By the Editor January, 1920
A New Year Without God
IS that your case, friend? Are you in this condition, “without hope and without God in the world”? How awful! And yet how little you have thought about it. You have wished others, and you have been wished yourself many times, “A Happy New Year.” Happy! How can it be without God? Happy! How can it be without Christ? Happy! How can it be without salvation? Happy! How can it be without hope? No; you are not happy, you know you are not; and it may be you are heart-sick of the weariness of the weary years. Then come to Jesus now. A man utterly miserable about his soul went one day to a river to throw himself in, and when about to do so, thoughts of God’s power and love came before him, and he refrained. God saved him at the brink of hell!
A dear Christian told me a striking incident. He is accustomed to have the singing of hymns on Sunday afternoons, and at other times in his house, and the neighbors in the streets around could hear the singing, especially in the summer, when the windows were opened. A young soldier called to see my friend on one of his leaves, and told him that on one of the battlefields in France he was strongly tempted to take his life. This was partly on account of the dread he had of going “over the top,” and going into battle again. As he went on his way to take his life he heard voices singing-the same voices singing around, him on the battlefield that used to sing the hymns at home in my friend’s house, that he had so often heard there. As he went on the music followed him, and he was so overcome by it that he could go no further, but began to retrace his steps. Then the singing seemed to die away, but on his way back he saw a light shining in a hut. On drawing near he heard someone praying. When the prayer was over he went inside, where a meeting was being held, and God saved his soul. He told my friend that the singing saved his life, so that God might save his soul.
And God can save you. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”