"YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN" TWICE-BORN
MEN
TRUE
CONVERSION
RECORDS OF~100 WELL - KNOWN
MEN IN ALL
RANKS OF LIFECompiled by
HY. PICKERING
A Famous Cambridge Cricketer
CHARLES T. STUDD was born in 1860. In due time
Charles was sent to Eton, and very soon displayed his
remarkable cricketing powers. He played for Eton when
in his 16th year; in 1879 he was captain of the team. In
1882 and 1883, "C.T." (as he was called to distinguish
him from his cricketing brothers) scored more than a
thousand runs and captured upwards of a hundred wickets.
After his father had been converted, he took his three
boys to hear Moody, but they were not converted for some
time after. He also had revivalist meetings in his house,
attracting people for miles round, many being saved.
This was wonderful, but his heart yearned for his boys,
and at last C.T. was brought to the point by an evangelist
staying in his home. The boy, down from Cambridge,
dashed out of the door arrayed in flannels, was accostedby the messenger of God. A question--like a well-aimed
cricket ball--sent his bails flying: "Are you a Christian,
young man?" Young Studd was taken aback. He
stammered out that perhaps not in the way his questioner
meant, though he had believed in Jesus Christ, "since he
was knee high, sir," and believed in the Church, too.
Charles thought that would settle him. "Look here,"
was the reply, "God so loved the world, that [H]e gave [H]is
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in [H]im should
not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3. 16). "You
believe Jesus Christ died?" "Yes." "You believe that
He died for you?" "Yes." "Do you believe the next part
of that verse: 'shall have everlasting life'?" After some
hesitation, C.T. said he did not. Yet through the loving
words and God-given wisdom of the evangelist, the young
man was very soon enabled to thank God for His great
gift of everlasting life through faith in His Son.
But he did not tell others of his Saviour, and conse-
quently his spiritual state was very low, and his heart
grew very cold towards the Son of God Who loved him,
and had given Himself for him. This lasted for six years,
then his brother George fell ill, and as Charles, at his
brother's bedside, watched him hovering between life
and death, eternal things appeared in their true light.
George cared (at that time) for nothing but the Bible and
the Lord Jesus Christ, and Charles learnt his lesson.
George was restored to health, and Charles resolved to
cleave to the Lord. He began by attending the Moody
and Sankey meetings held in Cambridge, at which meet-
ings hundreds of the students were saved. He lost his
cold reserve now; he tried to persuade his friends to read
the Bible, and spoke to them of their souls. He had the
joy of leading his dearest friend to Christ--"a joy far
exceeding all the earthly joys he had tasted."
Charles read an infidel effusion, in which the writer
declared that if he believed, as millions say they do in
regard to lost souls, etc., he would go forth into the world
and preach, in season and out of season--nothing else
should occupy his time--his text would be, "what shall
it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul" (Mark 8. 36). Charles Studd felt called to give
his whole life to seeking the salvation of his fellow-men,so he became one of the famous "Cambridge Seven:"
Stanley P. Smith, two Polhill-Turners, W. W. Cassels,
D. E. Hoste, Montague Beauchamp, and C. T. Studd.
They sailed on Feb. 5, 1885, after meetings in England
and Scotland which brought many more students to the
Lord, and drew them into His work, some of whom con-
tinue to this day.
After many trials, and strenuous service in China,
India, and Africa, on the 16th of July, 1931, the veteran
my. passed away, after a brief illness, with a
glad "Hallelujah" on his lips--straight into the Presence
of His Lord.