By The Editor
January, 1915
A FATEFUL year indeed! Born amid the darkest gloom that has ever rested upon the world — what shall we see and know in 1915?
The hate of man has wrought inconceivable horrors, and the track of its whirlwind fury is marked with ruined cities and desolated homes. And in the midst of it all there seems to stand a lonely figure with outstretched hand menacing the world. As he moves upon his way he is followed by the wail of breaking hearts; about his feet flow streams of human tears and blood. He is the embodiment of the teachings of men who hate Christ and have been “delirious with a drunken dream of world power.” He is an apt pupil of Treitschke and Nietzsche, men whose distorted ideas, the products of unbalanced minds, are responsible for the awful deeds that have marked this century with ineffaceable crimes.
This man, this German Emperor, regards himself as “the instrument of the Lord,” as the “vicegerent of celestial Omnipotence,” and as an embodiment of divine wisdom, and the expression of eternal purpose to the world. And this is the man who seeks to dominate the earth today — the man whose legions East and West are dying at his bidding by thousands every day. And this man has sworn to do in England worse deeds than have been done in Belgium and in France. He is pointing his finger of hate towards our shores.
This is the German menace today — the menace of 1915. Many in our midst are horrified at the thought of the Kaiser’s legions coming here. What would it mean? Ruin and death: the destruction of homes and property, the slaughter of tens of thousands, it would mean the massacre of little children and old men, and the vilest outrages on our wives and daughters. And what is there standing now between us and this awful peril? — for it is a peril. All along the East Coast of England one hundred thousand men are lining trenches to oppose the foe that threatens to come. Vast preparations on land and sea mark the imminence of the peril.
Britain’s Danger
What is our greatest danger now? The lack of our humiliation before God as a nation and the confession of our national sins. Let me quote from a little pamphlet just published and called “Britain’s Danger”:— The Pause in our Destiny”: ―
“We stand as a nation at the cross-roads of our destiny. A wrong turning now and we may be lost. We are face to face with appalling dangers. For three months and more our brave troops, with their allies, have faced the enemy over a battle-front of more than two hundred miles. There seems to be a great pause now — no advance, no retreat — but God, waiting to see if, as a nation, we are worthy of His help. IT IS THE PAUSE OF DESTINY! Dare we, as a nation, face the truth about ourselves? Our salvation, I firmly believe, depends upon our honesty.
“Britain is being tried by fire; she is in the crucible now; she is being weighed in the balances of God. Will she be found wanting? Will there be so much dross that the gold will never be seen? It is indeed a critical time for our dear Land. God has made our nation great, and God can grind it to powder if it be His will. We are not strong in our own strength, and we never have been. We have gone to the Nations of the earth with the Bible in our hands — the Bible of Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria, and our reverence for God’s Holy Word has made us great.
“The canker of unbelief is weakening the national strength; and our very failure to recognize and preserve what has made us great, may bring about our fall.
“Oh! that some prophet-tongue could bring home to the national conscience the danger of its sins! ‘Thou art the man,’ was thundered in the appalled ears of the king of God’s chosen people. And he, who, in his pride, had sat in careless and voluptuous ease, startled and convicted by the Voice of God through His servant, cries, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And when he faced the sin in the light of the holiness of God, ‘he fasted, and went in and lay all night before the Lord.’ Gone was the pride of place — the mighty king has become the suppliant now. His humiliation has exalted God, and the divine forgiveness rests upon that humbled head, for God’s servant says: ‘The Lord also hath put away thy sin.’
“And then to that humbled and forgiven man God gave the fruits of victory. We are told in the same chapter that records his sin and penitence (2 Sam. 12), ‘that David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. And he took their king’s crown from off his head... and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.’
“The crown and the spoil were won, not by the blood and the valor of a nation’s manhood only, but by the tears, and the fasting, and the prayers of the nation’s king, and by the penitence that had said, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And the sacrifices that God accepted then He will accept now, the sacrifices of a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.
“With all humility I pray, that our beloved King and Queen may speak to God for our nation now; and what David did and said for his own sins, may our King and Queen do for the nation’s sins. Oh! may they come forth, and lay aside the robes of a royalty prouder and grander than the world has ever seen. May the majesty of Britain bow low in humiliation and penitence before the throne of God; and may a royal decree appoint a day for that purpose.”
Concerning this appointed day a dear Christian sends me the following letter:—
“Thank you for the booklet, ‘Britain’s Danger,’ received today. It is true and timely, and my thoughts (with many others doubtless) have been much in sympathy with those expressions of your mind. While the appointment of a ‘day of humble prayer’ has been made as your footnote on page 5 states, it probably did not escape your notice that I quote Lord Stamfordham’s letter of October 26th to the Archbishop of Canterbury: — ‘Personally the King is disinclined to advocate the use of any term which might plausibly be misinterpreted either at home or abroad.’ This evidently refers to the phrase, ‘Day of humiliation and prayer.’
“What does it matter who of MEN may misinterpret, while we bow ourselves in humiliation before GOD, confessing our sins? As you say in closing your booklet, ‘IN OUR DAY OF HUMILIATION LET THE WHOLE WORLD HEAR OUR CONFESSION OF SIN.’ There is a vast difference between ‘humble prayer, and national humiliation.’... Those feeling the need for humiliation must deplore the change, and it is impossible to resist the conviction that declining to humble ourselves, we shall be humbled, it may very likely be, in those things in which most of all the nation prides itself.
“Let those, however, who so feel, not cease to lay it all, with their own confessions, before Him who overrules all, and forgets not the righteous, even though they be few. Sodom might have been spared for ten such, but they were not found.”
Yes, my readers, may God’s people be stirred up everywhere to pray that even now our beloved King may lead the whole nation in humiliation before God and confession of our national sins.
By God and not by Man we Stand or Fall
The power of the German is great, but the power of God is greater. People who tremble lest the Kaiser who commands his Zeppelins may rain down death and destruction upon our land, forget oftentimes the MENACE OF GOD. Listen: — “Upon the wicked He shall rain burning coals, fire and brimstone, and a burning tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup” (Psalm 11). Yes, the lightning and the thunderbolt are in His hand, and the stars fall at His word. If you are unsaved you will have to face the menace of heaven, ten thousand times worse than any earthly menace could ever be.
“Flee From the Wrath to Come.”
Oh! the absolute overwhelming need of prayer. Pray for the dear fellows who have stood between us and invasion for so many months. Their bravery has never been surpassed. We thank God for all the work for Him going on among the soldiers and even in the trenches themselves. Would to God these brave men were all Christians; many are we know and working hard for God among their fellows. I shall speak about this in “Incidents of the War.”
Sending Books and Testaments to the Front
We have been enabled through the kindness of friends to send four large packages and boxes to the Front. One friend to whom we sent writes: —
“The very valuable box of gospel literature reached me safely this morning. How can I sufficiently thank you for such a bountiful assortment of good seed? May the Lord bless you for your kindness, and the seed be scattered far and wide.
“It will mainly go to the Front this week and be given out in the fighting line where the men are very eager for such books. Some will go to Holland.
“I was on the point of writing to you last week, asking if you could send help again, when your welcome letter came and rejoiced my heart.”
On Board a Torpedo Boat
I sent a parcel of books to a dear Christian on board one of our torpedo boats in the North Sea. He writes saying: ―
“Many thanks for the parcel of books and tracts which arrived safely. A splendid opportunity occurred last Sunday evening for distribution, and the occasion enabled me to find out three other believers amongst the various ships, and we met together in prayer and meditation over the Scriptures.
“In distributing the little booklets amongst the men, they were in most cases well received, but one or two declined and one has noticed that those who declined were not ignorant of the way of salvation, as conversations with them afterwards proved. One told me he would have only torn it up and thrown it on the fire; another man spoken to replied not yet awhile.’ It was pointed out to him that God’s time was now, and that perhaps this was the last opportunity as we might be sent to the bottom of the sea any moment. The conversation has caused him to think, judging by his manner. May the Spirit of God work a work to the glory of God in the man’s soul.
“Our crew numbers thirty-six, and many opportunities have been afforded me to speak a word in season during the present time, but no visible result has appeared; however, eternity alone will reveal what has been accomplished. In the meantime we are encouraged to go on with the divine command: ‘In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand,’ and we know that God’s word will not return to Him void.
“When the stock of books has been exhausted I will write for more. In conclusion I ‘would ask for your fellowship in prayer that the precious Word which goes forth amongst the men of both services, may bring glory to God in the salvation of precious souls for His Name’s sake.
“I remain,
“Yours in His service, “J― C―.”
I am sure you will pray that God will bless him. If any of my readers know any Christian men on board our men-of-war, or at the Front will they kindly send me the names and full addresses and I will send them parcels of books and portions of the Word of God at once.
I have had many parcels of books sent me and they are being distributed far and wide. Every Sunday at the Palladium a packet is given to all the soldiers who come.
I have had many very encouraging letters. One dear brother writes with his gift: “I am glad to know you are sending Bibles and gospel tracts to the soldiers engaged in this terrible war. May our God in His rich mercy bless the reading of them for His glory and blessing to many souls. God has His own purpose in permitting this terrible war, and when He sees fit He can stop it any moment. Our place is to be on our knees before Him, for His will to be done, and the glory of His beloved Son. I should like to render a little help.”
Another says: “I enclose― for tracts or books for the soldiers at home or the Front. Accept it for His Name and mercy’s sake.”
S.B. Encloses a gift, and says: “I was much cheered by the nice account in the Message of the work amongst the dear men. It is sweet to know that many of the dear ones will go home to the Father’s House from those terrible scenes of bloodshed and horror. I enclose―. I shall be grateful if you will spend it for gospel booklets for those at the Front as needs be.”
But I cannot quote any more now. I do thank all dear friends with all my heart for the help they are giving. It is a labor of love to me to send the books out. I want at least one thousand Messages from God, each month as they are published, and back numbers of Message or any other gospel books are much valued.
The more I get the more I can send, and the need was never greater than it is now.