Patrick Dennison was the twelfth son. Eleven brothers had given their lives to service for England, and Patrick, the twelfth, was a doctor in the British Navy.
As he was leaving an English port one time, a lady in a wheelchair gave him a tract. He glanced at it with a muttered curse but stuck it in his pocket. Later in curiosity he read it and learned that "the wages of sin is death."
How he wished he hadn't read that tract! Patrick tried for years to forget it, but couldn't. He tried to drown the memory in drink, but only became a drunkard. One night he became so desperate he called a friend and told him he was going to kill himself.
The friend rushed to him and arrived as he pulled out the gun. He struck Patrick such a blow that he ended up in the hospital. As Patrick recovered, he saw a Bible on the table by his bed. He hunted for that striking passage in Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23): "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life."
In weakness and despair, Patrick tumbled from the bed to kneel and pray: "Lord, I'm a sinner. If you'll forgive my sin and take this curse of drink from me, I'll do whatever You want."
The Lord took him at his word, and Patrick became a faithful gospel preacher.