As I was making my way one evening in one of the garrison towns, carrying in my pocket three or four copies of the Gospel of John, for distribution amongst the soldiers, I found myself beside one of them who had stayed his progress and was in the act of lighting a cigarette.
It occurred to me that here was an opportunity to give one of the little books, with perhaps an opening for a little conversation about God’s remedy for man’s ruin, therein set forth. I was the more encouraged in this hope by the fact that the recipient appeared to be quite willing to talk with me.
I learned that he was expecting to sail for the seat of war in nine days’ time, and the conversation then ran upon his equipment. He spoke of new rifles and bayonets being served out, and that he and his companions were glad to have them in lieu of the old pattern class, with which they had been receiving their drill instruction. He added that he did not know where the rifles were made, as he could not find any distinguishing mark as a clue to the place of their origin, but that the bayonets came from Sheffield.
To this information I had given the reply— “And a very good workshop too”; and was thinking to avail myself of this feature in our discussion to speak of that sword of two edges (Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)) the word of God, which pierceth “even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” when the soldier suddenly said, “Good-night;” and crossed the road to make his way to the barrack gates.
This set me thinking of my slowness in directing the conversation to the aspect just spoken of; but, turning my head to watch him in his progress to the barrack gate, I noticed that he had opened, and apparently was reading the Gospel, as he drew near to the groups of his soldier companions in the barrack yard. This gave me fresh encouragement and prompted me to lift my heart to God on his behalf, that He would fulfill His own promise: “My word... shall not return unto Me void.” Thus, I quickly found comfort in the belief that the. Lord, who is above all our shortcomings, would Himself, by His Holy Spirit make that word effectual to the soul of this individual soldier.
In this connection I would refer to the case of W. C., a young gunner in the R.H.A., at the front, who had written to ask my help in a little business matter to which I gave attention for him. I had used the opportunity to enclose in my letter a copy of the Gospel of St. John; and I was truly glad that in a second letter he specially thanked me for sending it.
In less than a week from receiving this letter, I had a visit from one of his relatives, who informed me that, by the explosion of a German shell, poor W. C. and another gunner had both been killed. It is surely our privilege to entertain the same hope concerning him as of the first one named. Dear W. C., we cannot meet again in this world, neither do we expect to see the other one, unknown as to name. The words we would have wished to have further spoken to him must remain unsaid. We cannot now say them, but we may consider their application to ourselves. We need not withdraw the utterance “And a very good workshop too” as applied to Sheffield for turning out sword-bayonets; while the satisfaction expressed in the soldier’s commendation of his new bayonet may well find its counterpart in our hearts, who have that divine treasure, the written word of the living God. Can we not say of it as David said of the sword of Goliath: “There is none like that”? And not only so, but let us adopt the words which he added when Abimelech the priest spake of it, viz., “Give it me” (1 Sam. 21:99And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me. (1 Samuel 21:9)). There is, we think, a fitness in recalling here the words employed by good John Bunyan in the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” where he introduces Great-heart in his interview with Valiant-for-truth. We content ourselves with quoting only this paragraph:
This verse, quoted here, by John Bunyan, concludes thus: “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Let us, dear reader, take to ourselves the example and teaching of the satisfaction of the soldier, in receiving his new pattern Sheffield bayonet; and like David, who with the same sword with which he at the first completed the defeat of Goliath could also engage his later foes, may we take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:1717And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17)), wherewith to meet whatever foes confront us in our pathway through this world!
T. J.