Two Letters from The Trenches
The following letters were written by a private in the 3rd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment, who had been brought up in a godly home. They testify, amongst other things, that a blessing attends the faithful bringing-up of a lad by God-fearing parents. In the hours of solitude or peril the remembrance of such a father and mother, their instructions and their example, came with power and had an influence for good.
The letters also show how free is God’s gift of salvation. Many instances are given in Scripture of the wonderful simplicity of a soul’s conversion. Two are in Acts 16. Lydia “attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul”; and to the Philippian jailor it was said “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” In each case there was an obedient faith in a message that came with divine authority. So it had been with the writer of these two letters, The consistent and earnest testimony that his parents had given to Christ as a sinner’s Saviour was used by the Holy Spirit for his conversion last autumn; and soon after midsummer of this year he received a severe shell-wound in the forehead, and fell asleep in Jesus on the 20th of July at the Hospital in Boulogne.
It has been thought well to publish the letters in their simplicity, hoping that many who read them may profit by their testimony.
R. I. B.
BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,
FRANCE, 1916.
MY DEAR MOTHER AND FATHER, — I thank you both for your kind letters, which I was very pleased to get. I am quite all right and in good health and spirits. I have the discomfort of being “crummy,” but that is a mere item; I think the Lord will pull me through all right. I have been in the trenches twice, and am just going again. I am doing as you Say, Dad — looking to Jesus for help. Your book is very good; I have read it through. If you have any more, send them, please. I see a lot of evil around me, and I hate it. To my idea, it is through this continual sin of the world that this War is allowed to continue. Jesus has a motive in allowing this War — it is to rouse the people up to see their wickedness.
When I think, dear Mother, of this lot, my heart grieves for you; because if anything, happens it is you and Dad that has the pain, not me. Life is soon taken. It is those at home I feel sorry for, but you can rest assured that if anything happens to me the Lord has chosen it.
I always really had the inclination to be a Christian, but worldly things have kept me back. But this time I can see the awful wickedness of remaining sinful, and I believe the all-merciful God has pardoned me. I look to Him for life, as your book says, Dad. And when I think things over, you ought to rejoice, because I shall go with Grannie and Lottie; you remember they both called for me.
Dad, I am pleased to the bottom of my heart that you always gave me Christian advice; your labor has not been in vain after all, because I am your son in Jesus. Good-bye,’ Mother and Dad, for the present. I will write you as soon as I can.
BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,
FRANCE.
MY DEAR FATHER IN CHRIST JESUS, ―I have just received your letter, and am just longing to answer it. You ask me how the grace of God came to me. Well, it was like this: I had been in a wood behind the trenches, where we got gassed a bit by the Germans; so I began to gather my thoughts towards God, and wondered if He would permit all these poor fellows to be gassed. I kept striving and prang, and asking Him to make me His child and to help me to go through this ordeal without fear. When we got in the trenches it was dark at night, and the order came to us to stand by and fix bayonets, as we expected an attack from the Germans, who were only a few yards away. I could, as it were, feel myself in the charge, and perhaps a — bayonet through me. I said to myself. “I will and mean, to have sure hope, and not to die when my heart was not right with God.” A passage came to me as it were, “He that repenteth and believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ from the heart, shall be saved.” So I kept praying and pleading, and looking for some sign of any change. But after I had so kept on, I seemed to want to cry with joy — so pleased was I. Something seemed to say to, me, “You are saved! Enter thou into the Kingdom of God!” And then I knew, as sure as there is a God above, that I was saved. And I now feel, and shall always feel, happy and contented, knowing that the Spirit of God has entered into me. I would stake my life that I am converted. I would rather believe there is no war on, than think I am otherwise than a child of God. I would like to be there with you to try and explain more fully to you. The happiness and contentment I have in my soul is wonderful! How wonderful the Word of Jesus is! My heart’s desire is to point and show others the way. Oh, I pray that N― will turn, also I―, and A―. Tell them all how I reached God, and how they can do the same. I know you and Mum have, but I want to hear it of the others. Good-bye, Dad and Mum, till we meet again. Our meeting is sure. So what a happy consolation! — Your son in Jesus, SAM.
I have a multitude of other letters, but I must refrain. You can read many similar ones in December “Message,” for God is working. In Miss Sandes’ story of her life in Ireland among the soldiers she speaks of her friend, Miss Marie Fry. When Miss Fry was dying this was her last request to her sorrowing father: — “Father, the one thing I have which I value most in the world are my letters from the soldiers; you will always keep them; by and bye we shall meet many of the dear fellows who wrote them with Jesus.”
And then to her friend she says, “Elsie, I have a parting verse for you; it is this, ‘Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.’”
Yes, these soldier letters are precious indeed to me. If I were to get weary of the work, they would spur me on to greater endeavor. We shall reap, we are reaping now. We are tuning our souls for the harvest songs of eternity. In the grand review of heaven a host of our soldier friends will be seen; in the roll call of glory they will answer to their names. “He calleth His own sheep by name” (John 10:33To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (John 10:3)).
I want you to read the last page of the “Message,” and send me what you can for my soldier friends this month, and God will bless you.
HEYMAN WREFORD.