A Night Service at the Front

What a solemn scene is depicted in the illustration on our cover this month! A drum-head service held in the night. The moon shining through the trees, and shedding its silver radiance on the faces and forms of brave and earnest men. The preacher, with uplifted hand, praying to God, his face illumined by the light of the lantern held at his side. What message has he given to these men, close to death many of them? He stands there between the living and the dead, and God have mercy upon him if he has “shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God.” May God grant that he may be able to say, “Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men.”
What a responsibility is his, and others like him, who have the opportunity of standing before tens of thousands of soldiers, and giving them oftentimes the last message they hear about God this side the grave. When the “last post” sounds for these men, will they be able to say to God in eternity,” He was faithful to his trust; he told us we were sinners and that we needed a Saviour. He told us to Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.’ He prayed to God that we might repent of our sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. “Or will the record be,” He told us that if we died in battle we should be sure to go to heaven, that our self-sacrifice would be accepted by God in place of the sacrifice of Christ; that the cross of our dying for our country would be placed beside His who died for all. He led us to believe that our love for our country and our king was on a level with the love of the Redeemer of the world. He told us this and we believed him, and now we find we have believed a lie, and that the truth is that Christ is the only Saviour, and the only way to heaven; that all are lost for all eternity who have not come to Him for salvation.”
O God, send all these dear fellows Thy holy Word that they may read about Thee for themselves. Let us send the New Testament to them so that in the trenches, or in their dug-outs, they may find the Saviour in the Scriptures that testify of Him.
Dear friends, the more help you send me, the more Testaments I can send. A great many have responded, and are responding, to my appeal as to the boxes to be sent to the Front, but as we had to go to press early in December, there has been but little time yet for the great want to be made known. One lady has given fifty boxes, and orders for others are coming with every post. Please read last page of “Message.”
The Diary of a Soul