By the Editor
TAKE your Bibles, dear friends, open to Ephesians 3, and read the 20th verse: “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Now see the beauty of the verse shine out in the following arrangement, not a word added: ―
All that we ask.
All that we ask or think.
Above all that we ask or think.
Abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
According to the Power which worketh in us.
Roses in Gethsemane
A dear Christian of seventy-three, well known to me, is passing into eternity. Just before the end he says, “I am walking through the Garden of Gethsemane; there are beautiful roses growing there.” What! I thought, roses in Gethsemane! flowers amid the anguish of our Saviour’s breaking heart! bloom amid the arid deserts where He trod the wilderness alone! But the beauty of the thought grew upon me, and what the dying eyes had seen I too began to see. The roses bloomed when He said, “Not My will, but Thine be done”―the roses of unquestioning obedience. They bloomed when He said, “The scriptures must be fulfilled” ―the roses of the perfect life, fulfilling all that God had said; the life of one “who kept the law Himself and died for those who could not.” They bloomed, too, to speak of a coming day of triumph―suffering first and glory afterward. “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.” Let us wreathe the roses of Gethsemane around the thorn-scarred brow and crown Him Lord of all. Yes, dear dying saint of God, thou hast taught us lessons God would have us learn―that if our duty to our God takes us into pathways of suffering and of care, the roses bloom if our Gethsemane is on our way to heaven.
I stood by another man over seventy, suffering terrible pain. We were speaking of sin, and he said, “Doctor, it does not trouble me; all my sins are gone―past, present and future; I am the Lord’s.” I smelled the fragrance of the roses of Gethsemane as I heard him speak.
Yes, we shall see these blessed blooms along the paths trodden by those whose hearts are breaking now, and whose tears are falling in the night of loneliness and prayer, when anguished and bereaved hearts learn to say, “Not My will, but Thine be done.”
The Cry From the Trenches
From every trench, on every battle front, I seem to hear the cry, “Come and help us.” If ever there was a time when we ought to be in earnest it is now. “Give us the Word of God,” they seem to say. Let us hear the voice of God speaking to us. Men tell us we can save ourselves. What does God say? Yes, what will God say to these men by and bye—these “blind leaders of the blind”? A dear friend writes to me, saying:― “I am glad to tell you of a young sergeant in the K.O.T.B. who received one of your Gospels and has written from France to say that he was led to Christ through that Book; but as we have not heard from him for some months we fear he has fallen in the fight, but if he has he has gone to wear the victor’s crown. Indeed, dear Dr. Wreford, there are thousands, I feel sure, have been won for the dear Lord in this way, and hundreds who, in their last moments, have accepted Christ through giving them the Word of God.”
Yes, this is true, and gives emphasis to what I am about to request.
100,000 Testaments
I was speaking to a dear Christian friend about the need of the Word of God to be sent in increasing numbers to the soldiers, and in rising to go I said, “We will pray God to send us fifty thousand Testaments,” We went on our knees and prayed for them. As I was opening the door of the room to go out I felt I had to pause, and clearly and distinctly the words were impressed on my heart, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” I turned back and said, “We have made a mistake; God meant us to ask Him for a hundred thousand.” This we are doing daily now — I may say hourly. God will send them, for we must have them. We want them for God, and God will put it into the minds of sonic of His dear children to open their purse-strings as widely as He bade us open our mouths. We want them to meet a need such as is expressed in letters I have just received: ―
“Would you please supply Testaments to the service men whose names are given below. They are all billeted in the same room as myself, and we have commenced to read a chapter before we go to bed. They have each expressed a desire for your Testaments.”
We are glad to send to any soldier or sailor who writes telling us he desires a Testament.
Another writes to me from the Front: ―
“Oh! how much Testaments arc needed out here. Do you sometimes get discouraged? Please keep on, because for each person that is doing the Lord’s work out here there are twenty who are doing the work of Satan... And out here we will run short of Testaments, etc., unless you at home continue to keep us supplied ... So much to do, so little time to do it in. Who is sufficient for all these things? ‘Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever.’ Praise God!”
A Christian worker writes to me from France: ―
“Thank you for your kind promise to send me so many Testaments, Gospels, etc. Colonel S— kindly left three of your parcels at the station for me today, and the contents of two have gone up the line this evening. There is no slackening among the men for God’s Word. The other day I went to a carriage and spoke a word with six men, and left them Testaments. When I was a little way down the train a man asked if I would come back to his compartment. I did so, and a man said, ‘Sir, you are the first person who has spoken to us like this since we enlisted, and we would like to help you to get more Testaments.’ They hoped I would not be offended, and gave me three francs. Today an officer, when he knew who I was and what I was doing, said, You are doing as much for your country as those who are fighting.’”