I had been wrong for years; that just as I had stood looking at the shilling in the Sergeant-Major’s hand, so I had been looking at and working for the salvation which God was offering me as a free gift, and that in that verse which I had just quoted He was saying just what the Sergeant-Major had said to me,
“TAKE IT, LAD, IF YOU WANT IT.”
Immediately I stretched forth the hand of faith, and said, “Lord Jesus! I take at once as a free gift the life everlasting that Thou art offering me; and I know with assurance that I shall never die as long as Thou dost live.” The next moment I rose from my knees, the conscious possessor of God’s full, free, and everlasting salvation; and though over thirty years have since elapsed I have never for one moment lost the assurance of it.
Never shall I forget the joy with which I walked across the camp square that night. I was saved and knew it. How did I get saved? “Not by works of righteousness which I had done” (Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)). Not by giving up everything that was bad, and by going in for everything that was good, though all this proved that I was in earnest, but by TAKING eternal life as a free gift from God. And how did I know that I was saved? By BELIEVING the word of God (the only authority on the subject) that “He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). Further, I may add that at that time I got this text from the Lord Jesus, “Because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:1919Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19)). If the Sergeant-Major could say to me when I had taken the shilling, “Now, lad, you are as much a soldier as I am,” Jesus can tell me that the moment I believe in Him I HAVE eternal life, and that I shall NEVER perish (John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)).
As to “works” I can now say—
“I would not work my soul to save,
That work my Lord path done,
But I would work like any slave,
From love to God’s dear Son.”
~~~
And now it may be the reader is a soldier of King George the Fifth, having responded to the call of his King and Country to “do his bit” in this “Great War.” You may have given up a good berth, or loved ones, and gone to the front to drive that cruel foe out of those countries which he has so treacherously invaded in breach of his agreements; for you know that the brutalities perpetrated by him in those places would be as nothing compared with the excesses he would commit if ever he set foot in this country. For these sacrifices the country thanks you, and assures you that should you be called upon to make the “supreme sacrifice” it will see that adequate provision is made for those dependent on you.
But, let me ask you, “Have you made any provision for your own future” “No,” you reply, “we are told that it is not necessary to do so; that all those who die in battle, fighting for their King and Country, are sure to go to heaven and there join the army of the King of kings.”
Let me tell you that there is not a shred of authority in Scripture for any such statement. Listen to what JESUS has to say on that point: “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:2929And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (John 8:29)). “And whither I go ye cannot come” (John 8:3434Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:34)). No! if ever you are to join the army of Christ in heaven you must first join it on earth. No enlisting in heaven. “In the place where the tree falls, there it shall be” (Eccles. 11:33If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. (Ecclesiastes 11:3)).
Comrade! Do not trust your soul to such a rotten plank as your own death to save your own soul. Trust the death of CHRIST, and the death of Christ ALONE. Enlist under the banner of JESUS now, and make sure that you are in His army now, and then you will be in it for time and eternity.
What have you got to do?
“TAKE IT, LAD, IF YOU WANT IT.”
Just say, “I WILL TAKE the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:1313I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:13)). Then you can add—
“‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done;
I am my Lord’s and He is mine.
He drew me, and I followed on,
Charmed to confess the voice divine.
Happy day! Happy day!
When Jesus washed my sins away.”
T. C. M.