PRIVATE ELLIS was brought to a saving knowledge of the truth whilst undergoing ten days’ bread and water confinement in one of His Majesty’s prisons at Lucknow, India. For some time he had been under deep conviction, and the burden of sin lay heavily upon him. The cell in which he was confined was so dark, that he could not see his hand before his face, and his condition was wretched and miserable in the extreme. On the fourth day of his punishment, as he paced up and down the darkened cell, his past life came up before him like a panoranla, and he cursed as he recalled lost opportunities. Hymns he had heard sung in gospel meetings were brought afresh to his mind, and wrhilst in this condition he heard a voice, in clear, distinct tones, saying:― “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)). He listened, and a strange feeling overtook him. Again the same voice said: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:77Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)).
Ellis walked about the cell, and felt that the evil one was struggling to get the victory; but the love of God completely broke him down, and a verse of a beautiful old hymn came to his mind, and he repeated in faltering tones: —
“Just as I am — without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!”
He then prayed to God after this manner: — “O God, for Christ’s sake, forgive my many sins, and receive me as Thy child.” There, in solitary confinement — in a darkened prison cell — alone with God, peace and joy came into his heart, and the heavy weight of sin was lifted from his soul. He knew that he was a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things had passed away; all things become new (see 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)). The remaining days of Ellis’s imprisonment were spent in the joy of the Lord, and in the delight of His Word.
Shortly after his conversion Ellis was discharged from the Army without a character, and without a friend in the world. He found great difficulty in obtaining a situation in civil life, but eventually, by God’s blessing he was enabled to obtain employment. In addition to this, God gave him a good wife and a comfortable home. When the present War broke out Ellis became desirous of redeeming his character as a soldier. Time after time he failed to re-enlist owing to his previous bad character. Once he was told that if he went to a certain recruiting office and said nothing as to his past career he would be able to join. This he refused to do. After vainly trying time after time to enlist, Ellis resolved to write to His Majesty King George. This he did, telling His Majesty of his past career, at the same time asking his pardon for the wrong done to him when in his service in India. He also informed His Majesty, that, having been converted to God, he was desirous of an opportunity of redeeming his army character.
Three days afterward he received a letter from His Majesty’s Secretary, stating that, if he were medically fit, the military officials would accept his services, and the Secretary added: ―
“His Majesty directs me to tell you so,”
Ellis is now in the trenches with the British Expeditionary Force, and delights whilst serving his King and Country to make use of every opportunity of telling his comrades of the Saviour of sinners, the One mighty to save.
Appended are a few extracts from Rifleman Ellis’s letters recently received by the writer: ―
“When I get the opportunity of speaking to a comrade of the love of God, made known in Jesus, I take it at once. I love to drop seed by the wayside. Someday there will be fruit, and both he that soweth and he that reapeth will rejoice together. Our regimental motto is: ‘Swift and bold’ — swift to spread the glorious gospel of salvation, and bold to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. I have been quite busy telling the lads the good news of salvation through the finished work of Christ, under shot and shell. We have a meeting every night, and sing hymns. There is quite a move in the hearts of the men in the trenches. When I start a hymn the singing can be heard above the hum of the bullets and the crashing of shells. After hymn singing I am often asked by my comrades to pray.
“In speaking to them I present both sides of the picture — God’s love and His righteousness. I tell them of the Saviour Christ Jesus Who came into the world to save sinners. I also warn them to flee from the coming judgment. One after another the lads are shot down, and we know not who will be the next. I realize in a marvelous way the power and presence of the Lord out here, and His peace is wonderful.
‘Oh that the world would taste and see
The riches of His grace,
The antis of love which compass me
Would all mankind embrace.’
“The other day the enemy’s artillery opened fire on us; the shells burst by the dozen all around us. Some of my comrades were killed, others wounded. Two shells struck the earth close to me and shattered into a thousand pieces. The force of the explosion lifted my cap from my head. I took pieces of steel fragments of the shells out of my puttees, and off my cap. Praise God, whilst the shells are flying around I can sing: —
‘Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find.’
I can also pray: —
‘Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of Thy wings.’
It would do your heart good to see the men sit round and listen to the gospel.
“The men out here do not want praise, and oily language, because they are fighting for King and Country; they want to be right with God and feel their need of a Saviour.
“Before leaving England I used to kneel down in the barrack room to pray for my comrades. My next bed-fellow, to whom I often spoke, has accepted Christ, and is with me now witnessing for Christ. May he, and each of us, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:1818But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)).
“How blessed to be an ambassador for Christ. I have been enabled to realize in a very special way the peace and presence of God in the midst of desolation and death.
“My desire is that every Christian at home should uphold their brethren in Christ out here in prayer, and especially to pray for the conversion of our unsaved comrades.”
Now let me tell you about a personal comrade of my own regiment who was twice pardoned. The first pardon he received through the gracious intervention of the late beloved Queen Victoria. I well remember being present in the barrack room at Fort A —, in A―, when Sutherland’s name was read out in an Army Order as having received Her Majesty’s gracious pardon. This was for an army crime.
The second pardon Sutherland received was the forgiveness of all his sins through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was delivered for his offenses.
It happened in this way. I was lying dangerously ill in hospital in D―, in the north of I―. My captain having kindly given me the privilege of having any comrade I might choose to be with me every night, I selected dear Sutherland, who enlisted about the same time as myself. In the daytime he rested in the barracks (an old disused prison), and kept me company through the night. After coming for several nights, it became distinctly noticeable that my comrade was evidently seriously concerned about something. One night Sutherland suddenly sprang to his feet by my bedside, and began praising God. “What is the matter with you, Tom?” I exclaimed. “My sins are all gone!” he replied. “Excuse me, dear P―, I must praise God; He has pardoned all my sins.” This was his second pardon. And,
“Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who lath grace so rich and free?”
My dear comrade S―, after many a battlefield experience, has departed to be with Christ, whilst God, in His infinite goodness and mercy has graciously preserved me until this present, and the very best kindness I can show my brave comrades, whom I love, is to tell them that they need a Saviour. You are making a terrible mistake if you think you can meet the claims of a holy God by sacrificing your life for your Country. It is not through your bravery or self-devotion (although every Briton is proud of you) that you can be saved.
If admission to heaven were granted on the ground of being good, or doing good, or giving one’s life in battle, not a single soul would ever get there; “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3: 23). If you desire to spend eternity with Christ you must take the place of a helpless, hell-deserving sinner, and receive from the Lord Jesus Christ the forgiveness of all your sins.
Mark you, comrade, it is through this Man (“the Man Christ Jesus”) that forgiveness of sins is proclaimed unto you. There is no other way. Jesus says, “I am the way.” “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)).
“The blood of Christ avails for you,
His blood cleanseth from all sin;
He is the One, who is mighty to save,
You may be cut off suddenly.”
Do not hesitate. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
Many soldiers, as well as civilians, have been asking this question recently: “Why does God allow this terrible War? Why does He not stop it? “Soldiers, this question was put to one of your Christian comrades (whom God has used for His glory, and covered his head marvelously in many a battle), in the writer’s hearing at Victoria Station on September 11Th 1915, when some two thousand soldiers were returning to the battle-front in France after a short leave in this country. Let me pass on to you his reply: “In order that you might repent, and turn to God.”
My dear comrade, let me ask you, “Have you done so?” Many a soldier on the battlefield and in the trenches has repented and turned to God for pardon and forgiveness through faith in the precious blood of Christ. I have seen the inside cover of a Christian soldier’s pay-book filled with the signatures of his comrades who have trusted Christ as their Saviour on the battlefield. Many of them have fallen in battle; their mutilated bodies lie in hurriedly constructed graves on those fields of death, but their ransomed spirits are with Christ. Others have been preserved until now, and are witnessing for Christ on the battlefield, as letters (lying before me) from some of them testify.
I have a profound admiration for the British soldier, and for this reason I seek in love to warn him, as did the angels Lot, to flee from the coming judgment. Soldiers! if you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His word is pledged to bring you safely to glory. There is only one way of getting rid of your sins. Look away from your sinful self to Christ, and Him alone, for salvation. If you do this you will become one of those of whom God says, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)).
“The cross of Christ, what matchless love!
What grace was there expressed!
The only way to heaven above,
To God’s eternal rest.
“The work of Christ was so complete,
Its glory naught can dim;
The point where God and sinners meet
Is only found in Him.”
J.J.P.
A Clergyman writes: ― “I must send a further donation for the excellent work in which you are engaged. May God’s blessing rest on it.”