II.
(Continued from p. 8.)
Now, I am not sure, if you are anxious to overcome temptation. I am not sure if you are even interested in the moral side of the war. Do you want to go through clean? Do you want to return home without the loss of a single good habit and without the learning of any bad one? I am not sure. But of one thing I am sure. If the army does not leave you where it finds you, neither does your contact with true Christians. Against the brightness of their lives the sinfulness in army life, so often looked upon as a necessary part of it, is without excuse.
You see, death takes men just as it finds them. “He who is unclean let him be unclean still, he that is holy let him be holy still.” Heaven and Hell are in these words. God’s word keeps repeating them, in your section, in your platoon, in your company, in your billet, on the battlefield. Just listen to them, “He that is unclean let him be unclean still.” It is the Devil who sets the flood of ungodly living, and he has set its course for Hell.
I believe that there are moments when you think just like that about these things, but do you know that, occasionally, the same thoughts are going through the minds of your fellow soldiers? Do you know that these desires which flit across the surface of your heart,—desires for a more wholesome life; also dart over the hearts of your comrades? And there are times when both you and they would like to know how others are enabled to live differently.
Well, for a start, any Christian will tell you that the difference between them and you does not lie in upbringing. Contrary to what you may have thought, these men have not come into your life from a world different from your own. No, they are ready to give their confession. They are men with like passions with ourselves. Men, with the same weaknesses and temptations as we have. The difference lies just here. They see things differently and they receive power to fight on and on. In their hearts they shake hands with the worst of men every day, judging of themselves that they are not better but often worse than others.
Well, what is at the back of their constant victory? Just this. An agreement. They have confessed their inability to take care of themselves and have committed their name, character, moral and spiritual life and Christian profession into the hands of another. One who is not only able, one who is not only willing, but is also faithful to keep. Jesus has received a charge from them and in midst of all temptations He stands absolutely faithful to their interests. All their strength is from Him.
He guards them. He intercedes for them in Heaven, and He abides in their hearts on earth. They are partakers of the divine nature and something of God’s almighty power dwells within them. Do you know that this is just one of the many real things Christ does for us? Christianity is just our making use of the service of Christ. We are sinful, lost, weak, unable to guide our steps to Heaven. God sent His Son to us, He comes with love on His lips and a new heart in His hand. Having bestowed the new heart on us He takes up His abode within us, and sets our steps towards His Father’s house.
Dear friend, do you know that He has told us to make offer of His services to you? Do you know that He bids me make this offer to you now? In your weakness, failure, disappointment you are just the sort of person He seeks to serve. I direct you to Him. He glories in the name, “the friend of sinners.” He calls you “sinners” not because he wishes to score a point over you. No, He calls you “sinner” just that you may know where your true friend is,—just there beside you. Man, you have a tremendous battle to fight. Alone in it you must fall. But why go alone when He is willing, yes, waiting for your invitation to go with you. “A new heart will I give unto you.” “I will cleanse you from all your filthiness.” “My grace is sufficient for thee,” for “my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Perhaps you would like me to stop here and yet I feel that if we were talking instead of writing you would have some questions to ask me about these things. There is, for instance, the question of the Presence—of your having a constant companion.
The service of this Friend is well shown in this short but illuminating story of how one soldier had His comfort. And I give it just as a sample to encourage you and the thousands like you.
As he lay dying a wounded soldier was asked by a minister: “Of what church are you?” “Oh, church, you ask, why the church of the first-born whose names are written in Heaven, of course. There is none other.” “I don’t quite mean the church in that sense, I mean of what persuasion are you?” “Oh, of what persuasion, I see.” Then with a smile on his face as he made each word a step down and across the river of death he replied: “Persuasion, you ask? This is it. I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord—the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord,” and with a wave of the hand he took his final step across to glory. He had the presence of His loving Lord with him in the loneliness of wounds, disability, death and in his passage from Earth to Heaven.—A 4th Seaforth.
(To be continued.)