45JI 
 
 1/ I I U -| I I- 
 
THE FRENCH SOLDIER. 
 
 From a letter of M. L>c Pres^ense of Paris. 
 
 At the time when the Fscnch sol -icM w-re cmbirldnir for 
 tho S(int of war in the Cnme;i, i Bi'>le-c )i;)0>-ti'ii:- sought and 
 obtaip.CHl i>etini>sion to c«^i»vtT.-e with tlic inrn of one of the 
 rcgiiivents tiiat were prt'p.-ning to depart. While smroundcd 
 in the fo: e-coui t of the hvrr^M-ks hy the-^e war ions, the colpor- 
 teur, speal.inp; of ih.- VaUie of the ho y Scriptures, was address* 
 cd hy a young soldier of a frank and intelligent countenance* 
 *Tliev have oo!i\inced me,'' said the young tnnn, in a gentle 
 tone/'ol the ncees^^itv (.f g.-ttinjr the word of G^.d ; hut alas," 
 continued he, with a'deep sigh. "I hive notaccmune wherewith 
 to make this preciovis puJchiM'." "Th it need not signify," the 
 colporteui- (juicklv replied ; -'if you have so great a desire to 
 possess a copy, it shall not he sari that a Chistian Hllowed you 
 to go awny to a foreign sliorc without giving you orie, even 
 should it i)e at njv own expense." Then dni^i; g a New Te.-ta- 
 moot out of his pack, he h mde I it to the soldier. But what 
 was his surprise an<l grief when the youo'r man bruke imo a 
 loud laugh, saying, "You are dor^e, my fine fellow. I am Jester 
 nuuduM- "one -f the rciriment ; ask n>y cornra<les. It is us clear 
 as the sun th.it >hines, thnt I have ni?ide a fool ofyou. When 
 1 am dead, do you see— 'lie was proceeding with a flow of pro- 
 fane language, when the col po' tour stopp. d him by siying, 
 '*Afterd^';ith the mdgmeui will follow ; and what a judgment! 
 Listen how the Lord Jesus Christ speaks: 'Depart from me, ye 
 cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for iho devil and his 
 angel.s.," 
 
 For a moment the youngr poldier reaped to laugh, and :ippeare<l 
 a? if silenced, but is levi y quickly returned. "Give me back 
 the book," sail the c^dporteur. "Nay, ray old fellow." replied 
 the mocker,"! should be ashamed ^-o to affront you before su'.-h 
 a retv0cia,blo company us this is. What wouUl my eoittnMi<« 
 
«^', THE i^'Kl'KCii SuLHlKii. 
 
 think ofyou, were Ihcy to see you taking back with your left 
 hand the present wb.ich your rjg;ht hand had just offered? 
 "i'our book will be of uso to inc. It will do to light my pipe." 
 Then making the rnilitjiry sr.lute in a grotesque manner, he 
 M^'dkcd away. ''Lord, forgive liim," cried the colporteur; *'he 
 knows not what he does." 
 
 Fifteen months passc^d away, when the colporteur came to a 
 village three hundreti miles away from the spot where the young 
 soldier had taken the New Testoment fi-om him. He entered the 
 kitchen of an inn, where he found the people of the house seat- 
 ed in deep gv'ii^i He made inquiry as to the cause of their sor* 
 row, when the landlady, with many tears, said, "Only a few 
 hours ago, and my son, the joy of my life, was placed in the 
 silent grave i and what a son !" 
 
 The colpoi'teur lis ened to tlio sad sto)y of her soLher son \ 
 of his departure to the wars, and his return to die in his inoth- 
 cr's arms. He felt a tender intei'est in the recital ; and to abate 
 her grief he said,"Let me road to 3'ou a few lines out of a good 
 book ; they arc suited to the hour of sorrow.'' He then turned 
 lo several passages \shich spoke of God chastening us for our 
 profit, when the woman uttered a loud ci-y and started up ; but 
 the colporteur proceeded to read a text which set forLh Christ 
 as the great iligh-priest at the right hand of God, and through 
 whom sinners might come tKjlily to the throne of grace, to 
 obtain mevcj^ and tind grace in time of need. 
 
 On hearing these words the woman caught the book out of 
 his hand. "You u'ickud man," she cried," you have taken 
 from me the most precious thing I have still remaining of him." 
 Then dropping the book as she glanced at it, she added, "No, 
 this is not my precious volume : mine is torn, but this is per- 
 fect.^' 
 
 The woman quickly left the room, and returned bringing 
 with her a New Testament of the same size as that she had cast 
 on the floor. The colporteur opened it, when to his astonish- 
 ment he saw wiittcn in French, on the inside, these words: 
 
 '^JRece^ved at ^the—day of .Despised at first, and badly 
 
 used ; hut afterwards read, believed, o.nd made the infitrument 
 
 g/ n}y salvation. I. i., of the fourth eomjpany of the reg- 
 
 ment cf the line.'''' 
 
 Ill an instant light biokc upon the mind of the colporteur : 
 JJ[^^yijji^^^hj;,vcry Tcbtameat that h^ lj£on takcn^by the 
 
THE FKKNOII SOLDliaJ. O 
 
 younrj; mocker? Yes, it was the snmc. On closer insj^cction 
 svvcrnl leaves were missinjr, and it was concluded that ihey had 
 been tnken to lisiht the soMier's pipe. But this destroying of 
 the book had been wonderfidly stopped. Iho col})orteur made 
 further inquiries^ and learned from the bcrenved mother the 
 most pleasinp; inteili-:enoe. Her son had told her, that the even- 
 in.!;- before a battle serious thoughts of the words of the man 
 whom he had mocked and defr.iuderl of the book came 
 suddenly on his mind. He renicmb.'^rcd his w.irnings, and was 
 troubled. To pacify his mind he took from his knapsack the 
 sacred Volume which had become his accuser. As he turned 
 over the leaves, what Mas his a.-^tonishment when, instend of 
 threatenings, his eyes fell on such precious truths as these: 
 "God sent not his Son into the world to condenm the woild, 
 Imt th;it the world thron?; it b.im mifrht be saved." John 3: 17. 
 "(."^ome unto me, all ye that labor and aie heavv-laden, and I 
 wil! give you rest." iMatt. 11. : 2S. 
 
 As he pondered t\ is last passage, tlic sound of the drum 
 calle'l him to fall into the ranks. In a short time he was eng- 
 aged hand to hand in the ba'tle. It was a deadly struggle, 
 and many were the dying and the dead that lay stretched on 
 the ground. At its close our young soldier was among the 
 wounded on the fieUf. He was afterwards found by his com- 
 rades and cnrried to the hosjiital in the rcai*. A severe wound 
 now placed hiui for several weeks on the borders of the grave. 
 It was a time for serious lho\ight and prayer. His New Testa- 
 ment was not forgotted ; it was his best companion, audit 
 brought conviction and ligtit an<l conifort to hisniiud. 
 
 After having lain for soM)e w«M-ks i.i a b.o.-j ;'al in a foreign 
 land, he came home to his parents' housr ^) die, During the 
 time that he spent under their roof. In- jirew iti grace and the 
 knowledge of Christ. The torn TobMiient v .:i>; ainiost constan- 
 tly in his hands. Thiongh the teachings oflhe Holy Spirit, he 
 saw increasingly his need of a Saviour. Christ was all his sal- 
 vation, and all his desire. Feeling the power of the truth him 
 self, he entreated all who visited him to be reconciled to God 
 through faith in the divine Kedccmor; and then caludy died 
 in the hope of eveilasfing life. 
 
 In this brief account we sec thr power ofdi-nine truth. Many 
 a man, who in the apparent security of life has rejected the 
 Bible and jested W4th sacred lliii!--, has turucU pale in the 
 
It ^ - 
 
 4- THE I-KnNCIi feOLDIKR. ^5^1 
 
 hour of danger, ami gladly turned to ti>e holy book 
 for ligVit and ir.crcy, "fs not my word like as a (ire? s;titli the 
 l;Ord ; and like a hammer, that brcaketh (he rock in pieces V" 
 Jcr, 28. 29. Blessi'd iue those who art- led, by any nifans, to 
 receive the tr ilh"f God in hivmility. 
 
 See the riche.'icfilivi'ne iirace. The apostle Paul, who wjis 
 once "a hlafijhenier and a piTsecn or jtnd injurious," ohuiined 
 inorcy ; and ivt he alone : ninny are the ^n.sUnces of the tri- 
 umphs of redeeini!i<r lo\e in the hearts at men. 7'he young 
 Kiench soldier i.s hfforo us a- an illu->tioU'i case. Jiut li^t isot 
 sinners abnsc such I'aets. The powe of Oil! ist r;ui subdue the 
 infidelity of tiio hfirricst he.-irt, and his precious blood cun cleanse 
 from jdl-iu. Yet let thv-JJi t ke heed, les. they be left to go 
 on fiftei' the ways of their own hearts, and Mt length it be ii>\\d 
 of them, "Behold, yc dcspisers. and wonder, and peribh." Acts 
 13:41. 
 
 THE LOST FOUND 
 
 1 Oh, how divine, how sweet the joy, 
 
 When but one sinner turns, 
 And, with a humble, broken iieart, 
 li is sins and errors mourns ! 
 
 2 Pleas'd with the news, the saints below 
 
 In songs th ir tongues employ ; 
 Beyond the skies tlic lidings go, 
 Andheav'n is fdi'd with joy. 
 
 3 Wei! pleas'd the fatht-r sees and hears 
 
 The conscious sinjier> moan 
 Jesus receives him in his arms, 
 Andclaims him for hisowa. 
 
 4 Nor anrrels can their joys contain, 
 
 But kiridlo «'ith new fire : 
 *' The siii'?er lost, is found," they slag, 
 Aad stiuke tbo souiKiins lyre. 
 
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