7*«, n rno D c niETfl757 liiiiiiiinliiiii 45Z3 SOLDIERS' /TRACT ASSOCIATION) No. 91. Richmond, Va. J The Wounded; or, A Time to Think. "\, r 0U have bcon brought very near to death ; you have X beeu to the very brink of the eternal world: you have seen deat; Whom you have known have been laid low,, but you hai And ' • your duty as you arc j « He quietly on your iftal ? When you were in the hold, ft was your duty to advance steadily, aud to fight boldly; but now, although you can do nothing; for the service of your country, still you need no.t be quite idle. That was a time to fight, this is a time to think. it Is a time to think of GoTs mtrcy in tielivcrhr/you. If y that there is a God in heaven, who rules over all things, yuu cannot think that it was by c' that the ball which struck you, or the sword or lance which wounded yon, did not enter some vital part, and cau3e your death. Such was the case with many. Think to yourself, " Why was it not the case with'ine ?" It was because the Lord had mercy xipon you. and protected you* You may say to God with David, "Thou hast red* toy head in the dhy of battl the Lord says,," See now that I, evend, am he; and tuere . ith me : I kill, and I make alive ; I wound, and I heal: neithei .n deliver out of ■ and." Dents, fhe Lord Jesus Chris; tells us that not a sparry the ground without our heavenly Father, and that ; Iri of our heads are numbered. M y de- pend upon it, that every ball or weapon struck only i permitted it. Do not speak of your escape . ' but lift your heart ingratitude to Him U otinn providence pr ur wound from _ mortal. In mercy to your immortal soul he has spared you, and given you time to think. 2 The Wounded; or, A Time to Think. This is a time to thiuk of the past. Recall to yourself your past life, ever since you cau recollect. Perhaps you may remember your mother teaching you to pray, or to repeat hymns to her, or some texts of Scripture, learned from her or at school. Perhaps you may recol- lect, as a child, feeling afraid of offending the great God, and -wishing to go to heaven when you should die. What have become of these thoughts since? This is a time to call to mind the mercies you have Re- ceived, and the sins you have committed. Many bins com- mitted j'ears ago, you may have tried to put from your mind, and may almost have succeeded in forgetting; but they Ire as fresh in the mind of God as the first moment that they were done; and unless they are forgiven, they will appear against you at the day of ijudgment. Reflect on what the Bible»says of sin. ' We are there told that "sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John iii. 4. By this, you see that sin is not only an act which may injure your fellow-creatures, but anything which i'S contrary to God's holy law ; and this law takes notice not only of Outward actions, but also of the inward thoughts and feelings of the heart. When you take this view of siu, how awful and solemn' is another declaration of God's word, » The wages of sin is death." Rom. vi, 'J3. Do you not feel in looking back ou your past life, that you cannot stand before God's holy law, and that you* have been living forgetful of him? His .word*declares that ''The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm ix. 17- It teaches us that man is born in sin, and shapen in iniquity, and that ♦'every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually.'*' Gen. vi. 5. And our Lord Jesus Christ declares, "Except a man be born again, lie cannot the kingdom of God," John iii. o; that is, except' a in wi receive ■■■ new heart. Thus is this great obangi forth: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creatine: old things Are passed awa-y; behold, all things are bo- oome new." 2 Cor. v. 17. . Reflect on these words, and then ask yourself what, would have become of your soul had you been amongst The Wounded; or, A Time to Think. . 3 the slain. If your copscicnce tells you that you are not born again, then it would have been impossible for you to "eutcr into (he kingdom of God," and you would at this moment have been suffering God's just displeasure. Great has been the mercy of God in sparing you and giving you time to think. Will you not uow resolve to make a good use of this time ? This is a time to think »/ the future. For what pur- pose have I been delivere'l ? seems a natural and reason- able question fur a man to ask, when he h through such scenes of death as you have witnessed. You have been delivered in order that you may now seek the salvation of your soul; and this salvation is freely provided tor you.- Atteud to the gracious declarations' of God's word: "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicke.d ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil? ways ; for why will ye die?" Ezekiel xxxiii. 11. If you have looked honestly into yonr own heart, and at your past life, you must feel that you deserve nothing but con- demnation ; but God offers you free pardon and eternal life, through his Son, Jesus Christ "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Timothy i. 15. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16; and Christ de- clares, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John vi. C7. Wi^l you not hearken, and come to the Saviour with' the prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner ?" You will find that that prayer is never uttered in vain. You.are now laid aside from fighting for your country, but you have a battle to fight in your own fieart against sin, and against the devil. The etiemies you have met in battle could only kill the body : but sin and Satan can destroy both soul aiid .body in hell. You cannot fight against these enemies in your strength, but God has pro- mised to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask him. Pray 4 The Wounded) or, Jl Time, to Think. for the Holy Spirit, and determine, now by his help to avoid the temptations and the evil company which used, to lead you into sin. Tb>- b«S Christ, who died upon- the cross for you, jufc'called in the Bible "the G tain of oar. salvation." *>Vill you not now enlist at his banner, and become henceforth "a good soldier of Jesus Christ?" Think of the fut:jr& heyoild this life; you have bee*h. preserved from deatynowj but who can tell for how long? The next time you are„in thef&ee'of the enemy, you receive your death wound; or you may ."-ink under dis- ease; but'if you now indeed become a soldier of Ji Christ, he will give you certain victory over the enemies of your soul, and you will be welcomed'as a gh> : queror intq the presence of-4he King of kings. The apostle Paul said, shortly before tie was going to die, "I have fought a good light, I have finished my com have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for t crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the right Judge, shall give me at that dsfy: and not to. me only, hut unto all them also that love his appearing," 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8 ; and Jesus Christ declares, " Him that over*-