Christ in Service
Hrist is with you — in service. The religion of Jesus is an active, self-denjdng religion. The Divine Master has left the scene of His own toil, but He has given to every disciple his work. Each has his mission: something to do for souls, something to accomplish for the Saviour, some glory to bring to God. Realizing in some degree what a debtor to the Lord he is, what he owes to the love that chose him, to the blood that ransomed him, to the grace that called him, to the Saviour that gave Himself a sacrifice, the believer exclaims from the depth of his grateful heart, Lord what wilt Thou have me to do f” And now, to labor for Christ is his highest desire and ambition; be the service home or foreign, pleasant or self-denying, distinguished or obscure, to rule an empire or to sweep a crossing. In this service for Christ, Christ is with you. Unseen and unheard. He is close at your side, guiding your judgment, strengthening your faith, nerving your heart, sustaining and cheering your spirit, honoring, blessing, and rewarding your labor. Oh, think not that Christ can quit you for a moment, active and toiling for Him. He knows all your difficulties, marks your discouragements, is cognizant of your infirmities, sees your faintings and deficiencies, how onerous, delicate and humbling the task. Think you, while engaged in a service of love for His name, the sweat upon your brow, the pressure of your mind, anxiety and exhaustion absorbing life itself, foes threatening, friends chiding, your own heart often misgiving, that Christ will leave you? Oh never! Lo lam with you — all days — are the words with which He seeks to strengthen and cheer you on in your work of faith and labor of love which you show for His dear name.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Christ must ever be with us in all the duties of life. We must have His presence as a power in our hearts. ‘^ Ever with you” has cheered thousands of hearts in the midst of arduous labors in His service.
As soon as the prayer was concluded, an old British veteran arose, and began to speak with a strong Scotch accent. He said he was glad to hear that young chaplain to the army ask for prayer. For his part he believed in prayer; he rejoiced in prayer; he lived in prayer. He had known the power of prayer. He had felt it. He knew God heard and answered prayer. Oh! how wondrously does He answer! What displays of His grace, said he, have I seen in answer to prayer. When General Havelock was chaplain of a company, I was a non-commissioned officer in the same company. I knew him well. He was not then a pious man. He began even then, however to manifest those qualities which afterwards so distinguished him. It was not until he rose to a higher grade that the great change took place. Then, he was for the salvation of his men, out of every kind of evil: present and to come. At first he began with temperance. Then he went on to religion. He was a iSyer with yoxt. 85
noble commander, brave as be was good. He dared to do right, no matter who opposed. When his chaplains were gone, or disabled, he would be his own chaplain. He had heard him preach the Gospel many a time. He was a power in the camp: that you may well believe. The men all respected him. They knew he was a thorough soldier: fearless as a lion, as well as a Christian. Many eyes would be wet when Havelock was speaking. There was such earnestness and tenderness at times. At other times he would make your very hair stand on end. It was not strange that many were converted. Their hearts melted under his appeals and great numbers turned to the Lord. When they received Jesus, and great numbers did, and professed their faith in Christ, then he went one step further, and baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Oh!
what solemn times I have seen away in India among these men.
Some of the officers became his enemies. They wrote to the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in India, complaining of General Havelock, and saying that he did things nnbecoming an officer, and took upon himself to do what he had no right to do. The Chief in command appointed a Commission of Inquiry. They came and made a thorough examination into the conduct of the General and the condition of the men. They found Havelock a most rigid disciplinarian — thorough in discipline as he was fervent in prayer, and they found no portion of the army in so good a state as the soldiers of Havelock. They said to him, after all their examination, “Go on with your temperance; go on with your praying; go on with your baptizing; the better these Christian men, the better the soldiers.” They reported to the Chief in command that they found no such soldiers as the praying saints, as they called them, of General Havelock. If there were men wanted for any post of duty and of danger, Havelock’s saints were the men.
I have been in many a hard-fought battle, the old soldier added, and our men never went into battle without prayer. They committed themselves to the Lord Jesus, and then they were ready for life or death.
Our armies, said the old veteran, should be praying armies. We Tnust have prayer. Prayer prevails with God. How was it with Joshua and the kings and prophets of Israel? What men of prayer they were, and how the Lord heard and answered them. Let us pray for the men in arms; pray for the chaplains.
The old warrior spoke with great earnest-
88 CHRIST EVER WITH YOr.
ness, and the tears rolled down many a face as lie gave his personal experience and hearty, honest testimony to the jpower of