“There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, ‘Come over into Macedonia and help us.’”
The Cry Today
THE cry has reached us in its deep intensity — a cry with an appeal in it that cannot be denied; a cry, not from Macedonia, nor from one man, but a cry voiced by millions, coming to us like great waves breaking in thunderous acclaim upon our shores, “Come and help us.”
I hear it from the trenches, and it drowns the sounds of war. “For God’s sake come and help us who are facing doom for you! We are looking into the eyes of death, and the gates of eternity are opening before us. Come and help us.”
I hear it from the parched lips of wounded men, moaning in a wilderness of pain: “Come and help us.” It is the cry that has reached the hearts of thousands, a cry that has sent good and earnest men across the seas in answer. It is a cry that has appealed to our hearts in a way no other cry has ever done. We must help them.
Thank God, we have been able to send 100 large parcels, or more, this month to the Front and to the Fleet. We sent 40 last month and rejoiced at that. We shall empty our shelves now, but the This is what they are craving for, and by God’s grace these Testaments and portions offer them that comfort.”
Lord will fill them again for us we are sure. How timely was the gift from a dear Christian family of 5,000 Gospels of St. John. May God bless them for it. We want 5,000 more for next month, and if we had 10,000 we could send them all away. We want Testaments as well — the smaller in size the better.
I want you to listen to voices from the Front as well as to mine; they will speak to you of the present need. It is that we have to deal with:
A Voice From the Front
From a worker in France I receive this letter: — “Many thanks for your very encouraging letter, also for the two parcels. They were just what I needed and came at the right time, as there were many men here who were leaving next day, and as I see all the drafts off at the station I gave them to those men, who said they wished to have a Gospel or a Testament. It is not convenient to say how many men left for the Front on that day, but if I had had twenty such parcels as you so kindly sent I could have given them to men who said they would be pleased to have a portion. It is a sad but glorious work; sad to see so many dear men going to face such awful danger. When these dear fellows leave here it is the last rail journey for oh! so many of them, and this is what I seem to hear them say to me:
‘Tell me the story softly,
With earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’M the sinner
Whom Jesus came to save.
Tell ME the story always
If you would really be,
In any time of trouble,
A comforter to me.’
This is what they are craving for, and by God’s grace these Testaments and portions offer them that comfort.”
Another Voice from the Front
This letter reaches me from France: — “How very pleased I was to receive a further supply of Testaments, etc., from you. Thank you very much for prayer for my work, that God will soundly convert these precious souls. Some are very hard cases, but the Word knows no defeat! it has not changed; it is still the power of God unto salvation. Oh! thank God for souls brought out of nature’s darkness into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. There are many here rejoicing in the risen, ascended Lord, who is so soon coming again. Hallelujah! Only this morning a company left here for the Front, and many with shining faces shook me by the hand and said, ‘Good-bye, God bless you.’ I replied, ‘Well, should we never meet again on earth we will meet in heaven.’ They have passed and gone up, and many, I feel sure, will be present when the ‘roll is called up yonder.’ I asked them, ‘How many of you are coming back?’ They said, ‘That is a hard question.’ So I just pleaded with them all to get right with God. The curtain drops then; prayer follows them. So very much is being done socially for the men, but the real, deeper need is sadly neglected. Thanking you for this second parcel, and for the next when convenient. God bless you, and still make you a greater blessing.”
When the dear brother, who for the Lord’s sake packs all the parcels for me in his spare time, often working till ten and eleven at night at it, heard these letters, he said, “Doctor, send 200 parcels a month, and I will pack them all.” We will send with your help.
A Chaplain writes: — “Thank you very much for the Testaments and St. John’s Gospels. They have been distributed, and my men very much appreciated them. We have been having strenuous times lately, and I have been in the trenches with my Brigade. It is wonderful what opportunities one has of real work, and I had a splendid talk with one of my Tommies just at the back of the trenches, only about two hundred yards from the Germans. He was not actually on duty, but standing in reserve, our front line being only some twenty-five yards from the enemy in places. It was rather wonderful to be talking of spiritual things with the bullets just flying over one’s head and the great guns sending their huge shells over us; but we are up against realities out here, and men are wonderfully responsive. Pray on for us all, and will you specially pray for me, for guidance in finding the right message and for power in its deliverance?” Pray for him!
A worker writes: — “Many thanks for the parcel of books. I am very grateful for them. I should be very glad of another parcel.”
Another says: ― It is with great gratitude that I now take the opportunity of penning these few lines of thanks in answer to the splendid parcel received safely from you. It is a parcel that would always be welcomed by me because it is the right stuff.... The magazine, ‘A Message from God,’ is splendid, and so is the booklet, ‘How Can I Be Saved?’ I have had the pleasure of giving all the copies away to the men, and of seeing them reading them most eagerly. The other day a man desired a copy of ‘How Can I Be Saved?’ but I had not a single copy left. I am having very glorious times among the men, and it is grand to see the eager faces before me as they listen intently to the gospel of the grace of God.”
The Answer to the Cry
The monthly gift from the dear children in the Sunday School has reached us again, and again we say, “God bless them!”
A notice came from the Oxford University Press: — “Please receive 250 Gospels.” We have received them, and we thank the unknown donor.
Brantford, Canada: — Large number of “Grace and Truth” for the Canadian troops at the Front.
A dear Christian writes: — “I am thinking of you and the great work you have in hand for the Master, and pray fervently for His rich blessing; also that health and strength may be given you to carry it on, for it is a service far-reaching in its scope.”
Several Christian sailors in barracks at Devonport have made a collection among themselves and given it to a dear friend to send to me to help what he calls the “good work” among the soldiers and sailors.
A widow sends a Gospel of St. John and says: — “I earnestly pray that the accompanying Gospel may be a help and comfort to the brave soldier who will receive it.” Pray God that it may be.
Jamaica has sent us another gift through a kind friend from Kingston, saying: — “I hope to send again, and may God bless your work. I feel thankful that someone is doing it, and that we must strengthen your hands by helping when we can, and by prayer.”
L.G. cheers us by help and by writing: — “I am still praying for you. God bless you.”
I cannot speak of more this month, but God knows I do thank everyone for their help and for their prayers.
Prayer before Battle. — Admiral Sir George King Hall mentioned in a meeting that in the Bight of Heligoland fight a young officer in the conning tower called his men together, and they had prayer just before they fired.