E—V—, the subject of the following narrative, was called to the Prussian military service in December 1869, little suspecting what he would soon have to pass through. He was not very strong, and found the exceedingly strict discipline very testing, which led him from time to time, though still unsaved, to pray to the Lord to help him.
Just as he was on the eve, as he thought, of better days, war broke out between France and Germany. On the 25th of July 1870, his regiment started for the French frontier, and after long and arduous marches, heavily accoutered, and sometimes in the pouring rain, arrived near Weisenburg on the 4th of August. Here they first heard the roar of the cannon. Marching in a long semicircle to Geisenburg, they cut off some reinforcements for the enemy, and took a number of prisoners. At four in the morning of the 6th they ate their last small piece of bread, and at mid-day reached the line of their artillery at Woerth. After halting some time in an oat-field, about two o'clock the Colonel said, “Now, men, we must advance; now show that you are Westphalians! We must go through, and not back again.”
Forward they went at a running pace towards Fröschweiter. Six cannons poured their murderous fire upon them at a distance of about a hundred and fifty paces, but three grenades quickly silenced them. They now found themselves some three hundred paces from the infantry of the enemy, strongly posted in a hop-field, who poured in hot musketry fire, which was steadily returned.
Suddenly came the command, “Shoulder muskets, march!" And then, as they went straight through the hops at the enemy," To the attack; muskets to the right; lower muskets.”
At this moment E—V—was struck by a ball in the foot, and as his comrades fell back a few paces, for the moment, before the foe, he fell to the ground, scarcely more than a hundred paces from the French. Lying there, helpless, thoughts of God filled his mind. His whole life, from earliest youth, passed like a panorama before his soul, and he was conscious that the Lord had often come near him, but that he had failed to pay any heed to Him.
He now turned towards God and prayed, “Forgive all my sins wherewith I have sinned against Thee, and if it be Thy will that I should die here, send a bullet that I may not suffer long, and take my soul to Thee in heaven. But if Thou hast thought otherwise of me, that I should remain on the earth to confess Thy name before men, then preserve me from another bullet, and bring me home to my mother as soon as possible." As he thus prayed, all the anguish and fear of death left him, for he knew that GO could prevent every bullet from harming him. They were rattling all around. One went into the earth about two handbreadths off; a second touched his hair just over his left ear; a third grazed his head, and singed the skin where it touched. He then swooned, and before he recovered consciousness, a small grenade splinter passed through his neck, and a big one entered his left arm, which was quite lamed and swelled so much that the sleeve of his coat was too small. When he awoke, as out of a sleep, the fight was over; and all was quiet except the moans and groans of the wounded.
Towards evening his comrades sought and found him, and carried him back to Woerth, where he was laid in a garden full of wounded. The next day, by means of a stick used as a crutch, he managed to hobble to the church, which was being used as an hospital, where his wounds were at last bound up, some twenty-four hours after they were received.
The whole town was a pitiful sight. Great efforts were made to send the wounded away, but unavoidable delays occurred, entailing much suffering upon them. E—V—was conveyed to the station, but the trains were already full, and he was brought back again to spend the night on the stone floor behind the front door of the Rathhaus, which was filled with sufferers from cellar to tower.
Three days passed without his obtaining either bread or water. A lady, who spoke German, sought to obtain bread with two thalers (about six shillings) which he gave her, Edit came back and said that there were no provisions to be found anywhere. On the fourth evening they were again brought in carts to the Soultz railway station, where at last he obtained some meat-soup, and was then started back to Mainz, in Germany. From thence they journeyed by steamer, on the Rhine, to Düsseldorf. At a place near, called H—,a convent was fitted up as an hospital, where he remained four days or so, when the Crown Prince Frederick issued an order that any wounded who wished to go home to be nursed privately, could do so.
On 16th August, E—V—found his prayer answered; he was at home again with his mother.
But now he was called to pass through fresh trials. His two sisters were both lying seriously ill, his brother indulging in drink, and his own bodily state became much worse. Scurvy set in, and pieces of flesh fell out through the mouth; the glands became ulcerated, followed by inflammation of the bowels. These deep afflictions tried his spirit greatly. He saw the Lord's hand in them; but without understanding His ways, and turning to his mother, in tears, said, " How have we and our forefathers sinned that it goes thus with us?
Let us confess our sins that His anger may turn away from us, for the Lord is good, He will not always judge us.”
In the beginning of 1871, things took a turn. His younger sister, aged nineteen, died happily, having been led to a knowledge of the Lord during her illness. The elder one was restored. E—V—was now assigned and transported to the Compensation Battalion at Frankfort-on-the-Main.
Here, conscience still being in exercise, he wished to keep his promise to the Lord on the battlefield.
He sought to abstain from wicked thoughts, words, and deeds. But the more he tried, the worse he seemed to be. All his best acts were mixed with sin. Two years he struggled on, tired out with his useless efforts, but without reaching his desired aim.
One day two Christians were led of the Lord to speak in his hearing about Pharaoh and Israel, and how God said to Moses, “I will harden Pharaoh's heart that he will not let them go out of Egypt.”
These words fastened themselves upon his mind, and he feared God would harden him. A fearful anguish of soul fell upon him at the thought of being eternally lost. This brought him face to face with God about his state, in a little room alone. And there His infinite grace met him.
God revealed Christ to him as his Savior, as the One who had finished the work of redemption for him. There he learned the value of His atoning sacrifice and there he learned to trust alone in Jesus' precious blood. In Him whom God had raised from the dead and glorified, he found rest and peace for his soul (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). A joy unspeakable filled him, as he went forth and confessed to others, "I have found the Lord, and He is mine, and I am His Blessed meeting; the Lord Jesus, the Son of Mans who came to seek and to save that which was lost, had found him, and he had found the Lord as his Savior.
Two days later his eldest sister, and the next day after, his eldest brother was converted.
Surely they were learning that the Lord was pitiful and full of tender mercy. All the trials and sorrows they had passed through were dealings of God to bring them to true self-judgment before Him, that He might bless and save them for His own glory. But, notwithstanding all, the poor mother still remains in the dark, her heart still estranged from the love of God. Like many more, she goes on till today with the uncertain testimony, “The Lord will receive me in grace when I die," without knowing what it is to have an interest in His precious blood now.
Dear reader, you have heard how mercy followed E—V—in the midst of the dangers of the battlefield, and the hospital, &c., ending in the richest blessing for his soul; how is it with you? You may not have passed through such trying scenes, or been exposed to such visible dangers, but whatever the circumstances of your pathway through life, one thing is clear, this scene is, as it were, the valley of the shadow of death. Death is here, and may mark you for its victim this day. Are you ready to meet it? Has the Lord met with you, and have you met with Him? Now is the time (2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). He gave Himself for guilty lost sinners.
You are one. Have to do with Him now about your state, and believe on Him. “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)). And, “Whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). Then will you be enabled to say from the heart, "I have found the Lord; He is mine, and I am His.”
And all who are His, are called to walk as His.
We are saved to follow Him. "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk even as he walked " (1 John 2:66He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)).
E. H. C.