I had just laid down one night, past midnight, to get a little rest, when a man came and told me that a wounded soldier wanted to see me. I went to see the dying man.
"How can I be saved? I want you to show me how to die," he said.
"I would help you to die if I could," I said. "I would take you on my shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of God if I could, but I cannot. I can tell you, though, of One who can."
So I told him of Christ who was willing to save him, and how Christ left heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. I just quoted promise after promise, but it didn't help, and it seemed eternal death was facing his soul.
I could not leave him, and at last I thought of the third chapter of John, and I said to him: "Look here, I am going to read to you now a conversation that Christ had with a man that went to Him when he was in your state of mind."
Every word seemed to be going to his heart, which was open to receive the truth. When I came to verses 14 and 15 where it says: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life," the dying man said, "Stop, Sir; is that there?"
"Yes, it is all here."
"Won't you please read it to me again?" he begged. I read it the second time. The dying man brought his hands together, and he said, "Thank God for that. Won't you please read it to me again?"
I read through the whole chapter, but long before the end of it he had closed his eyes. He seemed to lose all interest in the rest of the chapter, and when I got through it his arms were folded on his breast; he had a sweet smile on his face, and remorse and despair had fled away.
His lips were quivering, and when I leaned over him I heard him faintly whisper, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
He then opened his eyes and, with a calm look, said, "Oh, that is enough; that is all I want!" He pillowed his dying head upon the truth of these two verses, and in a few hours he was in the presence of His Savior.