It would melt a heart of cast steel to have been in our little meeting to-night, as one after another of the dear fellows simply poured out his heart to the Lord in prayer and praise.  You thought I liked a good innings, but why should not every blood-bought and blood-washed one be the same?  Do I realize what Jesus has done for me?  Then

        “I must tell to sinners round
        What a dear Saviour I have found,”

and point to the redeeming Blood, and say, “Behold the way to God.”  Glorious times yesterday, about seventy or eighty at parade service.  I took John i. 29, “Behold the Lamb.”  Afternoon Bible reading.  Evening out-door meeting, about 400 or 500 men listening; then indoor meeting.  A dear fellow of our regiment gloriously converted Saturday night.  Took his place with us in the open-air ring last night.’

Such stories as these tell of intense devotion, of a consecration that is indeed ‘out and out.’  They show that every Christian soldier is a Christian missionary, and that a Christian army would be the most powerful missionary society in the world.

In many cases Christian officers were instrumental in bringing numbers of the men to Christ:  among these may be mentioned Captain Thompson, of the 4th Field Battery R.A., who held services three times a week throughout the voyage, and whose loving and earnest addresses had a powerful influence upon his hearers.

Tons of literature of all descriptions were put upon the troopships at the port of embarkation.  Mr. Punter, the Wesleyan Scripture reader, himself distributed six tons at Southampton.  One society seemed to vie with another in thus ministering to the wants of the men.  The Soldier’s Testament proved a boon to many, and as our lads return from the front, many of them show with pride their Testaments, safely brought back through many a fierce fight.

In the evenings, on many of the ships, large numbers met and sang hymns.  A soldier never tires of singing, and his ‘Sankey’ is an unfailing friend.  Many a lad had thus brought back to memory days of long ago, and gave himself to his mother’s God.

But, after all, the great Christian events of the voyage were the parade services.  If there were chaplains on board, they naturally conducted the services.  If not, the officers in some cases performed that duty, and we read in one soldier’s letter that on the Braemar Castle Prince Christian Victor conducted a service, perhaps a somewhat unusual occupation for a prince!

=Parade Services on a Troopship.=

But men in the ranks conducted parade services also.  The commanding officer would send for some godly non-commissioned officer or private, and make him for the time being the ‘padre’ for the ship.  Nor were these devoted Christians unduly exalted by the position in which they found themselves.  It was no slight acknowledgment of worth that, all untrained, they found themselves for the time being Acting-Chaplains