The Chocolate Soldier: Or, Heroism—The Lost Chord of ChristianityStudd, C. T. (Charles Thomas)
Religion
The Chocolate Soldier: Or, Heroism—The Lost Chord of Christianity
Studd, C. T. (Charles Thomas)
Christian life
The Chocolate Christians of today can at least boast of having
ancient pedigrees. There are CHOCOLATES A LA REUBEN, who have great
searchings of heart, and make great resolves of heart too. But
somehow they still sit among the sheepfolds, listening to the pipings
of their much-loved organs and church choirs. It's good to have a
great heartsearching. It's better to make a great heart-resolve. But,
if instead of obeying, we squat among the sheep, leaving our few
hard-pressed brethren to tackle the wolves by themselves, verily we
are but Chocolate Christians. You made a great resolve to go to
Africa for Christ a year or two ago. Where are you now? In England?
Yes! Yes! Lollipop! (Judges 5:16.)
There are CHOCOLATES MEROZ, who earned the curse of the angel of the
Lord. War was declared; the battle about to begin; the odds were
outrageous, and Meroz remained in England attending conventions until
the battle was over, then he went, in comfort and security, as a
Cook's tourist! Doubtless they said, "They couldn't fight till they
had been properly ordained, and, besides, there was so very much to
be done in fat, overfed Meroz, and surely to feed a flock of fat
sheep in a safe place has always been considered the ideal training
of war"; as though the best training for the soldier was to become a
nurse-maid!!! (Judges 5:23.)
CHOCOLATES DU BALAAM begin first-class, and earn the name of
prophets. Then they develop a squint, melt, and finally run out of
the frying-pan into the fire, thus Balaam.
One day he couldn't get his left eye to look at God. It would look at
earth and mammon and that chit of a girl, Miss Popularity. He ought
to have done as God told him, and plucked it out. But he said that
was too much to ask of any man, and besides he wanted the best of
both worlds. He had a hearty desire to die the death of the
righteous, but he wasn't willing to pay the price of a righteous
life. He hadn't the pluck to curse God's people, so he made plans for
others to make them sin. But one day, while his dupes were putting
his chestnuts into the fire, they fell in themselves, and Balaam with
them (Numbers 22-24).
"I counsel thee to buy of me eyesalve, that thou mayest once again
have a single eye, and be enabled to see the folly of flirting with
the world."
CHOCOLATE DEMAS, who left old fiery hard-hitting Paul for an easier
path. He said he thought Paul should wink at, or slobber over sin,
instead of rebuking it. "He was so very fond of the knife, you know;
and he never would use sticking-plaster, because he said it never
healed the sore but made it burrow underneath and become bigger,
worse, and dangerous" (2 Timothy 4:10).
MARK joined the Chocolate Brigade once. He left Paul and Barnabas in
the lurch, and went back to Jerusalem for a rest cure--a religious
retreat. Thank God he got sick of it ere long, resigned his
commission, and re-enlisting in God's army became a useful soldier
(Acts 13:13).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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