Chapter 7
It was during a certain evening that we were engaged in a pleasant and lively conversation, when a person entered our home whom I recognized at once, and which caused a shivering over my whole body. It was the same sergeant major who had laid so many snares for me during the time of my service and who, just as I in my former life, lived in all kinds of wickedness. Although he was dressed in civilian clothes, his features, however, were so vividly imprinted into my soul, that my mouth was closed as soon as I saw him.
He recognized me too, and said: “Are you not the well known drummer? And did we not serve in the same regiment?”
When I assented to that, although I was not at all pleased with this acquaintance, he took the word, and said: “Yes, friends! I have been a great instrument of the devil to torment our drummer. I then served the Prince of darkness very willingly, but through grace, I have made a change of regiment. I have deserted that black standard, and it is now about four years ago that I have ranged myself under the banner of King Jesus, or let me rather say, that He became the strongest in me and has prevailed; for I would never have asked for Him, but He has sought out such a miserable wretch as I am and delivered me out of the jawbones of hell.”
The change which took place in my soul when I heard this tiding, I cannot describe, because horror and abhorrence made place for gladness and admiration.
I was anxious to know how that all came to pass and wished him to tell us, upon which he told us briefly how he and one of his companions had spent the evening in wantonness and wickedness, when this man suddenly became ill and fell down dead at his side. This was a terrible blow upon his heart, and it was as if some one said to him that his mate now lay in hell, and that his turn was next. He lived under severe convictions of soul for a long time, although he left his wicked ways at once and an entire change came in his conduct. Nowhere could he find rest. He learned to justify God in His righteousness and cried for grace, but saw no deliverance. This lasted until the way of redemption was opened for his soul under a sermon which he heard. Then hope entered his soul, and he became a poor and needy groaner at the feet of Jesus from that time on.
“And now,” said he, “it is more than two years ago since I was granted by grace to give Christ my hand, and to write with my hand: “I am the Lord’s!””
I shall never forget that evening and I think that none of the friends who were then present will either, for the Lord was apparently in our midst. All mouths and hearts were filled with praise and adoration for Him, Who had changed a ferocious wolf into a very meek lamb.
When we parted that evening, my old enemy told me that he intended to visit me the next day for he had to talk to me about some important matters. He now called me his friend and brother. What a wonderful change!
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
What that could be that he wanted to talk about, I did not know; but I was very desirous to know it. And without relying upon man in this case, in my heart it was as if he was going to help me to a position so that I could again go out and work. I did not have the least ground for all this, and yet my soul was so easy concerning outward and inward things, as though there was not even a little cloud in the sky.
With great longing I awaited the arrival of my friend, who did not let me wait very long for him. After we had spoken for a considerable time about the wonderful leadings of the Lord as we had both experienced them, he inquired about my outward circumstances, saying that he could see that we had only a meager living and not many earthly goods. I was allowed to praise the great deeds of the Lord, but I also did not withhold how strongly I longed to have some steady work again so that I could provide for the needs of my family and myself; that I feared, however, that this would not be an easy matter since I knew no trade, but that I also knew that all things were possible with God, upon Whom my eyes were raised in this important case.
Then he informed me that since he had left the service, he had been employed in an office as a writer; but that, through the death of an uncle in the East Indies who had made his nephew sole heir to the estate he had left, he had now become a well-to-do man. He went on to say that he had bought a big business in the city, the purchase of which had been completed the previous day, and that he now had an opportunity to compensate, as much as possible, for all the evil he had committed against me in former time. Therefore, he would now take me into his service, at least if I was inclined to accept this offer.
I do not have to tell you with what gladness my wife and I received this tiding. In such a way we would then be relieved of those burdensome bonds, and my friend, now my employer at once took all financial burdens away. He provided in all our needs and even wanted us to move and live in a roomier house. This last proposal we did not desire. “Our quiet home,” said my wife. “was so often a witness of our wrestlings, and the Lord came so often to us under our scanty roof, that I feel bound to this little house.” This decision, then, was not changed, and we have never looked for more roomy surroundings.
When I had received my weekly wages for the first time, which were much larger than I had enjoyed by Mr. H., I went down to pay the rent of our house. The landlord received the money, and said that I could now pay weekly again. When I asked him about the donor, he said: “Be not anxious to know that; you shall never know it.” I requested him to thank the noble minded giver heartily for us. He then replied: “That is not necessary; he has enough thanks already.”
It was, and remained strange for me; yet it has strengthened me continually to see how the Lord has all hearts in His hand and inclines them as waterbrooks.
One more particular I may not forget. It was a blessed deliverance in the fearful days through which we have passed. You can imagine that there was not a great supply of clothing and underwear, and at times my wife looked at me very depressed when she had to put the one patch next to the other and often lacked the necessary thread and materials for mending. But we had to get along as well as we could, for we did not have the necessary means to buy these things. Three days after the pleasant receipt of the four dollars out of Father’s hand, a great package was sent to our home during the evening. It seemed that the dealer, to whom I had returned the lost money, had made a good investigation of what was needed in our home; at least, he had provided an abundance of underwear and outer clothing, which had been used but was not worn out. In addition, there was thread, tape, pins and needles, so that my dear wife was as rich with it as a queen.
Having been delivered out of painful bands, I was then given to enjoy a quiet and peaceful life and to share my convenient food with my beloved partner for life, who had turned her face with me to Jerusalem. The Lord had given us a dear child, the apple of our eye, who possessed the tenderness and amiableness of her mother, also many beloved friends, and an employer who treated me more like a brother than a servant, while at all times the lightest work was assigned to me.
But I believe that not one traveller to Zion lives without a thorn in the flesh. My brother was constantly a very sharp thorn for me. At times he greatly alarmed my wife and child when he came to the door intoxicated and, amid threatenings, required a gift. More than once I have contributed of my belongings, to spare him the reproach of being set out of the door.
Oftentimes it was a subject of admiration for me when I considered how the Lord had fulfilled His word literally: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Was I not the same by nature? It was the power of free grace only that had changed me from a thorn to a fir tree, and from a brier to a myrtle tree. And I believe, that when the Lord in condescending goodness shall take me to Himself, there shall not be one of the redeemed who shall sing louder of the mercies of the Lord than the old drummer.
To have our soul enabled to rest and be quiet in the sovereignty of God at seeing him, with whom I had been carried under the same heart, cast away from before God’s face and sink in the lake of sulphur and brimstone to burn forever, requires much grace. This I have also experienced.
The measure was full, and God’s longsuffering ended towards my brother. To be amongst the roughest surroundings was his desire and life. He was working at the pile driver, when one of the ropes broke with which it was secured. How it happened exactly, I cannot say; but this I know, that in the fall my brother was struck and he was brought home more dead than alive.
I have no desire to describe the most awful sights I witnessed during the two days he yet lived after the accident. It is heart rending to see a hardened sinner enter into that great eternity, and especially when it is our own flesh and blood.
And now I must conclude, I have nothing else, but to glory in the Lord and in His free and sovereign grace, and to testify of myself that I remained a corruptible creature. I know that the adorable and merciful Lord alone shall receive the honor if the poor drummer may on God’s time lay the crown at the feet of the Lamb; because neither he, nor any one, has added one thread to the white garment in which I will sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Chapter 8
Thus we have come to the conclusion of the narrative. The old drummer himself related all these things to us. It is some years ago that he has gone the way of all flesh. His beloved Katie soon followed him into the eternal rest.
For many years he continued in the same employment in which the Lord had brought him to make a living. He remained until the greyness of old age made it necessary for him to cease from his labor. For three months he was bound to his home, gratifying himself in the happy prospect that he would soon exchange his easy invalid chair, which his esteemed employer had provided, with the place which his Immanuel had prepared for him Above. In those days he enjoyed the Lord very much and that which He had given to him, an unworthy sinner. Oftentimes his quiet home was full of God’s people, who do not belong to the world. Although weak in body, it seemed that with the declining of his strength, his spirit waxed stronger and he became more fluent, and it was at times as if his cleansed soul struggled to be delivered and loosened. At such times he often exclaimed delightfully: “O, that free and sovereign grace! I, the chief of sinners, originating from such a cursed trunk: my father was an Amorite and my mother a Hittite; I, the greatest monster that set his foot upon this earth; I, a hellworthy foolish creature and wretch, a blasphemer, in one word—a lump of unrighteousness; I . . . chosen, loved from eternity, raised up as a monument of free grace, and that, all according to God’s eternal pleasure! O, eternal wonder!”
He had many of such and similar outpourings, and surely, many people had to testify that it was a vestibule of heaven there.
On a certain evening many of his friends were gathered about him. His soul was very lively and he had a word for every one: for the concerned and fearful unto encouragement; for those that were more assured unto direction. Then his word was, above all things: “Keep yourself low by the way; take care that you do not pollute your garment of humbleness and meekness; especially do not raise yourself up and become great upon received grace, and watch against spiritual pride, which is the cancer to the life of faith.” Then again he would say: “Remember to honor and pray for your leaders; bear them in their weaknesses for they bear their treasure in an earthen vessel; and above all things, love each other fervently, bear one another’s burden and fulfill also the law of Christ.”
After he had rested a little while he began again and said: “Now, friends! my time is getting shorter. An abundance of earthly goods to bequeath, I do not have; yet, I have made disposition of the little I do possess in my last will. By will, I have left my wife to my beloved Friend, Who accepted the inheritance and has promised me that He would be her Husband; and my child He likewise accepted as His own, so that they are both taken care of. And all the poor people of God . . . I leave them all to Him easily, for their names have a place in His breastcloth and are engraved in the palms of His hands. And we shall now depart from each other, but we shall see one another again, and then, friends! . . . then I shall beat my drum at the same time with Miriam; then the singers will go before, and the players behind, the drumming virgins in the midst . . . all in white garments with palm branches in their hands, playing the golden harps. Then the amiable KING shall be forever in the midst, and then . . . yes, then our heart shall rejoice forever in Him and His salvation!”
We sat and stood with tears of joy about his invalid chair, which was really a pulpit.
“Oh,” said he, “an eternity shall not be too long to make mention of all the mercies which a loving Covenant God has given me in nature and in grace!”
We left the house of peace, and supposed that we had bidden him farewell for the last time, but he said: “Yet a little while; I will not go away now, but it shall not be very long any more.”
This proved to be true. He spent a very restful night, and this sleep seemed to have refreshed him completely. During the day he was seated in his chair again, and when we were sitting about him again in the evening, he seemed to be more active inwardly; at least, he spoke very little, and what he did say was not to man any more. At this time he exclaimed: “I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord!” Then again: “Welcome, death! Happy messenger!” For a moment it seemed as if Satan had yet made a last leap upon him, when he cried: “Away Satan!”
He then looked at his wife and daughter. He kissed them both very tenderly, and said: “Now I shall depart, but the Lord will remain.” He sank backward and said with a plain and audible voice: “Amen!” And without the least death struggle, the soul escaped out of its prison.
Joy and sorrow overwhelmed us. One said: “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.” Another: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” A third one said: “Oh! one would almost forget that we are weeping here at a deathbed.”
What he left behind, which was accepted by the Lord, has shown that “light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart,” and that those who fear the Lord shall lack nothing.
No marble tomb covers his frigid bones. His body rests under the green sod in the bosom of the earth, till it shall arise gloriously at the sound of the trumpet.
The End.