By the Editor
The Psalm of Life. The Dirge of Death
THE angel of the resurrection is waving his wings of splendor over the world. The fair-haired Spring has risen from the tomb of the ice and the frost and the snow. The radiant flowers are breathing forth the fragrance of their resurrection life. Around the trenches on the battlefields the star-like blooms are growing; over a thousand fields of carnage the trees hang out their leafy banners. The glad hills laugh with joy, and the valleys smile in glory. Where shrapnel bursts and bullets take their toll of death, the sweet wild birds are singing. The lark soars upward to the skies, and the cadence of its song is heard in the pauses of the thunder of the guns. And while the reaper Death is doing his terrible harvesting, the young life of the universe is bursting forth in bud and bloom.
Yes, God be thanked that amid all the awful desolation of the world today, amid all the inconceivable horrors that mark this fearful strife, the power of the love of God is bringing souls to Christ and heaven from the very gates of hell. The power of the resurrection life of the Saviour is making His divine flowers grow in the soil of human hearts, and the glory of His presence transmutes the awful discords of the dirges of human pain and sorrow, and the fear of death, to the gracious melodies of the new-born life that are in tune with heaven.
I have been reminded of this many times this past week. Have you seen this extract from a letter written by a British soldier in the trenches? He says, “Truly I can write:”
“ ‘Better than ships of war;
Better than force of arms;
Kept by the power of God
Safe amid wild alarms.
Angels are mounting guard;
Jesus is giving peace;
Saving my soul from death,
Shielding till wars shall cease.’”
Truly this is a bloom for heaven from the battlefield, and a “lark song” at the very gates of glory.
Saved — to Die
This is an incident told me by a friend: — A praying mother in England had two soldier sons. One, the younger, was away at the Front unsaved, the eldest son was at home under orders to go to the Front. Before he went God saved his soul, to the joy of the praying mother, who never ceased to pray for her other boy who was still unsaved.
Shortly after, the eldest boy had to leave home, and when he was sent to the trenches, to his surprise and joy he met his brother in the firing line. He told his young brother that he had come to Christ and was going to heaven. He asked him how it would fare with his soul if he were killed in the battle. He said, “If you die in your sins, you must go to hell, and we shall be separated forever, and never see one another again, for I am saved and going to heaven.” He took a Testament from his pocket, and read portion after portion to his brother. On leaving to attend to other work he left his Testament behind for his brother to read.
Not long afterwards the brothers met again, and the younger was able to tell his brother that he had found Christ as his Saviour, and that now he knew if either were killed in battle they would meet at last in heaven. Together they praised God, and then they parted. Within an hour after they had said “Good-bye” to one another, the younger brother, who had just been converted, was killed by a shell. The elder brother was wounded and brought back to England. When he heard that he was going to England he exclaimed, “Thank God I have been spared to return home to tell our mother that my brother was saved before he died!”
Praying mother, thy tears may fall as you think of your boy lying in his nameless grave in a foreign land, but there springs from that lonely grave the flower of resurrection hope, and in its growing it seems to say,
“I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in ME, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
And again it speaks to thy sorrowing heart: ―
“Sorrow not as others that have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.”
Thy boy is safe with God. Thy home is lonely without him, but Jesus draws near and says to thy sorrowing heart: ―
“Weep not, thy son shall rise again.”
Another blessed flower this from the battlefield. God gathering out His own. I thought as I heard this beautiful, true story, what a comfort it is to be able to send the Word of God to the soldiers. That dear lad read the Word of God and it gave light to his soul only an hour or so before he was killed.
Through the kindness of dear friends I have been able to send more than 100 large parcels of Gospels and Testaments and magazines to the. Front and to the Fleet this month. As long as I can, with the blessing of God and the help of friends, I hope to continue this blessed work, so dear to my heart, and which I am sure God is richly blessing. Dear reader, you may have an unsaved loved one at the Front, and God may save him through the reading of a Gospel or a booklet. Will you help me to continue to send?
Fighting for the Word of God.
Just as I had finished writing the above the post brought me a letter from a dear Christian who is sending some Testaments for the soldiers. In her letter she says: — “I have lately heard from a Christian soldier just returned from the trenches, that he has seen men, in their eagerness, even fight to get a copy of the Word of God. This is cheering; one bright spot in the midst of such desolate darkness.”
Yes, dear friends, we must send to the soldiers; necessity is laid upon us. From fields of death the cry comes for the Word of life. They want to hear about Jesus Christ, and we must help to tell them.
A Prisoner in a German Camp
I have received a letter from the wife of an English sergeant who has been a prisoner in Germany since August 26th 1914. She begs me to send a parcel of Gospels and booklets for her husband to distribute among his fellow prisoners. I was telling a Christian lady about this, and she said: “I have a German Bible upstairs, a very good one, please send that; he can give it to the officer who guards him.” Another lady has promised me some German Testaments and tracts, so please pray that God may bless the distribution to English and German alike.
Prayer is desired by a sister for an only brother who has joined the Army, that he may be saved.
Requests for Prayer for Absent Friends
They have left us from ten thousand homes — loved ones whom we miss every moment. We know not where they are, the veil of the censor hangs between us and them. We know that somewhere where the shot and shell are flying they are facing death for us. Now and again a letter comes like a ray of light flashing across dark skies, and then a silence falls of days or weeks. And what can we do in the silence? We can pray. Thank God, we can pray. And our prayers may bring the angels of God to the battlefields to shield the ones we love. “Are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation?” They are there, doing their blessed work for us and ours. Unseen by mortal eyes, they bring the light and peace of heaven in their ministries of love. In my “Incidents of the War” I shall tell you some remarkable instances of God’s preserving care. I am printing the following requests for prayer, but as I am obliged to go early to press, army will be sent to me this month doubtless that will come too late to be inserted, but I will put them in (D.V.) next month.
Requests For Prayer
A father and mother earnestly desire prayer for their two sons at the Front, that they may be preserved to them and be faithful witnesses for Christ to their men.
A mother who has four sons in the Army desires prayer for three of them, who do not yet know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.
Another sister desires prayer for her brother, who is a Christian, that he may be brought back again in safety.
Prayer is desired by a sergeant’s wife for her husband, who is a prisoner of war in North Germany.
Prayer is desired by a Chaplain at the Front, that guidance may be given him in finding the right message, and for power in its deliverance.
Pray earnestly, pray continuously for our soldiers and our sailors. Send them Gospels or books, or ask us to do it for you. Send requests for prayer to Dr. Heyman Wreford, The Firs, Denmark Road, Exeter.
A captain in the Army has written asking me to send him a number of “The Traveler’s Guide.” Could any kind friend get me a grant for him?
Dear friends, the precious months are flying, and thousands of the manhood of the world are being hurried into eternity. They are eager for the word of God, and we are eager to send it to them. Forgive me for being importunate. It is for the Lord’s sake and for these precious souls for whom He died. I want please:—
5000 Gospels of St. John, or Testaments, or both.
5000 “Message from God.” The Publisher gives special terms.
2000 “How Can I Be Saved?”
And any other Gospel books or tracts that friends will send, or the means to procure them and to send them away.
A dear Christian visited 130 soldiers, and not one had a Gospel or a Testament. He had 17, which he distributed, and asked me to supply him with the 113 needed. I was glad to be able to.