“Hullo! Dent, I’m jolly glad to see you out again. I thought at one time you were going West.”
The two soldiers met in Hyde Park. Dent, the man with tired, worn face, sat resting under the trees in hospital blue.
His eyes were bright and hopeful enough in spite of all he had endured, as he replied heartily: “No, my boy, I’m getting on fine; but I should not have gone West anyhow.”
“Well, you know what I mean; ‘go under,’ ‘peg out,’ don’t you know?”
The man in blue smiled quietly. “Yes, I do know what you mean, and I should like to explain what I mean. Can you sit down a bit? My leg is a bit groggy still.” The other, sitting down by his side, replied:
“Go it; I’ve wanted to hear how you got out of that tight box; such a lot of your chaps got bowled over.”
“Well, you can guess how glad we were when the order came to charge: we had been like dogs on the leash for days; we just went at ‘em. I cannot tell you how the time passed, it was one rush to gain the height. The worst was over when I was hit; I ran for a bit and then fell. I must have lain for a long time, for it was dark when I came to myself, and my tunic was wet through. The burning pain soon roused me entirely; it was weird, I can tell you, waking up like that! It was agony to move, and I lay still till a star shell burst, and for an instant lit up the scene. I spied the outline of a shell hole, and tried to crawl into a bit of shelter; I had got about half way when I came on another of our chaps. At first I thought he was done for, but I slipped my hand into his tunic, and there was a beating of the heart, so I dragged and rolled him till we came to quite a decent mound of earth. For a little while I lay exhausted with the pain of the movement, then I wondered who it was I had got. Another light flashed in the sky, and I caught sight of his face. It was a fine fellow from our platoon. His name was Gilbert, nicknamed the Filbert. He was a great favorite with us all: a jolly all round chap, a touch of the saint about him, but good sport for all that. He was too good to lose, and I tried to bring him round, but it was not easy, all in the dark, and my leg throbbing at every movement. I had some water left, and I got a few drops down his throat, and laid close to get some warmth into him. At last he began to rouse, and I told him who I was, and said all the cheery things I could, such as ‘cheer up,’ ‘keep smiling;’ but he did not really rally. At last I said: ‘Gil, old man, I fear you are “going West.” Have you any messages?’ He roused then. No, no, I am going East; not to the night, but to the dawn.’ I thought he was wandering, so tried again. “Dear old chum, you are wounded badly, I am afraid you are —,” and I hesitated for want of a word. He held my hand tight then, and said, ‘Yes, I know, but all the same it is to the day I’m going. Christ has overcome the sharpness of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven for me. I know that, and I am so glad.’
“That was too much for me; I knew I was in deadly peril; at any moment a shot might find us out and finish me off. At such times a man is pretty straight with himself. I was not a religious chap, but like the rest I did a bit of thinking, and put up a prayer when we went over the parapet; but I was not ready like Gil, and it came over me all of a sudden what a difference there is between going West and going East. Here was a man who could tell me, if he only held out long enough; so I put my lips to his ear and whispered: ‘Gil, can you tell me how to go East too?’
“That roused him! He seemed to come right back, and spoke quite strongly as he gripped my hand.
“‘Old man, the way is straight before you; it is Christ Himself.’
“Yes, but my sins! You know I’ve forgotten Him all these years,’ and as I said this I felt how far I was from the Way he spoke of. He lay still for a bit, then whispered with a tender thrill in his voice:
“There’s the Cross, you know, and the MAN who died on it; you remember the old school hymn:
“He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good;
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.”
“Yes, I remembered it well, I could even hear the tune ringing in my ears. It all came back with a rush of memory: the faces of my classmates, my teacher’s voice; but after all, it was only a hymn; could I rest my soul on that? I tried again. ‘But, Gil, is that gospel truth? Is that all?’ Again came the whispered words:
“‘Yes, chum, gospel truth indeed. Listen to this, it is God’s own word: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). That’s you and me. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). That’s yours and mine. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). Don’t you see that is turning us to the Dawn, to the Day? I drank in the words, but it was too easy.
“‘Yes, Gil, but what am I to do to get that; what is the connecting link?’
“‘Do! why nothing! it’s all done by Him; ask Him to take you as you are; He will do all the rest.’
“I thought it over as best I could; it seemed as if there must be something for me to do, something to bring as a kind of atonement for the past; but after all Gilbert knew best, and there was no other way I could see, so I let myself go and prayed the only words which came to my lips: ‘Lord have mercy upon me; God be merciful to me a sinner.’ Then Gilbert’s voice, very faint, came once more, “With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plenteous redemption” (Ps. 130:7). “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
“The words came with authority, as if God Himself had spoken. He was very near us then. I trembled as I lay, but the burden had gone, and I thanked Him from my heart; whatever came now I was safe. I did not understand, but I knew “Whom I had believed;” that was even better than understanding. I felt Gilbert’s hand clasp tighter as he murmured: ‘Another soul; this makes dying worthwhile. My God, I thank Thee; keep, oh, keep him, and bring him to the eternal day.’
“We both were silent after this, the burning pain of my wounds grew worse, and the awful thirst came on. I dare not use the last drop of water, for Gil might want it, and his need was greater than mine. He grew colder, and there was a clammy feel about his face when I touched it. I gave him water, and he revived again, enough to put his little khaki Testament into my hand with the word ‘Read.’ I held on to him, for I did not want him to go; how I longed for the dawn! At last it came faintly in the summer sky like a lovely primrose veil over the east; a thin line of light broke across us as we lay. Gil opened his eyes, and a smile lit up his face; a light I had never seen glowed there, and a look of glad recognition sprang into his eyes as he half raised himself and brought his hand smartly to the salute. Another was with us Whom I could not see, but I knew Him to be Christ the Lord. Then the light faded slowly out, and his face settled into the peace of the last sleep. He had entered into the dawn of perfect day, and I was left alone? no, not alone, for that Presence was with me, calming, soothing, resting, till the throbbing and burning of my wounds ceased, and I slept like a child, slept till the stretcher bearers found me and carried me off that field of death.
“Now do you wonder that I never say I am going West? for God has turned me from darkness to light, and has given me ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’”
The other man looked thoughtful.
“Dent, old fellow, it was a wonderful experience, and it seems real enough to you.”
“Real enough! My boy, it is the one reality now. It is certain that on that night of peril I met the Son of God; but it is just as certain that He is with me now, walking these London streets. He is in our midst to-day, and we do not see Him, ready to help and save. If men could only grasp the intense reality of the spiritual, it would make all the difference in life; and it is all about our path, only we are so blind.”
(Reprinted by hind permission) A. C.
~~~
“I am the door. By ME if any man enter in, he shall be SAVED, and shall go in and out, and find pasture... I am the GOOD SHEPHERD. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep... I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep... Therefore doth My Father love Me because I lay down My life, that might take it again” (John 10:9-189I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:9‑18)).