The War Romance of the Salvation ArmyHill, Grace Livingston
History
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Hill, Grace Livingston
World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Salvation Army
Three of our women officers in the Toul Sector had slept for three
weeks in a hay-stack, in an open field, to be near the men of an
ammunition train taking supplies to the front under cover of darkness.
The boys had watched their continued, devoted service for them—the many
nights without sleep—and noticing the shabby uniform of the little
officer in charge, collected among themselves 1600 francs, and offered
it to her for a new one, and some other comforts, the spokesman saying:
“This is just to show you how grateful we are to you.” The officer was
deeply touched, but told them she could not think of accepting it for
herself. “I am quite accustomed to hard toils,” she said. “I have only
done what all my comrades are doing—my duty,” and offered to compromise
by putting the money into a general fund for the benefit of all—to buy
more doughnuts and more coffee for the boys.
Salvation Army teaching and practice is: Choose your purpose, then set
your face as flint toward that purpose, permitting no enemy that can
oppose, and no sacrifice that can be asked, to turn you from it.
Again, a reason for our success in the war is, _our practical
religion_.
That is, our religion is _practicable_. Or, I would rather say, our
Christianity is practicable. Few realize this as the secret of our
success, and some who do realize it will not admit it, but this is what
it really is.
We _do_ worship; both in spirit and form, in public and in private. We
rely upon prayer as the only line of communication between the creature
and his Creator, the only wing upon which the soul’s requirements and
hungerings can be wafted to the Fount of all spiritual supply. Through
our street, as well as our indoor meetings, perhaps oftener than any
other people, we come to the masses with the divine benediction of
prayer; and it would be difficult to find the Salvationist’s home that
does not regard the family altar as its most precious and priceless
treasure.
We do preach. We preach God the Creator of earth and heaven, unerring
in His wisdom, infinite in His love and omnipotent in His power. We
preach Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, dying on Calvary for a
world’s transgressions, able to save to the uttermost “all those who
come unto God by Him.” We preach God the Holy Ghost, sanctifier and
comforter of the souls of men, making white the life, and kindling
lights in every dark landing-place. We preach the Bible, authentic in
its statements, immaculate in its teaching, and glorious in its
promises. We preach grace, limitless grace, grace enough for all men,
and grace enough for each. We preach Hell, the irrevocable doom of the
soul that rejects the Saviour. We preach Heaven, the home of the
righteous, the reward of the good, the crowning of them that endure to
the end.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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