It was 1884 when Britain’s champion sportsman, C.T. Studd was faced with the crisis that would change the course of his life. The American preacher D.L. Moody was holding evangelistic campaigns in Cambridge, and The Holy Spirit was at work among the students. With C.T’s rise in prominence in the cricket world coinciding with his fellow sporty brother’s increasing devotion to God, the two collide as his brother becomes ill and is thought to be dying. As C.T Studd sits by his brother’s bedside, eternity suddenly becomes a reality.
In C.T Studd’s own words.
“Now what is all the popularity in the world worth to George? What is all the fame and flattery worth? What is it worth to possess all the riches in the world , when a man comes to face Eternity? All those things had become as nothing to my brother. He only cared about the Bible and The Lord Jesus Christ, and God taught me the same lesson. In His love and goodness He restored my brother George to health, and as soon as I could get away I went to hear Mr Moody. There The Lord met me again and restored to me the joy of His salvation. Still further, and what was better than all, He set me to work for Him, and I began to try and persuade my friends to read the Gospels, and to speak to them individually about their souls.
I cannot tell you what joy it gave me to bring the first soul to The Lord Jesus Christ. I have tasted almost all the pleasures that this world can give. I do not suppose there is not one that I have not experienced, but I can tell you that those pleasures were as nothing compared to the joy that the saving of that one soul gave me. I went on working for some time, and then the cricket season came round, and I thought I must go into the cricket field and get the men there to know The Lord Jesus. Formerly I had as much love for cricket as any man could have, but when The Lord Jesus came into my heart, I found that I had something infinitely better than cricket. My heart was no longer in the game; I wanted to win souls for The Lord. I knew that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.
Mr Moody left for America and then I wanted to know what my life’s work for the Lord Jesus Christ was to be. I wanted only to serve Him, and I prayed God too show me. But here I made a mistake; for instead of trusting entirely to God to show me, I went to my friends. Thus I tried to find out The Lord’s guidance by common sense; and instead of getting into the light, I got into darkness. I became very restless and anxious, and my health gave way, and I had to go into the country to recuperate.
Having spent three months in reading my Bible and praying to God for guidance, I came back much better, but still not knowing what I was to do. I decided to read for the Bar until He should show me. I found, however, when I got back to town, that it was impossible for me conscientiously to go into any business or profession. It seemed so thoroughly inconsistent.
God had given me far more than was sufficient to keep my body and soul together, and, I thought, how could I spend the best years of my life in working for myself and the honours and pleasures of this world, while thousands and thousands of souls are perishing every day without having heard of Christ?
About this time I came across a tract written by an atheist. It read as follows:
“Did I firmly believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labour in its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of Eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand, nor seal my lips.
Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon Eternity alone, and on the immortal Souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be, ‘What does it profit a man if he gain the world and lose his own soul?’”
I at once saw that this was the truly consistent Christian life. When I looked back upon my own life I saw how inconsistent it had been. I therefore determined that from that time forth my life should be consistent, and I set myself to know what was God’s will for me. But this time I determined not to consult with flesh and blood, but just wait until God should show me.
About three days afterwards a great friend of mine asked me to go to a Bible meeting with him. I went, and after we had read the Bible for some time, and spoken about it among ourselves, he said, “Have you heard of the extraordinary blessing Mrs W. has received?” “No.” “ Well, you know she has been an earnest Christian worker nearly her whole life, and she has had a good deal of sorrow and trouble which has naturally influenced and weighed upon her. But lately somehow God has given her such a blessing that it does not seem to affect her at all now. Nothing, in fact, seems to trouble her. She lives a life of perfect peace. Her life is like one of heaven upon earth.”
We began at once looking into the Bible to see if God promised such a blessing as this, and it was not long before we found that God had promised it to believers, a peace which passes all understanding, and a joy that is unspeakable. We then began to examine ourselves earnestly, and found that we had not got this. But we wanted the best thing that God could give us, so we knelt down and asked Him to give us this blessing. Then we separated.
I was very much in earnest about it, so when I went up to my own room I again asked God to give me this peace and joy. That very day I came across the book “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.” In it was stated that this blessing is exactly what God gives to everyone who is ready and willing to receive it. I found that the reason why I had not received it was just this, that I had not made room for it, and I found, as I sat there alone thinking, that I had been keeping back from God what belonged to Him. I found that I had been bought with the price of the precious blood of The Lord Jesus, and that I had kept back myself from Him, and had not wholly yielded.
As soon as I found this out, I went down on my knees and gave myself up to God in the words of Frances Ridley Havergal’s consecration hymn:
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
I found the next step was to have simple, childlike faith, to believe that what I had committed to God, He was also willing to take and keep. I knew I had committed my soul to His keeping and He was able to keep that; how much more then was He able to keep me and what belonged to me in this world?
I realised that my life was to be one of simple childlike faith, an that my part was to trust, not to do. I was to trust in Him and He would work in me to do His good pleasure. From that time my life has been different, and He has given me that peace that passes understanding and that joy whch is unspeakable.
It was not very long before God led me to go to China. I had never thought of going out of the country before. I had felt that England was big enough for me. But now my mind seemed constantly to run in the direction of The Lord’s work abroad. I went one day with my friend Mr. Stanley Smith to Mr McCarthy’s farewell, and I shall never forget the earnest and solemn way in which he told us of the need of earnest workers to preach the Gospel. I thought, however, that I would not decide at once, because people would say that I was being led by impulse. I therefore resolved that after the meeting I would go and ask God. I prayed to God to guide me by His Word. I felt that there was one thing alone that would keep me from going, and that was the love of my mother; but I read that passage, “He that loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,” after which I knew it was God’s will , and I decided to go.”
At the age of 25, C.T. became one of the “Cambridge Seven” who were called, during the revival amongst the university students, to go as missionaries to China, via Hudson Taylor of the China Inland Mission. He then went on to minister in India, America and against all the odds, Africa.
You can read the encouraging, faith filled accounts of this cricketer who God called to be a missionary amongst the nations in the book, C.T. Studd by Norman Grubb
Amy Carmichael
Give me the love that leads the way
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope no disappointments tire
The passion that’ll burn like fire
Let me not sink to be a clod
Make me Thy fuel, O Flame of God
LIFE ON THE ALTAR 