Author: H.H.S.
During my military service in India, in those stirring times of mutiny and murder, I had in my regiment a little bugler who was too weak and delicate for the life he had to lead; but he was born in the regiment. His father had been killed in action, and then his mother died. After his mother died, his life was made miserable by the scoffing sneers and jokes of the men in the regiment.
When little Willie Holt was 14 years old, the regiment was bivouacking some miles from camp for rifle practice. I had intended leaving the lad behind, but my sergeant-major begged hard for me to take him along. “There is mischief in the air, Colonel,” he said, “and rough as they treat the lad, his pluck and his patience tells on ’em; for the boy is a saint, Sir; he is indeed.”
I had a rough lot of recruits just then. Before we had been out a fortnight, several acts of insubordination had been brought to my notice, and I had pledged to make an example of the very next offense by having the culprit flogged. One night the targets were thrown down and otherwise mutilated. On investigation the act was traced to occupants of the very tent where Willie Holt was camped.
In vain I appealed to them to produce the man, and at last I said, “If any one of you who slept in number four tent last night will come forward and take his punishment like a man, the rest will get off free; but if not, there remains no alternative but to punish you all, each in turn to receive ten strokes of the cat.”
For the space of a couple of minutes dead silence followed; then the slight form of Willie Holt came forward.
“Colonel,” said he, “you have passed your word that if any one of those who slept in number four tent last night comes forward to take his punishment, the rest shall get off free. I am ready, Sir; please, may I take it now?”
For a moment I was speechless, so utterly was I taken by surprise; then in a fury of anger and disgust, I turned upon the men, “Are you all cowards enough to let this lad suffer for your sins? For that he is guiltless you know as well as I.” But sullen and silent they stood, with never a word.
Then I turned to the boy, whose pleading eyes were fixed on me, and never in all my life have I found myself so painfully situated. I knew my word must stand and the lad knew it, too, as he repeated, “I am ready, Sir.”
Sick at heart, I gave the order, and he was led away for punishment. Bravely he stood with bared back, as one, two, three strokes descended. At the fourth a faint moan escaped his white lips; but ere the fifth fell, a hoarse cry burst from the crowd of prisoners who had been forced to witness the scene, and with one bound Jim Sykes-the black sheep of the regiment-seized the cat, as with choking utterance he shouted, “Stop it, Colonel, stop it, and tie me up instead. He never did it, but I did!” and with convulsed and anguished face he flung his arms around the boy.
Fainting and almost speechless, Willie lifted his eyes to the man’s face and smiled such a smile! “No, Jim,” he whispered, “you are safe now, the Colonel’s word will stand.” Then his head fell forward-he had fainted.
The next day I visited the hospital tent where the boy lay dying. The shock had been too much for his feeble strength. He lay propped up on the pillows; and at his side, half kneeling, half crouching, was Jim Sykes. I saw the drops of sweat standing on his brow as he muttered brokenly, “Why did you do it, lad? Why did you do it?”
“Because I wanted to take it for you, Jim,” Willie’s weak voice answered tenderly. “I thought it might help you to understand why Christ died for you.”
“Christ died for me?” the man repeated.
“Yes, He died for you because He loves you. I love you, Jim, but Christ loves you much more. I only suffered for one sin, but Christ took the punishment for all the sins you have ever committed. The penalty was death, Jim, and Christ died for you.”
“Christ has naught to do with such as me, lad; I’m one of the bad ‘uns; you ought to know.” “But He died to save bad ones,” answered Willie. “After you have sinned against Him He loves you so much that He came all the way from heaven, and suffered and died in your place, and now He is calling you. He wants to cleanse you from every stain of sin and make you fit for His presence. He wants you to live with Him in glory. He was wounded for your transgressions, He was bruised for your iniquities, the chastisement of your peace was upon Him; God laid your sins all on Him. How can you resist such love as that? Dear Jim, listen! ‘God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ ‘His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.’ ‘He suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.’ But you can never enter heaven, Jim, unless you let Him cleanse you from all sin in His own blood. Nothing can ever enter there that is not just as pure and as perfect as He is. You must have a garment of spotless purity in which to enter the presence of God or you will be cast out of His presence into everlasting darkness and despair forever. The Lord Jesus is God’s righteousness which He will give you the moment you are willing to receive Him. He says, ‘He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’ Won’t you receive Him now?”
The lad’s voice failed him, but he laid his hand gently on the man’s bowed head.
After a little while we saw a strange light in his dying eyes, and with a happy cry he flung out his hands as if in welcome. Then gradually the weak arms dropped: the light faded from the shining eyes; and his spirit passed from earth to heaven.
THE SINNER’S FRIEND
The Scripture tells us that “Christ died for the ungodly.” Blessed fact! It will fill eternity with praise. It is the foundation of all blessing and godliness. The love of Christ is unfathomable. When none else could save, and nothing less than His death (even the death of the cross) was needed, He willingly died in our stead-“He poured out His soul unto death.” Unparalleled kindness! The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, and the beloved Son infinitely glorified the Father in redeeming us from all iniquity. He said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” (John 10:17). God’s love was manifested in not sparing His own Son, but delivering Him up for us all; and Christ’s, the Good Shepherd, in giving His life for the sheep. The Prince of Life tasted death. His soul was made an offering for sin; He bore our sin in His own body on the tree. The Holy One was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Is it any marvel, then, that He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Nothing is more plainly taught in the Scriptures than the necessity of Christ’s death for our redemption. Every saved person knows this. Our Lord told Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up. He also said, “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” and, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” How blessed, then is the divine fact that “Christ died for the ungodly!” He is the sinner’s Friend, because He was the sinner’s Saviour. Praise God.
But though Christ, the bearer of our sins, died, it was not possible that He should be holden of death. His flesh saw no corruption. Having purged our sins, God raised Him from the dead, and crowned Him with glory at His own right hand in the heavens.
Reader, is the death of Christ nothing to you? Have you taken refuge in Him, now risen and ascended, as the only hope set before you? How can you possibly escape the coming wrath if you neglect this great salvation?
